We met at Bungendore on the Thursday morning and headed off to Braidwood for the obligatory coffee and bun at the bakery before topping up our fuel. From Braidwood it is about forty kilometres down the Kings Highway to the locality of Currowan and the start of the dirt. Actually, the dirt started before the top of the Clyde where a considerable amount of road work is underway.
We stopped at the start of the Western Distributor Road and deflated our
tyres some in preparation for the challenge. It was a lovely day but it was
definitely heating up. The road is exceptionally well maintained being a logging road but pretty much just a single lane so we were very wary of any vehicles
coming the other way, sticking as far left as possible on right hand bends and crests.
We took our time and enjoyed some spectacular views. Navigation was also very easy as the roads are well sign posted and we were soon down at the Long Gully Picnic Area for lunch where a Lace Monitor decided to join us.
From our lunch spot it was a short ride to the Yadboro Camping Area and we arrived at approximately 2 pm. It is quite a large area on both sides of the road with oodles of sites all with fire places. However, a solid fuel fire ban was in place so a campfire that evening was out. There are also two well maintained drop toilets.
We soon set up our camp and, as it was very hot, wandered down to the Clyde River where we spent the greater part of the afternoon paddling, chatting, reading and Kim even went for a swim in a lovely spot just upstream from the bridge. We were also suitably entertained by wrens, kookaburras, parrots, currawongs and magpies. Eventually, we ambled back to camp and prepared and ate our respective dinners before retiring to our billion star accommodations.
Friday morning was warm and dry but overcast. We soon breakfasted, packed up and set off again. We wanted to take a look at the Blue Gum Flat Camp Ground but we were at the Pigeon House Carpark before I realised I had missed the turn. It was decided that it could wait until next time so we rode up to the Pigeon House Carpark where some signage informed us that it was about a three hour return walk to the summit.
It was a lovely ride along the dirt until we reached the bitumen outside of Milton where we soon reinflated our tyres and fuelled up. We headed north and decided to take the Twelve Mile Road, dirt again, through to the Nerriga. Along the way we stopped to take the short walk to view Granite Falls then headed for the George Boyd Lookout where we discovered the road was closed due to bridge work so after taking in the view we headed back to the Princes Highway and north to the Turpentine Road. From there we headed for Nerriga and along the way had a short stop at Tianjara Falls. The Nerriga Hotel served up a great lunch.
Suitably replenished, we rode back to Bungendore via Oallen Ford and Tarago where we went our separate ways.
If the ride in April goes as adventurous but uneventful as this ride was it will be magnificent.
Peter Thomas
The Reccy Riders were:
Kim Nichols Suzuki V Strom 1000
Leo Farrelly BMW R1200GS
Peter Thomas BMW F800GS
