Ben Warden CBR900RR Geoff Jones ZZR600

Rhys Williams ZX7R Geoff Barton ZX7R

Wayne Grant ZX9 Tim Walker ZX7R

Neville Maggs VTR1000SP

There had been a period of heavy rain overnight that had interrupted my sleep, but when I woke up about 6:30 am it looked like it would be overcast but fine. About half an hour later when I went out to scrounge up some breakfast it had started raining lightly again. The others soon surfaced and as we ate breakfast we watched the rain get heavier. By 9 o’clock Ben was restless and had started to exude body language that I read as "Well, get your wet weather gear on…". No one else seemed too keen to get started, but at 9:30 the rain stopped and we were now all eager to get rolling for our first day in the Snowies.

Over to the Walwa general store to fuel up and we’re off. Each morning our route follows the Murray Valley Hwy for 35km to Towong. It’s a smooth flowing piece of road - perfect for letting the bike warm up and getting your mind into gear. We take the turn off toward Khancoban and the Alpine Way through to Thredbo Village. From the last few Australia Day weekends up here I remember this as the best bit of road there is, but this year it’s different.

Leaving Khancoban I can just see Ben and Rhys up ahead. The road is wet, but it’s not raining. I’m going to have to work hard to catch them. The twisties start and I lose sight of them, but soon we ascend into mist and fog. At times visibility drops to about 15 metres, which can make for pretty exciting riding on a wet road while trying to catch those ahead. After a while I catch them, Ben obviously being ultra cautious on the new ‘blade. Rhys soon overtakes Ben, and I expect Ben to follow the red light, but no, and Rhys disappears. I discover that if I open my visor I can see an extra 2 metres into the murk which gives me the confidence to overtake and start the pursuit.

The fog soon clears and I see Rhys about 50 metres ahead. Tight twisties and I’m working hard but not gaining. I’m almost around a left-hander when the road turns to 30 metres of a wet clay pan. I straighten up, there’s no turning on this stuff. On the right edge of the road I see a rocky surface and keep going straight until I reach it. It provides just enough grip to allow me to complete the turn before hitting the embankment. Phew!

On with the pursuit. More twisties and a few kays later it happens again. Having just overtaken a four-wheel drive I come into a left-hander a bit hot and off line when I see that the exit of the corner turns into another clay pan. This one has a small lake on the left, a solid stretch about 1 metre wide just left of centre and a large lake on the right. Having seen Rhys find his way through on the solid bit I attempt the same but the front wheel lets go, I catch it and resign myself to attempting the right-hand lake route. The legs go out, the front wheel goes down and a massive plume of water and steam comes up. The water’s only about five inches deep and I come out the other side still upright having entertained Rhys via mirrors, and no doubt the occupants of the four-wheel drive.

Rhys stops at the point where last year the road turned to gravel - this year it’s all sealed - and we wait for the others, expecting to hear at least one tale of woe in the clay. Thankfully, they’ve all come through unscathed. I hear that Ben stopped past the lakes to observe, rather than before the lakes to warn. Dear Editor, Is this true? (I can't remember. ..Ed.) After exchanging stories of clay pan skills and a few laughs we’re off to Thredbo and the high-speed sweeping road down into Jindabyne for lunch at Wayne’s favourite café — the "Chit Thai".

While having lunch it’s started raining, but Ben’s keen to get going on the run up Charlottes Pass and back. Those of us that have been here before decide to stay dry, have another cappuccino, and wait the hour for them to return — also avoiding the $6.00 toll. There’s a Harley rally on somewhere near the outskirts of Jindabyne and there are hogs moving around everywhere - six hundred we’re told. This movement of Harleys and their riders invites Rhys to come up with my favourite quote of the weekend — "Have you noticed how their necks disappear when they sit on a Harley?"

The Charlottes Pass group return and we head out to have a look at the "Barry Way", a 170 km road through to Buchan. After 30 km it turns to gravel, where we turn around and head back through Jindabyne and onto a lookout over Lake Eucumbene. The back roads are fast, just the sort of thing for Geoff’s ZZR to stretch its legs, and apparently guzzle fuel, as at the lookout he’s unsure if he’ll be able to make the 73 km to Adaminaby. He fails by 5km, but Geoff Barton’s got some siphoning hose and with the sacrifice of some water bottles we all make it to Adaminaby for another rest stop.

Off again, down the Snowy Mountains Highway until we take the turn-off toward Cabramurra and Khancoban. Cabramurra is 4 km past the turn-off we want to take but we continue on to have a cruise around the town that claims to be the highest in Australia. Now, another one of my favourites, The Elliot Way, where Rhys and I again have fun exploring the limits down this wet, rough, bumpy goat track. We regroup again at the bottom by the Talbingo Reservoir, but time is marching on. Not wishing to impose on the publican to again serve us meals after the usual hours we give Ben the hurry up as he’s busy in conversation with a fisherman by the lake. The road up out of the valley is top quality - a fantastic twisty climb.

We’re moving along well now and Wayne, loving this high-speed stuff overtakes me. Climbing a hill I see a sign "GRAVEL ROAD". I back off a bit while I ponder the sign - surely Ben’s not taking us on gravel. Over the crest the road straight ahead is gravel, but the bitumen sweeps around to the left. No worries. Some worries for Wayne though as he sails on straight ahead. I didn’t see him as apparently it takes quite a distance to pull a ZX9 up from speed on gravel. He did the same thing last year, but now reckons he’s got it filed away in the memory banks.

Wayne and Rhys pass me on the road down the Murray valley toward Walwa and I tag on the back as the Kawasakis all explore the top end. Certainly different to the cruise up this road earlier this morning. Back at the pub at 7:40 with plenty of time to spare. It’s surprising how quickly you can cover some kays when you try.

525km. (excluding Charlottes Pass 86km)

Thanks to Dianne Welsford who typed up the bulk of Les Leahy's eight page hand written article at very short notice. I reckon she types faster than I can read. Mind you Les's hand writing is bordering on print quality anyway. It is excellent, as is his article. Check it out.