Nambucca Heads FarRide is commonly known as Wetbucca, it didn’t rain in Nambucca Heads but read on….
Plan A done. Then places start to flood, start re-looking at the plan and I also wanted to meet up with Diesel & Streak in Bendemeer and ride into Nambucca with them so co-ordination of the Plan B & C began. Last minute touches and consultation with Diesel and Plan A is a goer…YAY. Thursday morning Karl also says he can make it so I book a double room where he will be waiting for me to arrive.
Friday 1st Feb – grab a coffee folks 🙂
Karl sets off at 8:00am – “see ya Sweety, ride safe….kisses”. At the servo on Wicks Rd waiting, waiting for the hands of time to tick over to that magical 12:30pm start time when I can head off…..fuelled, docket, done…..GONE!!
Traffic, where the hell did it all come from, it’s a conspiracy I tell you. It’s cloudy but should be ok and headed through Nth Richmond and started to climb Bells Line. Then BAM, the rain started, light at first – that’s OK, then oh no, those aren’t raindrops (raindrops are little) they’re missiles pelting the absolute crap outta me….ouch. Had to pull over at Mt Victoria to change visor and I could tell I was wet on the inside – not nice. Visibility had been reduced to a cars length, there were torrents of water across the road and trucks, long haulers on the road all making the first leg, well difficult.
Into Lithgow and fuel then off to get outta these wet clothes, yep I’m soaked to the bone and cold. I decide to push on and re-access in Bathurst. Thankfully out the other side is a rainbow, well blue skies – Yippee!! Hopefully I’ll dry out.
FarPic Wellington Caves
Love the sun and at Wellington Caves pull over for a FarPic and take off the wets from underneath the now dry jacket and don a dry jumper. The wind is picking up but that’s ok. Ring Karl “running behind already, hopefully I can make it up”.
Times a tickin’ Kimmie, crank it up! The roads are dry – beauty, but a bit windy and it’s not long before I roll into Narromine just over an hour behind the eight ball (7:10pm)….damn.
Feed Angel, feed me, ring Karl and no time to waste “let’s go”. Let me introduce you to George here. Now George is the GPS, who I rely on probably a little too much but none the less I don’t leave home without him. Follow George and the sign to Warren and travel up this beautiful road with field grass up to the roads edge but it has a centre line so all good. End of the line and George says turn R then hard L “GO”. About 10kays up the road my gut tells me George is wrong, consult the map and Crikey, I remember this road on Goggle Maps and there’s dirt – not for this little black duck – U-turn and head back and head west for Trangie. Eventually I’m back on the Mitchell highway (which I now realise I should’ve just followed outta Narromine) and head for Trangie, Nevertire turn R and into Warren.
It’s starting to get dark and in the distance I am watching this magnificent lightning show and almost like a light going out, it is. ALL Angel’s lights go on about half way to Gilgandra and I’m still dry – YAY! Not a lot of wildlife but I was so on the alert and thought I’d taken a wrong turn…again. The cracks of lightening opening up the sky are like a smashing glass bottle in the sky – spectacular. Consult the map in Gil, all good continue on, but I notice the lights dim a bit…..ahh it’s probably just my mind playing tricks on me, out in the middle of nowhere, on my own, what possibly could go wrong!
Think too soon about how good the weather has been and it’s raining again. This time I’m prepared and have the wets on OVER the jacket but have my reserve summer gloves on. Lights a blazin’, it’s amazing how much I can see (thank goodness), the foxes, hundreds of feral cats (whose eyes at first I thought were the red roadside markers…oops), mother of a huge wombat and one small wallaby and rain. Rain that looks like shards of glass heading horizontally towards me, feels like tiny pins hitting my jacket and helmet.
Need a break and into Coonabarabran for fuel and a muesli bar. Fuel up, feeling good, check in with Karl (wake him up), chat to a few car loads of blokes who have come from Tamworth and advise me it’s pouring that way – great *sigh*. On your bike Kimmie, turn the key and nothin’, crap. Try again and nothin, Angel’s dead as a door nail. Ring Karl (wake him up again), tell him the problem and he says “well what do you want me to do, you have your jumper leads, so..” Yep you’re right Sweety, I got this. A lovely young couple out for ice-cream give me a hand and Angel’s running again – thanks heaps.
Nearly 2 hours behind schedule and several thoughts of pulling the pin go through my head. However in true Kimmie style, I make the decision to just assess things as I travel. On the road again and into the shards of rain, the Oxley Highway is becoming unpredictable. With no spot or flood light and low beam non-existent, I only have high beam to run on, so steady as we go. To top it off, I discover if I run under 109kph Angel starts to stumble a little.
How badly have the floods from Coona to Gunnedah damaged the road….enough to make it that hard to distinguish the edge of gapping holes filled with a ravine of water. Road work sign became the norm and slowing down was not a joy. However one section said road works 60 kays, slow down to 60 see the patches over the road hit it and god damn, it’s all gravel, wet muddy gravel and Angels front goes out – crap – NOOOO not now – hang on girl! We ride the wave and decide to run the wrong side of the line slowly dodging what was the worst road I’ve ridden on.
Into Gunnedah and had I seen a light, any light on in the town, I’d have bought a room somewhere. Anyway, I take a deep breath and instead watch the spectacular light show that I appear to be riding straight into. I’m so close and still have my wits but have been chewing the kays over in my head. Tamworth couldn’t come soon enough and I make the decision to get fuel now and forgo breaky with Diesel and Streak in the morning. It’s 12:50am, still raining and Angel fires first go (thanks girl) and into the night I go for the final 41kays to Bendemeer.
Trucks are everywhere in this section and the road is windy and slippery, so steady going. Finally into Bendemeer, park Angel in the garage and go and find Karl. At 2:00am I walk in and Karl is the best sight for tired weary eyes and an exhausted but pumped body. Sleep now….zzzzzz.
Day 2 – Saturday 2nd Feb 13
What’s that sound, god damn alarm 6:30am…..grrrrr. Could do with a few more hours. Let Diesel know about the change of plan and Karl and I head to the cafe for breaky. Angel’s battery is dead so it’s push starts this morning and hopefully once we get going the battery will hold enough charge for the rest of the day.
8:00am on the knocker, Diesel, Streak & Saaz meet us up on the roadside. A deja-vu moment for Diesel when I tell him about Angel. All fired up, let’s go!! We had a great little convoy 3x STeads, Jeep Jeep & Angel, a plethora of power between us reading to hook into this next section of the New England. Great riding, DRY roads and no traffic – brilliant. We stop at this quaint little coffee shop called “Fusspots” for a break and chat. Karl and I decide the best thing would be to get Angel a new battery so Karl headed off ahead to Coffs for medical supplies. Angels starts first go….YAY’s all round!! In the meantime Frans passes us by.
I’d told Diesel he’d enjoy this next section of road and I don’t think he was disappointed (you’ll have to read his report for the verdict). Through Dorrigo and the decent into “heaven” – The Waterfall Way”. I’d taken lead earlier and hoped the boys would catch me so we could do the decent together, but no. Down into the first section of cutting and the road is clear, clean, no traffic, just perfect….I’m enjoying myself just a little too much. I pulled over, spot Diesel, thumbs up – LET’S BOOGIE!! What can I say, we caressed the curves down the Way on song. I didn’t even have to see his face to see the smile. Change of lead and we continue. A short re-group and Streak summed that section up the best WEEEEEEEEE!!
view from the lookout
Final stretch, a quick stop at the lookout – thanks Chris and into checkin – ON TIME!
I’d registered for my first 1200 and with my little detours (thanks George) I’d achieved 1219 kays in less than 24 hours.
I am met with many smiling faces and lots of hugs and the question “where’s Karl?” Tell the story about the battery but before long Karl arrives and all is in order. Checkin – YAY!! now let the socialising begin. Well not yet, I had to get my gear off first….phew!
I think Karl has bruises from all the people pinching him to make sure he was real. I’d told you he was, but Toura just had to find out for himself.
Toura & Karl….see he is real!!
Changed and back at the tavern for lunch, where we all have stories to tell. I love this part of a FarRide, catching up with folk you might see once or maybe twice a year. Sometimes they live just down the road but you have to go 1000 kays to see them….lol. It’s all good!
A decent lunch, but time for a swim and a nana nap is in order this afternoon before the revelling of the evening commences.
However, Dr Karl says “we need to operate on Angel before the nap Sweety”..oh ok. Turned out to be a stator wire issue not battery. Temporarily fixed to get me home and now we have a new battery which will be used berry shortly in Birdy.
Socialising and dinner and the afternoon and evening is ticking away and so is my body clock. The Kimmie battery is tired and after several fabulous hours catching up, it’s time to say our goodnights and see youse laters.
FarRider friends from Nambucca 2103
Toura
Diesel, Chris & Tony K
The 2 Fatman’s
Me & Karl
Alan & Ash
Gateman, Brookster & Saaz
Day 3 – Sunday 3rd Feb 13 – The trip home
No early start, didn’t even set the alarm couldn’t be bothered. Angels wires fixed she started first go..YAY!! Met the ST gang out the front, said our farewells and then headed off with no real plan other than to do the Oxley. The sun was out, the roads dry and I was riding with my BEST fella, so a good morning. It turned cold real quick though but thought I’ll be fine and warm up. Anyways, we are off up the Oxley, Karl is long gone but I am just moseying up this morning. The roads are damp and a bit slippery but before long I pull into Gingers Creek dying for a hot chocolate and some raisin toast to warm up. We make a plan which included grabbing a coupla FarPics and heading south down the Putty then home – sounds good to me.
Moonbi FarPic
On the road again, with an extra jumper heading to Walcha for fuel (where my credit card blew the servo mans computer up…oops). Heading west still, we turn south at Bendemeer and head for Moonbi for my FarPic. Happy Kimmie. The New England Hway to Tamworth is not an exciting road, speed up, slow down, traffic lights and traffic…grrr so there isn’t much to report here. Such a contrast to Friday nights ride. Tamworth was our lunch stop and the Golden Arches was quick and easy. Getting ready to leave, StevieB comes as says “G’day”. We have a chat, discover we were travelling the same way til Scone so we had a little convoy happening. Friends on the road – gotta love it!
Scone FarPic
I think I read George wrong here and had Karl and I going through some back carpark to get to the Scone FarPic, but we made it and that’s all that counts….lol. More fuel here and will get us home.
Through Singleton, then Bulga and the start of the Putty – home is in sight (well not literally). I just wanna get home and Karl is ambling along the Putty – What Tha??, you don’t ride like this normally on this road. Anyway, I got annoyed, my butt was getting sore for the first time in I can’t remember, so by the time we pulled into Grey Gums I was ready for a break. An exchanged of words, a short break and lets go, I miss our baby girl Ella-Jane.
I sat behind Karl for…….not long and took off, I’m outta here!! I love this section of road to Wilberforce and took advantage of it. Few cars going too slow and a rider well he was doing the limit but……..I’m not sitting here and goooone. The 80kph zone at Wilberforce was a reminder that we were approaching home, not long now.
So after 797 kays for the day Karl and I pull into the drive at home approx 7:15pm. There ain’t no place like home!!!
Total kays for Nambucca for me 2016 – not bad.
Had a great time (again 🙂 ) and when’s the next one??
I couldn’t not mention and congratulate the following Legend – Lionel. Well done on your completion of the FarChallenge, I bow to you!
Lionel the Magnificant
