Andy Gadget and Just Dan go wandering.

Home on leave at the start of the nice motorcycling riding weather in south eastern Australia, Rallies and GP's to attend, and time between the events to play, what could be better.

Picking up Just Dan on his new Tiger 800 road, on my Guzzi Mille GT, that had been owned by Just Dan until four months before.


We both live in Hobart, the capital city of the island state of Tasmania, so it was off to the ferry to get to the "north island".

Stopped for coffee at Campbelltown.


No images of the ferry or crossing as it started to rain, but we hid out in a mates shed before going to the ferry.





Dan shot off to the Gippsland lakes to catch up with friends, as I caught up with family in Melbourne, then it was up to the Victorian Guzzi club Rally, the Spaghetti rally, north of whitfield.

Usual rally stuff, tall tails and true around a camp fire.



Spaghetti the traditional way, out of my Mille GT side cover.


Not to be outdone, out of a helmet, minus lining


Dan consumed his spaghetti the conventional way, having no side covers to pull off.




Mille as kitchen table.

After the Spag rally, it was off to play in the high country, accompanied by McArdigan on his way home to Stratford via the Dargo High Planes Road. With the intention to ride over to a pub called the "Blue Duck" via the falls creek to Glen Willes road, but at Mt Beauty the sign was out that the road was closed.
The locals said that it had been closed all year, and didn't know why, could have been trees down, or flood damage, so plan A was out.
Plan B, much to McCardigan's heart, was over Toowonga gap to Bright, where the boutique brewery would ensure a good nights sleep.

The lookout on the gap road.


The pub at bright were we stayed.


The top of the Dargo road.

Chris's computer was saying 1 degree, and flashing to warn about ice.



After Chris departed, Dan and I continued up over Mt Hotham and snow.





Chris had suggested taking to the back road, and an old log hauling steam engine in the high country, called the Washington engine.












The Mille was struggling with the slippery conditions, but it was Dan's Triumph that bit the mud.




We were heading to a set of huts at Benley Plains, One hut is called the "Russian Villa" and on the other side of the river was a shelter shed and small hut called the "Bush Hilton", where we settled in for the evening and night.

Russian Villa


The site is high, 1147 meters according to my GPS, so it was going to be cool, the thermometer was reading 1 degree C, 33.8 Degrees F, at 6PM, but the morning say my thermometer reading -10 degrees C, 14 degrees F.













I had slung my Hennessey Hammock inside the shelter shed, while Dan had setup inside the small hut.
I wanted to see if my ExPed down mat could do duty as the under quilt on the hammock, which it did do, but undid itself from my restraints during the nigh, and moved away at the foot end to give me cool feet.

We went down to Ensay after the cool morning, then up to Swifts Creek for lunch, then down to a mates place in Stratford.

No photos, as it was a transport stage really, as road works on the Tambo river road took most of the fun away.
Settled in this morning to watch the Barry Sheene ride, from Bairnsdale to the track at Philip island, as it passed through Stratford.

Then back to the bikes and a very windy ride to the the island, the wind causing power outages in towns along the way.

Getting away from the masses was the main goal, and various zig zags achieved this.

Currently in the community race house, awaiting the arrival of the rest of the crowd.

The numbers at the GP on Philip Island are huge, Saturday was like a normal Sunday race day, so how busy is Sunday going to be?




Where is my bike?

Great ride guys. Do all those bikes in the shed belong to one person!? Ill be settling down in front of the telly soon to watch the GP. Have a great time and ride safe.

It did take awhile to find my bike and there was only a handful of tigers and only one mille

Mostly theirs, they are proving the rule, that you expand to fil all available space, and this is one shed of two

The race day was kaos on the island, requiring a 630 AM departure to ensure a fence side position for the race, that starts at 4 PM.

I and Dan woosed it, and stayed in the house, and watched it on TV.

We felt for the poor working stiffs who had to get off the island that evening.
Even at 10 AM the next morning, it was bad enough, so Dan and I chose to get out of the traffic by heading north, rather than east or west, that the vast majority was doing.

Our destination was the old gold mining town of Walhalla up in the foot hills.

Packing up at the house.


A stop at Mirboo north for a coffee, after using the back roads like on the way down.


The camp area, the town is long and skinny, being build around a narrow gully, running north south, so sun and its arrival time was a consideration in where to tent up.


Dan yarning to a local.


Coffee time.


The sun is gone for the evening.


There had been a rally held at this spot, called the V2 Rally, so the joys of packing wet tents was known, so I parked at the "get the sun early" position.

The sun is almost there.


When the sun does get there, it does so quickly, Dan basking in the newly arrived sun.

Now that the vast majority of the traffic had gone, it was retraceing our footsteps up to Omeo, then off along the Limestone road into the Alpine Nation Park, with the plan being to camp at native dog flat camping area.

Caught up with a couple from WA, whose goal was Jindabyne that evening.


They don't like wild dogs up this way.


There was lots of evidence of the floods and high winds the area had suffered.


Native dog flat camping ground.




Lots of wild Horses in the area, the stallions leave piles of dung on the road, that other stallions then add to, is an horsy pissing competition.
There is a small one here.



knarled old man snow gum.


I elected to hammock up.


Had some locals visit


This camp is on the national equestrian trail, and so is set up for horse camping, segregated from the rest of use.


Nice big area, has the look of a frost hollow to me, like Bentley plains of a week or so ago.


A fine meal of cryovac lamb shanks and rissotto was had.

After Native Dog flat, it was over to the Barry way, with its spectacular transition from farming land to the deep vally of the snowy river.
Half way down to Suggen Buggen, Dan stopped to take off some layers, and we noticed some tire brake marks left by a less than careful car driver, they would have been sucked unto there seat, with the clenching


Not far from the edge, and a long way to the bottom

Manditory photo of the top of the Barry way.



We booked into a great old hotel easy walking distance from the Australian War memorial, and spend the whole dsy there.






Anzac cove


G for George, a Lancaster bomber, "a flying bomb bay" as the yanks called it.


Dan had reconditioned this rocket plane as an apprentice at the CAC, years ago.








A Mosquito bomber, made of ply wood.




An Australian designed and built Wirraway plane, made in the CAC in Melbourne.




Korea.


Vietnam.

It was now time to head up to the Trout rally, at three mile dam, near Kiandra, at 1470 meters.
The route there was back roads to Wee Jasper, then to Tumut and up the race track of the snowy mountain highway to the site.

The old hotel, right in the middle of Canberra.



The Milli ready for the off again.


The rally site, at 1470 meters, 4822 feet, it got cold as soon as the sun went down.


So a fire was essential.


Or for cooking the old fashioned way.


The usual "Friday night at a rally" tall tales and true were told.


Dsan kept the cold at bay with a bottle of Stones green ginger wine.




The next morning, a group of us went on a walk to some old gold mining equipment, the lake had been made to provide water for hydraulic mining of gold.

The top of one arm of the lake.


Frost hollow plains like most of the area.


Wild horses.


"That will buff right out"




Old stamping battery.




Old mine workings


And back to the rally site.


The same wild horses had moved to our side, and soon bolted.







Lots had arrived while we were away.



Rally chair engineering was discussed, at length.


Nibblies came out, and were consumed.


The usual rally events were conducted.


To the amusement of the spectators.


Egg toss.




The raffle prizes, the foil wrapped bundles were smoked trout.


The next day and it was off again, packed up again.
Even this far into the trip, the pack for each morning was different to the previous one.



Down the twisties on the tooma road towards Tumberumba.






The "snowy ride" was on the same weekend, meaning lots of squids to make the roads less fun, so we had lunch ar Corryong, and took the dirt of the Omeo highway over to the free camping of Anglers Rest.


Which had the attraction of the Blue Duck pub on the other side of the bridge.






We had forgotten that the weekend was a long one in Victoria, the Melbourne cup weekend, the other event on the first Tuesday of November.
And this had a profound effect on our plans, as all the camping sites nearer Melbourne would be full, so we settled in for a second night at the Blue Duck.
BTW, the name of the pub of slang for a mine that isn't producing anything, and the Cobungra river is full of fools gold, and little real gold.

The long weekend, and the Falls Creek road being open, had lots of squids and pirates enjoying the warm and sunny conditions, and the plentiful corners of the area.


A weather front was due through the area the next day, so an early pack and drone to Melbourne was the plan.
An early lunch at Stratford, again, we were becoming regulars here, we watch the Barry Sheene ride from the veranda, and stppped in again after the GP.

What a great adventure + great pics

Great photos, hope catch up again somewhere down the track
Cheers
Baza

Excellent ride report and great photos. I liked the Mille, I bought a Cali III at the same time the Mille came out in early 1994 and I have only just sold it and I am now missing it dearly, not one of my better decisions.

Thanks.

Outstanding!

Hi,

I just read your ride report and was really pleased to see that Just Dan is out and about - I had been wondering how he was...I am in WA - rode from Adelaide early October and saw swarms of riders heading to the moto GP over the Nullabor.
I am hoping to head down south on my bike sometime in the next month or so.
Sooray

And a few photos from me.

The ride over Mt. Hotham


Me falling off at walking pace


Bentley flats and Moscow villa

Inside Moscow villa


The bush Hilton


Walhalla



On the way to Native dog camp site


Barry way



Trout rally, Caught up with mates I have not seen in 15 years



The blue duck at anglers rest



And when you are about 1 hour away from home

After a few days of catching up with friends and family in Melbourne, due to the boat being full, it was time to load the bike up with all the contraband I had purchased in the bike shops of Melbourne.
I now had three disc rotors strapped to the bike, and a pile of little hi tech gadgets so dear to my heart.

Loaded again, outside my brothers place.


You can just see the disc rotors sticking their nose out under the gear on the seat.


On the ferry.


An early breakfast at one of the few good places open early in the morning, The House of Anvers Chocolate factory, the boat unloads at about 630 AM.


It ws then onto the back roads that as locals we know so well, with the plan being to go over Poatina to the lakes highway, then down past Bothwell and there split for different routes home.

I had bought a pile of spares when I first arrived in the north island, one of which was a new ignition key, as the old one was showing signs of failure.
The bike did all the dirt and bouncy tar without fault, and it is almost poetic that the spark should go away after a "spirited" ride up the poatina hairpins, and stopped like a switch had been turned off, which it had been.
Sp in brilliant sunshine the tools came out and the electricery fault tracing began.
As my mate Murphy would always have it, I started from the wrong end, looking at the Sache ignition module and its associated connections.


It was wrong, as the fault was indeed the ignition key switch.
The old one had bullet connections, while the new one had 1/4 spades, so after a quick rewire with crimp fittings from Dan, it was gear on again and the last hour and a bit to home.


Good as the trip had been, it is always good to get home.

Time to mow the grass, Andy

This ride report just gets betterer and betterer. Nice images, Dan. This gets bookmarked for future reference.

SJ