twowheeler
two wheels are best
We were invited to a wedding on the Sunshine Coast, where we'd stay with the in-laws in Brisbane. While the family flew up, I thought I'd use it as an excuse to ride some roads where I haven't been before. The main goal was to stay off the Newell Highway, having driven that road dozens of times over the years when the kids were little, listening to The Wiggles and Hooley Dooleys on repeat.
Early wee-stop on the Old Healesville Road (aka Death Valley in cycle-racing parlance) -
Through the Strathbogies -
Just over the Murray River & into NSW, at Barmah -
Turned north onto the Cobb Highway and was soon on the Hay Plains. Empty, straight roads ! -
The Black Swamp, supposedly haunted by a headless horseman. Note the artwork's horsemen have heads ..... -
Lunch in Hay, then onto the Kidman Way and into Hillston for the night. I wouldn't make the next town (Cobar) before dusk and there'd be lots of furry obstacles on these roads. Hillston is a handsome little town with some art-deco buildings, on the banks of the Lachlan River -
Day 2. Lots of miles to cover which meant a pre-dawn start. For context, the ironically-named Mount Hope has a pub/store, a couple of shacks and nothing else -
Plenty of roos and feral goats kept the speed moderate. Then the sun came up -
The white stuff on the sides of the road in the previous pics is cotton, shed from their bales while being transported -
Many feral goats on this road. Thankfully they seem to have a semblance of roadsense. They're also easy to spot in their largish herds and multi-colours, unlike solitary grey kangaroos with their perfect camouflage
Cobar greeted me with freezing wind and lashing rain :thun : so I stopped to put on all available layers. This interesting sculpture has big rubbish bins strategically placed in front of it -
Rain persisted all the way north to Bourke. This pic is a couple of kms down the Louth Road, and therefore is what the Back o'Bourke looks like ! (actually, pretty much the same as the front of Bourke) -
Bourke itself is much like other rural NSW towns -
with a good looking post office -
It used to be a working port, partly preserved, on the Darling River. Paddle steamers were used to transport wool -
After lunch, I headed east on the Kamilaroi Highway. Nev had said these roads would be lonely - he was on the money on this one. From Bourke to Collarenebri, it's empty, dry, flat with a few emus to scare the bejeezus out of you as they run parallel to the road. Stopped at Collarenebri's Barwon River for a break -
Then onto Moree in time for dusk and a night in a grungy motel. More to come .....
Early wee-stop on the Old Healesville Road (aka Death Valley in cycle-racing parlance) -
Through the Strathbogies -
Just over the Murray River & into NSW, at Barmah -
Turned north onto the Cobb Highway and was soon on the Hay Plains. Empty, straight roads ! -
The Black Swamp, supposedly haunted by a headless horseman. Note the artwork's horsemen have heads ..... -
Lunch in Hay, then onto the Kidman Way and into Hillston for the night. I wouldn't make the next town (Cobar) before dusk and there'd be lots of furry obstacles on these roads. Hillston is a handsome little town with some art-deco buildings, on the banks of the Lachlan River -
Day 2. Lots of miles to cover which meant a pre-dawn start. For context, the ironically-named Mount Hope has a pub/store, a couple of shacks and nothing else -
Plenty of roos and feral goats kept the speed moderate. Then the sun came up -
The white stuff on the sides of the road in the previous pics is cotton, shed from their bales while being transported -
Many feral goats on this road. Thankfully they seem to have a semblance of roadsense. They're also easy to spot in their largish herds and multi-colours, unlike solitary grey kangaroos with their perfect camouflage
Cobar greeted me with freezing wind and lashing rain :thun : so I stopped to put on all available layers. This interesting sculpture has big rubbish bins strategically placed in front of it -
Rain persisted all the way north to Bourke. This pic is a couple of kms down the Louth Road, and therefore is what the Back o'Bourke looks like ! (actually, pretty much the same as the front of Bourke) -
Bourke itself is much like other rural NSW towns -
with a good looking post office -
It used to be a working port, partly preserved, on the Darling River. Paddle steamers were used to transport wool -
After lunch, I headed east on the Kamilaroi Highway. Nev had said these roads would be lonely - he was on the money on this one. From Bourke to Collarenebri, it's empty, dry, flat with a few emus to scare the bejeezus out of you as they run parallel to the road. Stopped at Collarenebri's Barwon River for a break -
Then onto Moree in time for dusk and a night in a grungy motel. More to come .....
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b. First stop at Dagg Falls - 
