Bazz and Liz's 2017 Annual Memorial Ride

kwaka

Premier Member
#1
This memorial ride is dedicated to all our lost brethren.

Liz and I completed this ride over the 18th and 19th of September 2017.

Start: Tumbarumba, NSW - 18 Sep 2017 at 09:50hr EST
Fuel docket: Gundagai, NSW - Shell near Dog on a Tucker Box (Hume Hwy)
Fuel docket: Forbes, NSW
Fuel/Corner docket: Nyngan, NSW
Fuel/Corner docket: Cobar, NSW
Fuel/Corner docket: Hay, NSW
Fuel/Corner docket: Buronga, NSW
Finish: Broken Hill, NSW -19 Sep 2017 at 06:10hr EST

Odo distance: 1716km

This ride was again, a ride with new elements to keep us interested.

We departed from Tumbarumba, NSW after attending the annual GTR-AUS AGM held there. As we have a number of 1600K Saddle Sores under our collective belts, the plan was a simple one. Take it easy and try and smell the roses for we knew that we would be riding in a variety of weather conditions and that the worst of it would probably be around dusk and into the night.

Monday the 18th of September 2017 was very cool in the Snowy Valleys but held the promise of a sunny start and we were not disappointed as we headed out towards the towns of Adelong (Adelong Falls Gold Mill Ruins) and Tumblong via the back roads. That's if the GPS would let me. I needed to do a U-turn as I was directed off the Route I'd already uploaded into the Garmin Zumo 550. No Ms GPS lady, I am not going to listen to you and I don't want to go to Batlow so after turning back a few hundred metres, we're on the Old Tumbarumba Road as planned, and old the road was too but the scenery was well worth the slower pace.

The road and speed limits put a dent in the time schedule. Even though there is plenty of "fat" in a SS1600K the minds games are never far away. Adelong comes and goes and at Tumblong we turn right turn again defying the GPS as I know there's a X (cross) road were we can enter the almighty Hume Hwy. Then its a nice short squirt on concrete pave way to the "Dog on a Tucker Box" just north of Gundagai. Fueled at the Shell Express there and then a photo of the pooch and we are off again. Rose smelling isn't something we readily adapt too with both Liz and me keen to keep the hoops on Kwakatoa rolling.

About 12km further north we exit the Hume left onto Muttama Road at a place, according to Google Maps, called Mt Pleasant. Onwards on some nice sweepers and not so nice ones too, riding through Cootamundra (Sir Don Bradman's birthplace), Wallandbeen, Wombat (that town name made Liz giggle), Young (National Cherry Festival) all passing by before we stop at a nice little rest area on the exit out of Grenfell (Chrysler Car Museum). Here we have a short rest, neither of us are hungry and we are keen to keep going.

The weather had now turned quite warm and windy, a gnarly headwind too. This is some of the expected weather and as we enter Forbes I need to take a work related phone call so I park up and we are really feeling the 34° heat.
From Tumbarumba to Forbes, apart from the short squirt on the Hume Hwy, was all new roads to both of us. Now its the hard grind homeward via a little zigzag.

We fuel up at Forbes and make our way via The Bogan Way to, yep, you got it, Bogan Gate, Trundle, Tullamore, Tottenham and Nyngan. It is late afternoon as we arrive at Nyngan for fuel and a corner docket and I'm worried that as we now head westwards to Cobar that the sun will be an issue. Fortunately we arrive at Cobar without problem. Here we fuel up for another corner docket and have an energy bar from our supplies.

I bump into an old mate here at the Caltex servo, Nutty. He's returning to the Hill after visiting family at Dubbo. He's never seen us on a timed run before so he was quite confused when I said we going home via Hay. Cobar->Broken Hill: 465km approx. Cobar->Hay->Broken Hill, "...oh about 1015km." Talk revolved around the roo count last Friday on his bus trip. Yeah, we know all about the roo's, don't we Liz? We left him shaking his head and preceded back a few kms for the turn southward to Mt Hope, Hillston, Goolgowie and Hay.

The wind was at our backs now and I had aspirations of reaching Hay, some 425km away on a full tank. That's about 65km more than I'd safely get from a tank full.

It proper dusk now and it is not long before those serial pests, kangaroos are making their presence felt. Needed to slow the speed down so as to have plenty of reaction time, I'm convinced that I'll make Hay on one tank. Of course there's no fuel available until Hay so we've a 10 litre jerry can that acts a a back rest for Liz, so I'm not too worried about fuel but, well, its those silly mind games. We are going along swimmingly with that breeze and slower pace taking a lot of stress out of the ride. Well that was until Goolgowi!

Here the road turns 90 degrees but that's OK. What is not OK is the wind blowing a gale and the temperature plummeting. It's a real battle against the shifting, furious wind and its quite obvious that we are in the middle of a cold front. Hay on one tank is no longer on the table as we are leaning at a 45° one way and then the other and into our face. Very trying and tiring conditions as the fuel runs out about 30km from Hay. As we coast to a stop in a drizzly, brief shower of rain in goes the jerry can post haste. Needless to say, Hay is a welcome sight soon after.

We fuel up and I ask if Liz is happy to continue. Yes, she is so the next stop was Balranald where we'll stop for fuel, food and a breather.
We both donned a warmer layer and I could smell big rain coming so we also donned our rain pants. The nose knows! Rain greeted us as soon as we left the servo and the wind blew even harder. Approaching traffic and the spray from those big rigs meant slowling down considerably and being thankful for that fog line. This was a hard slog but on the approach to Balranald the rain stopped and we had clear sky. Really? Seriously!

This truck stop has become a favourite go to for rest and food. The temp. was even lower and the wind still blowing hard. We both donned another warm layer as we munch and drink. I put a few dollars of fuel in the ensure we make Buronga for the last fuel stop before home. Leaving Balranald I'm sort of in auto mode as I count off the rest areas, then the Robinvale turn off and as we pass Euston my thoughts turn to JRA and the remnants of his HD that lay along this stretch of road. Somber and sobering thoughts as I think of so many people no longer with us. A sob, a tear as I rue the loss of my wife too.

Buronga and the distraction of slower speed limits, refueling, another rest and refreshment break. The last time we were here was on our ANZAC Day Ride. On that ride the weather had turned very inclement after Buronga with rain and atrocious gale force wind. This time I was dreading the roos. I reflect back to when we left for Tumbarumba at dark o'clock last Friday, I nearly pulled the pin on the ride as the roos were bad. Riding at 60kph was too fast and too slow both at the same time. It was like that for the first 180 or so km and what normally takes around three hours took 4.5hr. Too many close encounters and one where Liz's foot hit a roo as it bashed into the left hand side pannier. No damage done to either Liz or pannier but we both hoped the roo ended up with a severe headache. Bloody roos!

Back to to present and into the ride and the final 300km. Dareton, Coomealla, Wentworth come and go and now the last 265km of roo infested madness. Oh, and don't forget the goats, sheep, cattle, pigs, rabbits and during the day, emu. All goes well until the predictable area just before Poplitah Lakes and Coombah Roadhouse. The roos are back but they are not as skittish as on the Friday night before. Still, the odometer displays that 90kph and below are the safe numbers.

About 100km for home the promise of a new day appears to our right. Slower speed, big lights and trusting my instinct we navigate into the closing stage of this annual IBA Memorial Ride, by the time we roll into Broken Hill and heading for the first servo we find open, daylight is upon us. We stop the clock with 3.5 hours to spare and our 2017 annual IBA Memorial Ride has been completed successfully.

Note to self, a blocked fuel filter became an issue on this ride. The fuel pump motor and fuel filter have both been changed now.
 
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jeffrey gebler

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#2
Always a treat to read your reports. Having ridden the same road to broken hill recently during the day and seeing what was out there, I knew it is not something that I would want to do at night.
Thanks for sharing your ride
 

Tele

Premier Member
#5
Yet another top report Baz and Liz. You lovely folks had a bit of everything on this ride! nature threw a fair few obstructions in your way and you came through smiling! What a wonderful tribute to your fond memories of friends and loved ones who are no longer with us. Wonderful Memorial Ride
 

Nico

Well-known Member. Moderator
#6
Nice one Bazz and Liz - thanks for the report.
You say there is a bit of "fat" in a 1600. Yes there is. But on ANY ride, ANY conditions can present themselves.
You handled it all well.
No photos? Need a camera...??
If you like I can put you onto someone who works in electronics....:rolleyes:
 

kwaka

Premier Member
#11
Thanks for the comments, it certainly was one of the toughest we'd done (Liz suffered greatly afterwards with her dodgy hips) and Nico, FYI, am working on the pics now. :p UPDATE: Check out the Ride Report

To the cert. After Howard had this certified as a NSW SS1600K which included the wrong logo, received the correct cert today. I wont harp on it suffice to say that our tribute is missing...

2017MemorialCert.jpg
 
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