Grant decided to organise this bike ride and elected on Dubbo as the destination. It was his first organised bike ride and he spent many a late night hour studying maps and getting perfectly exact distances, from one town to the next. With the work he was putting into it I was beginning to believe that every possible contingency was fully catered for.
He decided to do a test ride one day and I said I would come part of the distance, as it was too far to do in one day on my bike.
Grant is in the forces and had lots of paperwork and distances marked out, with departure times, arrivals times and allowable traveling times. I was beginning to wonder if it would turn into an organized route march with a penalty if you didn�t keep up.
I had visions of doing organized calisthenics at the rest stops.
�SQUAT AND GIVE ME 10 YOU MISERABLE CRETINS�
I need not have feared. It turned out that he had everything down to a fine art and had fully allowed for the natter�itis factor. As a group we are renowned for stopping and having a good chin wag (natter). If no one prompts us to shift out asses and get going again, we�ll be quite happy to stay there all day flapping our gums.
The day of the ride, Grant did the sheep dog bit at just the right times, and as sheep we all happily hopped on out mounts and followed on.
Everything went just right (perfect in fact). The fuel stops were in the right places, lunch was just right and the intermediate additional bum stretching breaks, were all well organized.
The countryside going up there was great, except for one bit after lunch where I was falling asleep on the bike. I shook myself awake at the next stop and was ok for the rest of the ride though.
We went up the Bells Line of road and after a quick "Vista, Vista, Verdant Vista" break at Mount Victoria, we headed for Oberon.
I�ve heard it said of Oberon that; if Australia was to be given an enema, then Oberon would be where they would insert the tube!! Personally I think it�s a quaint little town, and certainly a great ride to get there. We stopped for a coffee there, before moving on, and through Bathurst to Orange where we stopped for lunch.
Great pub, great courtyard and great food.
With bulging bellies we went on towards our goal of Dubbo.
We arrived there at around 5pm and checked into a really nice motel that Grant had organised. After a rest and shower, it was only a 15 minute leisurely walk to the club for some food and some alcoholic knickers� I mean lickers� NO..LIQUERS!!!
Great club and the food was great. We all had a great night and eventually wandered (a slightly bit sozzled) back to the motel, for a good nights sleep.
The next day I took an early morning run (on the bike) around Dubbo, to seek out some photo opportunities. After that we all went to a place for breakfast, to get some nosh into us that would keep us going until lunch time.
We cut across from Dubbo towards the Golden Highway to Dunedoo (said Dun-e-doo) and Gulgong before stopping at Mudgee for lunch.
Nice pub at Mudgee. Then it was on down the Sydney road towards Lithgow through Mullamuddy, Aarons pass, Ilford, Capertree, Cullen Bullen, and Wallerarang.
Yes these names truly do exist in Australia, together with Crackabrickapart, and Pullacanalong.
Well ok�.. Ya got me�. I made those two up!!
We stopped at the fruit bowl down the Bells line of road before eventually splitting up and going our own way back home.
A truly great ride, well organized and brilliantly put together. |
