The Cormanus Chronicles - The Three Strikes Ride

[redbirds_imp]

Eagerly awaiting the next episode.

[pdedse]

Sounds promising, waiting to hear more!

BTW: My son who is 23 is in Hawaii right now on vacation and on Wednesday he leaves for Australia (Adelaide) where my sister lives and he will visit his cousins and aunt/uncle for 12 days.

[Cormanus]

Chapter 3

In which Cormanus has his first encounter with the effects of fire and has a beer with Pterodactyl
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[url=https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qE9y4nn7sVhTLD-zkZfgY1MDvoZwxEMb&usp=sharing]Link to Map

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Loaded and ready to roll, Day 2

Dungog is a little more than 600 kilometres from Kyogle and after the first 130 of them I’d have to make a decision about which way to go.

In the 100 kilometres between Casino and Grafton there was evidence of fire, but rain in December meant the regeneration process had started and black and green were the prevailing colours. The fires had been minor; significant blazes and damage had occurred a little further north west near Drake and Tabulam.

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Between Kyogle and Grafton

There had been a significant fire at least on parts of the Grafton-Armidale Road and it was closed for a time. I expected not to be able to take it and to have to spend a good deal of the day on the highway. However, when I reached Grafton, where I stopped for coffee and food, there was no indication the road was closed. I filled up with petrol and decided to ride the usual way through Coutts Crossing, Dundurrabin, Tyringham, Ebor, Armidale, Uralla, Walcha and Gloucester. It’s a lovely road for a ride—both curvy and scenic—so why not take it?

After I passed Coutts Crossing evidence of fires began to appear. This was way more serious than anything I’d previously seen. There was no evidence there’d been rain since the fire. Signs were burned, bridges were gone; but, to my surprise, there was little damage to the bitumen.

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Check out the sign
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There was a bridge somewhere in there. No more.

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From the Armidale-Grafton Road

As I climbed further onto the New England plateau evidence of fire faded, but the evidence of drought was all around. The country was parched. The smoke haze thickened; a reminder that fires continued to burn and could, at any moment escape containment.

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Smoke and dry along Thunderbolts Way

I rode south along Thunderbolts Way through drought and smoke and occasional evidence of fire. A car flashed its lights at me and I realized it was a highway patrol car. Assuming the officer thought I should slow down, I did.

I stopped at the Pioneer Lookout to take photos; a contrast with the last time I was there with noroomtomove.

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July 2019 – It looks like snow, but it’s merely cloud

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January 2020 – Same fence, but there’s nothing to see but smoke

After that, I saw occasional spot fires still burning. There was no evidence of firefighters: they were too busy fighting the serious stuff somewhere else.

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I took the photo above as I crossed the Manning River. It was completely dry. In nearly 10 years that I’ve been going there, I’ve never seen it like this.

I rode on to Dungog and met Pterodactyl. We checked into the hotel and made our way across the road to the local bowls club for a drink and dinner.

We spoke to Aussieflyer. The weather forecast for a significant part of his route promised temperatures in excess of 40ºC and the likelihood of severe thunderstorms. He decided not to ride out to meet us.

Chapter 4

In which Pterodactyl and Cormanus make their way south via an enforced detour
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[url=https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qE9y4nn7sVhTLD-zkZfgY1MDvoZwxEMb&usp=sharing]Link to Map

It was cooler in the morning. We loaded the bikes and set off to get fuel for Pterodactyl and breakfast for us both. We planned to take the Bylong Valley Way, but the morning road update said it was closed due to fire. We rang the Bylong General Store to confirm. The road was closed a kilometre or so to the north but we could pass the roadblock to refuel if necessary.

We plotted an alternative route and made our way to Bylong where we refuelled. The fire to the south wasn’t too serious, but it had jumped the road and crews were working to make sure it didn’t spread.

It’s an ill wind, of course, and the the alternative route we took to Bathurst via Mudgee and Hill End turned out to be a fantastic ride. I’m sure we’ll do it again. It continued to be hot and the dryness of the countryside was depressing.

We made the last part of the ride from Bathurst to Boorowa in excellent time. Leaving Bathurst, a very large Eastern Grey kangaroo appeared from stage right, bounced once in the middle of the road about 20 metres ahead of Pterodactyl and sailed over the fence onto a golf course. Fortunately, he or she, was on its own.

We arrived at the Boorowa Hotel just as the sun passed over the yard arm: the time at which sailors traditionally take a drink. Who were we to argue with tradition?

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At Dungog getting ready to roll

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Even in the very dry conditions, much of the ride was attractive

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At the Boorowa Pub. I was so thirsty and pleased to get there I simply put my helmet on the footpath and headed inside for a drink.

[Cormanus]

Chapter 5

In which Pterodactyl breaks for home and Cormanus rides deeper into the smoke
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[url=https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qE9y4nn7sVhTLD-zkZfgY1MDvoZwxEMb&usp=sharing]Link to Map

Fire meant the Snowy Mountains were inaccessible. For me, that meant a choice of flat routes. Pterodactyl and I rode the reasonable straight road to Harden, refuelled and then rode the glorious road to Jugiong. It’s gently hilly with lovely, sweeping corners; a delight for a spirited ride. We had coffee and something to eat at the Sir George Hotel in Jugiong before Pterodactyl set off for home and I turned south onto the main highway to Gundagai.
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Leaving Boorowa for harden. The haze low down is smoke.

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On the highway between Jugiong and Gundagai. It’s strangely deserted.

I left the highway at Gundagai and rode west a little to Wagga Wagga. It was smoky and hot and getting hotter. Coming into Wagga I looked down and noticed my throttle grip had slipped outwards. I gave it a mighty forward twist to push it in. I felt a snap and suddenly had a ridiculous amount of free play in the throttle. The local Honda dealer assured me it was a plastic lug inside the throttle grip. He didn’t have one in stock which turned out to be a blessing as that wasn’t the problem at all.

I rode on, retraining the muscles of my right wrist to manage a throttle that felt very different. If you rolled it right off, there was about 50 mm free play before it started to engage. After a while I got used to it and never rolled it right off.

It got hotter and the smoke increased as I got nearer to Victoria. Fires raging through the Snowy Mountains and fanned by easterly winds were belching smoke westward. I rode for too long on the highway until I turned off at Benalla and made my way to Alexandra.
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Approaching the New South Wales Victorian border it got hotter and the smoke got thicker

Aussieflyer had been in touch during the day and would ride there to meet me the following morning. Noroomtomove had also decided to ride to meet us later in the morning.

In the conditions, I was touched that they’d make the effort.

Chapter 6

Strike One. Cormanus is led a merry dance
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[url=https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qE9y4nn7sVhTLD-zkZfgY1MDvoZwxEMb&usp=sharing]Link to Map

I stayed in the very comfortable Corner Hotel in Alexandra. It didn’t have a car park, but a number of bikes were parked at the top of a gravelled car park next door. I joined them, although I rode right to the top of the car park. In the morning I went down and strapped on my bags. While waiting for Aussieflyer I decided to move the bike to a nearby concrete pad, hoist it on to the centre stand and oil the chain.

Nah … as I tried carefully to get the back wheel up onto the pad, I lost my balance and the bike took a nap. It was a slow tumble and my large bag cushioned much of the blow. Luckily the riders of the other bikes were loading up and a couple of them helped me pick up the bike.

Strike 1!

I didn’t know it then, but I’m now sure it was an omen. With hindsight’s glorious wisdom, there’s also a lesson about a low-speed transition from gravel to concrete or seal where there’s a lip to be negotiated being problematic.

Aussieflyer appeared; we took coffee and set off. He’d planned a wonderful ride and let us along pretty, winding roads to Healesville. The country changed as we got further south. Although it remained smoky, there was evidence that there’d been rain.
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During the course of the day I saw a great deal of Aussieflyer’s bike from this angle

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Aussieflyer and his mate have done a wonderful job on this bike. It not only looks good, but also sounds fantastic.

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Somewhere on the road to Healesville.

At Healesville we met noroomtomove and immediately rode north along the beautiful Black Spur to Marysville where we had lunch.
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The Black Spur

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Lunch at Marysville

Then it was up to Lake Mountain.
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Making sure noroomtomove doesn’t miss the Lake Mountain turn off.

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Conference in the Lake Mountain car park

And then on to the brilliant Reefton Spur road. It’s a great surface with splendid and constant turns, all through wonderful scenery. One day I must get someone to drive me through both Black and Reefton Spurs in a car so I can have a really good look.
I hope you will forgive a momentary digression. I was born in Melbourne, Victoria and my mother hated the place. It’s possible she got excited about some of the ski slopes to the north and east, but certainly not the city and environs. As a consequence, I grew up believing Melbourne was, as Ava Gardner was alleged to have said “a great place to make a film about the end of the world”.

Of course, it was all prejudiced rubbish. Melbourne is a great city with lots to offer. Some say it’s worth visiting for the coffee alone. For the purposes of these chronicles anyway, just to its north is some wonderful riding country with which Aussieflyer is well acquainted and through which he led noroomtomove and me. It has some equally wonderful riding further east in the Snowy Mountains about which I’ve written lots, but we were locked out of that due to fires.

Somewhere near Yarra Junction, noroomtomove peeled off to the east and Aussieflyer led me over the beautiful Mount Dandenong and into Melbourne.

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St Kilda Road which follows the shore line of Port Phillip Bay. The observant will see the BP service station where we paid a truly outrageous price for fuel so I could have a full tank when I left the ferry early the following morning.

A quick beer at the port and Aussieflyer rode off into the evening. I boarded the ferry to Tasmania.

It had been a wonderful day; a reminder that there are some truly beautiful roads within easy reach of Melbourne.

Sorry Mum.
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My floating hotel.

[Richard_imp]

Thanks for posting. It’s great to see these pictures and vicariously enjoy the journey - even if the fires and drought are casting a cloud over it all.

Looking forward to the next chapter.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Strong excursion. Very interesting posting. Lots to absorb.

[Charlie Bravo_imp]

Great chronicle Cormanus. I'm eager to get to the sailing parts. I've sailed for the past 40+ years. When I was selling my last boat, a '94 Beneteau OC400, I got emails from Australia and NZ, but I advised against their plan to sail the boat from SoCal to Aussieland, because the rig is deck-stepped and not a real a blue-water vessel. They're built for the charter trade. I sailed it from Long Beach, CA to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 2000, and wrote an account and had it published in a travel magazine. Here's a link: http://traveloutward.com/archives/62



Looking forward to the next bits!

[Rocky_imp]

What a great journey, narrative, and pictures! A pure pleasure to read

Just for the record, I spent a week in Melbourne (Mel-Ben ) and had a wonderful time.

[the Ferret]

great stuff and you just have to love the names of the roads and towns.

[Cormanus]

Great chronicle Cormanus. I'm eager to get to the sailing parts. I've sailed for the past 40+ years. When I was selling my last boat, a '94 Beneteau OC400, I got emails from Australia and NZ, but I advised against their plan to sail the boat from SoCal to Aussieland, because the rig is deck-stepped and not a real a blue-water vessel. They're built for the charter trade. I sailed it from Long Beach, CA to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 2000, and wrote an account and had it published in a travel magazine. Here's a link: http://traveloutward.com/archives/62



Looking forward to the next bits!

I enjoyed the piece you wrote, Charlie Bravo. Thanks for the link. It sounded like a typical trip on a yacht, really, with this and that malfunctioning. Most of my cruising is inshore precisely to avoid overnight sailing. This being a motorcycle forum and all, I was going to gloss over the sailing part of the trip. I’ll have a bit of a rethink as it was a great sail.