Wintersun Run 2014

[Cormanus]

Day 1: To Narribri

704 kms [url=https://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?msid=201247423130042081552.0004fbf16308e3f1bc3a1&msa=0&ll=-28.343065,151.380615&spn=4.273126,8.453979]Map

Diligent readers of the Seat Time thread may already be onto the reason I found myself in Narribri in northern New South Wales and 700 kms from home on the evening of 4 June 2014. If not, there are clues in [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3144]this thread.

If you can’t be naffed reading it, the short story is that I was invited on a ride. My wife says—with some truth, I fear—that I'm a glass half empty kinda guy so I had lots of reasons not to be able to accept the invitation. I had some chores under way; it was very short notice; I hadn't ever done such a long ride; I didn't have the gear I needed; I'd have to be on the road by the end of the next day or early in the morning of the day after that; my wife and I looked like having a rare and welcome weekend alone together. So I resolved not to go and got back to the chores.

As it happened, my wife was away and I didn't get the chance to speak to her until mid-way through the following morning—the day on which I should have been heading out. She told me I was crazy and should go. Bugger it, I thought, she’s right. So I finished the chore I was in the middle of and set out to organise the necessary gear. A trip to the coast for a waterproof bag and a new, compact tent (because one of the chores I hadn't done was to fix a leak in the fly of the other one); another trip down the road for 4 litres of oil for a quick oil change and I was ready to light out early the next morning, Wednesday 4 June.

And so I piled a load of gear onto the back of my CB1100 and set out. My journey took me south down the main eastern highway before I turned off and headed through a lovely set of twisties towards Toowoomba, a large regional city atop the Great Dividing Range in south east Queensland. It was a good ride there, some straights, some long curves, and some decent twisty bits as well. After a fuel stop in Toowoomba, I was headed south west across a plain—flat and quick but not all that interesting. They were the riding conditions for the rest of the day and I made good time, which was lucky as I had 700 kilometers to travel and wanted to arrive before dusk when the kangaroos are said to make life interesting for motorcyclists.

Sadly, there aren't many photos. I'm an exponent of the Ferret method of one-handed photography, but I've discovered, to my irritation, that I can make it work only while wearing light weight summer gloves. I can press the shutter release with the thick ones on, but I can't turn the wretched thing on. Leaving it on results in rapid battery degradation. Indeed, on the final day of the ride when I really wanted to take a photo or two the camera was to tell me "the battery is exhausted". By then I knew how it felt.


First fuel stop southbound. I was waylaid for a time by a South African bloke who wanted to talk about the bike.


On the plain north of Narribri looking west


On the plain north of Narribri looking east

A few minutes later I arrived at the Crossroads Hotel to be greeted by the sight of a glorious red Honda CB1100, complete with Dart flyscreen and Staintune muffler. And, of course, Pterodactyl, forum member from Sydney who had not only invited me to go on a ride with him, but also literally gone out of his way to meet me a day early. He can tell the story of how he got there, and why he added a day and at least 350 kms to his trip. I reckon it was because he'd been off the bike for 3 months and couldn't wait to get in some more seat time.


Last Blast on the way north to Narribri

Anyway, here were two Aussie blokes with CB1100s (rare as rocking horse cuss in this country) in the same place, again by virtue of an Internet forum run out of the US. Go figure. Just as well we discovered a mutual enjoyment of beer and red wine to add to our delight in CB1100s.
Day 2: Narribri to West Wyalong

603 kms [url=https://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?msid=201247423130042081552.0004fbf1668187574f629&msa=0]Map

Although I grew up and lived much of my life in Tasmania, Australia's southern most island state, I've lived in Queensland for the past 14 or so years and I have largely forgotten about cold. I made some preparations, but, when you come from a warm climate, they are never enough.

So I was a bit unprepared for the cold of the next morning and was very pleased I’d packed some thermals.

But it was a glorious day and I managed well enough on an uneventful trip along the Newell Highway to West Wyalong.

Pterodactyl and I were west of the Great Dividing Range, a mountain range just to the west of Australia's east coast. None of it is very high by the standards of mountains in other parts of the world, but it does divide coastal Australia from the vast inland, much of which is desert. The Newell runs through the eastern part of the interior and, while it is mostly flat and largely straight, there are some patches where long, sweeping corners are a pleasure to ride. It's a major truck route, but is still relatively traffic free; when there is traffic, it's easy to overtake. Ideal for fast cruising. Much of the land has been cleared for farming—cattle and sheep mostly—and there are some remnants of the bush that must have once grown abundantly.


The 2 CB1100s head south—Pterodactyl checks his load

The route took us through Parkes where there's a large radio telescope which was the setting for a lovely Australian comedy movie called The Dish. I noticed as we rode past that the observatory has been renamed The Dish.

We found ourself in West Wyalong by around 4.30. The hotel we thought looked promising turned out to have recently been restored as a restaurant with the accommodation still to come, but we found a motel close by so we could walk back to the restaurant for dinner. It was friendly, tastefully appointed and had a good selection of beer and wine, but the food was just OK, and a bit pricey.
Day 3: West Wyalong to Mildura

550 kms [url=https://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?msid=201247423130042081552.0004fbf16bf10c265cdc2&msa=0]Map

Day 3 dawned foggy. And cold, of course. But we had 500+ kms ahead of us and needed to get moving.

Given the small range of the CB1100, the infrequency of petrol stops in this part of Australia and the difficulty of finding reliable information about whether there will or will not be fuel available, we had done some fairly careful planning about where we would get fuel so we didn't end up shivering in the middle of nowhere wondering whether we could persuade a passing kangaroo to get us a few litres of juice. The plan was to get fuel on the outskirts of West Wyalong at a station Pterodactyl assured me we'd pass. Of course we never saw it because we were out of West Wyalong before reaching third gear, but we were (or pretended to be) reasonably confident of being able to refuel at a tiny town called Weethalle a mere 57 kms away.

It was not a particularly pleasant ride: gently downhill, and still cold and foggy so I had no idea whether it was interesting or not. I sat behind Pterodactyl hoping like hell Weethalle would have a petrol station. It did. But it wasn't open when we arrived. Fortunately action was not far away. With the odometer showing 200 kms (I reckon the CB will get around 230 on a good run) and the next place where petrol was certain being 198 kms away we filled up and rode on into the fog.


Refuelling in the fog

Eventually it cleared and we found ourself on the Hay Plain—flat as far as the eye can see with a view interrupted only by the odd tree. We stopped somewhere in the middle of it because I was so cold I had to get off and warm up. Amazingly we met a couple of kangaroos which can be made out in the background of these photos. These were the only live specimens I saw till the final morning of the trip.


The blobs behind and to the right are kangaroos on the Hay Plain


You can see the roos again just at the back of the bike




CBs on the Hay Plain


Cormanus warms up in the sun on the Hay plain


The Pterodactyl

Breakfast at Hay, more flat stuff before we crossed the Murray River and arrived at the Mildura Motorcycle Club the very place to which we had come for a weekend rally and some speedway action. There was beer and wine and an indifferent steak sandwich and a not so comfortable camping ground where we set up our tents.

Did I mention it was cold?

[the Ferret]

Loving this story. How cool for you two to get together for an adventure? very cool.

[redbirds_imp]

Love your write up and pics. Want to visit your lovely country some day.

[Cormanus]

Day 4: Mildura to Wentworth and return

77 kms [url=https://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?msid=201247423130042081552.0004fbf1757f2a8d33cb1&msa=0]Map

It was cold again in the morning, but the rally organizers kindly provided a breakfast of eggs, bacon and sausage with a cup of tea for $5 so we ate that and talked to a few other motorcyclists who had made the trick to Mildura, a town in north western Victoria just over the New South Wales border and close to South Australia. Indeed it is closer to Adelaide than Melbourne. It used to be a centre of grapes for fortified wine but has now become a major citrus growing area. There was a bit of speedway for juniors in the late morning and we watched a little of it.


The juniors get in some practice

Later we rode the short distance to Wentworth over the border in NSW to see the confluence of the Murray and Darling Rivers which are critical sources of water for most of Eastern Australia. From Wentworth the Murray flows into the sea near Adelaide. One of these days I'll go back there with my wife for a houseboat trip.



Pterodactyl—at great personal risk —rode his CB into the park so I could take a photo of it with the confluence in the background. Here it is.



Luckily he escaped without being caught.

After coffee and cake in a nearby café we rode a very short distance to the Perry Sand Hills which are attractive and seem very out of place in the middle of this flat but fertile country.



Then back to Mildura for beer, another hamburger, red wine and festivities by the bonfire in honour of the rally and the speedway.

There was one other notable feature of Day 4: it was just warm enough for me to ride in my lighter gloves, so I managed some shots on the move.


Pterodactyl leaves the rivers behind




Out here corners are rare: Pterodactyl gets in some practice

In preparation for the excitement of the speedway, and because it was cold, the organisers kindly lit a fire for me.


Cormanus warms his chilly hands

[Cormanus]

Day 5: Barely moved

We thought a Sunday morning trip into the excitement of Mildura to get a decent breakfast, coffee and fuel for a start the next day would be a good plan. Had we got ourselves organized a bit more quickly, we could have gone on a tour of the region run by the organizers if the Wintersun Rally. We didn't.

Breakfast and coffee were good; the first service station the GPS sent us to no longer existed, but the second one did.

Now, before going on, I have nothing against Harleys. None of my best friends rides one, but I'm sure some very agreeable people do. I concede that all kinds of motorcycles attract dickheads of one sort or another, but the ones who gravitate to Harleys are special.

As Pterodactyl led us back to the camp, a dude on a Harley muscled past me. He looked a bit odd from the rear with his hands held high and his feet sticking way out to the side and up in the air, but he'd done a lovely job on the chrome. Then he muscled past Pterodactyl; clearly Harley riders, when present, have to lead the convoy. We came to a roundabout and our man thought he'd show the Jap crap a thing or two and gave his wrist a mighty twist. He took off quite quickly and must have been peeved to find Pterodactyl sticking to him like cuss to a blanket until he gave up the race.

Here's some photos of the speedway.

[ari cb_imp]

Wow what an awesome ride! Thanks for sharing

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk

[Tyke57nz_imp]

Good report and photos, would have been an good trip for you both.

[Cormanus]

Thanks for the positive comments.

Like the man said on the TV trying to get you to pay too much for something you didn't really want, "Wait, there's more!"

[Tyke57nz_imp]

Better go and get a beer and await Part 3. On a serious note how was the Staintune on a longish trip, did any negatives come to light. With regard to photos the best decision I made was to buy the Sony camera with a remote control - so much easier to use than a normal handheld.

[Cormanus]

Day 6: Mildura to Deniliquin

396 kms [url=https://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?msid=201247423130042081552.0004fbf1797a883d8a7dc&msa=0&ll=-35.236085,143.526764&]Map

I awoke to find a coating of frost on the seat of the CB.



After breakfast, packing up the camp and saying farewell to the folk we'd met and camped with, we set out in the direction of Sydney. Our first overnight stop was to be Deniliquin. We rode backwards and forwards across the New South Wales/Victorian borders to Swan Hill before finally returning to NSW and heading north to Deniliquin.

Just before Swan Hill we were relieved to find petrol at Nyah. When we stopped, Pterodactyl had the same level of cold I’d experienced on Day 3. It’s quite unnerving and it was good to have some sun to restore some warmth.


The CBs at Nyah

Deniliquin was memorable for dinner. The Returned Servicemen's League is an Australian institution for reasons I won’t go into. However, the RSL has established clubs all over the country. Once the preserve of veterans of the two world wars (if I remember correctly it took them a good while to acknowledge that people who had served in Korea and Vietnam were also veterans), the clubs are now open to all comers and earn copious revenue from banks of poker machines. Because they're now about business not a community of interest, if you live more than a certain distance away, you simply sign in to become a temporary member.

The RSL in Deniliquin was opposite where we were staying and was recommended as the place to eat. So off we went. A carnival to be held the following day meant there was a lengthy queue for dinner, but a couple of beers eased the pain of waiting. We both ordered a rib steak and settled in with a bottle of red wine. Just when we were thinking we’d been forgotten, a waitress appeared, apologised, and said there was only one steak left. Fortunately it was easy. I’d had trouble deciding between the steak and crumbed lamb cutlets, so I ordered them instead.

While the accompanying vegetables were unexceptional, both meat dishes were excellent—probably the best we ate all trip and worth the wait.

Day 7: Deniliquin to Boorowa

457 kms [url=https://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?msid=201247423130042081552.0004fbf17f80933720ad4&msa=0]Map

Of course it was bloody freezing again the next morning, although reasonably sunny and we set off for Boorowa—west and slightly north. Our first stop was Jerilderie, at which were back on the Newell Highway but further south than when we left. I mention it only because it was the scene of a very famous bank robbery by Ned Kelly, a nineteenth century bushranger who, despite being a tedious criminal, manages to remain a national icon of sorts. It was overcast and cold and we had a welcome coffee and a hot meat pie.

The rest of the day was uneventful, although road between Wagga Wagga (or Wagga bloody Wagga as it’s known) and Gundagai was great riding. After a stretch on the Hume Highway (the main road from Melbourne to Sydney) we turned off and the final kilometres to Boorowa also covered some good riding road.

I took not a single photograph.

Day 8: Boorowa to Sydney

433 kms [url=https://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?msid=201247423130042081552.0004fbf18636fe0dae6be&msa=0]Map

This was the final day of an excellent ride. Our route would take us to Sydney over the Blue Mountains with some fantastic stretches of road, particularly between Taralga and Oberon. Pterodactyl was in home territory and loving it. Watching him race ahead, I wondered whether he shouldn’t be renamed Terror Dactyl.

These photos were taken at a brief rest stop next to the Abercrombie river which lies at the bottom of a steep downward windy road and then a steep upward windy road. Apparently there’s a rally held there. It’d be a great place to camp, but cold as in the winter.





We stopped just outside Lithgow for a coffee and something to eat and inspected the bugs on the front of our bikes.





And took a last look at the part of the Blue Mountains through which we’d just ridden.



The penultimate leg took us along Bells Line of Road, a ridge along the Blue Mountains behind Sydney which then drops into its far northern suburbs.

At a final coffee stop at Macdonalds in Windsor we reviewed the journey and said our farewells before riding together towards Sydney. I last saw Pterodactyl as he headed for the tunnel under Sydney Harbour while I rode over the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge. I’m still wishing I could have taken a photo as I rode across, but the traffic was dense and worrisome and I didn’t have the camera ready to go. But here’s a photo of the bridge from another day in Sydney …



It was a great trip. Together, we covered more than 2,500 kilometres and reduced the bug population of Australia by around 678,253. Sadly, we also reduced the bird population by two.

Although Pterodactyl and I parted company here, I’ve more story to tell as I still had to get home.

Better go and get a beer and await Part 3. On a serious note how was the Staintune on a longish trip, did any negatives come to light. With regard to photos the best decision I made was to buy the Sony camera with a remote control - so much easier to use than a normal handheld.

You may be right about the camera Tyke. I always struggle with photographs. I like taking them, but they can become a terrible distraction. Sometimes—as in lots of parts of this ride—it's nice not to think about anything other than riding and the music, more of which later.

As for the Staintune, Pterodactyl will have to tell you whether he was happy. I thought it looked great and sounded better. I'm not aware that he had any problems or issues.

Back to the posting.