I am participating in the Team Strange Gran Turismo rally, where you collect photos of motorsport tracks along with your bike and rally flag. There were a some tracks in Griffith and Swan Hill I had to yet to visit and a cursory look at Google maps provided for an excellent SS1600 route. Time to get riding!
rolled out of Canberra at dark o’clock, with the temps hovering around the low teens. (Much better than my last ride where I saw temps of -7). It was dark and overcast, with no moonlight or stars.
Dark O'Clock and ready to roll
The Hume highway heading southwards to Wagga was unusually quiet and almost eerie at one stage when what felt like 30-45 minutes of no traffic, no trucks no cars nothing. Just me and the aux lights. Refueled and breakfast on sunrise in Wagga before I made my way to Griffith via Coolamon and Barellan.
Barellan NSW and the BIG Racquet
There was some fog around Griffith before the sun burst out and the temps climbed into the high teens. Perfect riding weather.
Glorious spring sunshine in Griffith, NSW
Hay, NSW. This was the first time I had ridden into Hay from this direction on the Mid Western Highway
The obligatory photo on the Hay Plain
Balranald was time for a short break off the bike, and an opportunity to check out the bakery. The sausage roll and coffee were good, worth the stop!
Corner docket in Balranald, NSW. The sausage roll and coffee from the Bakery were good!
Headed south to Swan Hill, plenty of wildlife around during the day with a few roos out and about on the road.
Passing through Swan Hill, Victoria. My first time visiting!
Collected my GT photos at the Swan Hill kart track and motoplex which is where tragedy struck! I broke my usual routine of hanging the flag of the windscreen and instead hung it off the back of the top-box.
Swan Hill Motoplex. And moments from tragedy as I rode away with the flag in this position
Of course, I forgot it was there and promptly rode away, only to discover it “missing” 2.5 hours later at the kart track near Rochester. I was sad.
I was 'sad" to discover I had lost my flag....
Nothing to do now but keep on riding, as I made my way back to the Hume Highway via Shepparton and Benalla.
late afternoon in Benalla, Vicotria
The weather was perfect as I rejoined the Hume Highway for the run home to Canberra. Stopped briefly just after Albury to put on another layer and eat a sandwich, while watching the sun go down.
Taking a moment on the Hume Highway as the sun goes down
Traffic was heavy as darkness fell and just after the Sturt Highway on on-ramp with the Hume I had a close call with a Corolla that wanted to share my lane at the same time as I was passing. Stopped to refuel at Gundagai, before rolling into Canberra just after 9:00pm
Finishing docket
Overall, 1,636 kms for another SS1600 to add to the collection, combined with a few Team Strange Gran Turismo locations combined with the tragedy (or is that embarrassment?) of losing my flag.
My Spotwalla Track for the day
rolled out of Canberra at dark o’clock, with the temps hovering around the low teens. (Much better than my last ride where I saw temps of -7). It was dark and overcast, with no moonlight or stars.
Dark O'Clock and ready to roll
The Hume highway heading southwards to Wagga was unusually quiet and almost eerie at one stage when what felt like 30-45 minutes of no traffic, no trucks no cars nothing. Just me and the aux lights. Refueled and breakfast on sunrise in Wagga before I made my way to Griffith via Coolamon and Barellan.
Barellan NSW and the BIG Racquet
There was some fog around Griffith before the sun burst out and the temps climbed into the high teens. Perfect riding weather.
Glorious spring sunshine in Griffith, NSW
Hay, NSW. This was the first time I had ridden into Hay from this direction on the Mid Western Highway
The obligatory photo on the Hay Plain
Balranald was time for a short break off the bike, and an opportunity to check out the bakery. The sausage roll and coffee were good, worth the stop!
Corner docket in Balranald, NSW. The sausage roll and coffee from the Bakery were good!
Headed south to Swan Hill, plenty of wildlife around during the day with a few roos out and about on the road.
Passing through Swan Hill, Victoria. My first time visiting!
Collected my GT photos at the Swan Hill kart track and motoplex which is where tragedy struck! I broke my usual routine of hanging the flag of the windscreen and instead hung it off the back of the top-box.
Swan Hill Motoplex. And moments from tragedy as I rode away with the flag in this position
Of course, I forgot it was there and promptly rode away, only to discover it “missing” 2.5 hours later at the kart track near Rochester. I was sad.
I was 'sad" to discover I had lost my flag....
Nothing to do now but keep on riding, as I made my way back to the Hume Highway via Shepparton and Benalla.
late afternoon in Benalla, Vicotria
The weather was perfect as I rejoined the Hume Highway for the run home to Canberra. Stopped briefly just after Albury to put on another layer and eat a sandwich, while watching the sun go down.
Taking a moment on the Hume Highway as the sun goes down
Traffic was heavy as darkness fell and just after the Sturt Highway on on-ramp with the Hume I had a close call with a Corolla that wanted to share my lane at the same time as I was passing. Stopped to refuel at Gundagai, before rolling into Canberra just after 9:00pm
Finishing docket
Overall, 1,636 kms for another SS1600 to add to the collection, combined with a few Team Strange Gran Turismo locations combined with the tragedy (or is that embarrassment?) of losing my flag.
My Spotwalla Track for the day
My standard flag practice was to always check for the flag before departing a bonus location. Still, I've done what you did myself, only fortunate to be using carabiners instead of clips, so it was still there at the next stop!
