With some 7 weeks to go until the Iron Butt Rally, our prep has been stuck in the slow lane over the last couple of months with work and life taking priority. Saturday 15 April was clear in the diary, and so it was for Olaf, so we made plans to do a IBR style ride up the NSW east coast, with a few bonus photo opportunities scattered along the way.
This is the ride plan on the GPS, ready to leave Canberra
Blue the GSA ready to roll
Riding out of Canberra, we encountered heavy fog, which lingered all the way to Pheasants Nest. I was on point and not feeling that comfortable with the conditions. At some places I could barely see 10 metres in front of the bike, which is not good on the Hume Highway. We finally rode out of the fog to watch a glorious sunrise over the Sydney Basin, before stopping for the first refuel at the BP Truckstop at Eastern Creek.
The first routing failure occurred on leaving the Truckstop, I made several wrong assumptions about the way back to the M7, followed by then taking the wrong turn onto the M4 out to Penrith. Sheesh! 15kms later after sorting that stuff up out we were back on the M7 heading for Newcastle. We both found this highly amusing, two IBR vets unable to find our way 100m back to the M7. Our first bonus photo was at Somersby, and we had a lot of fun fooling around!
Bonus Photo # 1, the serious photo
And the not so serious photo!
Rolled through Newcastle, and then took the Bucketts Way up to Gloucester, our next fuel stop. The temperature was now in the high teens, so layers of clothing and he heated jacket all came off. From Gloucester we took the back road to Taree, what a joy that was, riding through the rolling hillside in the warm sunshine. Back at the freeway, it was turn north, put on the cruise control and tunes and just watch the miles roll by until our next bonus photo opportunity in Urunga. The Big Beehive!
Bonus Photo # 2, and still more fooling around
After collecting the Big Beehive, we stock of our route, and due to the earlier routing failure out towards Penrith we were at our halfway mark for the ride, so we took 30 minutes to have a lite lunch in Urunga, before turning southward for our next bonus photo, the Big Koala at Bulahdelah. This bonus proved somewhat troublesome to take a photo, due to the setting sun, not working well with the camera, but finally managed to solve it.
Bonus Photo # 3, not good enough!
This is better? Flag is partially obscured, Fail!
On route back to Canberra, via Hexham, where we refuelled, bikes and riders, and then into the descending darkness as we rode into Sydney. North Connex provided that magical transition from Wahroonga into Western Sydney, and before long we were back on the Hume Highway rolling past Pheasants Nest in the pitch darkness. Last fuel stop was at Sallys Corner, and then onto Goulburn for the last bonus photo, the Big Merino. This prove difficult also as neither of us had brought a torch. Doh! Fail for two IBR vets! We managed to get the right photo and then continued in the cool darkness to Canberra.
Bonus Photo # 4, and look no torch or supplementary lighting!
Job done with just about 1,629kms on the Odo for me and feeling like I'm slowly starting to get into Rally mode. Olaf and I had a great time riding and enjoying a few laughs (at our selves) along the way. There is still a long to do list of things to do, and I can see the remaining weeks flying by.
Job done, time for some chocolate to celebrate!
This is the ride plan on the GPS, ready to leave Canberra
Blue the GSA ready to roll
Riding out of Canberra, we encountered heavy fog, which lingered all the way to Pheasants Nest. I was on point and not feeling that comfortable with the conditions. At some places I could barely see 10 metres in front of the bike, which is not good on the Hume Highway. We finally rode out of the fog to watch a glorious sunrise over the Sydney Basin, before stopping for the first refuel at the BP Truckstop at Eastern Creek.
The first routing failure occurred on leaving the Truckstop, I made several wrong assumptions about the way back to the M7, followed by then taking the wrong turn onto the M4 out to Penrith. Sheesh! 15kms later after sorting that stuff up out we were back on the M7 heading for Newcastle. We both found this highly amusing, two IBR vets unable to find our way 100m back to the M7. Our first bonus photo was at Somersby, and we had a lot of fun fooling around!
Bonus Photo # 1, the serious photo
And the not so serious photo!
Rolled through Newcastle, and then took the Bucketts Way up to Gloucester, our next fuel stop. The temperature was now in the high teens, so layers of clothing and he heated jacket all came off. From Gloucester we took the back road to Taree, what a joy that was, riding through the rolling hillside in the warm sunshine. Back at the freeway, it was turn north, put on the cruise control and tunes and just watch the miles roll by until our next bonus photo opportunity in Urunga. The Big Beehive!
Bonus Photo # 2, and still more fooling around
After collecting the Big Beehive, we stock of our route, and due to the earlier routing failure out towards Penrith we were at our halfway mark for the ride, so we took 30 minutes to have a lite lunch in Urunga, before turning southward for our next bonus photo, the Big Koala at Bulahdelah. This bonus proved somewhat troublesome to take a photo, due to the setting sun, not working well with the camera, but finally managed to solve it.
Bonus Photo # 3, not good enough!
This is better? Flag is partially obscured, Fail!
On route back to Canberra, via Hexham, where we refuelled, bikes and riders, and then into the descending darkness as we rode into Sydney. North Connex provided that magical transition from Wahroonga into Western Sydney, and before long we were back on the Hume Highway rolling past Pheasants Nest in the pitch darkness. Last fuel stop was at Sallys Corner, and then onto Goulburn for the last bonus photo, the Big Merino. This prove difficult also as neither of us had brought a torch. Doh! Fail for two IBR vets! We managed to get the right photo and then continued in the cool darkness to Canberra.
Bonus Photo # 4, and look no torch or supplementary lighting!
Job done with just about 1,629kms on the Odo for me and feeling like I'm slowly starting to get into Rally mode. Olaf and I had a great time riding and enjoying a few laughs (at our selves) along the way. There is still a long to do list of things to do, and I can see the remaining weeks flying by.
Job done, time for some chocolate to celebrate!
Tongue in cheek observations:
