RECENT RIDES
THREE DAY WEEKEND RIDE: Coonabarabran and Port Macquarie
24 to 26 May, 2024
Day 1: Sydney to Coonabarabran
Dale had 13 keen riders and 2 pillions who xdmet at Windsor Maccas on a cool Friday morning for a 0830hr departure.
The plan was to ride to Lithgow and have morning tea at The Tin Shed around 1000-1030hrs. I went ahead to Schulze Point on Freemans Reach Rd to get some photos. The riders rode past and when I jumped back on the Goldwing it wouldn’t start due to a battery issue, I was lucky to just get it started, and rode straight to Hawkesbury Motorcycles where they checked the 6 year old battery and $200 later with a new battery and an hour behind I was off to catch up with the others!! Arrived at The Tin Shed just as everybody had finished their refreshments and their happy faces that I had not gone MIA!!
Phill Branford and his new beast a 2023 Red Honda Goldwing met us at Ilford Information Bay and I again went ahead and took some photos with Lake Windamere in the background as we headed to the Paragon Hotel in Mudgee for lunch.
We then rode to Coolah and had a stop at the Bakery there before continuing on to Coonabarabran for our first night at the Country Gardens Motel and a short walk to the Coonabarabran Bowling Club for a Chinese dinner and watch the locals have their meat raffle.
Day 2: Coonabarabran to Port Macquarie
Some started the morning with a early breakfast at the local bakery which opens a 0600hrs and we departed at 0800hrs. I again headed off ahead to get some photos before Gunnedah.
We went and viewed the Gunnedah Painted Silos and then Gunnedah Water Tower Art before topping up fuel and a stop at McDonalds or some went to Bitter Suite Cafe & Wine Bar. Phill Branford left us here to head back home and Dale had me lead from here as he wanted me to take the riders the back way bypassing Tamworth to Bendemeer Hotel for lunch.
BEWARE OF MERCEDES DRIVERS!!
We were heading down the Oxley Hwy, single lane each side, in an easterly direction about 30km to Tamworth when an oncoming semi was approaching and a silver/grey Mercedes sedan was trying to overtake in our lane!! I hit the brakes and swerved into the 1 foot of shoulder just as the truck passed with the Mercedes in our lane!! Lucky everyone behind me saw me hit the brakes and swerve and they did the same! David Sipple was about 6 bikes back and said he was still in our lane as he passed him. This could have been a very serious incident with a lot of us being taken out! So the moral is ALWAYS be AWARE!
Some of the topics at lunch were about the incident but also about the great ride bypassing Tamworth and some great scenery! A few riders had continued on to Walcha and then to Port. The rest of us after lunch went through to Walcha for a fuel top up and then down to Gingers Creek for a break/pitsop/refreshment.
Just on leaving Gingers I had another incident where another rider over took a 4WD with a trailer on unbroken lines and blind corner and I had to swerve to the left again to avoid a collision, No. 2 for the day!!! We continued on down through the twisties towards Long Flat where I had a small Wallaby run/jump/hop across right in front of me, No. 3 for the day! We met up with Dale and Jim at Timbertown as they had not stopped at Gingers. We headed on into Port Macquarie and our accommodation for the night at the Macquarie Barracks Motor Inn. After a quick rest and shower it was off to drinks and dinner at the Settlers Inn Hotel which is just near the motel.
Day 3: Port Macquarie to Home
It was decided the night before to head off at 0800hrs, early or late depending how you look at it, and head to Nabiac for breakfast at the Greenhouse Cafe which is always a great spot to eat. We all then headed over to the Ampol to top up fuel and say some goodbyes as most of the group were heading to Gloucester, Dungog and lunch at the Royal Hotel Singleton and then down the Putty Rd to home. Four of us headed down the highway with stops at Heatherbrae and then Pie in the Sky before heading on home.
A great weekend organised by Dale Kam with great company and some new roads too!!
What more could you ask for!!!
Noel Taylor
Saturday Ride: Convict Cafe, Wiseman's Ferry, 21 September 2024
Today’s ride took us to Convict Road Kiosk, that building down by the Wisemans Ferry Ferry all the way down the hill by the park. It was too nice a day to not do a ride but as rides go it was a fairly uneventful because most riders were well behaved (as you can infer Kwaka John was not there). I led and John TEC’d and we followed the typical path that included Blue Gum Road and Halcrows. Food at the kiosk was standard fare but certainly well priced. Ivor and I were the only riders who went on to Spenser and then Central Mangrove, then the Old Road. Gosh, Ivor can ride his KTM 390. I saw one of those Insta360 cameras on another bike while Ivor and I were stopped at Road Warriors. Seriously thinking about one of these so I can film myself doing wheelies, stoppies and getting a knee down at Eddies Corner. Of course it’s probably more critical that I first learn how to do stunts and get off the bike! For next week let’s think about some place really different and fun to go to.
Our riders were:
Greg BMW RS
Glenn GS
Simon GS
Mario Triumph
Bruce Shadowy-Sidecar
Ivor KTM
Sebastian CanAm
Alf Kwaka RS
Dave VStrom
Gary GS
Carl VStrom
Nick GS
John GSXS
And me, Scott MT 09
Saturday Ride: Paradise Café, Lower Portland, 28 September 2024
Some roads are like old friends. For me, River Road is one of those.
The Road and I got to be best mates back in COVID-19 lockdowns when we weren’t allowed to leave our LGA. I rode what was available and River Road is actually a pretty entertaining road. Views are great, and it has this backcountry feel to it. Plenty of corners, too, albeit mostly blind ones. The funny thing is that the lockdown fixed the major problem with the road—suddenly gone were those big trucks pulling ski boats driving down the middle of the narrow road. Hurrah! I could do laps of River Road to my heart’s content and not have to think about having some truck’s grill make a mess of my little MT03.
So this morning at The Local Shed when Ivor KTM suggested that he lead a ride to Paradise Café in Lower Portland, I was keen knowing we’d do at least a part of River Road. With Ivor leading and me TEC’ing, between us were David Harley, Simon GS, Evan (Super) Star, and Phil and Andrea (Gold) Star. As we were heading off from the Shed, Ivor told me he’d be going down Cliftonville Road rather than the usual Sackville Road, so I’d get a little more time on the road. That was great.
Weather was a bit iffy. Not a lot of sun but a little spitting of rain here or there. But mostly dry tarmac. The first part of the ride was mostly uneventful with not so many slow cars holding Ivor back. But when we got to Cliftonville Road I was excited. Council appears to have fixed up the gravelly bits but I don’t think there’s much anyone can do about the poor intersection coming out of Cliftonville Road on to Wisemans Ferry Road. But we went Wisemans Ferry Road to Cliftonville Road, so all good. When we got down to River Road it was great to be back, but unfortunately it was also predictable. As happens way too often on this road, some big truck decided to stare down Ivor to see if he’d flinch. Of course, Ivor didn’t back down, merely moved to the side, but the truck did slow down and let us get around. And other than that little bit of stress, we had a good ride to Paradise.
At the café, I was the first to order, but I guess I didn’t get the memo. I ordered fish and chips but everyone else ordered nachos. I’m not sure if there was a deeper meaning here, but it turned out that I was last served and while I waited all those nachos coming out to the table looked pretty tempting. Hmmmm.
After lunch Evan, Simon and I headed back up River Road to Wisemens Ferry and the rest went back the other way toward Sackville. I rode with Simon for part of the way, but I kept stopping to take photos. Eventually Simon just headed on without me. It seems Council has fixed many of the problem stretches of River Road, building some big retaining walls, which is great. But there are still a few familiar one-lane parts so that you need to be on your toes. Suffice to say that River Road has a character all its own, often charming yet sometimes cranky—just like any old, dear friend.
Scott Koslow
email:
hillsliaison.2154@gmail.com
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