South you say

[Shajota]

Ok, been away for a bit and I know it's a while ago now but thought I’d write another "travelogue" of the recent trip to Bellingen and back for anyone interested.
Have seen snippets of other’s tales and I am sure many trips are more interesting than mine, but I’ll try and include some "travel tips" which may interest some (I know, nothing new here for most Aussies!)
Anyway, I was fortunate the National Laverda Rally this year fell in a small window of opportunity for a quick trip down and back, so with permission granted all was good to go.
The Eagle packed, ready and willing, now have all dry bags including panniers (sick of wet panniers, covers long lost!!) except for 35 yo tank bag which is held on by tie wire and gets a shopping bag over it when it looks rainy..............
Edit:- meant to say, of course it was raining as soon as I left and only let up after I'd left Nebo a couple of hours away!!!

Took my usual road south which avoids (at all costs) highway 1, so it was out through Nebo, down the beef road, then head through Baralaba on the way to Theodore for the night. Of course the odd detour including into the coal mining town of Moura. Near Moura you can drive to a viewing platform of the Dawson mine where mining started in 1961. It is mainly rehab work you can see now and the scale is impressive. Those are graders shifting dirt on the flat area!


A welcome stop at The Theodore hotel for the night. This is a Community owned hotel and has a few different options for accommodation, including motel, pub suites and single donga type rooms.

Theodore is a nice little town and also has a well equipped camping area for the cost of a donation on the banks of the Dawson River (but beware, it is popular with the caravan hordes).
Theodore is located in the Sandstone belt with many gorges around including the spectacular Carnarvon Gorge, although you have to go the long way round to get there from Theodore, however Isla Gorge is close. Heading South you have to watch out for the sharp turn on a blind bend, then up a rough dirt track to the lookout. (From there you can also hike out to a rocky point for a better view):-

An interesting self drive loop around Theodore is to head north, turn onto the Defence road and follow it visiting the Camboon Campdraft grounds and "School of Arts" then a quick look at the historical Cracow Cemetery, then to Cracow itself for a look at the Gold mining museum and a quiet beer at the Cracow pub which is owned by Fred Brophy (or was at least a few years ago). The name should be familiar to most Aussies on here as the man famous for the Brophy boxing tents that toured around the country.
The Defence road is so named as it was considered the most direct route heading north in wartime and there are many old timber and stone bridges, now derelict, built over waterways during the war by POW’s. The bridges are not signposted and you just come across them as you drive along. They are in ruin and vegetation has overtaken them but it is a very interesting drive.( I did not have time to take the Eagle on this loop on this trip and photo is from a few years ago!)

Thought I'd also chuck in a pic of the Cracow Cemetary!!:-

So, 1st night, head to the bar for a chinwag with the locals, a countery and something cold poured from a tap.
TBC............................(I'll try to keep words and the number of pics down)

 

[Vince]

It was a pleasure to watch that bike cross the river and cruise up that muddy hill, with such soft power. Beautiful.

 

[Shajota]

It was a pleasure to watch that bike cross the river and cruise up that muddy hill, with such soft power. Beautiful.

Ha ha Vince, yeh, the bike did just putt up that muddy hill with ease where bigger bikes were slipping all over the place, but the river crossing not so sure. I did have a clutch issue on the crossing which I will mention later

 

[Shajota]

Next morning head south and after a brief detour to Isla Gorge mentioned earlier get fuel at Taroom, the country all looking resplendent with recent rain:-

As I said, country is green with wildflowers along the road (poor pic):-

Then onto Miles where a vicious magpie dive bombed me when trying to pull into a rest area so though it best to protect my bald melon and rest by a tree in town for a quick drink:-

From there thought I’d change tack and head east to Dalby then through Toowoomba and stay at Tentrefield for the night.
Once leaving Dalby you really notice the black soil plains of the Darling downs, a rich cropping area West of SE Qld. Heading toward the whistlestop town of Brigalow around lunch time decided to stop and grab a sandwich freshly made from the general store. Only noticeable things in Brigalow are of course the shop, the hall and the silos! :-


Crops looking healthy here and of course a few trucks, but not the big ones you find further west:-

Did I mention flat lush cropping area:-

Made the silly mistake of going into Toowoomba which these days is a dogs breakfast to get through, but heading South to Stanthorpe some extremely black clouds loomed and I thought I’d run straight into one of the normal spring hail storms of this area. (They had one only a couple of days before) Somehow kept skirting it and when fueling up in Stanthorpe a bloke told me he thought they’d get it for sure but the wind came up and took it further East. Still looked dicey heading to Tentrefield but luckily just some rain, nothing the Eagle can’t handle, although by now I was reminded that I was now “down south” and when you got wet it was effin cold!
Found a place to stay and quite a few other bikes were also there including a few adventure bikes and a couple on 2 latish model Triumph twins which had been sort of chopperised who were quite amazed I was riding such an old bike on this trip!!
Forecast for the next day was 5c and rain. Brrr - TBC

 

[Paul Marx]

Lovely write up and photos.
A decent bike as well.

Paul

 

[Shajota]

On the way down my jacket had given up any pretence of being waterproof, so went to the hardware shop in Tenterfield and purchased a heavy duty rain jacket, then ducked off to a warm pub and as I was now south of the border was looking forward to a few Toohey’s Old on tap. But they didn’t have any, what!? Then I spied a tap for Coopers Dark Ale from SA (huh?) Anyway not a bad substitute, so slipped into a few of those in pleasant surroundings.
Next morning, woke to a cloudy sky and fairly cold but no rain and it felt quite good (perhaps I’m acclimatizing already!!)



Didn’t need to leave at sparrow fart today so could let it warm up a bit (not sure about that) before loading up putting on my new rain jacket and heading off.
Heading out of Tentrefield it started raining, but wasn’t too bad as I headed toward Glen Innes and anyway I was nice and dry in my new high viz Tradie rain coat!
Of course I had now left the Granite belt of Southern Qld famous for it’s apples and wines and was now well into the pretty New England area of NSW. It was not the season to see the Autumn colours of this area but with recent rain it showed a real spring lushness to it……..

After Glen Innes the weather predictably took a turn for the worse and heading into Guyra it was cold and rainy. I then took the road from Guyra to Ebor and must admit I have never been on this road before. I was thinking how it was a very nice country drive but the conditions weren’t great with low cloud, drizzle, rain and the odd patchy road conditions .
Going through Ebor thought it a good idea to fill up and use the loo. When I asked where their toilet was (what charter boat!?) I was informed regally that I may use their facilities as I had purchased from the shop. The lady then whinged about all the drivers pulling up and using the loos without spending a penny (Is that an oxymoron?)
Well, I did think to myself that it is cold and wet outside which may be causing increased bladder pressure but tempered my great sadness at this lady's plight with the recognition it was most definitely a 1st world problem!!
On to Dorrigo where it was raining heavily so I sought shelter under a large awning at the servo and scoffed a pie while it eased.
A lady thought it was funny how wet I looked but I told her I had heard it was fine as soon as you got to the top of the mountain.
She looked at me like I was deranged and sped off
With rain abating headed for Bellingen, but going down the mountain was no fun. Limited visibility and rain meant I was keen to not get into any sort of line with the travelling tin tops and have to rely on my Grimeca drums for sudden stops on the steep wet slopes so did my best to keep distance from other traffic. At the top, looks a lot brighter on the pic:-

Into Bellingen I now realized why so many cars, tourists everywhere!
Also saw a lot of Laverdas parked at strategic spots which seemed to indicate some cleansing ales were the go.
Not sure how to get to the rally site, I saw a group go past so jumped on the bike and headed after them, only to meet them coming back the other way in search of the correct road to take. A few more then joined and after directions all confirmed off we went to line up for the infamous creek crossing.
The Kalang river crossing has been well documented and videoed but it was certainly interesting and I am very glad I didn’t turn up later and try the crossing on my own!!
The problem is not so much the water but the loose bottom which had been dug up by vehicles including bikes digging themselves out of holes while trying to get momentum. If you had a good even run it wasn’t too bad but if you happened to hit a hole it could be a problem. The AE was moving ok but then the front wheel did go down and as can be seen on the vid did a bit of a buck jump and then we were across with boots of course full of water.
Thanks to all the gents who formed the line in the river to assist the crossing, great help. I did have a couple of issues after the crossing where I thought I’d lost my clutch which made the next couple of low speed turns a bit of an issue and why I was stopped a couple of times. I then noticed my adjuster had come loose and with a bit of fiddling all seemed good. I think Marty mentioned he had a similar problem, weird huh).
Up the slippery slope and we are at the beautifully serene campsite of our generous hosts. The Rally has obviously been well reported on but suffice to say it was great to catch up with some I knew and put a face to others I feel I knew and others I didn't know I didn't know!
It is a pity about the weather (Or electrical gremlins for some, hey Andy) meaning the numbers were not as high as expected however it was still a very excellent turn out of all sorts of Lavs and riders who seemed a touch thirsty……

My green and white abode:-

TBC…………….on the way back. (don't worry, nearly finished)

 

[Shajota]

Ok, final instalment I promise. (But I did put it all in it's own thread so could be ignored)
Sunday morning dawned at the campsite and conditions were improving rapidly and was even able to get my boots pretty much dry. I was planning to leave early Monday morning as I was on a short time frame to get home, although I was now thinking an early morning solo river crossing may prove difficult. While partaking of some hearty food for breakfast realized there was quite a few heading out today to meet differing commitments and a ferry service was being discussed! After some deliberation decided I should also pack up and join the conga line even if just to get a few hundred ks in and an early start Monday and Tuesday. Hearty thanks to the helpers who assisted loading and unloading bikes and snigging them across the river to ensure a safe and dry exit for all.
I ended up getting going early afternoon so thought I’d head straight for Inverell, not far, but a good start point to head home.
Back on the Ebor to Guyra road I could see I was heading into a very black looking storm. So stopped and put on my oversized tradie coat and waterproof over gloves and headed straight into it. The rain was torrential but all was good and eventually passed through it.
After Guyra I came to Tingha and the pub looked quite inviting for an afternoon refresher, so pulled over. Now, me being vertically challenged I always try and pack my luggage low so I can swing the leg over but I had forgotten I had an addition strapped to the the top and when I went to get off my right leg caught under the base, I lost my balance and the whole show went Arse over!!
An old bloke (my Mrs keeps telling me to stop saying that about blokes my age!) just getting into his car at the pub saw me and came over and helped me pick up. A quick once over and everything looked fine as the bike mainly landed softly on the panniers. When I got going a bit later I did notice the clutch lever had just been bent slightly so was a bit further away. A job for later.
Tingha Pub:-

Embarrassment all gone it was on to Inverell where I went to a motel in the middle of town which appeared very handy and good value. The lady asked me if I was with the others and when I said no she said she would give me the Motorcyclists rate anyway!!
She then lamented to me that some Harley boys were in the night before and she was most disappointed that they all seemed in pretty good shape when they booked out this morning. What’s the world coming to??
Off to my room and I noticed a few adventure bikes (DR / KLR types) parked up most with a lot of luggage but I didn’t get to quiz them on where they had been.
A couple of tins of Guinness were in order to watch the footy but that was a fizzer anyway, need a decent team like the Cowboys in it
Next day headed North and you come to Ashford which is another small forgotten town:-


You do pass through it heading to Kwiambil National Park from Inverell which is also worth a visit. Kwiambil has a couple of decent hikes including to the junction where the Severn and Macintyre rivers meet and if some recent rain some great views of Macintyre Falls.
From Ashford it is a short trip to the Queensland border.
Crossing the Dumaresq river takes you out of enemy territory straight into the heart of Texas and Queensland freedom!!
Of course Texas in this case is the small Queensland border town:-


Trying to keep on a straight line, from Texas travelled through Inglewood, Milmerran, Dalby then had a peaceful lunch at sleepy Jandowae:-



From Jandowae headed to Mundubbera, onto the Burnett highway to Eidsvold then just before Monto is the little hamlet of Mulgildie where there is an interesting representation of the Mulgildie Bunyip said to inhabit the billabongs around Mulgildie (he's got a coupla fish in his hands in case you're wondering):-

Next day took a detour to go via Wowan to Dululu and then back West to say g’day to me old mate the Dingo at Dingo:-

Then it was back up the well worn path of the “Beef” road on the way to Nebo.
This bit of road is actually the Northern section of the Fitzroy Developmental Road and looks like this (although the road is not as good as this pic suggests:-

After Nebo, back to the Coast and off home without incident.
The Eagle once again performed faultlessly although I did notice it used a bit more oil on the trip home, so will monitor that. Apart from a drive chain adjustment the only work required was to take off the ignition cover and drain a little bit of water collected from the Kalang river, no other spanners laid on the bike. Now time for another oil change and full check over but everything looks pretty good. I am also very impressed with the Scorpion dual purpose tyre on the front and both tyres are showing only limited wear at present both of which have done some decent miles already.
Home (displaying award):-

The end. Thanks for reading (hope it was of some interest)!!

 

[Legs]

What a top trip . Well done and thanks for sharing.

 

[chrisk]

The AE seems to be doing more miles than the Jota. I’m glad the crooked rack is getting used.

 

[Shajota]

What a top trip . Well done and thanks for sharing.

Hi Terry, yeh enjoyed it immensely (always like travelling solo), just a pity I was on a bit of a tight time frame.
While I tried to come home a different route I would have much rather stayed another night in Bello and taken a more Westerly circuit home.
Anyway, can only do what you can do........

 

[Jo]

Thanks for the write up Peter - excellent to have an impression what it's like to tour your part of OZ!
Cheers,
Jo

 

[Legs]

Beats my trips from Adelaide to all parts east

 

[breganzane]

Great write up, thanks for sharing and good to meet you briefly up there!
SteveB

 

[Bottler]

Really enjoyed your trip report, having just finished a long road trip I share your appreciation of small Aussie country towns.

 

[Shajota]

The AE seems to be doing more miles than the Jota. I’m glad the crooked rack is getting used.

Yeh Chris, I try and share the riding time but in reality the Jota is not getting ridden much, which annoys me!
Have seriously thought about selling it (or trading) and getting a disc brake model 750 but not sure I could actually go through with the sale
(I know it would make sense...............)

 

[ozijotati]

Nah don’t sell, just share the love between the two. Great write on the trip by the way
Tom

 

[AndyW]

Have seriously thought about selling it (or trading) and getting a disc brake model 750 but not sure I could actually go through with the sale
(I know it would make sense...............)

Just take the bathtub fairing off and it'll feel like a new bike: you know it makes sense...

 

[Shajota]

Just take the bathtub fairing off and it'll feel like a new bike: you know it makes sense...

Function over form old cock!!
All about the quality of the ride, not how pretty it looks in the shed

 

[chrisk]

Function over form old cock!!
All about the quality of the ride, not how pretty it looks in the shed

Tis true what you say.

 

[78jotadave]

Sha Jota I take your comment in your second post about "single donga type rooms" to mean a room for 'fast sleepers' am I correct on this term, just wondering about that OZ lingo is been a while for me.