sounds good Al, I'm in. Shoulder surgery doesn't sound good, the ride sounds good.

I'll need a run in the country by then so I'm intending to show up this year.
Travel plan to come.

Cheers

I'm out unfortunately , as I'll be heading down to Grey Gums for the " Take #2" of the Blue Boxer flag raising . My wifes riding group with be raising their flag on the same day . 
Hopefully everyone enjoys the FCR again .

Bump, 

Its this weekend coming.  The weather is looking good.

Al

Tom & I are heading out of the Hunter Valley on Friday morning and threading our way down to Forbes via Gulgong, Wellington and Parkes for an overnighter in a pub where we will be joined by Waz and maybe undecided others.
Saturday will see us riding up the Bogan Way to Tottenham.

Looking forward to it.

Cheers

have a great trip guys ...

wish I could be there , but work things have conspired yet again to not let me get away

lots of pics please

Enjoy guys. can't make this one unfortunately

Looks like I have to pull the pin.  Marie isnt well, not safe to ride.

Al

G'day All, Gaz and I set out from the Branxton truck stop about 8am Frid morning and headed for Merriwa for a coffee stop. Then onto Gulgong for a fuel stop , then to Wellington for lunch where we met a few blokes also going to the FCR. Left Wellington for Parkes when just out of Wellington Gaz decided to try out his low flying skills with a flock of geese on the road. The geese won. Then to Parkes ( a town renowned for its Elvis festival) and Forbes. At Forbes we found the pub we had booked into and were really pleased to RT's Vstrom parked out the front. Met up with Bob, had a few beers and a feed and an early night. Sat morning left for Tottenham (not the Lo0ndon one) via Bogan Gate, Trundle , Tullamore to T'ham. Booked into the pub had lunch and off to th4e rally site. Caught up with a few mates had lots of chats and backi to the pub later that night.
Next morning off home via Nevertire, Warren, Gilgandra, Mendooran, Dunedoo, Merriwa and Denman.
Arrived home after an uneventful run. The 650 went great.
No doubt Gaz will post another version of events with pics. Cheers Tom

After a number of messages / conversations about the makeup of the group for this weekend the "Touring Twins" met up at the Branxton Rest Area on Friday morning.

As anyone who knows us would attest, Tommy and I could not pass as twins but our chosen mounts for this trip were Tom's F650GS twin and my R80G/S airhead twin.


Rickmeister had not been a starter due to illness and when we arrived at Merriwa for our first stop we received a message from Waz that he too had been struck down and could not make it. Bad weather south of Sydney had also prevented RT from travelling to the Hunter Valley on Wednesday as planned.

The weather was fine but cool to cold and not too windy so a good day for riding. After a warming coffee at Merriwa we headed west then south until we reached Gulgong for a fuel stop then southwest again to Wellington for a lunch stop. Ainsjac had hoped to venture down from Dubbo to greet us at our lunch stop but alas other things intervened so Tom and I were still on our own. We met a bunch of dirt oriented riders at Wellington who were also going to the Far Cairn Rally via dirt roads and enjoyed a chat over lunch.

After lunch we rode down to our planned overnight stop at Forbes via Yeoval and Parkes. Upon arrival at the pub in Forbes we were most pleased to see a familiar bike parked out front - RT had made the trip up to here after all!


A very social evening was enjoyed by the three of us with a bit of local background provided by RT as it turned out that he had been born and raised in Forbes.

On Saturday morning RT decided to head south again and we two turned north west to travel along the Bogan Way to the rally destination at Tottenham.

We had to stop for the obligatory photo at Bogan Gate (while the town is not connected to the Aussie slang word "Bogan" it does bring a smile to Aussies, others can look up the term).


Next stop was at Tullamore where we paused for a coffee and a nod to our Eccentric friends in the Emerald Isle.



As it was a pretty short run up from Forbes to Tottenham we arrived easily before lunch and as we were not camping this weekend we booked into the pub and found ourselves some lunch which proved a bit of a challenge as the only shop open was a tiny supermarket.

Out to the rally site then and an afternoon of wandering around catching up with riders from past rallies we had attended and perusing the array of bikes on hand. After a barbecue dinner we rode back into town and freshened up before settling in the bar for a nightcap while watching the rugby league semi finals on the big screen.

Sunday morning was quite cold and the R80G/S resisted starting for a while but we got away and called by the rally site to say our goodbyes then headed north to Warren then onwards home via Gilgandra, Mendooran, Dunedoo and Merriwa.
Round trip for me was just over 1,100kms. See the map below.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ziQVC6ySflfLegHNAYME_qAceAA&usp=sharing

Cheers

looks a great route gaz ... 
good to see tom along with you
and some good pics
thanks for the report guys ..

Thanks for the company gents, I have been trying to get away and catch up for a very long time. The wind almost got me but as it turns out was sort of constant, not gusty and after my trip a few years ago over the Snowies in a gale, it felt easy to handle.
I piked out from Forbes, home via Eugowra, Molong, Orange, Bathurst, Taralga (Yay the Abercrombie river crossing is like a highway now). Of course it turned warm and calm for 2 days after I got home.
Anyway 900klm was better than nothing. 
Looking forward to catching up with the Northeners soon.
RT

Looks like this year's FCR is 14 thru 16 September 2018. I won't be leaving Seattle (SEA, where almost anyone can steal a plane and bomb it into the ground after performing aerobatics whilst pursued by F15s!)) until Saturday the 15th, landing @ BNE Monday the 17th so will miss this one again.

Might get to the Kozzie, 12 - 14 October, Geehi Hut off Alpine Way, and possibly Phillip Island for MotoGP 25 - 27 October, tho'.

Two Wheels Better wrote:Looks like this year's FCR is 14 thru 16 September 2018. ...

Might get to the Kozzie, 12 - 14 October, Geehi Hut off Alpine Way, and possibly Phillip Island for MotoGP 25 - 27 October, tho'.

Doh, the FCR is too soon for me to use it as my excuse for my second visit down under. Maybe I can plan ahead for FCR 2019?

It would be good to have a suggestion of the bigger Krew meet up dates over the next 6 months, so I can book some time off work (preferably during university term time), beg a bike and book myself a flight. I am busting to get back - been a long time since Apr 16.

BAE, with Mother Nature looking like turning on another scorcher for our summer the next 6 months will mostly not be a time when a gentleman from your part of the world should be visiting our Great South Land other than our island state of Tasmania.

The Kozzie Rally as mentioned by TWB in October might be towards the end of the moderate temperature period with the K Forum Northern Tablelands gathering in November, if we have it (I know Smithy has his thinking cap on again), being saved temperature wise by the location's altitude. Tom & I have previously experienced mid 40degC riding conditions while returning home from the Northern Tablelands ride (not a lot of fun).

Our Snowy/Southern gathering which in 2018 occurred towards the end of March is probably the one to aim for if we do it again in 2019. I know you'll be keeping an eye on us.

Cheers

Gaz wrote:BAE, with Mother Nature looking like turning on another scorcher for our summer the next 6 months will mostly not be a time when a gentleman from your part of the world should be visiting our Great South Land 

I hear you Gaz - we had an unusually hot summer here in the UK typically 27-32 deg C (apart from August which has been decidedly below par) and that was uncomfortable enough. I cannot even begin to think what a long haul in 40deg+ would be like.

I'll keep an eye on the rides portal and see what works.

N

Gaz wrote:Our Snowy/Southern gathering which in 2018 occurred towards the end of March is probably the one to aim for if we do it again in 2019. I know you'll be keeping an eye on us.

Now that you mention it, Gaz, DV it’ll be on again. Most likely second half of March if that works, as my French family will be visiting from Rodemack in Feb/Mar. Their first time back in Oz for 4 years. 
BAE, I’m sure that my place will be only one of multiple places you’d be welcome at, and only one of multiple sources of loan bike.
Olaf, other Eccentrics and other Europeans, you wouldn’t want BAE to be lonely as the only one from the other side of the world, would you?

Bill

*DV = Deo Volente, God willing. Common expression in my other exclusive bike group, restricted to retired teachers from Mulwaree High School, Goulburn.

PS. Family duties will keep me from the Far Cairn this year. Maybe next year.

Anybody heading to Tottenham next week?