2015 Autumn Boxerworks in Oz

[Duane Ausherman]

I wanted to visit Tas on my trip, but people told me that it was booked up for weeks in advance. Later on, someone told me that since I was hitching I could just go there and bum a ride across, or wait a bit for an empty slot of someone who didn't use the reservation. Sorry I missed it.

I have decided to not miss it next time around.

[SteveD]

Totally agree Steve that is somewhat along the line as to the advisory speed signs that I mentioned.
Don't trust the road until you've been over it once or twice after that they're great.

It might've even been you that I heard it from Bob? I canna remember?

[Dougal65]

Tasmania!!!
Dean and I had a week rolling around Tasmania in March last year. It was a superb week!.. Brilliant weather and brilliant roads.
On the boat going over, there must have been well over 100 motorbikes!...though my 84 R65 was the oldest bike I saw!..
A week is barely enough to do any justice to the charms of the island... I reckon 10 days would work better.We ran out of time to do the Strathgordon road. Roads can be a tad unpredictable with advisories ( when they exist) usually being relevant, but often hazardous conditions are not notified.
Now that Ive sorted my password to this site, I need to revive my pic posting skills so I can prove the above!
Proposing a run over the top to Omeo, Blue Duck, Mitta etc over the Labor day weekend if anyone is interested.
Doug

[Airbear]

Doug, good to read you again. And yes, without pics your Tassie trip never happened.

The Cold Flame Rally at the Pinch River - on the Barry Way - is also on the Labour Day weekend (7-9 March). A bunch of us went there last year - it's quite a crowded rally, similar in scale to the Alpine. Not sure of takers this year.

I'm also expecting a mate from Bellingen to turn up around that time intending to ride down the Omeo Highway to visit mutual friends on the coast, and I'm tempted to join him. So, good possibility to link up. I'll be in touch closer to the time.

[SteveD]

Now that Ive sorted my password to this site, I need to revive my pic posting skills so I can prove the above!
Proposing a run over the top to Omeo, Blue Duck, Mitta etc over the Labor day weekend if anyone is interested.
Doug

Howdy Doug. Good to see you back! I'll look forward to those pix.
Sunday of the LD w/e I'll be riding from Adaminaby to Omeo, via Granya, Mitta Mitta & and of course the BDI.
I'm guessing we'll be lunching at Walwa or thereabouts, so it'll be an afternoon ride down past the Walnuts.

We all need to come to some idea re: the period after Easter. Mal is in transit from Taswegia to Dubbo that week and a Boxerworks rendezvous is mooted but details remain unconfirmed.

[SteveD]

Bumpity bump bump...

Mal, have your plans after Tassie consolidated?

We still need a destination.

Dates suggested have been April 9, 10, 11...the week after Easter.
edit: 11/3. The 11/4 is now out for me too.

[Dougal65]

We had a pretty lazy but very enjoyable ride over the Omeo Highway at the weekend.
Started on Friday from the Yackandandah Bakery and headed off alone the back roads to the Lockhart's Gap road from Sandy Creek through to Eskdale in the Mitta Mitta valley. Lockharts Gap road is yet another shortish but glorious motorbiking road climbing up to the gap in long sweeping bends of well shaped road with little traffic. At the Gap, you look out over the Mitta Valley and then head down to the valley floor in tight twisties arriving at Eskdale and then shortly on to Mitta Mitta.
The Laurel Hotel at Mitta Mitta is worth stopping for lunch. Its been "done up!" by some moneybags from Albury, but they have done it very stylishly and put on basic pub fare with a real dash!.. My Wagyu burger and chips set me up for the rest of the day!.. They seem to be pitching their trade at motorbike riders as the only reading material in the Lounge was current and back numbers of Road Rider.
We dragged ourselves back on the bikes and headed for the firdt of the many camping spots along the road between Mitta and Omeo. First one was Snowy Creek.. about 300 metres off the road .... potential camping spots both sides of the river and only one other camper in place... looked pretty good so we set up there for friday night and then stayed on Saturday as well.


On Sunday, we set off along the Omeo Highway and what a glorious road it is. We'd been warned that it was a bit dodgey with a recent resheet and lots of loose gravel. The road snakes along climbing up high in places, and always twisting around the heavily sculpted and eroded steep valley of the Mitta Mitta River.. Apart from a small section where there had been recent work, the road surface was fine on the day. It was only when we got to Omeo and discovered that it wasn't like that on the day before. the RACV emergency service had retrieved 8 motorbikes on the day before. Because of this, it seems that Vicroads had done an emergency sweep of the road to remove the loose gravel.
Steve D was to ride through on Saturday... wonder how it was for him...

However bad it might have been, it's fine now and a great riding experience in some of the wildest and most spectacular sub alpine country in Australia.
After lunch of sorts in Omeo, we headed up the Great Alpine Road to Dinner Plain against 2000 pushbike riders heading the other way. A meal at the Mountain Kitchen at Dinner Plain is always good.
Then over the top of Mt Hotham, without doubt, the most spectacular alpine road in Australia, and down to camp at Ah Young's on the Buckland River for the night.

[SteveD]

That sounds like a great ride.

The road on Sunday was still "loose" over a fair bit of it. It sure slowed us down.

We came across the pushies b/w the Falls Ck turnoff and the BDI.

We also came back via Dinner Plain and Bright. There were people, Harleys and other traffic everywhere, with police controlling traffic at the first Myrtleford roundabout! Gridlocked for 5kms!

We saw this place at Myrtleford. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Classics ... k=timeline

[Airbear]

Good onyers, Doug n Dean. I especially approve of the two nights at one camp-site trick - slobbing about for an entire day, letting the wine breathe properly, collecting a bit of firewood, reading and doing not much else makes for a relaxing break.

It was certainly a fine weekend for a ride and a lot of riders out there. Eight bikes retrieved from the Omeo - crikey. I fear there will soon be 60kph zones imposed up there, similar to the ones we chose to ignore on the Alpine Road to Jindabyne.

The Cold Flame rally was good, and we had adventures on the way out. Jeff's RS spat its cam chain and needed to be towed out by Brother Ken (on his GS), using some blue Telecom approved rope, then trailered home for the autopsy.





Paul's RS also needed trailering after rejecting its ring gear a bit closer to home. Two RSs failing to complete a mission is a worry. Brunhilde didn't blot her copy book, of course. (Does anyone know what that means any more?)



We are blessed with so many good roads in this region. Time to plan the next run ... speaking (writing) of which, I guess the next bit will be choosing a destination for the Oz Boxerworks Autumn gathering ...

[Mal S7]

Good riding stories fellas. Shame about the mechanical failures, gives me the heebies with my longest tour yet coming up. I last looked at the cam chain was last century

Been so busy I haven't even finished refabricating pannier racks. This weekend a tune-up and next week a back tyre. The local shop reckons they can't get me a tyre unless I order 3 at once! May have to find a shop in wagga or albury en route, or else order one online from Geelong and fit it meself, I don't think I have time for that.

Looking forward to catching up with anybody thats about. Talk soon Charlie.

Cheers
Mal