Saturday 15th March. 2020
Oyster Bay - Nowra - Nerriga - Tarago - Bungendore - Queanbeyan - Cooma
420kms
I managed to squeeze in a week before it got too busy at work and home. I was keen to get down to the snowy mountains before it got too cold and to see the results of the devastation fires over Christmas.
Got away from home about 8.30 and it was very overcast and cool. It was a tossup to wear an extra jumper underneath the jacket. I did, but it still wasn’t enough. Around Kiama the rain started as a drizzle and the temperature kept dropping.
Through Nowra and on the way to Nerriga and it was cold. 8c and steady rain. I was feeling the cold. I had my new 12v heated jacket in the bags but I couldn’t stop and get changed in the rain or I would have been soaked. I also decided it was too wet to take the dirt roads through Braidwood so I carried on through Tarago, Bungendore and Queanbeyan. I stopped at Bungendore for lunch and it had stopped raining so got into the heated jacket liner. Wow. What a difference. My trip from Bungendore to Cooma was very pleasant. I think that jacket was a great investment. I’m sure I will be getting plenty of use out of it.
By the time I reached Cooma the sun had come out and the temperature was up to 15c. I‘d almost forgotten the cold miserable part of the journey.
Sunday 16/03/2020
Cooma- Adaminaby - Tumut - Batlow - Tumbarumba - Jingellic
270 Kms
Not my biggest day, but certainly one of the most spectacular days of riding I can remember. Great roads, great weather, great scenery. the perfect recipe.
It was 2c when I ventured out for breakfast in Cooma at 8am. A bit cooler than I had planned for. But a clear blue sky with no wind. I left town about 9am and headed up The Snowy Mountains highway. This is a great road at the best of times. But today was just perfect. It was cool at 7c but my electric jacket was working like a treat. I was very comfortable and loving the ride. straight through Adaminaby and on towards Tumut. Not much traffic and I kept finding my speed creeping up. Yee-ha.
The most eye-catching sight was the forests burned in the recent bushfire. Trees blackened but still standing. Although there were many lying on the ground. But the blackened trees had lush green shoots emerging from the trunks from top to bottom. Added to the blanket or rich green grass on the ground from recent rain and the whole picture was quite magical.
I stopped in Tumut for a coffee and while there I heard some gentlemen chatting and one said that there were 200 motorbike riders headed to town on the Black dog ride. Just out of Tumut I started passing them fortunately they were headed in the opposite direction. They were spread over a long distance although there were a few clumps that were riding very close together. Glad I wasn’t one.
One thing that stood out in this area was that every now and then I would go past a house and/or shed that had been destroyed by fire. Usually a brick or stone chimney still standing at one end surrounded by a pile of crumpled corrugated iron. Very eerie.
The perfect riding continued on to Tumbarumba where I stopped for some lunch. Then the final 40 Kms to Jingellic.
A couple of years ago I stopped at the Bridge Hotel at Jingellic and was taken by what a pretty location it occupied. A tiny community with a lovely pub on the banks of the Murray River. There is a small public camping area next to it on the banks of the river. I was booked into a cabin belonging to the pub and it was very comfortable.
I am writing this in the beer garden looking over the camp area with the river in the background. The Murray is gurgling away with good strong flows from the recent rain. I have been watching a group of men about my age setting up their tents and swags beside their motorbikes and thinking how lucky I am to have a nice, cozy room to fall into at the end of the night.
Setting up camp
Dining Room, Bridge Hotel
Monday 17th March
Jingellic – Corryong – Mitta Mitta – Omeo – Bruthen – Metung
415 Kms
A nice brisk, sunny morning to leave Jingellic. No breakfast available at the pub so there was no point hanging around. Fabulous riding with sun coming up and glistening off the dew covered green grass while the cows and sheep enjoyed breakfast.
Followed the Murray through Walwa and Towong and on to Corryong where I planned to stop at the Black sheep cafe. Unfortunately the cafe had the “closed Mondays” sign up so I kept going headed for Mitta Mitta where I thought the pub might have something to offer. It didn't, but the general store did a handy bacon and egg roll. Mitta Mitta is such a pretty place that I am always happy to spend some time here.
After Mitta Mitta, the road is very twisty as it climbs into the mountains and heads down to Omeo. Slow and steady through this area. The last time I came this way it snowed on me. Today was very pleasant by comparison.
I stopped in Omeo for a cup of tea and a breather. Extended trips through the mountains takes it out of you concentrating on the continues cornering.
From Omeo it is all downhill to Bruthen through familiar country. The road follows beside the Tambo river for quite a long run and it is always entertaining scenery. There was still a lot of clean up crews removing debris from the fires.
Got to Bruthen and it was only 25m Kms to Metung so I didn't stop. The run down to Metung was some of the most beautiful county yet, still following the Tambo River.
Metung is a small community on a narrow peninsular surrounded by the waters of Bancroft Bay and the Lakes National Park. I was booked into the Metung Waters Motel and within 50 meters I had the pub, 2 cafes, a general store including bottle shop, a pharmacy and a take away food store. Everything I could possibly need. The pub Bistro was so popular it was booked out on Monday and Tuesday night, but as long as I was happy to sit on the deck, I was in. Marinated duck breasts with steamed Asian greens, wild rice and chili infusion on Monday night, and a whole grilled flounder on Tuesday night.
I had ideas of going for a ride around the coast on the Tuesday in Metung, but I finished up having a day off and just soaking up the atmosphere. Very pleasant. I will be back.
Ready for Dinner, Metung
Metung
Metung
Wednesday 19th March
Metung – Orbost – Bonang – Delegate – Bombala – Jindabyne – Cooma
415 Kms
After a pleasant breakfast at the Metung Bakery Cafe, I was on the road about 8.45am. Straight up the highway to Orbost before heading north on the Bonang highway. Another windy road with 10 Kms of gravel over the mountain before crossing the border and passing through Delegate. I have done this a number of times before and there were no surprises. After Delegate, next stop is Bombala where I stopped for a coffee only to find that local bakery / coffee shop was closed and for sale, but there was a very acceptable alternative across the road.
After Bombala I headed for Jindabyne along the always satisfying snowy River Road where you can let your hair down a little and have some fun. Unsurprisingly it didn't take long to get to Jindabyne where I filled the tank and started the last 60 Kms to Cooma. Another lovely day in the saddle.
Bombala Bakery - Closed
Thursday 19th March
Cooma – Bredbo – Jerangle – Captains Flat – Braidwood – Nerriga – Nowra – Oyster Bay
406 Kms
The weather was good so after a hearty breakfast at The Lott I set off determined to go via Cooma road to Braidwood. Just out of Cooma there was a large sign saying “No access to Braidwood”. I turned around and headed up the Monaro Highway, grumbling to myself that I really didn’t want to go this way.
30 Kms North of Cooma I was going through the small community of Bredbo when I noticed a road off to the right called Jerangle Rd that also said Braidwood. So I took the plunge and headed down Jerangle Rd.
After a few Kms I hit gravel, which I expected, but it was a very good quality Gravel road and I had a thoroughly enjoyable ride through some beautiful, but isolated farm country. I only passed about 2 vehicles on the 100 odd km trip.
The community of Jerangle was tiny with only a few houses around. The great country continued until I found myself coming into Captains Flat, which I was not expecting. Very quiet town, don’t think I saw any people.
I followed the sign to Braidwood out of town which took me up a steep rise to more gravel road and a stretch of about 200 meters being graded, which had a 2 to 3 inch layer of loose dirt on the road service. At this point there was another bike rider in front of me and we both slowed very quickly to cope with the loose dirt.
Once passed that section, the other rider soon turned off and I continued on more good quality gravel till I hit bitumen a few kilometers short of Braidwood. I stopped for petrol and then continued up Braidwood Rd through Nerriga and on to Nowra where I had a quick bite to eat before facing the challenge of the highway through Wollongong and home.
Got there early afternoon with 2,000 km on the clock. Time to face the new world order of Corona Virus.
