October 2011

21^st October, 2011

The weather is finally starting to warm. Thank you. Although I have managed to keep riding throughout what has been a colder than usual winter in the Sydney area. I haven’t done too mnay lengthy rides of late. We seem to have had more than our fair share of wet weekends.

A friend, Ian, bought himself a BMW F650Gs, which is actually an 800cc twin and a very nice bike. We have done 3 rides together, covering Nattai and Picton, Mittagong and Burrawang, Bundanoon, Robertson, Mt Kembla. They have been very enjoyable rides and Ian is good company.



BMW F650GS - besdie the Thunderbird

Two weeks ago I Had Thursday and Friday off work and had half planned a longer trip and possibly an overnight stay, but the weather conspired against me. I didn’t even uncover the Thunderbird all day Thursday and Friday. Although it didn’t actually rain, it looked like it was about to all day. Finally on the Saturday I put on the wet weather gear and took off toward Picton. As it turned out, Sydney got no rain again, but I got plenty going through Wilton and Douglass Park. It was heavy for about 20 minutes which meant slowing down considerably. After that it was just drizzle. The wet weather gear did an admirable job. I don’t mind riding in the rain as long as I am prepared for it. Of course it is not like riding into a clear blue sky with bright sunshine bouncing off the gleaming countryside. But it’s a lot better than not riding at all.

Last weekend turned out to be very nice. Saturday morning was overcast which gave me an opportunity to do some jobs around the house. Mainly preparing for the arrival of builders the following Monday who are going to extend the roof over decks at the front and rear of the house. Verandahs, just in time for summer. By early afternoon the sun was out and I took my wife for a lovely ride through the national park to Stanwell Tops where we stopped long enough to have a hot chocolate and take in the magnificent view.

Sunday was beautiful from beginning to end. I took off at 9-30 and stopped at The Oaks for petrol. The attendant commented on the number of bikes out and about, and mentioned that they were heading to Warragamba for the bike show. That sounded interesting so I plotted a course for Warragamba.

It was actually the Warragamba Dam Fest, an annual event featuring amusement rides, helicopter flights, food and market stalls, live entertainment, and, more importantly, a car and bike show. The festival was spread out over the large park and sport area adjacent to the dam. There was a big crowd there, but fortunately plenty of good parking specifically for bikes.

I bypassed all the stalls and rides etc and found the car and bike show. There was a lot of bikes lined up. Many customs, some vintage and the usual dollop of Harleys. It appears that pretty much anyone with a bike could register their bike and ride in and park and display. There were prizes awarded, but long after I left. There were some nice cars on display as well, but after about half an hour, I could feel the call of the thunderbird and I was off to Nattai, Picton for a light lunch and home via Stanwell Tops and the national park. Time to break out the summer gear.

Some Photos from Warragamba.

Australian Motorlife Museum

19th June, 2011

Not such a long ride, but a wonderful glimpse into the history of motoring in Australia. The Australian Motorlife Museum is a new facility at Kembla Grange (near Wollongong) which houses a beautiful collection of automobiles, motorcycles and motoring paraphernalia of all kinds, charting the history of motoring in Australia. My friend Arthur, the proud owner of a Harley Davidson Ultraglide (pictured below), suggested a trip to the Museum.

So, on a recent Sunday afternoon we met at the museum, paid our $11 entry fee and spent an enthralling 2 hours wandering around and drooling over the exhibits. An elderly volunteer who took our money at the door, was the only other person in the building, and so he accompanied us around the exhibits and shared much information about the history of many of the items. A lovely afternoon.

Rather than bore you with an attempted description, I thought I would let the photos do the talking. Enjoy.



The Riley Automobile Club dropped in for a visit.




Thunderbird in front of the Australian Motorlife Museum








Arthur's Ultraglide



Bilpin - Mt Wilson

20^th May, 2011

The Bells Line of Road is somewhere that I had been hearing about for many years, especially with regard to riding motorcycles. Likewise, Mt Wilson is a place that I have been interested in visiting for some time. I had read an article about it in a recent motorbike magazine from the point of view of a rider visiting there for the day. Over the past few weeks I had been keeping an eye on the weather, social and family commitments waiting for the opportunity to venture north west.

The previous weekend, all had looked good, until a cold snap showed a predicted top temperature at Mt Wilson of 7 degrees with a reel feel of 3 degrees. Too cold for me.

This week the temperature looked more like 17 degrees. Good enough. My wife decided to come as well, but opted to drive rather than pillion. This was OK with me as I like to try out a road on my own first before committing to a long ride with a pillion. Some roads are more suitable than others.

We got away about 9 am and went out through Casula to Bringelly and then turned right on to the Northern Road. This takes you north through Luddenham and the eastern edge of Penrith. Then on to Londonderry Road, through Londonderry and straight on to Richmond.  Then right on to Kurrajong Rd, across the Hawkesbury river and then you are on Bells Line of Road.

The initial climb through North Richmond and Kurrajong heights is steep and fairly slow going, but then you level out somewhat and wind through Bilpin. The countryside is beautiful with occasional view off through the valleys to the mountains beyond.

We stopped at the Bilpin Fruit Bowl for coffee and to buy some of the compulsory apples. Right in the middle of the shop they have a woman baking fresh apple pies and the smell as they come out of the oven gives the seller an unfair advantage over the buyer.

Bilpin Fruit Bowl - Watch out for the hot apple pies.

From there we continued along Bells Line of Road passed the Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens, which look like a nice place to stop on future visits, until we came to a spot called the Walls lookout. We parked in the small car park and took the 1 km trek to the lookout which had the most spectacular views over the Grose valley. Well worth the trek. This took about 1 hour all up.

The wife and I - At the Walls Lookout - Bells Line of road.

The Walls

We then carried on the short distance down the Bells Line of Road to the Mt Wilson (two, three, ) turnoff. As you approach Mt Wilson you can see the change in vegetation. The bush becomes much more lush with more ferns and larger trees. The rich soil, higher rainfall and cooler climate has made it a popular place for large English style gardens since it was settled around 1875.

At this time of year, the deciduous trees are changing colour and trees are beautiful shades of red green and gold. It is a very impressive place to drive into at this time of year. We stumbled onto a private garden at a home called WindyRidge and spent half an hour wandering around. It was a very beautiful place. Have a look at the photos. We spent the 45 minutes looking around Mt Wilson and enjoying the sites of the huge, colourful trees and the avenues lined with fallen leaves.



Windyridge Garden



Windyridge Garden

Windyridge Garden

Windyridge Garden

Windyridge Garden

Windyridge Garden

Windyridge Garden

Windyridge Garden

Windyridge Garden

Curch Lane - Mt Wilson

Curch Lane - Mt Wilson

Curch Lane - Mt Wilson

Mountain bike - Thunderbird at Mt Wilson

Time was ticking away and we were looking for a late lunch. The only café advertised in Mt wilson was closed on the day. We had earlier had thoughts of going on to Lithgow but it was getting too late for that, so we decided to head back to Bilpin to find somewhere to eat.

In The Apple Bar - Decision time.

We stopped at a the first place that served food that didn’t say hamburgers or pies on the sign out the front. As it turned out, this was the find of the day. We were at the Apple Bar and as soon as I saw the Good Food Guide sticker on the front door my confidence lifted. The apple bar was a gem. Have a look in Cafes and pubs for more info.

After an hour or so over a very tasty lunch, time was getting away. We hit the road for the trip home. We went back the same route, only now the roads were getting busier with people coming home from work. Fortunately the heavier traffic was going in the opposite direction to us, but it still took quite a while and it was dark by the time we got home. A small serve of fresh apple pie was all that was required.

All in all it was a great day and great ride. The Bells Line of Road is highly recommended for a cruise on the bike. Next time I will make sure I have ti,e to go all the way to Lithgow. My wife might even go on the bike.

Hay

20^th April, 2011

I was born in Hay and spent my childhood there. For the last few years my 3 borthers and I have been getting together at Hay over the Anzac Day long weekend to catch up. This year Anzac day fell on Easter Monday. I normally avoid travelling over Easter because the traffic in and out of Sydney is horrendous. However, this year we all agreed to go to Hay over Easter. To avoid the traffic I took a day off either side of Easter so I wouldn’t be travelling in the heavy traffic.

More importantly, I decided to ride the Thunderbird to Hay. It is a 700 km trip and usually takes 8 hours in the car including stops for food and fuel. I have been thinking of riding there for some time and this seemed like a great opportunity.

The morning of the 20^th was cool and there was some rain expected along the route. I was up and ready to go by 6-30, dressed and warm and waterproof gear. The bike was kitted out with windscreen, saddlebags, sissy bar and sissy bar bag.

I was off out of Sydney before the traffic got serious and the cruise to Goulburn was uneventful and a little cool around Mittagong. I didn’t stop till I reached Goulburn about 8-30am. I called in at the Big Merino. The Big Merino has been around since 1985 and used to be in Goulburn when the highway actually went through the town. These days you take the Goulburn bypass, but there is a service station with a few fast food outlets near the bypass and the big Merino has been moved here to catch more of the passing traffic. When you enter the service station you get a close up of the Big Merino’s rear and you will be pleased to know that the designers did not skimp on anatomical detail at the lesser seen end. See the photo.



Big Merino's Bollocks

Coffee and breakfast and I was back on the road heading for Yass and then Gundagai. Just East of Gundagai, the rain finally started. It got quite heavy, but only for short bursts. The wet weather gear worked perfectly and the Thunderbird never missed a beat, only having to slow down when visibility became a problem. I kept going on to Wagga Wagga where I stopped at a Roadhouse for fuel and refreshments. I ordered a toasted sandwich and when I asked if they had whole meal or wholegrain the answer was “Oh no we don’t have either of those here”. The waitress then cheerfully took my order for a flat white coffee and soon after delivered a mug of milk coffee made with instant coffee powder which quicly developed a nice thick skin over the top. I had forgotten the joys of country roadhouse cuisine, but it soon came back to me.

When you reach Wagga Wagga you usually feel like you have done a full trip, but Hay is another 270 kms. 100 kms to Narranderra, where I stopped again to stretch the legs and have a cup of tea (I wasn’t game to try the coffee) . Then it’s off for the final 170 kms across the plains. From here on in the country is flat and the roads are generally straight. You are heading due west at this stage so it’s a good idea not to get here at sunset or you are looking straight into a setting sun without even a hill to shade the glare.

I got to Hay about 4pm. The bike looked like it had buckets of mud poured over it. This was from the spray thrown up from the road by cars and trucks. 719 kms from door to door. All in all I was in pretty good shape. I had left a day earlier than my wife and kids thinking that I might have to stop overnight along the way if fatigue or the sun became an issue. But that was not the case. If I were travelling for a number of consecutive days I think it would try to limit each day to about 500 kms. But, as a one off, 700 kms was not too bad.



Very muddy Thunderbird - Arriving at Hay



I spent the next week in Hay living on beer, red wine and dead sheep, with lots of stories about my brother’s lives since we had last met and a hefty dose of laughter. My wife, son, daughter and her boyfriend were there as well and it was nice to slow down and enjoy small country town life for a while.



Hay - Early morning fog



The two boys got to shoot some quail, ducks and rabbits and ride a couple of old dirt bikes that my eldest brother has had at Hay for about 20 years. I am always amazed that they even start.



Boys on the bikes





a 1995 Thunderbird 900 at Hay 150,000kms and still going strong

My daughter on the Thunderbird - First time she's been near it.

How flat is the One Tree Plain - just north of Hay



Sculpture in the river bend at Hay

More sculpture in the river bend at Hay

Inside the Hay Gaol Museum

Gaol Bird- Thunderbird outside the Hay Gaol Museum

My wife and family left to come back to Sydney on 26^th which was the last public holiday. I stayed one more night to miss the traffic. On the 27^th I left Hay about 8-30 am and made the return trip. There had been quite a lot of rain about but I managed to miss it all except for a few drops around Goulburn.

This time I went into the main street of Wagga and found a lovely café called De Lish which served me a delightful breakfast and 2 cups of flat white. In Gundagai I came across my eldest brother and his wife who were also travelling back to Sydney that day. They followed me from there to Goulburn at a cracking pace.

On the return journey I adopted the system of stopping separately for food and fuel. This gave me twice as many stops which is great for stretching the back and legs and also meant I could be a bit more selective about where I had coffee or food rather than just sticking to petrol stations. A good plan for future trips.

I got back to Sydney about 5pm, a little tired but none the worse for wear. 1500 kms in a week was a good workout for the Thunderbird and I.