Snowy / Victoria - March 2017

Saturday 11th Mary, 2017

Sydney - Nowra - Nerriga - Tarragon - Bungendore - Cooma

 

Day1

 For three years in a row, if circumstances at work had turned out as hoped, I have been able to take a week off in early March at fairly short notice. My wife is going away the week after I get back so she was happy for me to go. Although as things turned out it finished up being a very busy time for her family.

Also at fairly short notice, my brothers decided to get together in the old home town of Hay prior to the old home being sold once and for all. So it worked well that I could have a few days touring and finish up in Hay on Wednesday and have 3 nights with my brothers before the old home is gone for good.

So with all that in mind, I set off on the Saturday morning heading for Cooma. Cooma is a great base to set off through the snowy or down to Victoria and I have been there so many times now it feels very comfortable. It was a pleasant but uneventful trip from Sydney to Wollongong and on to Nowra. Good weather, about 20c. Perfect riding conditions. Since my last trip on the bike I have invested in a new seat and I have had the handle bars raised 1 inch. These 2 modifications combined to make the bike even more comfortable and I was easily able to ride straight through to Bungendore without a stop and without my backside going numb.

Once through Nowra and heading towards Nerriga it really feels like you have left the city behind and I must admit I did open it up a bit and enjoyed having a big powerful motorbike at my disposal.

I passed quite a few motorbikes on this stretch and as usual, Bungendore was full of them. I stopped for petrol and a quick snack before the final run to Cooma. I reached the motel in Cooma about 2.30pm and enjoyed a little rest and read the paper before heading for the Alpine Hotel for pre-dinner drinks and a beef and mushroom pie special. All in all a good first day.

In the Alpine. Cooma

Afternoon Tea

View from the pub window

Breakfast spot

Sunday 12th March, 2017

Cooma - Adaminaby - Cabramurra (almost) - Khancoban - Thredbo - Jindabyne.

Day2

 

A hearty breakfast at The Lott, my favourite breakfast spot in Cooma, and I was on the road just before 9am. It was a nice cool morning, about 16c when I left Cooma, but very pleasant. There were ominous clouds in the distance and a severe weather warning for the snowy mountains. Despite some strong winds for about half an hour, I missed all the bad weather and didn't even get any rain.

My usual route around Kosciusko National Park is to follow Snowy Mountains Highway passed Adaminaby and then turn lift on to Link Road (they’d obviously run out of names by then) and then left on to Goat Ridge Road just before Cabramurra. This time I had decided to turn right on Goat Ridge Road which took me down a steep narrow road to the bottom of a valley where Tumut 2 power station is located. The road then becomes Elliot Way and follows the Tumut river through some very pretty scenery.

Elliot way came to a T intersection at Tooma road where I turned right and headed for Khancoban through some lovely open valleys with the mountain range on my left. I stopped at Khancoban for petrol and coffee. There was another large group of bike riders at the petrol station and left shortly after I got there.

Scenes from Elliott Way

Following the Tumut River

Southern Cloud Memorial - Tooma Rd

Scenes from Tooma Rd

Khancoban

Group of bikes at Khancoban

Petrol, Coffee, salad roll and off to Jindabyne. This is always a great ride, around Mt Kosciusko and past Thredbo before descending into Jindabyne with the lake stretching out in front. A shower, rest and wander through Jindabyne shopping centre before ending up in The Lake Jindabyne Hotel for pre-dinner drinks and lamb cutlets, chips and vegetables. There has to be at least one night of lamb cutlets on any trip away.

Scenes from Kos National Park

Stopped at a creek. KNP

Passing Thredbo

Approaching Jindabyne, the lake in the distance

Lake Jindabyne Hotel

Monday 13th March, 2017

Jindabyne - Bombala - Delegate - Orbost - Lakes Entrance

 

Day 3

This morning was a time of reckoning. I had been planning to go from Jindabyne down Barry Way / Snowy River road to Buchan and onto Lakes Entrance. This route would have included 170 Kms of unsealed road over the Victorian Alps. It would have been a great trip and included some breathtaking scenery. But the first condition was to be dry. 170 Kms of dirt road would have been extremely challenging in itself. But in rain, forget it. So after studying the weather in the morning I decided I couldn't take the risk. There were storm fronts all over NSW and down into Victoria with severe weather warnings for thunderstorms and hail. I couldn't do it.

That left 2 options. The Monaro Highway from Bombala down To Cann River, sealed all the way and the longest option. There was also the Bonang Highway from Bombala to Orbost which included about 10 Kms of unsealed road and some fabulous twisty road.

I opted for the Bonang. I have ridden this road before from South to North and found the gravel section quite challenging. That was on a different bike 2 years ago. Today I had a great ride, gravel section and all, and pushed it hard to Orbost. I made it to Lkkes Entrance by about 2.30 and was able to relax for the rest of the day after a job well done.

A few beers, some fresh, Local fish and an early night.

Welcome to Bonang - with a dead dog hanging off the sign

Bonang

Gravel

Where the bitumen ends

Cows just outside Delegate

Friendly drovers

Lakes Entrance

Pub for dinner

Dinner

A beautiful evening in Lakes Entrance

Tuesday 14th March

Lakes Entrance – Omeo – Mt Hotham – Bright – Myrtleford – Beechworth

 

Day 4

 

A perfect morning in Lakes Entrance with sunlight glistening off the bay. Lots of empty wharves as the fishing boats were out to work. Breakfast at a very nice coffee shop near my motel and I was ready to head north.

The trip to Omeo was pleasant, there seems to be some distinct different geography on this leg. Some windy passes top begin with and then you follow the Tambo River for quite a while. This is a nice stretch along the valley very close to the river and some lovely curves. Easy enough to go quickly and hard enough to make it interesting. This eventually leads to more open farming country surrounded by beautiful green hills.

A stop in Omeo

A quick stop in Omeo for a coffee then the Great Alpine Road begins the climb to Mt Hotham. This is a great ride, especially on a beautiful autumn day like this. It did not seem to take long to get to Mt Hotham where I had another stop and went into the hotel for a cool drink. A few other bikes were there as well. The scenery up here is just glorious. You’ll have to see the photos because mere writing can not do it justice. I had the GoPro with me from here in which enable me to get some screenshots which you should see here.

Omeo to Mt Hotham

Leaving the resort there is a short climb to the top of the mountain and then you begin the northern descent. At this point there are fabulous views and large drops on both sides of the road.

The last time I came through here I had my friend Richard on the back, there was a thick fog, the temperature dropped to 0c and there was snow up to each side of the road. It made todays trip seem like a walk in the park. Again, words can’t do it justice, so I’ll add lots of photos.

Mt Hotham to Harrietville

Right at the botom of the mountain, after one of the most wind sections of the road, you’re suddenly in Harrietville, a pretty villiage that signals the end of the mountain road.

Through Harrietville, Smoko, Freeburgh and into Bright. Such pretty country and the entrance to Bright is lined with large European trees with the leaves just beginning to change to autumn colours.

Harrietville

Bright

No Stopping in bright. Straight through to Myrtleford where I stopped at Delizes for coffee. A favourite spot. Only another 50 kilometres on to Beechworth and in to the Armour Motel ( a play on the Ned Kelly theme). A rest, a shower and off to the Bridge Road Brewery which, fortunately, closed about an hour and a half after I got there or things could have become ugly.

Beechworth Gaol

Bridge Road
Brewery - Beechworth

Breakfast in Beechworth

Wednesday 15th March, 2017

Beechworth – Wangaratta – Yarrawonga – Cobram – Tocumwal – Finley – Deniliquin – Hay

Day 5

 

A lovely breakfast in a café at Beechworth before setting off a short distance to Wangaratta and straight through to Yarrawonga. I have been here recently so it was just a quick coffee and on my way along the Murray to Cobram and over the river to Tocumwal for another quick stop.

Tocumwal to Finley to Deniliquin started to get boring after the fabulous mountain country I had been riding through for the last 4 days. I had not been into the town of Deniliquin for about 25 years so I went through the centre of town to have a look. I must say it seemed larger and more prosperous than I remember and seemed to be quite an inviting town. But not today.

Murray River at Tocumwal

The last 120 kms to Hay is a punish. Straight flat roads with nothing to look at. Throw in a strong cross wind that was trying to pull the helmet off my head and all in all I was very pleased to reach Hay.

Saturday 18th March, 2017

Hay – Griffith – Temora – Yass – Goulburn – Oyster Bay

 

Day 8

 

If you were wondering about the other 2 days, they were spent in Hay with my brothers going through old photos and documents in preparation for the family home being sold. It was a struggle not to start on the beer too early in the afternoon and we didn’t always succeed.

Hay Post Office

The old family home

My parents a very long time ago

The motel in Hay, my brothers car next to the bike

Saturday morning I set off bright and early for my 740 km trip, the longest day. The first 400km again had the strong crosswind which meant it was not a pleasant trip. From Binalong I started to get a few drops of rain and from the time I turned on to Picton Rd near Wilton, it poured. Heavy rain for the length of Picton Rd. I was fairly waterproof so that was not an issue, but visibility was appalling. Especially when grey cars won’t turn their lights on. They are virtually invisible. Then on to the Mt Ousley Rd and straight into a very thick fog. This stretch of road is notorious for fog and today’s was an award winner. Still cars didn’t see the need to turn their lights on.

By the time I reached home, about 5pm, I had well and truly had enough and was ready to put the bike away. Until next time of course. The trip meter told me I had done 2,531 kilometres and spent 27 hours 59 minutes riding the bike. A busy week.

Entire Trip