A mob of sheep being hearded along the road side to confirm you are in rural Austratralia
That you are in the mid west of NSW
I waited till it was clear to skirt around the outside of the mob and the sheep dogs and farmer skilfully hearded the sheep into the selected paddock
You also know you are in mid west NSW when you set up tent in the back of the Premer Hotel and enjoy the hospitality and a few Schooners of Old.
But the purpose of the trip north was not to enjoy the mustering of sheep or the taste of a Tooheys old but to test the Steinbock’s comfort for long touring and to test its ability on some of my favourite riding roads. Also to test it on trails I had been reluctant on which to ride the mighty breva.
The Steinbock handled the beautiful roads of the Coffs Coast area of NSW with aplomb taking the beautiful Waterfall Way and its surrounding roads in its stride. AA full tick of approval indeed
But the real test was the Armidale to Kempsey back road that included 127 km of varying road surfaces through national parks and beautiful farming land. (see map above)
What a ride! I also became very aware of how tiring riding on trails iy is compares to road riding.
In the highlands south west of Kempsey are the beautiful Ellenborough Falls. The longest single drop falls in NSW
From to falls east there is there is the Flying Fox Refuge in Wingham on the Manning River
Not far from the coast and its beautiful beaches
The Motorcycle Museum at Nabiac is emblematic of the biker culture in this part Australia
And a travelling piecemeal adventurer can find like souls – lovers of bikes and boats
The test was complete and the ride back to Melbourne was direct and purposeful
As I write Melbourne and Victoria are in a circuit breaking lockdown.
Hopefully, these actions curtail the current outbreak of Covid 19 and I will soon be on my adventure to Central Australia via the Oodnadatta Track.
Stay tuned for updates!
Beautiful, beautiful scenery! Why bother with Europe when you have ll this around the corner? And no crowds either, judging by the number of people in your photos. I’m definitely jealous!
Well I’m lucky enough to be able to experience both. With no international tourism in Australia at the moment there are few crowds though I do try to pick places that are hard to get to so less populated. Thanks for the comment.
What an interesting and stunningly scenic part of the country.
I think you may know it well Cuz