For the long riders

Adventure, Australia, NSW, Poetry, travel 2 Minutes

This one of for the long riders

The 1,000k in a day riders

The numb in the bum still going riders

For the north south riders

The east west riders

This is an unapologetic piece about long distance motorcycle riding.

Australia is a country for the long riders

Curly twisty roads

Straight roads stretching to the horizon

traffic sparse on the secondary highways and byways

With the beating heart of the Mighty Breva eating up the distance

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On the Black Stump Way mid west NSW

One of my favourites long rides in from Melbourne to the Northern NSW Coast

Its just on 1500 km from Melbourne Victoria to Coffs Harbour in NSW.

It combines open agricultural land

Cotton fields on the Black Stump Way

Fields of cotton, wheat and other broad acre crops.

Past cattle grazing

 

Cattle grazing roadside

Little towns with quirky sculpture

Horse Sculpture at the old trough in Urana NSW

 

Scooting along the gentle curves on the mountain foothills

Bylong way midwest NSW

And then over the mountains

with their deep gorges

and along the Waterfall Way

so aptly named

Ebor Falls
Dangar Falls

Running right beside the road

Till the mountains meet the sea

At Coffs Harbour.

A special treat of a long ride in spring is seeing a new born calf being encouraged by its mother to take the first tentative steps

 

Addendum:

I need to add 1500 km in a day is beyond this piecemeal adventurer these days.  But Australia is a good place for eating up long miles.  On my most recent trip north I covered around 950km in the first day from Melbourne to Coolah at the start of the Black Stump Way.  That allowed a more leisurely 500 ks the second day – and stopping for photos and sightseeing which I can share.  I try to keep to the back roads which makes disctance eating harder but travelling for more enjoyable.

In the more closely settled countries of Western Europe off the highways 5-600k is a big day on the road

 

Published by a piecemeal adventurer

A lover of travel, nature, and the environment. A sailor and a motorcyclist

Published

12 thoughts on “For the long riders”

  1. Empty Nest Adventures – I live in CO with my husband and we are recent empty nesters. We love traveling, trying new things, and pushing ourselves outside our comfort zones. Family time is very important to us, so we still do a lot with our two sons, even though they've flown the coop. I welcome any recommendations for new experiences, and I hope I can spark some ideas for you too!
    Empty Nest Adventures says:

    That’s a long ride in one day! Looks like you saw some beautiful sights.

    Reply

    1. It is a great ride, the mix of long lonely country roads and tight twisty mountain passes just wonderful.

      Reply

  3. Thank you for taking us along for the ride! It is so difficult to not tap the driver on the shoulder to, yet again, pull over for a longer look st the view.

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  4. 1000 mile a day riders! Woo! I think my butt is tired at 400 and I have to sit one-cheeked all the way home. 😉 Beautiful photos! How wonderful, that little calf :))

    Reply

    1. There is a couple of essential pieces of equipment to my long rides. Air Hawk seat pad for the bum and KAKO throttle lock for the right wrist. I praise them hourly on a long ride

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      1. I have never used a throttle lock. It gives me anxiety to think about. I imagine the throttle sticking. I know it is unwarranted but I will have to break down and just try it. One of the engineers at work has it on his R1 (I think he made it or something). Now, a gel seat or airpad, I have fantasized about during the last leg of many a long ride!!!

  5. Coral Waight – Melbourne, Australia – I started travelling alone at the age of 60. I and my little hatchback, thermos and Esky in the boot, began the first of four road trips around the island of Tasmania, south of where I live in Melbourne, Australia. I planned to the 'nth' degree, but nothing could prepare me for getting stuck on the side of a mountain in the dark with my petrol tank on empty. Nothing could prepare me for being on my own in a caravan park on the west coast in the middle of a violent storm, or forgetting I get sea-sick and spending a boat cruise around Tasman Island with my head in a bucket. With my 'Tassie' experiences under my belt, I ventured overseas, across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand and, eventually, to the other side of the world - England. They say if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. He must have been rolling on the floor as I discovered that no matter how much research you do, at some stage you have to give up your set ideas and just wait to see what happens.
    Coral Waight says:

    Gorgeous photos.

    Reply

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