Ben Warden ZXR750 Derek Atkinson FZR1000

Rhys Williams ZX7R Geoff Barton R1100GS

Wayne Grant Ford Bruce Saville FJ1100

Verity Ford Tim Walker ZX7R

After yesterday, a long day of the best days riding that I can remember, today was to be a bit of a rest day. The goal was easier than it sounded - to climb Mt. Kosciusko.

Rhys had left several hours earlier for Wodonga to get a new tyre (that’s a story in itself) and would catch us up later. Kathy had decided to return to Melbourne, so there were only seven of us to head out. We left at about 9:30 with Verity going pillion with Ben for the first leg to Adaminaby. Out through Tintaldra, Towong and taking the turn off before Khancoban towards Cabramurra. This is an interesting road with a straight but undulating part following high voltage power lines, followed by a twistier section that comes out at the top of the dam wall of the Tooma Reservoir. I passed Ben and Verity on the twisty section and waited at the dam wall, always a good point for a break. Several other sports and touring bikes were also stopped there, waiting for their mates. We’re not the only ones to have discovered the Snowies.

After regrouping we’re off again, climbing, then a steep twisty descent to the Tumut pond. After crossing the dam wall it’s climbing again, trying not to be too diverted by the magnificent views to the left. Soon we’re through Cabramurra onto the fast flat plains before coming to the ‘T’ intersection with the Snowy Mountains Highway. Turning right it’s on to Adaminaby along this great, but well policed, main road where we wait for Wayne in his Falcon who had diverted to Corryong to pick up a H4 headlight globe. After refuelling bodies and bikes it’s on to Berridale and Jindabyne where we find Rhys waiting for us at the Chit Café. Onto Thredbo where we all avoid paying the road toll as we’re "only passing through".

At Thredbo there’s a chair lift ($18 thank you very much) that in ten minutes takes you from the village up to the high plain. Derek and Bruce decided to stay at the bottom to do some sightseeing before making their way back to Walwa. The rest of us locked our gear in Wayne’s car and took the chair lift to the top. Rhys and Geoff didn’t intend to do the 12km return walk to Kosciusko but came along to see what was at the top anyway. The first part of the trail is paved, then a long section of steel mesh raised just above the native vegetation. It’s a pretty easy walk but there was a fair distance to cover and we had to keep moving to get back by 5:00pm when the chair lift closed.

The weather was superb, sunny with a slight breeze. The blackboard at the bottom of the chair lift claimed a wind chill factor of -15°C, but I reckon it was about 10°C. We spent about 10 minutes at the top, the top of Australia, before making our way back, arriving back at the chair lift with 5 minutes to spare. The round trip had taken us 2 hours 45 minutes.

At the bottom we found Geoff and Rhys, got our gear out of the car and hit the road, back on the Alpine Way. Not far out of Thredbo the road turns to gravel, a 15km section, but with some good short bitumen parts along the way. (Total dirt: 3.2 km …. Ed.) They’re working on it so pretty soon it will be all bitumen.

At the end of the dirt we waited for Geoff, caught by a 5 minute red light as part of the road works. When he arrived he shot straight through and I followed, getting the jump on Ben and Rhys, still with their helmets off. This has to be 50 kms of the grousest road to be found. Yesterday we’d travelled this road in the other direction, but this is definitely the better way to go. The road winds its way though the dense forest with the lower section having many narrow deep rock cuttings. The surface is superb, but the few oncoming cars and trucks do, at times, make things interesting. Concentration was at the max as I managed to keep headlights out of my rear vision mirrors all the way to Khancoban.

After refuelling at Khancoban it was a pleasant cruise back to the Walwa pub, looking forward to a few well-earned pots at the bar.

Yet another memorable day. 430km.

Tim Walker (Kawasaki ZX7R)