Redundancy Ride 2009 - Round Oz by Scrambler

Sir Francis

Displaced person
In mid-2009, a tap on the shoulder, a cheque in the hand and a boot out the door was my personal introduction to the local impact of the global financial crisis.

Armed with some lazy cash and abundant time on my hands, thoughts turned to travel before I had been escorted from the premises.

I deliberately limited planning for the trip, wanting to largely drift and see where I ended up.

On my map, a thumb approximated half a day’s travel so the planning became “one thumb, two thumb OK I guess I’ll spend a night around here…”.

Preparation for the trip was also minimal, a few emails to friends/work acquaintances/internet strangers to impose myself on them for accommodation, a pannier rack and new front tyre for the Scrambler.

A few teaser photos from my seven week 22,000km ride around Australia on my Mighty Scrambler.

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Sir Francis

Displaced person
Day 1: Melbourne to Merimbula

Distance: 661km Total: 661km

A good omen? Clear skies and sunshine

I decided to head north into warmer weather. This dictated an anti-clockwise loop.

Slab it down the highway to put in some distance from home.

Lakes Entrance.



Lunch at Bemm River.



I left these dudes and headed to Merimbula for the night.

 

Sir Francis

Displaced person
Day 2: Merimbula to Tahmoor

Distance: 472 km Total: 1,133 km

An early start following a quiet night at the backpackers hostel.

More good weather to cruise up the coast.

Tathra.



Bermagui.





Batemans Bay.





A quick diversion to check out Jervis Bay.



I cut inland through Kangaroo Valley.



Looking back to the coast from the Cambwerra lookout.

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Sir Francis

Displaced person
Day 3: Tahmoor to Gloucester

Distance: 411 km Total: 1,544 km

A big loop to avoid Sydney.

Picton.



Stopped for morning-tea on the Putty Rd.

Feet dangling over a cliff, thermos coffee and chocolate biscuits whilst a pair of eagles patrolled the valley. It was a good morning to be alive.



Back on the bike, I ripped the Putty Way.



I shared lunch with a Ducati girl in Singleton before bouncing my way to Dungog. Man, the NSW roads were shocking.

I lucked out and had the bunkhouse at the Gloucester caravan park all to myself.

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Sir Francis

Displaced person
Day 4: Gloucester to Walcha

Distance: 531 km Total: 2,075 km

A corner carving day!

An early morning attack on the Thunderbolts Way.



It got increasingly cold on the ride into Walcha.





Now, a good distance from home I could feel myself mentally slowing down and wanting to explore.

A long diversion to yet another waterfall and a former goldtown I’ve forgotten the name of.



A quick ride down the Oxley Highway to lunch at Port Mac.





It was so much fun, I was compelled to turn around and do it again!



A dodgy room in the first pub I stumbled across in Walcha.

I nearly froze on the walk to the better pub in town. I was rewarded with a mountain of bangers n mash I could barely jump over.
 
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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Tim!!! :slobb:slobb

PRIME STUFF!!!
And way too highly rated to rip through it.

Please, mate...do us a favour and post it up SLOWLY.
This looks like a hell of a big yarn and really needs a bit of time to digest, gawk, google up all the places and roads on Gmaps and really enjoy the read.



I was actually going to ask you tonight over a beer if you'd ever written up something of that ride....
YEE-BLOODY-HA!!!
:glu:glu:clap:
 

Sir Francis

Displaced person
Day 5: Walcha to Grafton

Distance: 430 km Total: 2,505 km

I checked out the grave of Captain Thunderbolt (bushranger) on the way to Armadale.



Lots of u-turns as I roamed and started exploring.







Not surprisingly, lots of waterfalls were found along the Waterfall Way into Bellingen.



Back up to Dorrigo and then the back roads into Grafton.



The staff at the Grafton Hotel were expecting a quiet night and so let me park my bike inside the dance hall disco.

My serenity was tested when I was beset by an utter tool on a BMW. No matter what I tried that night I was unable to shake my cling-on.
 

BB63

SV, DRZ & now DL Rider
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S

Storm Shadow

Guest
think walcha is cold, try guyra, its a great area around the new england, lots of raods, bruxner, nymboida, waterfallway, thunderbolts, oxley, we got them all
 
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