The road north from Gloucester this morning was damp everywhere, and wet in the shadows and south-facing slopes. It wound through and over small thickly-forested hills, with clouds hanging in the valleys, so had to be taken carefully for the first 70 km or so.
Then we climbed up onto the plateau past the Bucketts Lookout, through fog and rain, and the temperature fell to 12 as the road opened out and became fabulous.
The last 50 km into Walcha are so, so good, though they need to be taken at speed to feel the swoops and swerves to their best! Transcendental. I felt like turning back and doing it all again.
Lunch at Walcha while we all calmed down, then another great blast across to the New England Highway at Bendemeer.
This was to be the last section of fine road before we rejoined the arteries, so we did our best to enjoy it. Don was unsure whether his load was properly secured, so he gave it the 250 k test, and it passed. The rest of us disdain such youthful exuberance, of course.
A brief visit to the Powerhouse Motorcycle Museum at Tamworth allowed us all to find one or more of the bikes we'd owned many years ago, or wished we had.
Geoff bought a new CB350 just like this in 1968. My CL350 bought at the same time had high pipes.
A CB750 K0, before the K1. Bev and I bought a K2 in 1974.
All of these old bods raced bikes in the '60s.
So then to Scone and Gundy, via Quirindi, Werris Creek and Wallabadah, with 28 degrees making a sweaty contrast to the morning. Don made some sparks as we approached Gundy, where Warren had prepared a barbeque and many bottles of home-brew, still being opened as I finish today's tale.
420 km today
Location:Wiltons Ln,Kayuga,Australia
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