4 days, 2000km and lots of Twisties

Hytram

<-- now went that way
With a couple of days off between Xmas and New Years a few of us decided to hop on the bikes and go for a ride. No set route, no daily destinations, no booked accommodation…. Just ride and ride we did.

Kyzmos (Sasha) MotoGuzzi Breva 750ie
Glitch_Oz (Pete) Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom
Caver (Karel) Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom
Marty H (Marty…duh) Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom

Day 1

We all meet up in Gembrook at 8:30 and discussed the route, “that way” was decided. Up the newly sealed Gembrook to Launching Place road which should be on everyone’s to do list. Up through the Reefton which was empty except for a few bikes at the bottom, fun as always. A stop off at Marysville Bakery for a breakfast and coffee, parked next to a new 1200GS…Beautiful

Headed up the lovely tree line road to Buxton then the cop ridden stretch to Mansfield. What the hell we thought, Mt Buller is that way. So a quick blat up the hill to the top car park to parked next to a brand new….1200GS, different one this time with a couple from NSW having a ball on the Victorian roads, Pete soon told then where to go, very happy with this they were, funny, every time Pete tells me were to go I get upset.

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Back down to Mansfield and along to the Whitfield Rd which in the first few Kms we get the flash of an on coming car….great. Backed off to legal speeds for the straight stretch to see nothing so once in the twisties I opened it up. On a straight bit of road after Tolmie there up ahead was a Falcon Wagon parked on the side of the road…Bingo. Headed up to Powers lookout and then onto Whitfield for lunch and parked next to a 1100GS. (bloody mega chookies every where) Then the boring stretch to Mytleford via Milawa to set up camp for the night and a bloody good Chicken Parma at the Mytleford pub… about 525km for the day

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Day 2.

The day started at the stupid hour of about 6:30 with rain in the air, packed up the tents and headed to the great Alpine Bakery for brekky and to say good bye to Karel who had to head back to work in the afternoon. Out came out the maps and the route was decided for the day, at least to Khanoban if not Jindabyne. We headed off with the rain coming down and headed up to Dederang to watch lightening hitting the paddocks around us. Up the Redbank Road through to Lockhart Gap, Omeo Hwy where the Mitta Mitta river hits Lake Hume and then Granya Gap. Following Lake Hume/Murray River to Walwa where it had dried out and suddenly got hot! Then through Tintaldra, Towong and then lunch at Khanoban well ahead of time.

On to the amazing Alpine Way that in many places is cut into the middle of solid rock where you have rock faces hard up against the road causing the most mind blowing blind corners that you just can’t trust. The road is not line marked and is only a lane and a half wide in most places. Short stop at Scammels lookout and then the run up the hill which just blows you away. Short stop a Dead Horse Gap to be hit by a vicious wind and along to Jindabyne along the perfectly smooth, wide, yellow line marked road that was so foreign to us after the rest of the days riding. Setting up camp in Jindabyne was a test endurance. The wind was blowing a force 10 gale and the ground was rock hard. The tents didn’t want to play ball. Pete gave up after ten minutes of flying around the caravan park to finally stick his tent behind a caravan. Out tent only stayed up with both the front and back flaps up letting the wind flow straight through.

Dinner was a wonderful affair, setting on the Veranda of an unoccupied caravan we treated ourselves to cold meats, cheeses, fruit and some brewskis and remembered old friends and great times, this would be a night that will be in our hearts for a long, long time.

The wind dropped, we slept. About 480km for the day

Day 3

Probably the only day that was kind of planned before hand, Sasha had it all plan out for years. Jindabyne to Berridale to Adaminaby. Along the Snowy Mountains Hwy which snaked its way beautifully through the hills. I was a little a head when in my mirrors was the headlights of a Strom possessed. Pete was on a mission and that mission was me. I upped the pace and there we were together tearing up the bitumen only metres apart, I love it when it all comes together.

A Stop at Kiandra to start breathing again and then down to the Tumut 2 power station dodging tree branches and rocks that were deposited on the road the wind the day before.

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**photo from another trip


We backed the Guzzi upto the entry tunnel** of the Power Station to give them and blast for not taking tours anymore, the Guzzi’s deep beautiful roar echoed for what seemed like ever. Upto Cabarmurra for morning tea and back to Khancoban via the twisty roads that cut thier path through the fire devastated bush of a few years back. Then for another lap of the great Alpine Way to Jinabyne for lunch.

After lunch we headed down to Dalgety via the back roads the through the tree less landscape which has to been seen, its like sand dunes for as far as the eye can see that replaced with 3 foot high yellow grass. Then onto the good dirt for 25km to Monaro Hwy into Bombala for the night.

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A Good 450km to 500km for the day

Day 4

A god awfully early rise of 5:30 we headed off about 7am to Delegate to Orbost via 105km of twistes in a row.

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A few kms of these are dirt but the corners just flow one after another with the most amazing steep cambers that rival a NASCAR track. A short lunch break in Orbost where the mercury had already hit in the high 30’s. I wet my jacket and draggins down and we headed of to Buchan Rd which ended upto to be covered in gravel for the most of it, a hot hard ride.

A stop off at Buchan to get to water into and all over us and off Bruthen , then to Bairnsdale only to lose Pete for a short moment, we found him at the other side of town after he through he was be trialed by a bike cop, it turned out to be just a NSW biker on a FJR1300, but it too fooled me earlier on. Onto Stratford via Meerlieu where we spotted some water tanks in a Primary School and with the mercury now in the 40’s we headed for a shower fully geared…..

After a well earn drink stop at Stratford we headed for home via Maffra, Heyfield, Tyres and Yallourn North and the boring trip along the Princess Hwy.

A bloody hot day with about 550km traveled

All up we traveled 2000km and had a ball, many thanks for Sasha for organizing it, Pete for his wonderful directions and Karel for coming along

Can’t wait to do it again

More Photos at
http://www.martyh.com/xmas_ny_2005_2006/index.htm

Marty
 
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