2017 OzSTOC National Rally ........

nev

Super Térrarist
Day 3. My favourite route through there is to turn right at Premer, through Spring Ridge and Caroona, right onto the Kamilaroi Hwy and then immediately left onto Gap Rd, which takes you into Tamworth and avoids the Oxley Hwy through Gunnedah, then a few km before Tamworth take a right onto Bylong Rd, that's through a residential estate and changes name to Greg Norman Drive which brings you out right next to the big guitar, mcdonalds and a couple of petrol stations. Take a right at the first roundabout and follow that road and it will drop you onto the Oxley/New England Right at the Nemingha pub and from there you're only 1 speed camera away from the Moonbi hills.

Day 4. Yes the route you have marked into Woodenbong is either unsealed, or the worst sealed road in Qld, (depending on which bit you're on). I would turn right onto the Gwydir Hwy at Glen Innes, because that's probably the nicest road in the New England region, out to Grafton, then up the Summerland Rd. Then you have the choice at Casino either to head to Woodenbong via Kyogle or Bonalbo. The Bonalbo Rd used to be crap 10yrs ago, with potholes in the potholes, but the surface had improved last time I was through there.
 

Williamson

Part of the furniture
Day 1:

Day_1.jpg

Day 1 went as planned, met Phil at the Hume Freeway / Clonbinane interchange (to avoid taken the heavily loaded Mighty ST1300 over some rough gravel road to his property.



IMG_3024.jpg


A quick sprint up the Hume Freeway via Glenrowan and Holbrook saw us at Binalong by 5:00pm, time for steak, salads and chips booked-ended both sides by a few schooners of Toohey's Dark.

The pub:


Dinner, bed and a full breakfast was $87 per head, seems a bit pricey until you see how big the meals were.

Time for a walk and a few pics before breakfast.

Main Street:


I thought I heard trains overnight (three times):


Post Office:


General Store:


Old world charm in the dinning room:


More to come .......

(Time to transfer this thread to Ride Reports?)
 

Williamson

Part of the furniture
Day 2 went something like this:


Before we left Binalong, I had time to take a pic of the old railway station:


A stop at the Crookwell visitor centre, pick up some Cartoscope maps, a coffee and tea at the tea rooms over the road.

Then off to Oberon via Taralga and the Abercrombie River. The road in and out of the Abercrombie Gorge is in much better nick than the last time, should have got some pics but .......
If you don't you don't know Taralga, it's worth a visit AND some pics, here's some on the link to a Google search: https://www.google.com.au/search?ne...1.1.64.psy-ab..2.1.239...0i13k1.0.VplXQxyvPYM
Then via Bathurst and a couple of laps around THE circuit, at the bottom:

At the top:

Then Sofala:




Then on to the Paragon Hotel at Mudgee where we met Joso from OzSTOC Forum who gave us an alternative route for tomorrow.
 

Williamson

Part of the furniture
Day 3 didn't go as planned due to a suggestion from Nev (earlier in this thread I think) and confirmed by Rob (an OzSTOC member from Mudgee). Anyway, both recommended a route via Premer and then back roads into Tamworth.

First stop was Gulgong for breakfast:






Then Coolong:




No pics at Premer, as there wasn't anything worthwhile.

At Werris Creek, Phil went to look for a mechanical workshop to adjust his chain, I went in search of lunch and a drink, $6.50 got me a chicken and salad sandwich which I should've shared with Phil, I also took some pics:




Bendemeer:


Sorry I didn't get all of the pub, but the Mighty ST is better.

Then Gostwyck, I'd been there twice before (recommended by Nev? a few years ago). Phil hadn't been there, so it was worth the detour:




Back to Uralla:


And then overnight at the Royal Hotel in Armidale.
 

Williamson

Part of the furniture
Try Coolah.

Yeah, went through there too.

Day 4


Despite some advice from some OzSTOCers to avoid the section between Tenterfield and Legume (due to some gravel), the advice from a couple of local (Byron Bay) riders on a day trip that this road was okay, and this latter advice ruled the day. Phil said something along the lines of, "Those guys are a BMW GS1200 and a Triumph Tiger, of course they'll it's okay".

Anyway, first things, first......

We departed the Royal Hotel Armidale at a sunny, but crisp 8:00am and headed to Guyra for breakfast. Again, on OzSTOC advice, we headed for the "last place on your right as you head north out of town".

As we headed north out of tGuyra, we didn't notice anywhere that served breakfast, but by the time we got to the Caltex roadhouse we thought we had gone too far, so we U-turned and headed south.

Back in town we spied Rafters, "this must be it", and so it was. For the reference of readers, Rafters is still in the town. Admittedly, it is the last place on your right as you head north.

The U-turn was worth it. Keep Rafters in mind when next in the area.

After breakfast, we swapped bikes for the ride to Glenn Innes. As I mounted the Suzuki GSX1400 I thought this is a sports bike (well, at around 230kg versus the ST1300's 330kg, what else would I think?).

A quick squirt of Suzi's throttle and few gear changes and I found 6th gear. Uphill and down dale, Suzi didn't a gear change for around 80km. I would like to say that I enjoyed the ride, but I didn't. I missed the full fairing and sans buffeting, and was glad to swap back at Glenn Innes.

Phil said that he didn't enjoy the ST, but I think he was fibbing. I checked to TomTom's memory later that day and asked him if he knew who was doing 155 on the ST earlier on. He said he didn't know.

Then Tenterfield via Deepwater.

Railway Station:






Post Office:


Tenterfield:




The gravel, approx. 22km of it, was pretty good. Phil of Suzi:


Then Legume:


Tooloom Road:


The views are spectacular:




So is the road:


A lemon squash at the Urbenville pub:


And on the Woodenbong for the night.
 

Paul n Dixie

Part of the furniture
Great pictures Michael :photo: thanks for posting-:D You,ll always get a good Route up this way..:endu
BTW I notice the ST has a habit of parking on the RH side of the road, facing into oncoming traffic.:???:..Is this an ST owners trait?? ;)
(or is the LH roadside not firm enough to support the sidestand?)
Was good to see you and meet Phil. thanks for the coffee! cheers,:D Paul
 

Williamson

Part of the furniture
Day 4 went something like this ......



..... except we rode pretty well direct to Kyogle (because the Lions Road was closed for bridge works), then Nimbin, The Channon and then East Lismore to meet Paul (Paul n Dixie) for lunch.

The road from Kyogle to Nimbin to The Channon winds it's way up and over a few small mountain ranges, along ridges through valleys. If you have not ridden this road, this area, put it on your bucket list.

Nimbin:




The views are fantastic:


















The Channon:



After a chin wag with Paul, coffee and lunch were headed for Wooli via Coraki and MacLean:

Coraki:






And on to Wooli for two nights.
 

nev

Super Térrarist
How many times were you offered drugs in Nimbin? I think we were offered by 3 different people in the time it took us to order and eat a kebab last time we stopped there. Nowadays I ride the road, but I don't stop.
 
Top Bottom