NSW South Coast - 48 hours & 1400kms

Original plan was a road trip in the car to get kms up….one way or another it became a plan for a bike trip.

6.30pm Friday – we hit the boreway to Lakes Entrance & get that out of the way so that bright & early on Saturday morning the twisty bits can be enjoyed. Traffic leaving home is horrendous; I’m continually amazed that so few people with a licence know how to drive! Eventually we are on the open road, tunes playing to relieve the boredom & soon enough we hit Sale to fuel up the bikes & the riders. Fog from Sale all the way to Lakes Entrance was not totally unexpected but a little heavier in patches than we would’ve liked; visors fogged up inside & out, visibility limited, we hooked in behind a car for a while. Eventually arrive at Lakes 11pm; to a motel room at the RSL but can’t find anyone at reception…..find the pokies, find the man! Must say this was the least bored I have been on such ordinary stretches of road.

8am Saturday morning sees us at Maccas (nothing else open) for toast & coffee & by 8.30am we are on the road. Much more enjoyable than the previous night’s run down the boreway, some curves & pretty scenery plus the anticipation of the Monaro Highway; have heard so many good things about this road……

Top up the fuel at Cann River & turn left onto route B23 ‘Monaro Highway’. What a road, it follows the path of the Cann River; fast sweeping corners, great views & no other traffic in sight! Road surface is fantastic; wide & smooth. The speed climbs; the feel of the bitumen biting into the tyres as Dougie fires out of the corners has a huge grin on my face & giggles in my helmet. If you haven’t done this road, & get down to Cann Rvier, do it, you won’t be disappointed!

Across the border into NSW, approx 14km up, we turn right on Imlay Road; it’s my understanding that this road was built for the forestry industry but we did not see one logging truck on it & only 2 cars. One wallaby hopped onto the road & rapidly retreated when it heard loud bikes revving. I can’t rave about this road from a riding perspective, it was very picturesque but not one you can have too much fun with; rough bumpy surface & too frequent stretches of road works, which have not made the surface any smoother but added the hazard of loose surface. Was a pleasant enough trip out to the coast; up to Eden for lunch & fuel.

From Eden we headed north turning left onto Mt Darragh Road just before Pambula; this road was another gem more gorgeous twisties, we followed it to Wyndham & turn right onto Myrtle Mountain Road; fantastic road, the kind that really feeds a bikers soul. The scenery & road change; from sweepers to tight twisties, through lush forest & open plains with views of the Snowies, majestically splendid in the distance. Once again next to no traffic, 3 other bikes went passed as I was taking some pics, they slowed down & gave a thumbs up query to make sure I was ok & they were gone; I love the biking community, you’d never get that from a cager. My partner in crime was off having so much fun he didn’t realise I had stopped! I only wish we could’ve come home the same way & experienced this road again, one day soon I’m going back.

On to Candelo, more lovely sweepers then left at the Snowy Mountain Highway to Bemboka to check out the famous pie shop; pies were delish! After a short break we decide on a bike swap, me on a ZX7R, my first ride on a sports bike! We head back along the way we’ve come but continue taking the highway all the way to Bega. The Ninja is so different to the monster, the clip ons are low & close to the tank, elbows all tucked in against my body I wonder how the hell I’m going to turn but at speed that baby turns like a dream; look, think & it happens. I can hear Dougie rumbling behind me, my bike sounds hot! Give the Ninja a little bit of throttle & she chews up the road, everything feels so smooth, the throttle & clutch are light but there is an edge to her so I’m taking it carefully. We’re supposed to swap back at Numbugga but I keep going; ha ha catch me if you can! Wasn’t accounting for the fact that we have to turn right at the T intersection with the Princes Highway; too much throttle & it feels like this thing will be on the back wheel, can’t see what is coming up the hill & around the corner to my left………. very ungracefully we lurch out then a ute comes round the corner, as soon as we’re straight it’s on the throttle & pulling away from the car fast, Dougie howling behind me. Pull over & swap back at Bega, I’ve had enough fun experimenting & don’t fancy having to take off at any more intersections!

We head into Tathra to the lookout & brief stop, then on down the coast to Eden, the road is good with lovely sweepers but more heavily trafficked & not one to be playing on. Overnight stay in Eden, no hurry to leave the next morning, we amble into town for food & fuel, take a meander down the beach front road to check out the cemetery & beach, then back onto the highway to head for home. Once again the road is lovely but not one to be playing on, it’s a comfortable cruise all the way to Cann River……it takes all of 30 seconds to concur that the bottom 50km of the Monaro is worth a revisit! The leg back is an awesome one for me; mojo flowing, in the zone, we’re gone, flying……..heaven!

Fuel back at Cann River & lock on to get home; next stop Bairnsdale for a very late lunch, Sale for more fuel, then home. The last hour is torturous, everything hurts, just want to get off!

6.30pm Sunday - home!

What a blast; an insane hoot of a weekend, the grin is still in my heart today!