A short hop south of the border...............

Christo

Tractor Pilot
I'd been getting the "When ya coming home?" questions from the Missus, and #1 Daughter, for the last couple of days of my trip, and I was starting to look forward to seeing them again, and to getting home, and I was tired after a weeks, farting about on the bike, cold from the returning cold front, so I decided, that I would go directly home, via the Pacific Highway once I left my Mum's place.
After riding down from Newcastle that morning, and spending a few hours catching up with the "Olds", I left Chain Valley Bay at 12:35pm.
I had at least 800klms to ride to get home.
I'd already lost at least half a day.
I was already tired.
The cold snap had returned.
I was gonna do it anyway!
I was already fortified with many cups of tea and scones.
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=d&...885742&sspn=4.619193,9.832764&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=6
I got turned around and missed the turnoff north from Doyalson, ended up on the Freeway southbound and Had to go almost all the way Back to Adam's place, to be able to turn back around and head back north.
So away I went, the kilometres droning away under my (almost) new Metzlers, flattening the middles (again, arrrrgh!).
Had a fuel stop at the "Rock" fuel station/tourist trap/construction zone.
P8060051.jpg

Still reasonably warm and travelling comfortably, I continue.......
The obligatory stop at The National Motorcycle Museum at Nabiac!
P8060052.jpg

After mucking around at Nabiac for a while and (wasting), some more of my rapidly dwindling sunlight, It was time to resign myself to a long boring,(highway), cold, dark ride home.
From Nabiac, next stop was the transit centre at Coffs Harbour for a hot coffee, cigarette, and a bit of bloodflow to the lower extremities.
Droned through and past many towns between Coffs and Ballina, by Ballina I was shivering, extremely cold, and hungry, and probably a bit dehydrated.
I drove straight past Ballina McDonalds, 'cause I think McDonalds is shit, and really a symbol of all that's wrong with the world.
I went through Ballina, without seeing anything else open, and found the Caltex servo on the north side of town. Topped up my fuel and bought a bottle of water, and set off again, feet were freezing, and I was still shivering.
By the time I got to the rest stop near the Byron bay turnoff, it was almost midnight, and I was in a bit of a state. My decision making was a bit off, (as evidenced by my passing a reasonably warm Maccas at Ballina), I was shivering uncontrollably, ( even though I had a perfectly servicible woollen vest in my pannier, I hadn't stopped to put it on), and I should have stopped there for a few hours, rolled myself in sleeping bag and swag, and gotten a bit warmer, but, as I said my decision making was a bit off.
I rummaged through a bin, and dragged out some rubbish, to apply the match to, looking for a way to warm up, the fire lasted minutes, and probably did nothing to warm me up, but the light and the flame, and the few minutes rest probably helped me psychologically, and I remounted the bike, and headed off again.
Within minutes back on the freeway, I was shivering again (had I actually stopped?), and my feet were (painfully) cold.
I eventually (about 12:30am) saw the turnoff to Chinderah Transit centre, and with what was probably the best decision I had made in m y entire journey home, decided to pull in, and get warm, and have something to eat and drink, and get warm, and get a decent rest before the last hour or so of riding, and get warm........
That I did, I stayed there inside hour, and gradually started to feel more human, and hydrated.
The last hour of riding saw me home at 02:30am, I walked in, leaving the bike all packed, kicked off my boots and clothes and got into a warm shower, the warm water made my toes painfull, but eventually I got out and climbed into bed, Christina had woken up while I was in the shower and made me a cup of tea, that's it I was now HOME.
 
Top Bottom