Thursday 3 April: SYDNEY TO FORSTER (Blue) (433kms)
The floods and fires have receded as Autumn evolves. The Foxes are anticipating a final hit out prior to the winter hibernation.
So it is that Russ & Singo gather at 7.30am for a heart starter & to farewell our support group….the staff at Breadworks.
At 8.30 we descend upon Turramurra to meet Hydro & Mike. So the starting group comprises of four of us. Tony, Lewy & Boxy will meet us tomorrow.
It’s a somewhat tentative start. Mike hasn’t ridden for two years & has saddled up on The Gibster’s bike (unable to make it due to ageist medical issues). Singo has not ridden for twelve months, since Scotland. Hydro has a new bike, & after a harrowing number of recent near misses and pending retirement, is riding like he has a target in his back. Russ, who has nothing to complain about, just smiles and yells, “Let’s Ride….HARD”.
The weather is magic as we descend the Galston Gorge and journey through Arcadia and on to Sackville where we embark the Ferry across the river. We join the Putty Road to Singleton through the Wollemi national Park. It never fails to disappoint. Lunch at Singleton before we head east across the Barrington Tops National Park to Dungog, Stroud, Booral, Buladelah and finally along the Lakes Way to Forster.
Tiring but uplifting ride. The country is in great nick as are the roads. We are back!
We have secured the Foxes accommodation of choice, a 3 star motor inn called the Forster & Wallis Lake Hotel. We know exactly how the rooms are set up which is useful when we are stumbling around at night. It’s drinks in the courtyard before heading over to the Lakes & Oceans Hotel where Singo has set up a beach head because he doesn’t drink wine before he has had a beer. We settle in on the verandah for dinner.
It’s an early return to the hotel for a nightcap in the courtyard. Out of nowhere a large drunk Greek woman approaches our group and proceeds to sit down and drink our wine. She appreciates our taste. Better than the usual shit she drinks apparently. Consistent with our prior experience of drunk Greek women, the conversation starts to take an ugly turn. Fortunately, and before she can hurt us, she is distracted by another group speaking to the Hotel Manager so we did a runner.
Overnight, Liberation Day (Trump’s Tarriffs) has caused stock markets to melt down. The Gibster has instructed Mike that there is to be no scrimping on the premium petrol!
Friday 4 April: FORSTER TO CESSNOCK (Orange) (214 kms)
Breakfast is down the road at Beach Bums. We depart Forster and continue west on the Lakes Way until we connect with the Wootton Way to Booral. Again, conditions are perfect – weather, quality of roads, landscape. True Blue Aussie country.
Today is a short one as we salivate at the prospect of a long, long lunch at e remo restaurant in the Hunter Valley. We arrived at our Cessnock Hotel about noon. Team B, Lewy, Tony & Boxy, arrived shortly after. Boxy is spewing as his bike is cutting out for no reason – potentially a bad fuel problem? Boxy and Lewy start taking the bike apart and tinkering with it. The Gibster, from a distance, notes that they “look like a couple of crack addicts looking for the gear!” Pete is convinced that having repaired a Go Pro in Norway, he is more than equipped to deal with a minor problem like this. After a wasted 30 mins, Boxy is straight onto the owner of Northside Motorcycles who offers to drive up and sort out the problem for him. Boxy agrees that this is the only appropriate response but advises him that he’ll be at lunch when he arrives, and he won’t be changing his plans. In the meantime, here is my room number and location of the key.
We grab taxis to eremo restaurant. What a find! A great long lunch incorporating a broad selection of wines – Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Alberino, Cab Sauv. At 5.45, with a significant amount of cash exchanging hands, Russ & Hydro left to return to the Hotel to meet Boxy’s mechanic. Boxy called for another bottle of Alberino while we lazed about on the lawns. Upon returning to the Hotel at 6.45 a test of the bike appeared to reveal that nothing had changed. The Triumph Tiger was toothless!
Tonight comprised a dinner of Oporto burgers and sleep. It was a big day!
Saturday 5 April: CESSNOCK TO COONABARABRAN (Yellow) (520 kms) Boxy’s bike is still playing up this morning. He’s had an epiphany. “ I can’t burden you blokes (anymore) so I’ll take one for the team”. He packed up, revved his bike to the max, mounted the steely beast and was last seen doing a wheelie down the main road of Cessnock in 1st gear & yelling something about curses. At 11:18 he advised that he had returned safely after a few heart stoppers in the first 30 mins.
Meanwhile we had a cracker of a morning ride through the Goulburn River National Park to Coolah. This is the home of ‘The Black Stump’. Conditions amazing. No traffic on the road.
However there was an incident which will be always referred to as “Hydro’s Mistake”. He’s done it again. Just out of Murrumbo, there is a choice – beautifully sealed roads or a rough corrugated road with loose gravel. To the dismay of five members of the group, and after a short consultation with Russ, Hydro turns to the dirt (prohibited by the Foxes Constitution). Five riders are telepathically communicating with Hydro to cease & desist. Tony is screaming “I didn’t sign up for this!!!” But Hydro’s taken off & disappeared. Russ is reading the room & after advising that there was another 30 kms of this shit, leads the retreat back to the sealed roads much to our delight. Hydro was too committed at this point (6kms ahead of the group) and said he would see us for lunch. There will be a disciplinary hearing at some point.
A raucous lunch at the pub in Coolah. We have beaten Hydro into town.
This afternoon it’s a euphoric ride across to Coonabarabran. Well maintained, curving roads. We arrive in town and continue our ride up into the Warrumbungles & stop at the Siding Springs Observatory, a big telescope built 50 years ago which looks at stars. Not sure why we are here but it provides a wonderful vista of the mountains. Then we ride back to Coona around the base of the range.
After a ride like that it is off to BWS to buy a shit load of grog. We enjoy a couple of drinks in the car park of the Travellers Hotel. Oh dear….Russ has just been ‘splonged’ on. Steve reaching for the wine has tipped the table & drinks all over him. Russ loves the smell of stale grog so has no intention of changing before we head to the local Chinese for dinner.
The Golden Sea Dragon is a treat. The benign white brick exterior belies the magnificent and intricate interior. Kath is in charge & she’s one tough lady. The inventory purchased for this special night is sent back to the hotel. We settle for the banquet. Tony, a reluctant starter was heard to comment, “this is awesome mate!” This was the same Tony who had also wanted a later dinner time than the agreed on 6.15pm. This was fortunate cos he was looking very tired by 7.30. It was an enjoyable evening.
Tomorrow is end of daylight saving. A 3 hour discussion has failed to resolve how we ensure that we all get up at the same time.
Sunday 6 April: COONABARABRAN TO SYDNEY (Purple) (455 kms)
We do manage to synchronise & we leave Coona at 8am. As we eat breakfast the obligatory police car goes past to check us out. As predicted, they are setting a speed trap for us on the road out of town. Happens every time. We are used to this so it’s “Bad luck boys!”
Time to head home. First stop was Dunnedoo where we went to the dunny & took a photo. The conditions are again superb. This is our happy place. Next stop is Mudgee. The place is heaving. Nowhere to sit in the cafes so a takeaway & we’re off again. From here it was a scramble for home . We got back about 2.30pm.
It has been an amazing weekend. The planets were aligned. We rode places we had not been & travelled roads that exceeded expectations. The landscape was green & fresh. The energy levels of the group were at max. The blue skies were seductive. “Ride Hard” & we did!
One is only left to make the observation that it was another awesome Fox adventure. Thanks to Russ for his planning & leadership over the weekend. Until next time…..
Silver Foxes Motorcycle Club Australia 