Beef 'n Reef pt.2

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Previous:

http://www.austouring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=805

Day 5 and the planned rest-day turned out with plenty of sunshine and the group splitting up, Garry taking a day off around Jindabyne, Jason, Sash and Mick going for the 280km Jindy/Adaminiby/ Kiandra/ Khancoban/Thredbo/Jindy loop.

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Mike, Tim, Nev, Goodie and myself rode into Thredbo, then took the chairlift up for the 4 hour return walk to the top of Mt. Kosciusco.

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Plenty of snow, iced-over little lakes, dozens of lizards crossing out path underneath the steel-mesh walkways, incredible views in all directions, dark-blue skies and good company...it was magic up there.
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By 4pm everyone was back at the cabins, the day-pass for the National Park was put to use once more for a ride to Guthega, the dirt-road across to Smiggins, then up to Charlotte's Pass.
Just before the turn-off to the cross-road the Guthega road turns to dirt, this time a veeeery slippery super-fine quartz gravel on hard-pack.

Tim and Garry on the Pegs shot ahead, 3 bends later Tim was down, having overcooked a bend on tyres
which were pumped up for sealed-road-riding. He avoided the sheer drop by less than half-a-meter but got his left caught between the ground and the pannier frame, PAINFUL.
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A scratch on the bar-weight and the pannier frame was the damage to the bike, he turned back to Jindy for a check-up.
The rest went on to Charlottes Pass for some magnificent views to Mt. Kosciusco,
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a sedate ride down the mountain was followed by another "belly-aching" nite around the bbq.
Helmet required for the trip to the supermarket....
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More blue skies on day6, the ride via Adaminiby and Kiandra to Tumut down the Snowy Mtn. Hwy. was fun, more tyre-shredding through the twisties and down the steep downhill section at Blowering Dam.
Tumut Bakery (off Main St.) is a good place for a stop, the road through Batlow and Tumbarumba was smooth for the start, deteriorating fast. Onto the Elliott Way and it was getting hot. The creek at Tumut2 Powerstation offered some welcome relief,
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Tim was able to cool down his swollen ankle for a while. The
guided tour provided plenty of hilarious moments, donning the required protective gear coupled with left-over bike clobber made for interesting looks.
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Another 70km batch of twisties got us to Khancoban, the rear hoops of the VFR and Budgie showing the strain :))
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The shady veranda of the Pub was very welcome, the first cold beer was nearly splitting the tired, old body into halves.

Day7 and yet more sunshine for the ride towards Tintaldra, then down the Murray to Walwa and through the Granya Gap back to the main Hwy. before turning off to MittaMitta, a break at Dartmouth Dam and the 100km to Omeo.

The Omeo Hwy hasn't changed (despite the current reports I'd seen), the dirt-total of about 32km was fairly rotten on the Bandit, great stuff for the Pegs, though.
A quick stop at the Blue Duck/ Anglers Rest,
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then through Omeo and up Mt. Hotham. Fuzzy skies obscured the views somewhat, but made for an eerie atmosphere, the winds were also up...
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A roll-down-the-mountain got us to Bright which was in the grip of a hot rod weekend, accommodation hard to get. After some asking around we stayed at the pub (not the one at town-square, but along the main street).

Mike's Beemer refused to kick over and despite jump-start efforts just wouldn't run, something looks to have seized after his mega-rebuilt just 2 weeks ago. Luckily he had the RACV Total Care- Package, providing him with emergency accommodation/ retrieval of vehicle/ hire car... and he had to return to Melbourne courtesy of a quickly despatched tow-truck :(((
The ice-cream shop on Main Street is as good as ever, the small restaurant opposite the Visitors Information Centre dished up some outstanding tucker, not cheap, well worth the price though.

Last day and despite the shagged rear hoops of the VFR and Budgie it's up Mt. Buffalo for a look from the Chalet lookouts,
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then for breakfast to the Myrtleford Bakery

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(Yackandandah Road) and off to Whitfield. Thanks to Mick's thirsty Across we stopped at some small place along the way, the purple Speed-Triple
and yellow SV650 passing through town attracted the
attention of Mr. Plod waiting just past the outskirts. We passed them as tickets were written.

The run across to Mansfield proved just to much for Nev's tyres and he left us for the Hwy-option.
The remaining bunch turned to Jamieson, then across to Eildon. The 13km of loose dirt claimed Garry who went down in a left-hander, unhurt but scratching the left pannier badly. Tim's Peg decided it had enough and refused starting (cooked battery), jumpstarting got him going.
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The tucker at the Marysville Bakery was as good as ever, the Black Spur on the way to Healesville was absolutely chockers with slow traffic and log-trucks.
It all finished with a cuppa for the last 5 at our joint, Garry leaving in Lilydale.
Buggered, filthy and happy Mick and Jason left soon after. Tim just made the boat at Station Pier.
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An unbelievable 8 days, mostly dry roads, great mates, good beer and
tucker...AWESOME !!
THANKS for everything to all that came along, I'm still grinning from ear to ear.


Full fat, full cholesterol, full tilt :))))
After 3200km (and more for a few) we're back home and what a trip it's been...
8 days on the road, shredded tyres, all's well...
Mike's SuperBike (and himself) are back in Melb by means of the RACV, one Peg didn't survive the first day, 2 other Pegs bit the dust, a fried battery and plenty of "silent-paving" of the twisties,
tyres just don't last anymore :)), we had a HOOOOT :)

Too tired now for more details and that bag of dirty washing is
decidedly on the nose, the bikes look like shit, the coloured bits on the jackets and other gear are just uniform-coloured-filth.
YOU SHOUDDA BEEN THERE !!
Thanks to everyone involved, I had a ball every minute of the way (well, except a few, hehe).
Great bunch; that stupid grin will be with me for some time.
 
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