Day 2: Walcha to Oberon
3 February 2024
Master Map
I nearly always travel south through Walcha. It's on the New England Plateau and is the starting point of many a fine ride, including the Oxley Highway, regarded by many as the best riding road in Australia. My path usually takes me down Thunderbolts Way (named after an Australian Bush Ranger) to Gloucester and Dungog. Not today. I wanted to find other interesting ways to avoid Sydney.
After half an hour or so, I turned right off Thunderbolts Way and rode west along Topdale Road and descended the Port Stephens Cutting, a narrow, twisting and steep descent to the valley below. From there it's a pretty ride through hilly agricultural country to Dungowan where the country starts to open out onto the Macquarie Plain. Turning left I rode past the Chaffey Dam and then further west to Wallabadah where I stopped for fuel for both me and the CB. All good riding. These are old but reasonably well-maintained country roads with more than enough undulation and good sweeping corners to be interesting and fun for a motorcyclist.
A couple of sections of the Port Stephens Cutting
The CB at Dungowan
As an aside, it was summer in Australia and the days were hot — north of 30ºC. So it was strange to have left Walcha wearing the inner thermal lining of my jacket and winter gloves to ward off the early morning chill. By Wallabadah, the need for them was well and truly over.
Heading south from Dungowan
Chaffey Dam
For the next 70 kms or so I rode along the New England Highway: pretty enough, but a major road with all the joys of cars, trucks and traffic. I turned west on the outskirts of Scone, bound to Merriwah. I refuelled there before riding on to Mudgee, where I stopped to rehydrate and eat. Did I mention it was hot? The afternoon took me along some new and some familiar roads to the city of Bathurst.
For those in whose veins runs the fuel of the internal combustion engine, Bathurst is a mecca for its Mount Panorama motor racing circuit. While I was on this trip it would host a 12-hour endurance race. On the first weekend of October it is home to the Bathurst 1000, a major event on the Australian motorsport calendar.
I mention this because when it's not being used for racing the circuit is a public road and I've always wondered about riding around it. Today was the day.
You can zoom in on it on Master map #1 towards the end of Day 2 and watch a video of a lap through the window of a car.
I did a couple of careful laps at the posted speed limit of 60 kph and realised you'd want lots of practice before hurtling around it at high speed.
Near the top of Mount Panorama
Con Rod straight. There were more photos of the track, but lanyard cam malfunctioned and the lens cover didn't open properly.
A soccer carnival meant every venue in Bathurst was fully booked so I rode on to Oberon and the Big Trout Motor Inn.
After 644 kms over the day, I was still feeling pretty good about my riding fitness.
