Day 7: Cooma to Mitta Mitta
19 March 2017
Click on the image for a detailed map
The forecast was good, although looking out the window provided little comfort as the sky was overcast and the road wet.
Making Tezza look positively sprightly, Pterodactyl was now limping badly. He was not going to seek medical attention and any attempt to persuade him was roundly rebuffed. So, after an excellent breakfast at the Lott Food Store, we headed towards Jindabyne and the pass through the Snowy Mountains.
The weather as we left Cooma looked foreboding behind us …
… but ever so slightly more promising ahead
By Jindabyne, there was a faint promise of sun in the distance …
… and it looked more promising still as we made our way along the road above the snowline
It still didn’t look too marvellous behind us
By the time I got off the bike at Dead Horse Gap, things were considerably brighter
I must have been so overwhelmed by the sun that it didn’t occur to me to line the CBs up for the first shot of four of them together
Soon we were on our way through the bush on the southern side of Dead Horse Gap
It’s a glorious ride down the hill to the south of the gap and we all enjoyed it, I think. Particularly the sun and the chance to warm up a bit at the same time as we rode.
At a place called Geehi Flats we stopped beside a river to stretch, take a break and take some photos. One of us hypnotised Inhouse Bob so he’d forget he ever saw sun in Australia.
After the photo shoot, we rode along interesting roads …
… with views of the mountains …
… and occasional pauses for roadworks.
We paused at Khancoban for fuel and water and then pressed on towards Cabramurra.
For some reason the photos pretty much dry up here. I suspect it was cold and I had changed gloves. My thicker pair make operating the camera difficult. Or the battery may have gone flat from the all excitement of being used.
We did stop for a breather and a photo opportunity at the Tumut Pond Reservoir, part of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric scheme.
Then it was on to Tumburumba, Munderoo, Jingelic, Bungil and Tallangatta East to Mitta Mitta where we parked our bikes out of the weather on the veranda of the pub and Inhouse Bob went for a run to meet some of the locals.
The pub, by the way, turned out to be a surprise. Modest in appearance from the front, it was much larger inside with a lovely beer garden next to the river. The accommodation was clean and comfortable, mine host friendly and helpful and the food was just fine.
While it was apparent that Pterodactyl’s foot was getting worse, we had enjoyed a dry day and, in my view at least, had some magnificent riding. Neither had anyone else been injured.
