Cobar - The long flat ride.

Preparing to leave a foggy damp Ferny Creek.
Approx 8am
0 km
485m altitude

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After travelling 63km across rush hour Melbourne in the fog I met up with Doug, Mr Farkles and Dean at Mill Park and we set off at 10.02 to head to Cobar

First stop Rochester for Bacon and egg sandwiches and coffee.
Shortly after this photo was taken Impsta rolled into town and joined our merry little group of travellers.

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Next stop Ecucha for fuel and a border crossing in NSW.
268km
12.09 litres

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On to Deniliquin (another 73 km) for more coffee and a hedgehog slice. Before Deni we caught up to Roscoe who was heading north by himself but when we turned into town he kept on in the direction of the Conargo Pub.

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About a 100km south of Hay and we are onto the Long Paddock with some interesting speed prevention devices.

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75 km south of Hay

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50 km south of Hay

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25 km south of Hay

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At Hay it was refuel and head to the Motel.
204km since the last fuel
10.11 litres
465 km distance since home

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The locals call this place “the swinging elbow” and we were told not to go there so I photographed it instead. The Lamb Shanks with red wine sauce at the restaurant we did eat at were excellent.

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The next morning (Saturday) it’s off to Cobar. The scenery 30km north of Hay was strikingly different from the southern scenery.

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A fuel stop at Hillston
172 km
12.6 litres

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Plus food (coffee and pie)

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Leaving Hillston

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and the sign I was waiting for. Our first Cobar.

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I caught up to the others at Mt Hope (elevation 350 metres). They thought that 11.30 meant that the sun was high enough in the sky to justify a beer.

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You can see the reason for the name Mt Hope. That climb up that last stretch of road is wicked.

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90 km south of Cobar

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Arrived in Cobar at 1.16pm
258 km
15.9 Litres
896 km from home
250 metres above sea level. I have gone down hill the whole way!

TS photographing the beer delivery man

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Tent people

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The scene of the evening’s events

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Get Strom owners together and the farkle discussion starts

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The first of several lectures by the inimitable Mr Farkles

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Why is this man pulling a $50 note out of his wallet as he enters Mr Farkles’ Motel room?

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TS had set up his Polo shirt shop in the bar and Impsta was assisting with modelling duties.

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Errol makes his first public appearance in Cobar

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We got food. Who can forget the phrase “I’ve got a medium rump”?

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Saab was still almost sober at this stage

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TS was still spruiking those Polos.

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Becsta performing secret girls business

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Raffle Tee shirt signing

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The food and alcohol kept coming.

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TS I told you my flash was bigger than yours!

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BMW riders are known for their deep wallets but this one would have to take a bravery award as well. Shame we couldn’t find the matches!

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The food had finished by now leaving only alcohol.

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The “Red K7 Corral”

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Early arrivals for the Farkle off

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The tent people are coming!

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Becsta at speed

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Strange Martians in main street Cobar.

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TS doing a “Mr Farkle” imitation.

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Australian made Whipps bash plate. No crash bar required.

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Wilbers and Tanszacs

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Don presenting the “Most Farkled” award

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The line of bikes was almost as long as the verandah of the Pub,

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I told you he was brave. A blazing GS in front of a semi circle of Stroms would have made a spectacular photo. (Note to self: Carry fire lighters at all times in future).

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TS arrives

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Now you see bikes

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Now you don’t

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Errol posing

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Now you see people

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We arrive back at the Royal Hotel at Mt Hope for the second time in 22 hours. You can see what a thriving community it is located in.

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Doug ordering coffee and a toasted sandwich (really!)

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Finally we got Mr Farkles onto some dirt. The road to Lake Congelligo.
Did I mention how good that Andy Strapz “A Bag” works on a Strom? It’s brilliant.

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Doug, Dean and Mr Farkles coming

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and going

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Guys you can stop and wait now.

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To bad I caught and passed them anyway.

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Doug

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Dean

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We made Rankins Springs with everybodies fuel lights blinking only to find the gas station closed. Fortunately the owner was a bike nut and opened up for us.

313 km
16.54 Litres
1583 km since home

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Lunch in Griffith. Something upmarket – Subway!

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Still on the Kidman Way near Coleambally

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The evening shadows were lengthening.

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And we made Jerilderie at 3.50 after 514 km from Cobar.
Lamb Shanks again for dinner and they were spectacularly good.

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Main St Jerilderie at 6.56 am

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The wooden building across the road is the printers premises where Ned Kelly attempted to get his Jerilderie letter published.

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Breakfast in Berrigan “Birthplace of Ferderation” and “Birthplace of the Rural Fire Service”.
I had an “Award Winning Pie from the Finley Bakery”, Doug wore his bacon and egg toasted sandwich all the way home.

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Main St Berrigan at 8.30 am on a holiday morning.

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The next stop was Corowa for fuel.

313 km
15.68 litres
1615 km since home

Then back across the border into Victoria.
You can tell that this is Victoria because of the different scenery.

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Next stop Whitfield for a snack.

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Of course now that we were back in Victoria the food (and prices) had improved.

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Shock of shocks. A corner and an incline! I suddenly had to start remembering long forgotten cornering and braking skills.

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Mr Farkles doing his best Bushranger imitation at Powers lookout.

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The idea is that when you see the Mail stagecoach making its way along the road below you ride your Strom down through the trees and rob it. Well that is what Ben Power used to do anyway.

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As soon as I took this my three companions mysteriously disappeared instantly only to be replaced by two members of Victorias finest in their nice white Government issue car with the pretty blue and red lights. Well the joke is on you guys. I have known one of the occupants for over 20 years and we had a great chat for 10 minutes or so while you sat in the rain down the road waiting for me.

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Once we hit Mansfield it was bumper to bumper holiday weekend traffic so we diverted to Alexandra for a quick pie and soft drink lunch.

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Then on to King Lake via a Police road block and breath testing stop (they let us through without checking) in Yea.

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Doug said his farewells and headed off home via some nice back roads.

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And we headed down Mt Slide to Dixons Creek where I got the first glimpse of home after 1842 km

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At Montrose I peeled off leaving Mr Farkles and Dean to head home and I went to see if I could get a coffee at the Mt Dandenong Store. I guess not. 

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Finally I arrived home at 3.59 some 369 km since filling up at Corowa and 1892 km since leaving three days earlier.

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And my daughter made me a cup of tea!
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Thanks for organizing the weekend, mate....lots of fun was had by lots of people. :thumbs::thumbs:

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Somehow I missed that....TWICE :whistle::whistle:
The pub in the middle of nothing....110 signposted each side with a flash of 50 in between :wow::wow:
 
P

Punisher

Guest
oh the memories, Stationed at Griffith for almost 4 years, with my trusty cbr600f4i to do all those little towns, although never did bother going to Cobar my self, but most of the places along the way i did ;-)

thanks for the write up too, a good read.
 
D

doit

Guest
Sensational stuff guy's, sounds like you all had a ball, great shots, after my weekend at Mildura and kissing a Strom, I might just have to join the band wagon of Strom's soon.
 

nev

Super Térrarist
Did "Westie" from Sunbury make it to Cobar? He was camped with us in Mildura on Friday night at the Wintersun Rally in the Taj Mahal of tents, riding a Strom and towing a trailer. He woke up on Saturday morning and decided to ride to Cobar for the meet, packed up and off he went.
 
I don't recall seeing any Stroms with trailer fittings or talking to anybody who said that they were towing a trailer.
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Did "Westie" from Sunbury make it to Cobar? He was camped with us in Mildura on Friday night at the Wintersun Rally in the Taj Mahal of tents, riding a Strom and towing a trailer. He woke up on Saturday morning and decided to ride to Cobar for the meet, packed up and off he went.

Naw....no Strom with trailer.
Plenty of other Ulysseans though...:bs

Then again, it's easy enough to miss Cobar and finish up somewhere else :bs
 

aussiedav

FarRiders
Really enjoyed that, I met TS at Darwin 2007.
Looking at having a KLR650 in the garage soon, yeah I know its not a strom but hey its a slow tourer.
 
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