Prologue
Rain pelted onto my helmet and visor. It was hard to see where I was going. The sky was nearly black. The trees in the Royal National Park south of Sydney crowded the road, making it even darker and more ominous. Leaf litter and debris was everywhere.
Even though I’d not been riding long, water was starting to creep into places it had no right to be and the tide in my boots was rising.
“How on earth did I get myself into this mess?” I wondered.
Day 1: Brisbane to Tamworth
13 March 2017
Click on the image for a detailed map
I was meeting Tezza to ride south to Sydney. He'd keep going and I'd collect fellow CB1100 riders, Pterodactyl and Inhouse Bob (arriving from the USA to ride with us). We'd then ride on south, collect Tezza and then ride on further to meet noroomtomove. Five of us would comprise the Rally Down Under and we'd ride a few of the more entertaining roads in south-east New South Wales and north-east Victoria.
I took one photo all day, and that was first thing in the morning on the way to meet Tezza at the Yamanto Shopping Centre. It’s a photo of what I suspected would be ominous weather ahead.
It was. By the time I pulled up next to Tezza in the car park it was spitting vigorously. By the time I had my wets on, it was pouring down.
It continued to do that on and off most of the way to Tamworth. We had occasional patches of dry and maybe the odd glimpse of the sun; but basically it rained. It’s a good road, though, and we made good time. Eventually we found a bed in the Tamworth Hotel. The rooms were overpriced, crappy and smelled of paint as the accommodation was being renovated. But the beer was cold, and the food was good.
Day 2: Tamworth to Sydney
14 March 2017
Click on the image for a detailed map
It was a better looking morning, although a dirty great black cloud to the west and a less than optimistic forecast meant we decided on wet weather pants so we’d be half ready if the rain caught up with us. We got moving as there was no breakfast to be had at the hotel and we thought to put in 50 kms or so before refuelling both ourselves and the bikes at Wallabadah.
Arriving in Wallabadah, we passed a couple of cafés and I thought we were in trouble as the town fell away and there was no sign of the promised petrol station. But it soon appeared on the right and we stopped to refuel. A cheerful young woman made us a cup of tea and a toasted sandwich each and we wolfed them down before continuing to Bulga.
Two CBs at Wallabadah
The weather still didn’t look brilliant, but we stayed dry all the way to Bulga.
I’ve not ridden on the New England Highway south of Tamworth before. It’s pretty enough and does the job of getting you there, but, as part of the joy of motorcycle riding for me are roads less travelled, it would not be my first choice. But it’s better than the main coast road.
Tezza
Some New England Highway views
Bulga, as I recall, is little more than a service station, and we arrived there to find Pterodactyl waiting. Unlike us, he had enjoyed a very soggy trip north to meet us: he told us he’d been hailed on twice and made much of the trip in pouring rain.
The young woman in the service station — much less cheerful than her counerpart at Wallabadah — took the money we offered for fuel and water and we made our way onto the Putty Road.
Heading towards the Putty Road
The Putty Road, an alternative ride north from Sydney, is loved by motorcyclists for a stretch known as the 10 mile. The sign warns of a winding road for 16 kms which is—you guessed it—10 miles. And a splendid 16 kilometre stretch of winding road it is too. Pretty, well made and well surfaced, it’s a rider’s delight. I’ve ridden it south to north a couple of times before, but never the other way.
It’s also Pterodactyl’s home patch and he quickly vanished into the distance with Tezza and I maintaining a more relaxed pace astern. It is, I think, a more agreeable ride north to south, but, hey, it’s good either way.
Chasing Tezza along the Putty Road
I passed a milestone on the way
We stopped at the Grey Gum International Café where I had a cup of coffee and an excellent home-made sausage roll and, courtesy of an uncommon mobile signal we looked at the ominous weather swirling about us.
After lunch we dressed up in full wet weather regalia and set out after a Russian-sounding gent on a near new BMW sport machine.
Getting ready to ride
As we approached north Sydney Tezza left us to circle the city on his way further south. He was off to visit his sister and we were to collect him on the way past on Friday. At around that point the rain set in; our preparation being rewarded by a solid and sustained downpour that lasted until we arrived at Pterodactyl’s place. I gathered from Tezza later that he was similarly poured upon all the way to his destination.
One pucker moment: at about 100 kph, I met a tar snake in the middle of my lane. It was running the same way as me and was very wet. The back tyre didn’t like it at all and gave a little flick. The bike wobbled. I started to think “Oh, sh …”, but by then everything was OK again.
I confirmed for myself that my boots are not up to the wet. They were soon full of water.
