Clowndogs 13 Days 4000 K's - NSW & VIC

C

Clowndog

Guest
On the Dec 27th I embarked on my longest journey to date, spending a total of 13 days sweeping my way around NSW & VIC while covering over 4000k in the process. The route included freeways, highways, backroads, dirtroads, long hot straights and seemingly endless twisties. I managed to stick fairly closely to my intended route but it was by no means a tour on rails, with each day bringing new options to be considered and decisions to be made. I stayed in motels, hotels, cabins and campsites, ate from bakeries, bars, bistros and bags.



I will post a day or two at a time until the report is completed, so here we go !




Day 1 - Sydney to Yass via the freeway * Yass to Tumbarumba via Wee Jasper, Tumut & Batlow - 500k

Day 2 - Tumbarumba to Tintildra via Cabramurra & Khancoban * Tintaldra to Tallangatta via Murray River Rd & Granya Gap - 300k


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Im going to use the google maps "terrain" feature as much of the trip was high country, a good thing considering the heat over new years :)





Day 1


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The decision to camp & cook part of the time unfortunately more than doubles my luggage but sometimes camping can be pure bliss​



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My first reasonable picture opportunity since leaving Sydney is found just beyond Yass after leaving the freeway and beginning my trip in earnest as I head towards Wee Jasper​



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Yass to Tumut via Wee Jasper is one of the many rides listed in the Australian Motorcycle Atlas. I managed to work about 10 of these rides into my route​



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The section between Yass and Wee Jasper is mostly tar and Im glad to be leaving the rain of Sydney behind me before I hit the dirt sections​



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As I recall most of the dirt was after Wee Jasper, not before it. This must have been a small section​




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This looks gloomy but things clear up the further I move away from Sydney. In the coming days the weather man starts punching out some 35+ degree days, even hitting 41 as I arrive in Melbourne​




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At's Wee Jasper right enough lad !​




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After about 35k you actually get the option of sealed or unsealed​


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The sky clears as I head towards Tumut​


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At this point I had already done about 400k for the day on two coffees and a McMuffin. I took the soft option and headed down the sealed road towards Tumut​



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I stopped for a moment to ponder the two weeks ahead of me, who would I meet ? what would I see ?​




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One of the last stretches before Tumut. I eyed a lovely looking tourist park in Tumut with loads of shade and ear marked it for investigation next time I happen by, but today my target is Tumbarumba, another 70k south.​



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I met my first travellers in Tumut, just down this road. A couple of lads from Holland, you know the type, blonde haired, blue eyed, athletic adonises. Lucky bastards ! $^#$^^​



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I tried to capture this hill in the background. It caught my eye for some reason but unfortunately 2 dimensions diminishes it somewhat.​



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With no hurricane or storm warning present I guess this was a bush fire but I must have been too far away to smell the smoke​



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I was not content with my good quality, proven, wedge tent. It was just slightly too small for comfort. Unable to upgrade to the tents I wanted due to availability I purchased a $50 Jindabyne which promptly broke a pole after the first night. In hind sight, hanging 2L of water inside the cheaparse tent may have had something to do with it.​



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The trangia cooker has not let me down tho, far from it. The BonCarno food products are also good if a little weighty. 15 minutes in hot water and youre ready to eat. They cook while sealed and can be resealed after you eat the contents, both good features that help keep insects at bay.​




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I have a small tailbag with a small soft esky inside. Together they weigh very little and provide good storage when not filled with ice. I can do without television, dvd's, radio, internet, phones and all the rest, but a cold drink after a long hot ride is magic for picking up spirits, or chilling them :D



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~ where do you camp in Tumbarumba ? ~ where do you camp in Tumbarumba ? ~ where do you camp in Tumbarumba earlie in the evenin ? ~​

I choose the tumba tourist park. A few riders on Adv bikes were just leaving as I arrived, the owner said they had been looking for a cabin.
The park itself was fine if not a little noisy but there was some shade to be found and amenities.​

Tomorrow is Elliot way, Murray River Rd & Granya Gap, time for some shuteye.​



My thermalrest mattress did not agree....​



More to come, obviously.... :D
 
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A

Austrommer

Guest
Looks like the start of a great trip. Looking forward to reading the rest of it.

Iain
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
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PRIME !!!:glu:glu

Keep it rolling, this is GOOOOD!! :so:so:so
Wee Jasper seemed a little greener than when we got there last year, good to see.
 

FUTURE.

Tour Pro
Been waiting for this write up and it was worth the wait. And this is only Day 1. What do the other days have install for us???
 
C

Clowndog

Guest
Day 2


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After a restless night fighting with what I later decided must have been an "over-inflated" mattress, it was time to get organised and hit the road before the day warmed up. I was conscious at 6:30 and rose at 7am thinking I could fill myself with food & caffeine and be packed and gone by 8am. Wrong. It took me more than twice the time I had estimated to get moving. As with everything else, my camping routine still needs refinement.​



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A quick detour while heading towards Elliot way led me to Paddys River Falls. T'be sure t'be sure.​



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Any shade is good shade, it all helps. I actually failed to notice the multiple tents set up in the background of this shot until just today when I uploaded it. Nice place to bush camp, that's one for next time ! :D



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Shortly after I reach the turnoff for Elliot Way. Elliot way winds up into the mountains, thankfully, and passes near Cabramuarra, a town I think was listed as Australias highest ? This is one of the gems Glitch put me on to as my original route actually bypassed Elliot way.​



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Short of Cabramurra I stop at a lookout after choking on fumes for 5 minutes while stuck behind a local fire truck working it's way into the mountains.​




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Hello stranger ! a couple of stroms roll in while I attempt to setup a timed shot. These blokes are Sydney siders and stop for a good chin wag. Rob & Steve, if I recall their names correctly, are on their way back to the big smoke via Khancoban, Jindabyne and the coast after a 3 day trip.​




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After talk of madstad brackets, bashplates, windscreens, panniers, GPS, traffic and weather it was time to get a move on, I left the lads to take in the view.​




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Shortly after the altitude increased and the scenery changed. Riding here was lovely and cool, it even looks cooler. Down below, Tumbarumba, Tintaldra, Tallangatta and the like would be starting to push 30 and then 35, but not here.​



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My first mirror shot for the trip, yu gotta get one in early. Not a cracker but it'll do !​



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Of Course it's not long before the lads pass me on their way to Khancoban as I pull over for yet another shot.​



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I reached my summit for the day and began winding my way along and slowly down the range towards Khancoban. I didn't visit Cabramurra on this pass but I will be back here again near the end of the trip as I do a day ride around Thredbo, Charlottes pass, Kiandra etc.​



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A view of Tooma Dam from Tooma Rd. Tis a big bugger.​




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There are a few things I always like to photograph. I love cloudy days where you get patches of landscape illuminated and shadowy patches all mixed together to give a wonderful mottled effect, and any contrast in colour or shade. I also enjoy photographing funky looking trees, this is the later. A product of bushfires I guess, but still and interesting looking beast.​



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I was lucky to receive wonderful blue sky for almost all of my trip but you just gotta have a few clouds to even things out.​




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Once down I stopped briefly to take a closer look at Tooma Dam but without altitude to help it was getting a lot warmer.​



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Not long after I hit an endless downhill slope that went on for ages and finally spat me out into 35 degree heat and some long hot stretches as I worked my way towards Tintaldra and the beginning of my Murray River Rd ride.​



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Soon after I crossed into Victoria for the first time. By the end of the trip I will have passed back and forth a number of times, but for now im heading west towards Tallangatta.​




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I also passed a small lookout overlooking Lake Hume ? and stopped for a quick look.​



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Lovely ride but bloody warm​



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While passing through Granya Gap I spied a dirt road leading up to Mt Granya Summit. The track was a little dodgey in places and with the heat I wondered for a while if I was heading up a track never to be seen again. After a series of grunts n farts I finally made the summit and it was worth a look, once you walk past the big telecommunications / weather station thingo.​




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I finally arrived at Tallangatta on one of the edges of Lake Hume, or where the lake should have been. The boat ramp is still in place, but I wouldn't launch here at the moment. :doh:



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After being strongly tempted towards a motel room for the night I decided not to give in to the heat and took up residence for the night under some shady trees at the "lakeside" tourist park. Despite the lack of any visible lake to speak of, they did have shade and ice on-site, a big draw card for me. :so



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Before the tent could be erected, repairs were in order. Another segment broke in it's socket before I was done but I managed to get the thing together and get another night out of it.​




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Luckily the design of this tent relies a lot on the fly and it's various fastenings which all helped to pull the tent back towards it's intended shape. As long as it don't rain, im golden !​




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As they call it in the film industry, Magic Hour​





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BonCarno to the rescue again tonight, Chilli Con Carne. A good feed with a breadroll but im looking forward to getting the heavy little bastards out of my topbox now. It's pasta n sauce from here on in.​


Until now I had been pronouncing this place as "Tal-an-gatt-a" but I think it may actually be pronounced "Talan gattar" ? Either way, it's not the first place I've come to and baffled the locals by mis-pronoucing it, and won't be the last.​


I made two revisions to my camping routine this time. First I decided to have as much as possible already packed, laid out and ready to go before I went to sleep. Secondly I resolved to limit myself to a quick coffee n biscuit in the mornings and forget the whole breakfast idea.​

One day this show will run like a well oiled machine. One day :)
 
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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
One day this show will run like a well oiled machine. One day :)

Well on the way by the looks of it.
Boy, I love those pics from around "The Top".
Elliott Way's a gem, eh :wow:
Can't wait for the next instalment...:glu:glu
 
C

Clowndog

Guest
Glad you are all enjoying it.

Day 3 should be up today, Falls Creek & Mt Buffalo :D
 
C

Clowndog

Guest
Day 3 - Tallangatta to Falls Creek - Mt Buffalo & Myrtleford - 300k

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Falls creek never really came up in my research for this trip, I don't recall reading anything about it nor seeing any pictures. Mt Beauty was a somewhat familiar name so I added that to my route as I would already be in the area. Google maps showed Falls creek as the logical place to turn around and continue on my way to Mt Buffalo so I tacked that on as well and never gave it another thought.​

As it turns out, Falls creek is a bit of a trial by fire for the novice rider with only a handful of twisties under his belt, but something strange happened. The same twisties I may have deemed a chore in the past and possibly shunned had somehow endeared themselves to me. Slowly, as each twist and turn faded away behind me, I found myself looking forward to the prospect of the next one! Somewhere along the way a changed had occurred and I was no longer quite so far outside of my comfort zone, in fact, I swear I could almost see it out of the corner of my eye and each successfully negotiated curve helped to inch me closer to it. Even after I reached the top and had a break I still found the prospect of working my way back down a bit daunting, but I had began to see how a rider could grow to love the twisties. Anyway, probably time to move on :D





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I managed to break camp, coffee-up and hit the road by around 8:20 today, a solid improvement from the previous morning.​




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Somewhere along Kiewa Valley Highway I passed through a grand arch and decided to circle back and try for a better angle.​




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I was not the only rider on the road, in fact, I had been passing tonnes of these guys, singles, pairs and whole regiments. Anywhere hot enough to cook a raw egg on the road you will find these guys, anywhere steep enough to keep you in first gear, there they are. You wont find me on one of those contraptions, bloody dangerous.​




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Heading towards Mt Beauty I begin to see the ranges in the distance​




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Another pair of funky looking trees, I guess the absence of leaves makes them look funky to me. In days to come I will capture a couple with leaves still attached, I promise.​




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This is a bit of a strange one but im always looking for ways to slip in extra images without taking up extra space. This is my first attempt at PIP (Picture in Picture). For better or worse, you be the judge. Im not quite happy with the placement of the mirror, nowhere seemed quite right but it but it was worthwhile exercise just the same.​





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Not far past the township of Mt Beauty the fun began, however due to the nature of the scenery and the riding, stopping for multitudes of pictures was not so viable.​




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The amount of shade increased as did the altitude, both helping to make for pleasant riding temperatures as I worked my way upwards.​




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Soon enough it was actually quite chilly, the snow markers began and the road markings changed from white to orange, something I had been oblivious to until I began riding through these Aussie alpine regions. I also saw "Slippery when Frosty" and "Slippery when Icy" signs for the first time on this trip, until now I had been limited to "Slippery when Wet".​




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Reaching the top the wind had picked up so much I only took a quick shot as the bike was in danger of being blown over. There were loads of bikes going up and down this place, mostly in small groups and large packs. Casually ignoring the signs I pulled over for the photo opportunity when I noticed another solo traveller headed my way.​





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Peter, out on a three day excursion, lives somewhere flat and void of excitement, but unfortunately the name escapes me just now. We chatted about the usual stuff, methylated spirit cookers, road conditions, tents etc and Peter "thoughtfully" offered to take a picture of me with the bike. I in turn "thoughtfully" managed to close my eyes in the tenth of a second it took to take the photo, rendering it all but un-useable. With a bit of work and creativity I managed to salvage the shot as best I could. :(





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I managed to find a few nooks and crannies in which I could stop and take a few shots on the way down but options were once again limited.​





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I savoured the last of the cool air coming back down the mountain before the heat of the day rushed back in to greet me. In town I stopped at the local country club for a cold drink and some lunch before stage two.​





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Passing through Bright on my way to Porepunkah, base camp for Mt Buffalo.​





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After paying a small entrance fee I begin my accent of Mt Buffalo. Mt Buffalo had snow indicators and orange road markings of course, but I found it quite a bit warmer than my accent to Falls Creek.​





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Apparently certain parts of this mountain are named after parts of a buffalos anatomy but this bit didn't seem to be sign posted​




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Mt Buffalo was a smooth ride most of the way but it payed to keep an eye out for scattered stones on some of the corners​





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Not many skiers about today. Having never seen snow I think I might come back one day when it's cooler, even just to see some snow caps.​





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I missed the opportunity to stop and photograph this both on the way up and the way down, overshooting it each time, and was forced to negotiate a tricky U-Turn in order to capture it.​





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I only came across one rider while going up and down Mt Buffalo. I heard him before I saw him and he clearly had no intention of stopping to chat, if you know what I mean. :wow:​





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Most of the this road seemed to offer little to view but I managed to find a few gaps where I could stop for a photo.​





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This is quite similar to the view I had from the Mt Granya summit lookout, I wonder where that valley is in relation to this one, can't be too far away i guess.​





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My final stop for the day. By the time I arrived in Myrtleford I was stuffed and the summer heat was in full force. As rewarding as camping
can be, I was ready for rewards of a different kind.​





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This place was the first I could find and a little expensive at $109 but it was an oasis. Air-conditioning, Pool, Spa, TV, Running Water, Fridge, Electricity and a comfortable bed to name a few of the luxuries my cash had acquired for the night.​






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3 days and 1100ks on the road and im holding up pretty well. So far only sunburn, a small blister and a sore wrist for my troubles. Each of these being solely the result of riding a motorbike and nothing else, for those of you with perverse minds. :rolleyes:



I realised a few additional benifits to this mode of accomodation during my stay in Myrtleford. Packing up after a night here is much quicker and simpler than breaking up a campsite, so leaving at sparrows fart is a simple affair. Alternatively, sleeping in, having breakfast and leaving your ari-conditioned sanctuary at 10am is also a possibility.​


Tommorow I head south towards Melbourne via Whitfield, Mansfield & Jameison, my target for the day Lake Eildon. Tommorow is Dec 30th and as new years approches things really start to heat up. :woot:



.​
 
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