Weekend Ride - 28/29 July 07 - Oxley Hwy!

[oodeano]

As I've mentioned elsewhere, my brother James is coming to pick up his bike and ride it back to Brisbane over the weekend. We are planning to do a full weekend ride at the same time - you are more than welcome to come!!

28th:
Meet Waitara Mackers - 8am depart - nice 'n' early for the big day ahead!!

If it's a dry day we MIGHT go St Albans to George Downes depending on whether roadies want to go or not? Wet will definitely avoid dirt - prob highway to Peat's ridge onto George Downes, Singleton, Gresford, East Gresford, Dungog, Stroud via 5k or 20k well groomed dirt depending on weather, Gloucester for lunch then Thunderbolt's way to the lookout and lefty towards Tamworth - 5 k's dirt for sure then a choice of Port Stephens Cutting or 25 k's dirt to the overnight stop.

I can book accomodation for anyone coming - $79/room - The Colonial Inn - I stay there fairly often. Steakhouse, few sherbies and a good nights sleep for the next day.

29th:
8am-ish depart. Walcha via Port Stephens cutting and 5k dirt, the Oxley Highway with a snack at Gingers creek. 45km corners then we will turn right at Byabarra going Comboyne,20 k dirt, Wingham, Gloucester and down Bucketts Way onto the highway and home. James can take a lefty at the Pac Hwy and head for Brisbane. You can dodge the dirt by going all the way to the Pac Hwy and cutting back in to meet us at wingham/Gloucester - possibly via Taree?


There are lots of options for both of these days and they could change depending on time and who's going (if anyone?) - and in theory you could add/remove bits if you don't have the whole weekend free or want to spend it in the vicinity of me :) Ride with us to Stroud on day 1 then head home from there? Ride the freeway up on day 2 and meet at the turnoff for home. Come up via the day 1 route on day 2 and meet us at Wingham - etc etc I'm sure you get the picture. If you only want to come for part of it do!!

Day 1 is around the 500km-ish mark, Day 2 is just on 700km and when done reasonably 'efficiently' and without a rented Ducati breaking down took me around 9 hours. That's a stop every 100 or so k's for a drink/fuel/snack/swaz etc and just hanging out at the speed limit! No long lunches of course . .

Who's brave? (crazy?)

Inspiration:

http://www.deangb.com/mctrips/oxleyhighway/midimages/IMG_2741.JPG

[stretch49]

Deano,

Sounds like a great ride, but not in the middle of the coldest winter we have had in quite a few years. I bet your battery will get a work out with those new heated grips installed! Have a great ride.

How about we tag it for a weekend ride later in the year around October.

Anyone else keen for it later in the year.


Stretch

[oodeano]

More jumpers and thermal derbs Stretch - lots more!

Don't let the cold win!!! It's only for an hour at the each end of the day?

I'm keen for it AGAIN later in the year - does that help?



Interest we have so far weather permitting:

Me - Strom
James - Dominator
Steve - GS500F
Mark - New White Tiger
Alex - Very well travelled GPX250 - half day 1

[oodeano]

Just checked the BOM for the weekend weather:

Saturday Mostly fine.
City: Min: 9 Max: 17
West: Min: 5 Max: 18

Sunday Fine.
City: Min: 8 Max: 17
West: Min: 5 Max: 17

Fine for the Oxley on Sunday lunch-ish is the best bit... OXLEY OXLEY!!

Mark is dropping out - his wife has veto'd being away on Sat night due to a prior engagement - apparently he spoke too soon . . .

He did however get up sat morning to go for a little comiseration ride and ended up doing 1180 k's including the oxley - bloody cheek!!


I might be looking forward to this - can you tell ? :)

[Ad73]

Hey Deano,

I've managed to get a free weekend so count me in if that's cool... the Oxley has been on my list to do for a while so better late than never.

I would probably hook up with you guys at Dungog so give me a rough time you expect to arrive there and say we meet at the pub on the corner of Stroud Rd.

If you could book a extra room at the Colonial fot the night that would be appreciated, any problems with that I should be able to organize alternative accomodation.

The sign for the next 45 km of corners in your picture is just too much to resist!!

Adam

[stretch49]

Deano,

Now that you have organized the weather for a cool but sunny weekend, im in.
I will be coming across Ryde Bridge, dont know where Maccas Waitara is. Can you give me an address or Google map.
See you Saturday at 8.00am

Stretch.

PS WHERE is the accommodation Saturday night. I have a mate who lives at Failford who might be interested in meeting us there.

[gco0307]

The sign for the next 45 km of corners in your picture is just too much to resist!!

Adam


So Adam, if you like the 45km sign I guess you may just love this one.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b100/gco0307/Bonang-105.jpg

Sorry though, not the Ox.




Garry

[oodeano]

Damn you Garry!!!

I've seen that pic on the south coast dirt etc site and wondered where it was?

When are we going there - assuming it's not fake . . .?

[gco0307]

Damn you Garry!!!

I've seen that pic on the south coast dirt etc site and wondered where it was?

When are we going there - assuming it's not fake . . .?


It sure aint no fake.

As for when, well let us just say that it is likely a bit to cold at this time of year but should you attend the snowy ride (see other post) it is one of the roads I will definitely be spending time on.

Ok, so it is the Bonang Highway that runs from Delegate to Orbost and is probably the most technical road I have ever ridden, but damn fun. :D :D :D



Garry

[oodeano]

Adam, Stretch,

Nice to have you along - Oxley magnetism wins again!!!

Should be a good weekend!

We have had a slight twist in the accomodation. This weekend is apparently the Jehovah's Witness (3500-5000 people) convention in Tamworth - of the 4 or 5 motels I called they were all full - chocca's. As I knew the people in the Colonial they offered to let us sleep in the restaurant on fold up beds etc - they even offered to sleep in the restaurant themselves and offer us their room and a couple of fold out beds - I politely declined!!

Both motels in Walcha were also full for Sat night so I called the next closest town - Armidale! It's about an extra 60-100km on sat (depending on how we go - to be decided at the lunch stop in Gloucester by us and the time) but cuts off 40km-ish on Sunday - not too bad. I went ahead and booked 5 singles (my count 5 going - plus Stretch's friend perhaps or does he want to meet us in the morning?) at the Country Comfort - seems like a nice place and it's close to the middle of town (apparently) for food/sherbies etc and they have a nice little map on their website that can tell you exactly where they are:

http://www.armidale.info/countrycomfort/index.htm

Hope that's OK with you guys - let me know here or give me a call if you want to change/add/remove/share/tell me to get stuffed?

Dungog - Adam, tough guess for timing? I'm thinking departure wise (aftert he rest stops/chatting) 8am Hornsby, 10:45am Singleton, 12:00pm Dungog, 12:45-1:45pm Gloucester. From there Walcha is about 2 hours and it's 60KM from there to Armidale. Those are moderately generous timings I think - gives us an hour at the end to play with. We can decide at Gloucester whether or not to do a bit of the run into Tamworth if we're still fresh enough and have time or just head to Armidale ASAP? We could even split if there's different desires?

Give me your phone number, Adam - or take mine, send me a text so I have yours and I can text you when we leave Singleton. Is an hour enough notice? If you want to pick a place we can text you from there.

Stretch, Mackers Waitara is on the Pacific Highway just before Hornsby. I only chose it since it's the same meeting point I chose for Sydstrom002 and it's a good wet/dry option. Since I've bribed Mrs nature for a sunny one I think we should do Wiseman's ferry for a start, St Albans perhaps or just the bitumen - I know Steve will want to go bitumen and we had been planning a split from Wiseman's to the old Northern/George Downs intersection.

Lost my train of thought a bit there :) but I think the point was, it's sunny, let's do wisemans and we don't have to start at Waitara if you have a strategy that's easier for you in mind when we are aiming for wisemans.

I've also just looked at the map again and we can go Waitara, Galston gorge, Wiseman's - I'll leave it at that unless you'd like me to confuse the issue even more . . . ?

You can see the start point on the SydStrom002 map:

http://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=-33.528803,151.170502&spn=0.793339,1.113739&z=10&om=1&msid=118107749532395058874.000435216579cae9d4ef0


I think that MASSIVE post covers everything - I'll take a look from work tomorrow (as per usual ;) ) and see if there's anything else we need to address.

Only 2 sleeps to go!!!


Dean

[stretch49]

Dean,

Thanks for the info.
My mate wont be coming , didnt get a leave pass from theMinister who deceides.

For you info on later trips.
Accommodation at Walcha the Apsley Arms pub is good. The whole pub was renovated about a year ago. Pub rooms but new and clean and a good bistro.

Uralla The "Top Pub" cant remember the full name The fox and something but everyone knows it as the Top pub has Motel rooms and great food and is a jumpin place. Stayed there many times.

Got to agree with Garry the Bonang is a great road lots of twisties. I have done it on my FJR but not the Vstrom. I hope to do it on the Vstrom the week after the GP.

See you Saturday morning.

John (Stretch)

[Ad73]

Dean,

All that is fine with me, I will probably leave a bit earlier to do some exploring on the way to Dungog. Singelton would be a good place to text me, 0421630594 and that will give me plenty of time.

Meeting place at the pub on the corner of Hook and Dowling St which should be the road you will come in on.

All going well will see you guys on Saturday!!

Ad

[stretch49]

Hi Adam,

Will see you at Dungog tomorrow around 12ish. The corner you refer to is that the one with the pub on the corner?
Got your mobile in case Deano misses it.
MY mobile No 0403845014

John

[stretch49]

Dooh:( just re read your post re the pub ha ha see u there.
JOHN

[oodeano]

I'll type a bit for day 2 tomorrow:

http://www.stromtrooper.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14670

[stretch49]

Yes it was a fantastic weekends riding. The Oxley on Sunday was absooulooootley fantastic. The weather was perfect the road was perfect and i didnt get slowed down by any other traffic all the way down to Long Flat, the best run i have ever had on the Ox.;) :-D :-D

[stretch49]

Adam,

I sent you a PM with my email regarding the photos from last weekend.

John

[NickDL650]

A great day and a bloody coincidence I bumbed into you guys

[Ad73]

That will be one I'll remember for a while, that was my first time on the Thunderbolts/Oxley and I had a ball. Couldn't have asked for better company, weather and roads especially on Sunday as Stretch pointed out about the traffic, what a great run down to Long Flat.