Category: Travel

On The Ride

Maybe I’ve watched Long Way Round too many times but I think there’s something appealing about gearing up in the garage at home and have the adventure start from the moment you ride out onto the street. Perhaps it’s the attraction of leaving the car and trailer and one less thing to worry about. Who cares. The sooner I can get on the bike the better.

Our first of many adventure rides was 2 day trip to the gold country around Hill End and return. The plan was to set of from Cronulla at 6am with my neighbour Chris, meet up with his buddy Ray at Hurstville and then fire up the mountains where we would rendevous with Clubby at the Zig Zag railway at 9am and finally leave the tar behind. I did the first sector on the BMW F650 GS while Chris threw his leg over the KTM 640 Adventurer, which is taller than a Sydney Kings basketball player and vibrates like a 1950’s marital aid powered by a chainsaw engine. In contrast the BMW was smooth as silk and was an excellent choice for the early morning 2 hours of tarmac. Familiarising myself with the controls and repeating ‘I wonder what this button’s for’ I found the button that is a must have for all adventure bike riders… Heated Grips! Didn’t have heart to tell Chris. Well not until things warmed up anyway.

Twenty minutes down the road we picked up Ray on his ’96 model Yamaha Tenere. Armed with his GPS and an onboard tool kit that would turn Popgun green, Ray would prove to be an invaluable asset. Both he and Chris were seasoned bike riders and soon disappeared into the distance. No problem, as this ride was going to be 70% dirt and the black top would not last forever.

We headed straight up to Katoomba through the mist and onto Mount Victoria where we turned right and cut across to the Bell Line of Roads then left a short distance up to the Zig Zag Railway. Spot on time Clubby was already there on a Suzuki DR650SE. With the smallest tank it was definitely the lightweight of the group but it was clearly the easiest bike of all to ride. In fact all the bikes felt completely different despite the fact they all had the same engine capacity.

Setting Out From Zig Zag

We all stuck to our respective mounts and headed down the forestry roads towards the Blackfellows Track. It had been raining for a week and the logging trucks had turned much of the first few kilometres of road to slippery slush. The BMW and KTM were fitted with Metzler Enduro 3 road/trail tyres and struggled with the slippery clay surface. Clubby was having a few moments on the Suzuki with its Bridgestone Trail Wings which were a little more predictable. Nonetheless Chris was absolutely having kittens trying to manage the raw power of KTM and keeping it pointed in the right direction. 

We passed through Ben Bullen State Forest north east of Cullen Bullen and it wasn’t long before we were into some more familiar sandy soil as we headed toward Jurassic country into the Gardens of Stone National Park. Soon we were surrounded by tall ferns and the incredible  ‘Pagoda’ rock formations that cluster near sandstone escarpments where erosion has sculpted beehive-shaped domes. After a short stop to take it all in, it was a great opportunity to settle into a groove along the smooth flowing trails and erosion humps. It was lush and picturesque but it was just a taste of the scenery that lay ahead. The pace was fairly casual stopping to shoot video and pics along the way. No sooner would we pack up the cameras and head off there would be another Kodak moment around the next corner. Trying to capture the awesome landscape was getting frustrating.

We finally emerged from the Garden of Stones National Park and it was a quick ride up to Capertee to refuel. The weather had been threatening up until then but we were now west of the ranges and the skies were clearing up providing cool but perfect conditions for our ride. 

Capertee To Sofala

With full tanks we headed west from Capertee following the Turon River to Sofala. This country was in vast contrast to the Gardens of Stone winding through open green pastures towards the Turon River. Once again the biggest problem was deciding where to stop and take photos. We sent Ray and Chris ahead to Sofala as the Sofala pub taps were calling out and they were growing restless. Clubby and I couldn’t hear a thing but then again we had jelly snakes and hydrapacks built into our DriRider jackets.

It all came undone shortly after when Clubby asked me to do a couple of passes on the BMW. While attempting to do a U-turn just off the track the Metzler Enduro 3 lost traction on a slight incline and before I knew it I slid backwards and I was on my backside. No big deal I thought until I tried to lift a bike of 177kg dry weight and approximately 15 litres of fuel. I was totally out of sight of Clubby so I tried to lift the bike on my own in the hope of escaping embarrassment. Unable to get enough traction to do the job I switched to Plan B. Fortunately the Dakar has an excellent horn and Clubby came running… or was it laughing. Couldn’t tell with his helmet on. After he got his photos we got the bike upright and back onto the road only to find the masterbrake cylinder had landed on a lone rock and bent the mounting tab on the frame inwards. This resulted in the rear brake sticking on. With no phone reception to call BMW Assist and Ray and his tools by now kicking back at Sofala we had to get by. Fortunately it was just a matter of getting the boot under the brake pedal to pull it back up and we could push on. 

Before we got to Sofala there were a couple more river crossings and photo opportunities. It would be worth mentioning now that nearly all the concrete causeways were as greasy as a pan full of bacon so all water crossings needed to be approached with caution. It also important to note that even though it’s public road it passes through private property so it’s important the leave the gates as you find them and not stray off the road.

Clubby and I rolled into Sofala to find Ray and Chris kicking back outside the pub looking very relaxed. The main road is so narrow you’d have to do a 3 point turn on a WR to turn round and if you’re out the front of the pub with your feet up on another chair you have to pull your feet in to let a car get past. Fortunately Ray had just the tool we needed to realign the brake master cylinder on the Dakar. Within minutes he had it working perfectly so we made a beeline to Hill End where beers, hot showers, warm beds and half a cow with vegetables awaited at the Royal Hotel (but not necessarily in that order).

Hill End Pub Beers

As we relaxed out the front of the Royal Hotel we chatted with locals and compared notes on the vastly different motorcycles. Chris was taking a liking to the BMW Dakar, which was the trios heavyweight and the clear winner on the tar and smooth open dirt road. Smooth engine, big comfortable seat and heated grips made high speed cruising in the cool weather enjoyable. At the other end of the scale is the KTM. Almost 20 kilos lighter than the BMW it was an absolute weapon just oozing with KTM’s competition DNA. The only chance to get on the KTM all weekend was to grab it while Clubby had his back turned. The Suzuki DR650SE was the biggest surprise. It is such an easy bike to ride and although it lacks a little in the suspension travel department it’s 30kgs lighter than the BMW and half the price. There was something to like about all the bikes and preferences related to riding experience and how many beers you had consumed. Ray’s own bike, a 1997 Yamaha Tenere was a crowd favourite. Despite being 10 years old its performance in all conditions was still impressive. All I can say is bring back the Tenere.

The following morning we downed a typical pub meal consisting eggs and the remains of small farm animals washed down with orange juice and hot tea. We killed some time waiting for the general store to open for fuel by walking around and checking out the local historical sites. Once we fuelled up we headed for the Bridle track. Some of the original Bridle Track was pioneered by stockman in the early 1800’s and later provided a direct supply route for miners in at Hill End to Bathurst. It is now one of NSW’s most popular off road tracks for 4WD and dual sports riders.

Bridle Track to Bathurst

The Bridle Track starts no more than a kilometre from the pub and descends quickly down to the Turon River. Once again how many Kodak moments can one take. We stopped at the Turon River Crossing for a short break and then headed down stream where the track turns south and follows the Macquarie River upstream. The most spectacular part of the track is Monaghans Bluff. Cut high into the cliffs above the Macquarie River and only one lane wide and no guardrail, it’s a massive drop to the river below. Should have seen the look on the guys faces when I asked them to do a U-turn to do another pass for the DVD.

There are at least ten camping reserves along the track with toilet facilities at five of them. Even though the trail is about 70kms long give yourself half a day to cover it as this is a trail that should not be rushed. The second half of the track opens right up and the smooth road is too tempting to pull off some feet up power slides. Just be careful on some of the blind turns as it’s a popular 4WD track on weekends. On the Friday we didn’t see another soul all day until right near the end on one such blind corner so be warned.

With time running out we finally reached the end of the dirt track and reluctantly rode down the tar towards Kelso. That wasn’t without its moments where a herd a sheep unexpectantly speared across the road in front of me. I found the DR brakes worked well and with the rear wheel locked at 80kph it’s quiet predictable. Don’t want to do that one again.

After a meat pie at Kelso we headed up to Sunny Corner through the pines and back to Zig Zag railway. From Clarence it was all down hill from there and back towards Sydney and into the last of the coastal rains that had been hanging around for a week. By then I was back on the Dakar and with heated grips and my DriRider jacket and pants it made the ride bearable on the home stretch.

For Adventure Bike riders based in Sydney this Clarence to Hill End via Capertee and Sofala and then return via the Bridle Track is challenging enough for the novice and fun for the experienced dual sport rider. Regardless of your skill level it is a must do for any adventure rider.

The map and video were created in 2007. The Bridle Track has change with a detour around landslides. Last time I checked Hill End pub was closed but at the time provided excellent accommodation. Check local guides when planning your trip.