Thanks Cormanus for starting the thread. I'll try to build on it.
Armidale? Cold but kind of picturesque. Sits on the New England tablelands. Rich grazing country in the days when Australia rode on the sheep's back. In drought now. "As dry as a dead dingo's donga" - as some might say. I'm there because I like to take good roads on the way to visit my son who lives at Minnie Water on the NSW North Coast. I took this route to Armidale:
[url=http://goo.gl/maps/V4Tdi]Sydney to Armidale
But that's history now. I proceeded, fingers freezing but with a mind over matter attitude. That is if you don't mind it doesn't matter (sorry, my humour, such as it is, can be a little corn fed at times). Anyway a minor diversion to Dorrigo for fuel and fodder then on to Minnie Water.
[url=http://goo.gl/maps/vVBSn]Armidale to Minnie
Waterfall Way, east of Dorrigo
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Fodder was had at Juan's Café del Fuego. Self-styled Smallest Motorcycle Museum in the World. Be that as it may, it is certainly motorcycle friendly and they do great bacon and eggs. No photos of the food; by then I was so hungry I could have snapped the crotch from a low flying duck. And, believe me, that is hungry!
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After Dorrigo over to the Armidale Grafton Rd. That road has it all. Twisties, sweepers, rough and smooth, farmland and forest. As the sun bought the feeling back to my fingers my heart was full of the joy of motorcycling. And the Staintune howled with glee. After around three hours of totally responsible riding (Elipten, please note ), I arrived in Minnie Water.
Minnie is a lovely, if somewhat isolated place. Population about 150 to 200, no traffic lights, no parking signs, no supermarket just a general store with basics, fishing tackle and two fuel bowsers, one premium and the other diesel. It's surrounded by National Park and State Forest and therefore has defied development. The nearest town of any size is Grafton, about 50kms away. For a look at Minnie standby for a further post.
Cheers