The Cormanus Chronicles: Riding with the Pterodactyl

[Cormanus]

Day 1: Brisbane – Wauchope (588 kms)


[url=https://drive.google.com/open?id=1g-sEdxUd6-H_Kz0rb21P2S2QbC4LoH62&usp=sharing]Link to Map

Note: the map contains the data for the entire ride. Individual days can be seen by turning relevant layers on and off.

Another note: there aren’t very many pictures. Lanyard cam is on the blink; I was wearing heavy gloves a lot of the time, and I simply forgot.

After an uneventful morning’s ride from home via Murwillumbah, Kyogle and Gradfton, I stopped at the Glenreagh Bakery for a pie and a cup of coffee. Finishing, I carried the plate and cup inside as the first drops of rain began to fall. By the time I’d ridden a hundred metres or so down the road and refuelled, it was raining hard so I sat down on the footpath under the awning of the shop and donned my wets.

Needless to say, a little further down the road, perhaps even before Nana Glen, the rain let up. But I left my wets on as it would return on and off pretty much all the way to Wauchope where I met Pterodactyl at the Wauchope Motel. He’d had a very wet ride from Sydney.

The section of my afternoon ride from Glenreagh to Coffs Harbour was pleasant enough in spite of the rain. After that, on the slug down the slab, it rained intermittently, and I rode constantly into a strong headwind. I was glad to arrive, take a shower, and wander down the road to the local hostelry for food and planning for the next day.


A corner on the very pretty and enjoyable ride from Murwillumbah to Kyogle


At a rest break on the Summerland Way outside Grafton


Shortly before stopping at Glenreagh for lunch. The last of the sun.


Wets in a heap at the door of the Wauchope Motel
Day 2: Wauchope to Grafton (439 kms)


[url=https://drive.google.com/open?id=1g-sEdxUd6-H_Kz0rb21P2S2QbC4LoH62&usp=sharing]Link to Map

Although we frequently undertake meticulous planning the evening before a ride, things are never certain until they’re done.

Uncharacteristically, day 2 went according to plan. It was a lovely morning and after an easy start we made our way along Long Flat and up the major part of the winding section of the Oxley Highway to Gingers Greek Café where we took breakfast in company with the rider of a BMW R1200GS. Most agreeable, with even the faint aroma of bovine faecal matter which always accompanies motorcycling tales of derring-do failed to marr proceedings.

CBs at Gingers Creek

After that, it was on to the second section of twisties leading to the alpine plateau of this section of the Great Dividing Range. On reflection, I prefer the top section of the road, although it is shorter than the lower section. The corners are more open and easier riding while still being a lot of fun. There are also more opportunities to overtake. The lower section can be very frustrating when car drivers decline to let you through.

From the top of the twisties, it’s just under 60 kms of fast riding across the plain to Walcha from where we turned north to Armidale where we refuelled. The ride from Armidale to Ebor is across the same sort of alpine country as the last 60 kms to Walcha, but it has more undulations and corners and is a much more agreeable ride.

There’s not much in Ebor: a small motel, a school, a service station, a police station, a waterfall and Fusspots Café where we took afternoon tea in company with the rider of the large cruiser in the picture below. He and his partner run a bed and breakfast not far from Grafton and, while he encouraged us to sample its wares at a reasonable rate, we never got there.

Heading out after afternoon tea

The final leg of the ride took us essentially diagonally down the side of the Great Dividing Range to Grafton. It’s a great ride and previously described in these chronicles.

The sun was well in the west and there were a couple of sections leading into tight corners where the sun was in our eyes. On one of them, I rode into the shade at the critical moment for turning and noticed a motorcycle and two riders in the ditch beside the road. They seemed OK, looked at us and made no sign, but I regret not stopping to be sure.

It’s a difficult corner and I’ve once seen a rider down there. On that occasion, I stopped but his two mates were adamant to the point of rudeness that everything was fine.

We stayed overnight in Roche’s Family Hotel in Grafton. Just after arriving, I complained of an itch on my chest which I put down to an infrequently worn thermal top. I thought little of it while enjoying the beer and pizza. The young thrash band that started up was competent, if not quite to our taste.
Day 3: Grafton to Brisbane (343 kms)


[url=https://drive.google.com/open?id=1g-sEdxUd6-H_Kz0rb21P2S2QbC4LoH62&usp=sharing]Link to Map

In the night the itch got considerably worse, although now it was on my arms and left hand. I didn’t sleep well and, in the morning was slightly alarmed to discover raised welts on my arms, neck and forehead and to see that parts of my left hand had turned a curious purple.


Although I felt OK, I thought to visit a pharmacy to try to get something to relieve the itch. I mentioned to the helpful pharmacist that I’d eaten a prawn pizza the night before and he said, ‘Mate … I don’t want to alarm you, but seafood … you should really go to outpatients to have it checked out.’

Why do the words ‘I don’t want to alarm you’ always have the opposite effect to that intended?

So we trooped up the road to the Grafton Base Hospital, Pterodactyl delighting in the acronym.* The triage nurse poked at the sores on my hands, told me non-blanching rashes always concerned medical types and went off to find a doctor who, while he didn’t seem too concerned, wanted to have a better look.

Realising I was going to be there for a while awaiting my turn, I persuaded Pterodactyl to keep heading north without me as he had an appointment in north Brisbane later in the afternoon. I waited for half an hour or so and the doctor finally had a good look and interrogated me about what had happened. He decided he thought it was an allergic reaction of some sort and gave me an anti-histamine tablet. He then said he wanted to me to wait at least another 40 minutes to see what happened.

There was no food to be had other than a vending machine selling products mostly full of sugar which I found ironic given the TV screen in the waiting area was playing a segment on the evils of the stuff. I went outside to move the bike to a more secure parking space and discovered, completely by accident, a coffee van. A nurse ordering coffee asked for sugar in her coffee. I said I was amused by counterpoint of the vending machine and the anti-sugar propaganda on the telly.

‘Tell me about it’, she said indignantly, ‘It’s been a very sore point. But, from December 15 all NSW public health buildings will be free of these vending machines.’

I bought what turned out to be an excellent cappuccino and a muffin and settled down to wait. After an hour, the doctor took another look and decided everything looked better. I couldn’t see any difference, but it wasn’t itching nearly as much. He said I was fine to go as the anti-histamine was of a sort that would not make me drowsy, so I said my thanks to the staff and set out north.

People in Australia grizzle about our taxpayer-funded public health system, but I reckon it’s marvellous. Here I was, not at home, suddenly afflicted in a strange town, and I was seen and treated by competent and pleasant people at no cost other than contributions I’ve made through taxes. I suppose I could complain about the time it took, but it was a Saturday morning, an emergency department and they have to juggle everything from old blokes with rashes to domestic violence and heart attacks to serious motor vehicle accidents. And they’re almost certainly short staffed and under-funded as it continually proves difficult in Australia to get doctors to work in rural areas. I’ve no complaints.

The road from Grafton to Woodenbong just near the New South Wales-Queensland border is known as the Summerland Way. A motorcycling acquaintance calls it the Slumberland Way as, although it’s very pretty and in good condition and not a highway, it’s not all that exciting on a motorcycle, except for the bit between Kyogle and Woodenbong. I’ve wanted to ride a back road from Grafton to Casino and thereby avoid the longest stretch of the road, but it was a bit late to be taking that on, particularly as I knew it had some dirt stretches. But I did plan to break up the ride by taking a back road or two between Casino and Kyogle.

And very pleasant it was too, winding my way along quiet country roads with little to no traffic until I came to Cawongla and turned left onto the final 13.6 kms of the Murwillumbah-Kyogle road and, happily, by far the best to ride. It made up a bit for the itchy night.

After refuelling at Kyogle, I made my way over the border on the Lions Road and made it home in good time. Pterodactyl sent a text at some point to let me know he’d reached his friends’ place safely.

[*]I wonder if this is an Australian joke? The Acronym GBH usually stands for Grievous Bodily Harm which, in Australia, England and Wales, is a very serious assault. Certainly a felony in the USA.[/i]
Day 4: Brisbane

I stayed at home scratching occasionally. Pterodactyl went riding over the range and arrived at Chez Cormanus mid afternoon. We had a beer or two, something to eat and settled into to watch Rake and then the Aragon MotoGP. And what a race it was: Marquez holding off Dovizioso for a well-deserved win. It was a pity Lorenzo came off at the first turn, although I don’t think I could have stood more excitement.
Day 5: Brisbane to Glen Innes (474 kms)

[url=https://drive.google.com/open?id=1g-sEdxUd6-H_Kz0rb21P2S2QbC4LoH62&usp=sharing]Link to Map

It was a glorious day for riding, but a frustrating start saw me miss the turn to a scenic road I had wanted to take and then we battled traffic on the otherwise interesting road to Tamborine Mountain. The planned road down from Tamborine Mountain was closed when we got there, so we had to turn around and go another way. Finally, after Boonah, the GPS led me a merry dance on the way to Carneys Creek Road.

After that things improved and Pterodactyl enjoyed the lovely ride over the Head and down to Killarney where we refuelled. After that, we took the back road to Tenterfield. It was pretty, if unremarkable, and the dirt sections were in good repair. On balance, it was probably a more agreeable ride than the main highway, although I might ride the whole circuit one day to be sure.

Over a cup of tea in Tenterfield, we abandoned our plan to reach Grafton as we would surely end in the dark trying to dodge kangaroos.

We ran the 95 kms to Glen Innes, getting cooler all the time, and lucked out at the Great Central Hotel which boasted a warm welcome from the motorcycling co-owner, undercover parking, at least 3 fireplaces, clean rooms, an excellent tariff, good beer and good food. A most agreeable final evening. One which also added to my growing realisation that Glen Innes is not the hell hole I’ve always believed it to be, a prejudice based on the fact that it was one of those natural stopping points on the way south from Brisbane to Tamworth in which I could never find anything remotely interesting. Any well-regarded café always seemed to be closed and other offerings never quite delivered what I wanted. Now, I’ve found the Great Central and, on another trip, right over the road from it, the Coffee Incident Café.
Day 6: Glen Innes to Brisbane (555 kms)


[url=https://drive.google.com/open?id=1g-sEdxUd6-H_Kz0rb21P2S2QbC4LoH62&usp=sharing]Link to Map

The not-so-gentle patter of rain on the roof greeted our awakening, so Pterodactyl resumed his slumber and me my reading. Be under no illusions, moderating this forum requires constant attention, even on the road, and there is little respite!

Suiting up in all available wet weather gear, we refuelled and made our way east out of Glen Innes along the Gwydir Highway—perhaps not as good a ride as the Oxley, but to my mind more beautiful. It rained on and off and the road was wet until we got down from the range and made our way towards Grafton. We stopped at South Grafton and peeled off gear, taking coffee and breakfast at Café Alchemy, another find for me as I’ve found decent cafés in Grafton a little hard to locate and, like Glen Innes, it’s one of those places you nearly always fuel and a break.

After breakfast, Pterodactyl turned south for what I later learned was a hideous day of rain and storm, while I decided to try the back road from Grafton to Casino I’d been eying off. This was in spite of knowing:[ul] [li]there were stretches of dirt;[/li] [li]that I’d said to Pterodactyl only the day before that I thought I would, in future, only ride remote dirt roads when I was with another rider; and[/li] [li]we had started a bit later in the day than usual and, by using the normal routes I take back to Brisbane, I would be risking encounters with Skippy.
[/li][/ul] .
Ever foolhardy, off I went. Crossing the Clarence River early, I made my way north along a pretty country road in good condition. There was little to no traffic and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There was around 44 kms of dirt in several sections, most of which was in good condition and easily rideable. Only one section had a bit too much loose gravel for comfort. I met a grader along the way which leads me to the view that the route is reasonably well maintained. I’ve also wondered since whether, if I’d taken the slightly longer route via Tabulam, I’d have avoided the final 16 kms of dirt. I suppose I’ll have to find out one day as the Slumberland Way, while efficient, holds little real attraction.

On Rogan Bridge Road crossing the Clarence River. The only photo I took on the second part of the ride. Two passing cars looked at me very strangely as I remounted.

I briefly pondered taking the next section of the Clarence Way from Sandilands to Woodenbong, but my memory of riding it once with Pterodactyl is that, although sealed, it was one of the most uncomfortable rides I’ve ever endured. I described it as follows [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3809&pid=56189#pid56189]here:

Quote:It’s a very pretty drive with the first part winding through old eucalypt forest. It could be a great road but isn’t. It’s narrow, poorly marked and was the roughest road I’ve ridden on for quite some time. Image a child flipping a finger backwards and forwards across its lips to make a sort of b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b sound and you’ll have some idea of the bone rattling we got.
On the other hand, the section of the Bruxner Highway to Casino was an enjoyable ride.

My plan had been to head east from Casino to Lismore and thence to the main highway, but when I got to Casino, I couldn’t face the traffic, so I turned north to Kyogle where I stopped for fuel, water and a chocolate bar. I didn’t really register the time until I got moving again and realised the trip over the Lions Road would have me on country roads perilously close to skippy time.

I can report, happily, that I was lucky and, other than stopping briefly at Rathdowney to put on my wet weather gear to deal with the forecast storms, I had a trouble-free run home, the last 45 minutes or so in the dark. That’s a treat. I like riding at night and don’t often do it. Disappointingly, there was no rain to speak of. Not because I like riding in the rain, but because we desperately need it.

Another great few days riding with Pterodactyl. Thanks, mate.

As he said to me at the end of one day’s riding, ‘These bikes are great, aren’t they?’

What could I say to that?

[flynrider]

Sounds like a great trip (aside from the allergic reaction). Looks like you and Ptero had a great time. Nothing like a multi-day ride in the country on a bike as great as the CB11. Thanks for posting!

BTW- I'm a big fan of Rake. Love that show!

[Cormanus]

I've not seen the US remake of the original (Australian) version of Rake, but I really enjoy the Aus one. It gets both more ridiculous and more real all at the same time which is quite an achievement.

[noroomtomove]

Great read, once again doing your bit to encourage visitation to this southern land.

The Minister of Finance and I are of the opinion that the current series of Rake set in Canberra may well be closer to the real deal than fiction.

Regards NRTM

[Cormanus]

NRTM, as usual, you and the Minister are on the money.

[Rocky_imp]

Excellent post. I always enjoy your travel stories

[Blockhead_imp]

You have a way with words Cormanus, always entertaining...

[the Ferret]

great stuff. You are an adventurous bloke. So how's the rash?

[Cormanus]

My hand is still showing signs of it, although I'm no longer itchy.

Thanks for asking. How's your recovery?

[the Ferret]

good

slow but coming along