RT wrote:2 Schooner Bob, that's me.

Still a cheap date then?  That'll keep the wife happy, though.

As long as I can get someone to mind my cat for a week, as my son has moved out, I'm definitely in.
A Double bedroom for me please, as I snore like a chainsaw, and with diabetes I get up several times a night for a pee.
So I don't want to disturb others.
Al, does that offer for a bed for Thursday night still stand?
I'll bring the foot peg lowering kit with me, for Marie's bike.
I'll have to get some miles under my bum in the next few weeks, as I haven't ridden the K1100 after my little oops leaving the Far Cairn last year.

Cheers,

Andrew

Pegasus wrote:As long as I can get someone to mind my cat for a week, as my son has moved out, I'm definitely in.
A Double bedroom for me please, as I snore like a chainsaw, and with diabetes I get up several times a night for a pee.
So I don't want to disturb others.
Al, does that offer for a bed for Thursday night still stand?
I'll bring the foot peg lowering kit with me, for Marie's bike.
I'll have to get some miles under my bum in the next few weeks, as I haven't ridden the K11100 after my little oops leaving the Far Cairn last year.

Cheers,

Andrew

Yep, there's a bed available Andrew. 

Al

Yes Dave only too happy to take left over Dry Ginger ale or cans of beer. I've even been know to buy a case of Tooheys New
because of the price. Won t do that again.

Hi all,

Around a week to take-off time, depending on where you are taking off from.

As I said before, I understand that there will always be issues that make it necessary to change plans. If something has come up for you that means you can't come, would you please let me know? (Forum post or otherwise.) Just to keep faith with our host at Walwa.

Apparently the landslide hasn't been sorted. The latest I've seen is that they are hoping to have at least one lane open for the Falls Creek ski season! (Official start is June long weekend.)
So it looks like the out and back option will be the go, though I'm still open to other options, excluding the 65km dirt road.

Looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and seeing some I only know from forum posts so far.

Bill

To all that have reached out to me,

I have been eaten by by the United States Department of State, Center for Disease Control, and Pennsylvania Office of Vital Statistics. There appears to be some confutation between these three bureaucratic agencies as to who I am and where I came from. Therefor my passport application has been denied three times so far (i want to see this to the end or get a tax refund for the last 43 years). At this point I can only ask you for forgiveness for any inconvenience I have caused you. 

Hope you all have a wonderful trip but if you happen to have monsoon rain, blistering heat, heavy traffic, long lines, and terrible service at the pub it will help ease some of the disappointment I'm feeling.

No forgiveness needed, but it would have been great to meet you in person. 
Various members of the Aussie Krew organise rides/gatherings from time to time, so perhaps when you persuade the authorities that you are a real boy there may be another opportunity. We hope so. 

Bill

Not to worry some day those numpties in the gubbermnt will figure it out and give you a passport. If they were any smarter they would be riding a K and not nit pickin about who you are. Catch you some other time.

Booked into the Merriwa Pub on the Wednesday night and then at Young for the Thursday.  Decided not to push on to Gulgong with the others as my recent history of travelling long distances, especially at night has not been kind to me.  So daylight hours only for a while.  

I'm sure we shall sort out a place to stay on the Sunday night but would like to head home via Rutherglen and visit one of the vineyards as their new whisky needs to be sampled.  

Rickmeister, the new version of Compas Box Artist's Blend should be available in your local Dan's.

Caveman, sorry to hear about your attempts to obtain a passport.  I thought we had problems here with bureaucracy but the land of the free seems to take that to another level.   My current passport took a matter of days to renew but spent a week in the post.  They usually advise of up to eight weeks.

Caveman, disappointed for you. Some of us were lucky enough to have criminals as Great Great Great Grandparents and got free passage to Oz. 
There s always another trip to try for.

All systems go at Young, very dry at the moment and the wind has dropped all sorts of round sticks on the roads. Take care, see some of you on Thursday night.
RT

Just so you know, any of this group (or anyone on this forum) that finds themselves over here in my neck of the woods I have food shelter and spare ks and would like to to share an an adventure any time.
As your riding season is winding down ours is just getting started and none of us are getting any younger.

TacKler wrote:Caveman, sorry to hear about your attempts to obtain a passport.  I thought we had problems here with bureaucracy but the land of the free seems to take that to another level.   My current passport took a matter of days to renew but spent a week in the post.  They usually advise of up to eight weeks.

WTF!!!!!! for both of you. My last renewal took about five minutes online and five days to arrive. Just for once, it's nice to know that the UK bureaucracy has something right.

With apologies to any Federal Government workers who post here, the government is a make wealthy program for generally useless people with no discernible skills at anything.  Any positive outcome from a government agency is purely a random accident.

Unfortunately, I am out for this year's ride due to recurring health problems.

Pegasus wrote:Unfortunately, I am out for this year's ride due to recurring health problems.

Bugger.

That 'Health' character has a lot to answer for!   

Bill

Having a little muse over the route. 

Here's a possibility of about 5 hrs and 390km.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/Walwa+VIC+3709/Lake+Hume+Village+NSW/Beechworth+VIC/Myrtleford+VIC/Bright+VIC/Mount+Beauty+VIC/Tallangatta+VIC/Walwa+VIC/@-36.3365849,146.9152962,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m50!4m49!1m5!1m1!1s0x6b2300f193fef681:0x40579a430a05850!2m2!1d147.7347784!2d-35.9840318!1m5!1m1!1s0x6b23c3b14114b681:0x40609b49043eb50!2m2!1d147.0373272!2d-36.100148!1m5!1m1!1s0x6b26ac599f7be39b:0x40579a430a04be0!2m2!1d146.6923844!2d-36.3532672!1m5!1m1!1s0x6b26a2ca4d59d43b:0x40579a430a054d0!2m2!1d146.724543!2d-36.5533215!1m5!1m1!1s0x6b241875984afd63:0x40579a430a04d30!2m2!1d146.9605021!2d-36.7272091!1m5!1m1!1s0x6b243e25bcd1280b:0x50579a430a0d2e0!2m2!1d147.1774712!2d-36.7349731!1m5!1m1!1s0x6b23edc34d40f0db:0x40579a430a05700!2m2!1d147.1770439!2d-36.2150455!1m5!1m1!1s0x6b2300f193fef681:0x40579a430a05850!2m2!1d147.7347784!2d-35.9840318!3e0?hl=en

A bit of a mouthful, but a copy and paste brings it up on Google maps.
Goes along the southern shore of Lake Hume, crosses the water and goes on to Beechworth, (could deviate via Yackandandah) and Myrtleford, Porepunkah and Bright, Mt Beauty, Tallangatta and back to Walwa via Shelley.
If people wanted a bit less, the bottom of the route could be cut off to leave Bright & Mt Beauty off.

Has the plus of several possibilities for coffee and lunch - some of the most important parts of the ride.


Over to you for brickbats, bouquets, variations or alternative suggestions.

Bill

Looks good to me, maybe squeeze in a trip up Mount Buffalo and leave Mt Beauty of. Bearing in mind the chalet up on Buffalo is closed so no food there.

Figure 8....include Mt Granya (great ride!!) in the two directions???....

Just a thought.

Probably a dangerous thing for me these days...thinking, that is.

Dai wrote:

TacKler wrote:Caveman, sorry to hear about your attempts to obtain a passport.  I thought we had problems here with bureaucracy but the land of the free seems to take that to another level.   My current passport took a matter of days to renew but spent a week in the post.  They usually advise of up to eight weeks.

WTF!!!!!! for both of you. My last renewal took about five minutes online and five days to arrive. Just for once, it's nice to know that the UK bureaucracy has something right.

Dai, not as bad as all that as the devil is in the detail; I handed the renewal in on a Thursday afternoon and was notified it was ready on the Monday.  This is where it gets silly tho' as I live in Brisbane and took it to a suburban post office where they ensure the photographs are within parameters.  Yes Polaroid style of photo but digital may be an option.  PO's will do the photos but not all POs do renewals and my local one did not.    

Whisked off priority mail to the other end of the country in Melbourne where it was processed, then a week to return via registered snail mail where I had to sign for it.  Hey, it prevents identity crime, so I have no problem there and it was not an urgent renewal.  

The silly thing is that there is a Passport office in Brisbane.  I have visited both the previous and the current offices in a previous life.  I had direct access to the Deputy Head of Department and was provided with a personal tour of their new office including an introduction to the lady running the passport section.  Oh, and naturally I have had an official passport over the years.

A good choice Bill.  

Beechworth or Yackandandah for smoko and somewhere else for lunch?  I do like the option of having a look at Mt. Buffalo though.  Then a race back home to the Pub.

I got my Victorian motorcycle licence in Yakandandah known as Yak to the locals.
Regards Martin.

TacKler wrote:Dai, not as bad as all that as the devil is in the detail;

Ah, right. Online renewal here gives you instructions on how to take an acceptable photograph and then upload it. If Computer says 'No', you can tell Computer to go..... take a long hike and give a short explanation as to why you say the photo does meet the regs. Same for renewal of driving licences. I like the online renewal as my nearest main PO is 27 miles away. We don't have the distance problems you have in Oz but it can still be a nuisance.

Hi all,

Just confirmed the list with Des at Walwa. All good. If you identify yourself as from the K100 forum, he'll know you're part of our mob.

Don't forget, as it was last year, the only mobile reception at Walwa is Telstra, so if you're with another carrier, bring your spare Telstra phone (like me) or be incommunicado (which is often a good idea.  )

Bill

Apologies for the late cancellation Bill but I'm not able to make it. 
A combo of some bike issues and work. Will definitely make the next one.
Let me know If I owe anything for the room.

Enjoy the ride fellas. Be safe. See ya all next time. Nige

Holister wrote:Apologies for the late cancellation Bill but I'm not able to make it. 
A combo of some bike issues and work. Will definitely make the next one.
Let me know If I owe anything for the room.

Enjoy the ride fellas. Be safe. See ya all next time. Nige

Catch you next time.

Bill

Have to cancel lads. The RT has failed to proceed just a few kms out of Bathurst. Something in the ignition circuit. By the time Marie gets the trailer out here etc there won't be enough time to swap to the other bike and head out again.

First time this bike has ever let me down.

Al

AL-58 wrote:Have to cancel lads. The RT has failed to proceed just a few kms out of Bathurst. Something in the ignition circuit. By the time Marie gets the trailer out here etc there won't be enough time to swap to the other bike and head out again.

First time this bike has ever let me down.

Al

On our way again, will be there tonight.

Southern Ride 2023 done and dusted - sort of. Those who travelled from parts way North will be still travelling today and tomorrow.

We have a theme song for this year's ride - Fleetwood Mac's Go Your Own Way. Apart from the generally agreed variation to go over the mountain from Granya rather than continue along the river, the number of variations that people took was amazing. Some were from turning right one turn too early (mea culpa), others from mix ups in where they were going. Some confusion also from GPS directions that shaved 15 seconds off the run by taking some minor detour etc. etc. Then there is the distinction between clockwise and anticlockwise . . .  

Roads in Vic are generally in a better state than NSW, but there was always that awareness of Vic police giving no leeway with speed limits. Unless there was a sneaky camera we missed, we seem to have survived unscathed.
It beats me how they justify this policy on safety grounds. My driving or riding is at its worst in Victoria simply because I am giving an inordinate amount of attention to my speedometer, to the detriment of my attention to the road and other traffic.

Anyway, we managed to be all in the same place when it came to meal times - evenings at the pub at Walwa and lunch at Bright. Most of us ate too much, so some, like me, may need to take it easy this week to atone.

We covered some beautiful territory, rode winding and open roads, ate good food, but what made it all worthwhile was the company. Given the nastiness we see on some internet groupings, I am continually grateful for how this one runs and it is even better when we get together in person. So first and foremost I thank everyone for their company and their friendship.

Bill

Bill, Well said.

The night at Taralga went well (except I got thrashed by Craig ("Hustler") Smith at the pool table. Might have to break his thumbs next time!). The beer was nice and went down well. Got home at about 14:00 this arvo, v.tiring trip, early morning sun in the eyes, v.strong winds and then the temperature got up to 38*(C)

Thanks for your efforts, Bill. Maybe next year....?

Rickmeister.

Thanks for the company lads.

K100RT is fixed, Charlie pointed me at Fuse #1, it looks fine but swapping makes all the gremlins go away. I did enjoy riding my 1250RS anyway though.

Maries bike I'll tackle tomorrow, dig out my spare starter motor first.

New fuel tank connectors for both!

Al

I want to especially thank Bill for the effort that he put into organising the show and the proposed route. The Cat Herding Principle was displayed more vividly on this weekend than any other that I can remember (and I was one of the cats) however as our man Bill has expressed above, we did make it to meal times and the kamaraderie around the table/bar/pergola as usual was worth the trip.

Rickmeister and I parted company with Smithy on the run north from Taralga and we headed across the Blue Mountains via Mt Victoria, Bell Line of Road then up the Putty Road with lunch at the Grey Gums Cafe to our respect home bases. It turned out to be a pretty unpleasant day to be riding a motorcycle with the conditions that Rickmeister has mentioned.

Hope these conditions have abated for the guys heading further north to their homes.

Look forward to our next meet up wherever and whenever that might be.

Cheers

In case anyone is interested in how far we travelled this year for the Southern Run, I just updated my mapping route to that which I actually took (while hiding in the airconditioning from our current hot spell - only 35C at 5:30pm).

The total came up at 2,255km. I'm sure Tackler is the long distance champ for this one (as has been the case for each year that he has attended) and I'd be curious how many kilometres he racked up for the round trip. I expect some of our Forum Members in other countries might be interested in what touring in OZ adds up to.

Cheers to all.

Gaz,
Sounds like a good pace. What about 6 or 7 hours in the saddle a day? That would give you plenty of time to take in the sights and relax. I'm hopeful that age doesn't catch me before I get chance to travel some out of the US.

Gaz,  

A rough figure in making Walwa and returning to Brisbane is about 3,000km.  That does not include the roundabout way but straight to Bright and return leg.  You may have a figure for that leg.  

Caveman, 

The first and last legs were the longest for me with about nine and a half hours to Meriwa and ten hours from Gulgong to home.  The return journey because Rick and I visited Morris Winery was around 1,600km over two days.  A long haul but doable with wind almost the whole way home which can be tiring.  Then take into consideration the heat and the associated dehydration which most people fail to consider.  This is all country riding which involves slowing down for numerous towns to transit through them and sticking to the speed limit as best we can, give or take a little inaccuracy here and there.  

Two days later I am still tired from the trip as I did not really sleep well during it.  I will share some details and photos when I have a chance.

Well,  

I left Brisbane on the Wednesday having booked into the pub at Meriwa.  The others decided on Gulgong where they had a cabin but a bit too far for me as the last hour would mean riding after dark.  As this was my first trip on the F650 GS Dakar since my last trip in the dark on her ended rather badly.  Fuelled up at Warwick and then stopped at Deepwater as the servo there has a good reputation, so always good to support the little guy.  

Next stop was to visit Sean and give him a break from renovating the house.  I allowed Keith the Kat some freedom which was frowned upon as his holiday home on the coast beckoned.  Managed to get through Tamworth and fuelled up on the way out so that I would make Meriwa.  Time was tight if I wanted to arrive before dark as I was still using Qld time.  Always a fun ride through here as the road twists and turns, especially the section between Wallabadah and Willow Tree.  

After turning off the highway and towards my berth I saw one fox and two kangaroos.  The fox and the first 'roo decided to bugger off into the bush as the Dakar approached.  However the second one decided to have a dance with me but Covid restrictions and social distancing must still be a thing as he kept to the two metre rule.

Arriving just before Eight in the evening, I was in time to catch the restaurant for dinner, although as far as I was concerned it was only 7pm.  Beer, burger and bed in that order.  A hot shower first and I had the room on the corner.  A restless nights sleep as it must have been the warmest room in the pub.  Guess it collected the sun all during day.  

A conversation with Gaz indicated they were coming through in the morning and so I joined him and the other Rick as we left for Gulgong to join the others.  A planned lunch stop at Molong did not provide a suitable venue as they were still showing signs of recent flood damage, so onto Cudal and a local cafe.  Our digs for the night were our well used Australia Hotel in Young, home of RT.  

Our lunch stop at Cudal.  

And this was where the other Rick had booked a room along with RickG with whom I was expecting to share a room with.  Long story short after gnashing of teeth and I slept on some settee cushions on the floor.  A double booking or first in best dressed?  Doesn't matter now and two nights in a row of restless sleep.  

A short ride the next day as we departed Young and two different routes to proceed to lunch in Tumut.  We turned off at Wombat, yes that is the name and onto Harden and then Jugiong and the highway.  This was an excellent piece of road with little traffic and those big open sweeping corners with uphill and downhill sections.  Once in Harden I stopped to photograph Bill the Bastard, a memorial to a Waler from the Light Horse during WW1.  There is a book about him but I don't like the author's style.  

Bill the Bastard.  

A bakery for lunch and an easy ride into Walwa where we were to stay for two nights.  It's always a pleasure riding into this part of the country.  Something about its location alongside the Murray River with the hills in the distance.  There were new owners at the hotel and the place had a new vibe about it.  This time I shared a room with the Rick again and had a bed instead of the floor, just for something different.  There were slight changes since our last visit which made it a bit more homely.  Later the front bar became a bit rowdy as the night progressed and the restaurant began to fill.  Bill, the organiser and not the Bastard gave us a rundown on the following days route and our destination for lunch.  We were heading into ski country with associated prices in the off season.  Meanwhile it was the on again, off again Al and Marie shuffling motos coming out of Bathurst who took our numbers to eight.  

The Walwa Hotel.  

So, on Saturday as everyone raced to get away I was delayed as I remembered at the last moment to grab my camera.  Marie was staying behind as the blue K was having starting problems.  A slightly cool morning as the sun had not risen to its full height among the valleys and as I was chasing the group I was able to lay into the corners at my own pace.  It was just fun.  I managed some photos as well and eventually caught Tail End Gaz but dropped off again for more photos.  Then came another set of those annoying traffic lights at road works where the group split in two.  

This photo does not do justice to the ride along the Murray River.  

The destination was Bright and the agreed route was a little different for each party.  As we approached an intersection with two choices, one said south to Mount Beauty and the other to Wodonga and Talanagatta.  Smithy was in front of me and I saw him indicate left whilst the other two decided to turn right.  Smithy soon followed and I thought they must have some business in Wodonga or elsewhere, unknown to me.  Gaz has recent history for confusing his left and right but I will let him tell that in his own words.  

Meanwhile I knew the correct and most direct route was to Mt. Beauty and the turn off to Bright.  So I stopped and waited in case they returned.  Whilst there I had a chat with Larry the Llama* busily observing our their confusion.  Go left young TacKler, said Larry the Llama and so I did.  It was only about 30kms to the turn off which had one of those big green road signs** pointing to Bright.  All this was done by using a map, dead reckoning and route planning.  No GPS for this dinosaur, navigation is simplez.  

Larry the Lama*.  

So over the Tawonga Road and stopping at the first lookout there was an impressive view of the town of Mt. Beauty.  I chatted to a couple there and watched a few other motos ride by.  Not so impressive were the faces of all the cyclists coming up the hill.  This road is another gem and well suited to a big single like the Dakar with too many to count slow speed corners which meant I was mostly in third gear.  

The town of Mt. Beauty.  

The group had gathered in two parts in Bright and eventually we joined up and had lunch at the Bright Brewery  just in time before the crowd arrived.  Good service and quick meals, so one to return to.  

Bright Brewery with at least one happy face.  

So just to keep the theme of confusion going, I continued west with RickG and Bill whilst the others took the Tawonga Road.  As the Mt Buffalo detour was a bit to far out of the way we took off for Myrtleford and Beechworth and Rick had a stop planned for the Strawberry winery.  The turn off came up quicker than expected and I nearly ran up his clacker as he dived off to the side road.  Located amongst what I was going to say were Strawberry trees were in fact not and just normal trees as the winery had that character of most vineyards located amongst the fields that are northern Victoria.  Dry and dusty with functionality and a homeliness that one expects from a family business.  Bill and Rick tried the wines and liqueur but I found them too sweet for me.  I would keep my wallet in my pocket for the following day.  

So from here the run back took us over the Hume Weir and past MartinW's old stomping ground where he experienced the wayward upbringing of a teenager joining the Army.  We again fell pray to the wonders of technology and the magic of GPS.  Whilst heading along a perfectly straight line, well on my map anyway and a looming T intersection, Bill's GPS told him he/we had missed a turn, or a lane to the left.  Executing a U turn and backtracking to the amusement of two young lads, we found the correct road and headed down a perfectly ordinary country road then turning right and then slap bang onto a major road north.  Hmmm?  The mind boggles.  Is GPS so stupid that it will override common sense and take one down a slightly different route that is possibly 10 metres shorter? Any time wasted on our part?  Of course not......  Answers on the back of a postcard to the usual address please.  

A piece of local history. 

Then there was another very short delay for something similar which turned out to be nothing more than a zig and a zag to get us on track.  After crossing the Weir I stopped at a lookout for a quick pit stop and then continued on.  Another cracking road as we followed the side of the weir and the mighty Murray River back to Walwa.  By myself again I set my own pace and apart from some photo opportunities was the last to arrive home.  Feeling a bit knackered I just parked the moto, changed out of my riding gear and decided on an ice cream to rehydrate before joining the others.  Fuel could wait till tomorrow.  

One of the stops on the return. 

As it was Saturday, the pub was filling up with families and locals and a quick word from the hotel chef indicated that we would be advised to order our meals at 6:00pm instead of waiting as they were booked heavily that evening.  Thank you Christina!  Glad that we had made a positive impression on the staff and it is the little things like this that make you want to return.  The beer garden was pleasant and later in the evening the other Rick and I traded drams and compared notes.  

Sunday was the day we departed and some would be home that night and others not.  Gaz, Smithy and the other Rick headed for Taralga whilst RickG and I headed to Rutherglen which is the other side of Wodonga to wine country.  Last year this little diversion did not work out for me and Rick had decided to accompany me after some late minute changes.  We found the place first time by using a map.  A typical winery in amongst the fields, Morris Winery was a family company going back generations with a history or reds and fortified wines.  Although I was more interested in their single malts and that was the reason for the diversion.  I sampled four whiskies and came away with one and a bottle of Tawny port whilst Rick settled on the ports.  Much more to my palette that the strawberry stuff from the day before.  As I only had a breakfast in my belly I did not wish to consume too much so early in the day.  

The entrance to Morris Winery. 

Rick knew this area fairly well from days gone by so we weaved and wandered our way across the border and through the major towns along Olympic Way through Wagga and onto Gulgong for the night.  A hot and at times windy day but we made good time.  We decided to head for Gulgong and to see if we could grab a cabin.  Just about there when a big bump caused a slight hiccup for Rick which was later patched up with duct tape.  When we arrived we ended up in the same one he stayed in on the way down.  Into town for a feed and an early night.  

That intersection before Gulgong.  You can nearly feel the heat in the photo as the sun begins to set. 

Next day we decided to get on the road and had breakfast at the bakery at Coolah.  A breakfast pie and coffee.  Mmmm..  

Coolah Pub with the bakery across the road. 

We took the route over the Liverpool Plains as it was probably shorter but still windy.  After a quick stop at Premer to stretch our legs a massive coal train was passing.  It did not take long to catch him though.  

Premer. This has become a regular stop for me over the years.  

Refuelling just north of Tamworth, the last time I filled up there was on the Dakar, we were in heavy rain and were heading into a storm but did not quite make it home.  Up the hill and we approached Armidale Airport, the Dakar just kept purring away and gave me no reminder of our last time riding past there.  A quick stop for a cuppa with Sean in a barebone house and then I continued north.  Some fuel for me at Deepwater and then Rick peeled off as he approached home.  One more stop for fuel and a slow fuel truck going down the range and I was nearly home.  

Just made it home as the light faded and I unpacked the bike but the rest could wait.  Glad to be back in my own bed and apart from a a couple of niggles the Dakar performed as expected on such a long trip.  


*   Actually an Alpaca but that doesn't rhyme with L.  

** You know, the ones that are there to make it glaringly obvious to those that don't rely on GPS.

Nice ride review.
I always stop at that spot at Premer as well. It was always a convenient place to stop with the doggoes, and now it's just a habit.