Well it promised to be a wet weekend and finished slightly drier.
I departed Brisbane earlier on Friday and managed a good run through non-existent peak hour traffic along the Logan Motorway to Ipswich. The previous few weeks had slowly seen the resurrection of my F650 Dakar back to a road worthy condition. A minor electrical issue still to be sorted regarding the speedo and tacho resulted in me having no idea what speed I was doing for the whole trip.
Rick was waiting at the agreed location at Stanthorpe and after refuelling and a sausage roll, we were on our way. Rick was on the K1200 complete with trailer. We agreed that he would lead and set the speed for my benefit. Crossing the border into Mexico our clocks mysteriously gained an hour in time. As if covid was not enough.
There was a prior call arranged with Schorn in Guyra and a cup of tea provided the opportunity for the new family addition to chew on my bootlaces. A brand spanking new Red Dog named Suzie. Welcome future sidecar passenger.
Our next stop was Armidale for a fuel stop and it was still a dry run, so far. Turning off for Thunderbolts Way at Uralla we headed over the windswept plains towards Gloucester. Not exactly warm by my standards and I was glad I threw an extra layer of clothing in before I left home. It is still summer but this is the New England area.
There is a regular stopping spot on the top of the range before we decended towards the coast and through the National Park. A good view below into the valley but the ominous dark clouds told us there was rain but how far away was it?
Signs at the top told us it was steep descent and for larger vehicles to use a lower gear. Not sure whether Rick complied or not. A little way down was a small burnt out car, with police tape and some joker had decided to put one of those blow up adult dolls out the driver's window. Unable to stop for a photo opportunity because it was fairly steep and laughing to hard too concentrate. I named her Ursula*.
The section of road is one of the truly remarkable roads in the area and really males the ride enjoyable. Sweeping open corners amongst gentle hills with good visibility. A few bridge crossings and not too much traffic although it can be a bugger to pass if caught behind slow moving cars.
About ten minutes out of Gloucester the clouds decided to open and an afternoon thunderstorm did its thing. Not just miserable rain but big loud droplets designed to annoy. I stopped and put the rain gear on and Rick the same, although perhaps not in the safest position as the local Wallopers had a quick chat.
A fuel stop for Rick came next and I discovered that my new riding boots were indeed waterproof as advertised. Once the water gets in it does not get out. From here it was rain non-stop into Dungog where the roads were a patchwork of pothole repairs. Enough to even annoy on the Dakar.
A stop was decided as we passed the Bank Hotel and after peeling of the rain gear, using the QR code to enter after donning a facemask, I approached the bar and my first question was, "Do you have any rooms left?" Fortunately the reply was in the affirmative indicating the last one and I didn't care about the price. A far better option that setting up in a wet campground with rain forest trees just dripping on everything all night with everything getting wet in the process. As we parked around the back we met Matt's Dad who had ridden from Canberra and was unpacking as well.
So after a warm night we waited for things to dry and caught up with Gaz who had ridden up for the day. We also caught up with Al, Maree and the dogs. A drying day which promised better weather and after a coffee we all headed out to the site. The reports were of a good road in with the second half in quite good condition for a dirt road. More rocks than dirt and not slippery after all the rain. Rick led the pack and setting the pace with trailer in tow, a sedate pace was set.
The site was in the usual place being wet and a little boggy. Quite a few cars there but not part of the rally. Other riders kept coming all day and I believe about 110 riders attended. No events and a raffle and trophies awarded in the afternoon. Our man Rick came away with first prize and a gift voucher from one of the events sponsors. There were still more prizes to be won but I left empty handed.
Charlie had turned up earlier in the day after departing that morning with another local rider in tow. We also said hello to Michael from Sydney who was in the company of another. So a total of seven from the forum attended. We couldn't include Matt's Dad as he is not really a member. The rest of the day was spent dodging the rain showers in between bursts of sunshine. We spent the evening watching Charlie performing a balancing act on his stove with bacon, sausages and spuds until Al and Maree arrived with the dogs in tow. Charlie had been a bit slack in organising a fire, so light was provided by a battery powered lamp.
Not a late night but whilst dozing off to sleep one of the mob next door who was obviously well and truly plastered decided to start a fight with one of his mates whilst the others kept them apart. The arguing went on and eventually all was quiet. On the good side, old mate did apologise to them the next morning. Until next time.
A relatively early start and Matt's Dad was one of the first to leave. Rick was going to head south to visit Tom, so I headed off and into town. On the way out it was mostly uphill and I gave the Dakar a bit of a hammering on the dirt even getting into top gear a couple of times. So not too bad a ride in. Once it Dungog the potholes on top of potholes made it rougher than the dirt. I highly recommend the public toilet just out of town as it has to be one of the best stocked and cleanest 'loos in the country. Sort of made up for the potholes.
The run out through Gloucester and up to the top of the range was just a really enjoyable ride as I opened up the Dakar and had a bit of fun. On the other side of the last bridge a Highway Patrol car was waiting but on second glance he was controlling traffic around the station wagon that had hit part of the bridge. Probably waiting for the tow truck. Continuing up the range I stopped at the lookout again but sadly someone had removed Ursula from the car below. A missed photo opportunity.
A bit chilly from here on until I stopped at Walcha for fuel and a Chico Roll. A quick stop for a cuppa with Schorn and next stop was Tenterfield and on home. Breaching the border I notice the clocks were working properly again. Relatively uneventful and home before dark.
So apart from the wet Friday night and surprisingly sun burnt feet from Saturday, the Dakar ran flawlessly and made all the bumps manageable compared to riding the 75. A couple of people made promises regarding the Kane Toad but prior to that we have Bill's Southern Run to look forward to. Will I return next year? Undecided at this stage but always a possibility.
* From the movie Super Troopers.
Karuah River Rally Fri Jan 14, 2022 6:49 am
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