Day 11: Blayney to Coonamble
16 February 2024
Master Map
Of course I'd intended to get going early and of course I didn't. I recalled that the son of old friends lived in Orange, just up the road and a place I'd never visited. It was a work day, so I sent a message to ask whether he had the sort of job that would allow him to slope off for a cup of coffee. He did, so I saddled up, rode to Orange, and passed a pleasant hour or so talking bikes and life with an agreeable young man.
Pretty old country railway station, Millthorpe, NSW.
I don't share the generally dismal view of younger generations. Sure, there are shabby, disagreeable layabout youths, but there were when I was young too. Just ask my parents. I find many young people who are whip smart, work hard and, if given half a chance, would do a great deal of good for the world.
My plan after coffee was to ride north-west to Wellington and then retrace the route I took on the ill-fêted day in February 2020 when the CB slid gracelessly out from underneath me. (See here).
Roadside artwork north of Orange
Of course it didn't work. I had a quick lunch in Wellington and headed off only to discover the road I needed to take was closed. All alternatives seemed to be dirt. What do you do? Keep going, of course and try to figure out a plan. And, I suppose, be grateful I'll never find out whether the Gap Road would do for me again.
Striking clouds north of Orange
By the time I'd got to Dubbo, I'd decided to try to get to Narrabri for the night. Pterodactyl and I have stayed there a couple of times, and there's a good road over the hills to Bingara which would take me home via Texas. I decided to go via Piliga around the back of the Warrumbungle National Park.
I thought this would take me over the putative boundary of the Outback. pdedse has since enlightened me. It looked a lot like the Outback: hot and flat. Will that do?
I've always liked old, brick chimneys. This specimen was on the way through Gilgandra, my last fuel stop before Coonamble.
Gulargambone had any number of images of birds on poles.
An example of making old concrete silos more attractive. It's happening all over Australia and likely in other parts of the world.
Half an hour later in Coonamble, I stopped to refuel and realised I'd had enough for the day. There was a motel directly across the road with a vacant room. Serendipity, or what?
