Sydney to Apsley Falls, Walcha
14 November 2016
Click on the image for a detailed map
As has become our practice, I met Pterodactyl at the Caltex Service Station at Randwick. It’s a good meeting place as it’s close both to his house and my son’s apartment and convenient for escaping from the city. Even though it’s not cheap, we are quickly on toll ways that get us north out of the city.
We repeated our journey north, again aiming first for Colo Heights where we would refuel. The weather was much less threatening this time and the riding was pleasant enough once we got out of the worst of the city traffic.
Colo Heights. I think this might be the only thing there
From the Colo Heights service station it’s a pleasant 46 kilometres along the Putty Road to the Grey Gum International Café, favourite haunt of motorcyclists recharging for the famous ’10 Mile’—the section of the Putty Road to its north.
Heading for the Grey Gum Café
After a fortifying coffee and a comfort stop, we were off into the 10 Mile. It’s a fabulous ride. Twists and turns, a good surface and great scenery. It was Monday, too, so the usual collection of sport bike heroes were safely tucked into their employment.
Scenes from the 10-Mile section of the Putty Road
I never tire of the ride from Singleton, at the northern end of the Putty Road to Dungog and then Gloucester. The surface is not always good, but it’s scenic and there’s a good mix of road from straight to sweeper to twisty.
East Gresham on the way to Dungog
The road to Dungog
Dungog
The bow of Cormanus’ CB1100 showing the consequences of the interminable battle with bugs
In the picture above, I’m at a loss to explain the glistening of the front tyre. It was a pleasant day and there was no rain about. I didn’t fall off afterwards, so I’m pretty sure it wasn’t oil either.
Dungog was very badly damaged by flash flooding in early 2015. Three people died and four houses were completely washed away. The road we entered on looks like it was first sealed in the 1930s and has been patched (not very well) a thousand times since.
After refuelling the bikes and a taking cup of tea each, we pressed on towards Gloucester.
Sections of the ride to Gloucester are also excellent fun. Indeed it was heading south on this section of road in 2014 that I had an entertaining ride behind a cattle truck.
Passing through Gloucester we turned onto Thunderbolts Way.
The first 60 kilometres of Thunderbolts Way is a fabulous ride. The road climbs and then descends into a valley where you ride across the pretty Manning River. You then climb again steeply up on to the plateau of the Great Dividing Range for a fast, if occasionally uncomfortable, run to Walcha. It was a much better day than the soggy, foggy one I spent on it on the way south. (See Day 2 in this post.)
The view from Carson’s Pioneer Lookout on Thunderbolts Way
In Walcha we refuelled and acquired some neck oil before heading out the 20 or so kilometres to the camp site at Apsley Falls where we passed an agreeable evening.
