Licola via
Honda CBR929 Ben Warden (leader) Honda CBR1000 Joel Haley (rear)
Peter Feistl was the nominated leader
for this ride but a mix up with the dates saw him committed to census training
and leading on the same day. A series of emails traversing much of the east
coast of
The forecast was 13 degrees and occasional showers. It had rained almost continuously the day before, according to Lyn, so any outside commitments could not be completed, further diminishing the chances of a large turnout.
And so it was. Joel and I left right on the dot of 10 am, first stop somewhere east, depending on how wet or miserable the weather would become. The sky was totally overcast and would remain so all day. It was cold but not windy and the roads were wet, though not running with water.
We progressed steadily along the
usual highways and bi-ways to Longwarry, then pushed east
through Drouin West and Westbury picking up the
They make great, cheap takeaway
pre-packed sandwiches at Tyers – this time a chicken and salad roll. Joel wasn’t hungry yet as he has started
having breakfast these days, getting hungry at work in the mornings prompting
the change. Speaking of work, Joel is
heading off to Townsville for a change of scenery at the end of August and he
has just 5 rides (weeks) to go. So that explains why he is riding on such a
(potentially) bad day! He is not taking the bike just yet, hedging his bet.
Moving up to Townsville just in time for the wet season may jaundice his view
of sunny
Joel posed the question of whether there was high octane premium fuel at Licola? Probably not, but this requirement dictated the route somewhat as we headed to Heyfield at the edge of petrol civilization via mainly low volume highways. Where have all the cars gone? Ah, yes. Petrol prices – around $1.37 to $1.39 per litre on today’s escapade and expected to go to $1.50 per litre in the city in the next two weeks. (This is just for the record so that in 5 years time when we are paying $3.00 a litre we can look back and remember the good ol’ days and laugh.)
Leaving Heyfield, the
The road was tricky, with some dry sections and then wet corners trying to catch you out. My front tyre was gripping well but the rear was moving around a bit, wanting to let go under power and hard braking. It was acting as if the tread depth was low, but really the under-tree corners were just plain slippery, rarely drying out during winter. Joel was dropping off and then catching up. He thought I was waiting for him but I was just going at a constant pace.
At Licola we turned right and
headed for the dirt at the third crossing of the
My immediate impression was that the road had narrowed considerably since the Club’s last visit in the summer months. The trees and grass have grown right up to the edge of the road, the branches reaching out over the bitumen searching for light. This makes the road feel narrower and makes visibility through the corners impossible. “Faith” becomes an important part of the equation as you feed the throttle in around the blind corners, trusting the road to behave in a logical fashion. Wandering sheep back at the Licola end just raised the anxiety levels, focusing my concentration even more keenly.
At the final
Back along the 24 km of uninterrupted twisty road to Licola and lunch for Joel while I made do with an “Adults Only” muesli bar. Only unleaded fuel was available – answering that question.
Next stop Tyers back via the same scenic and dangerous road, watching for the unsigned roadworks mid-corner and the strewn red gravel in another corner – which somehow seemed worse coming the other way. Rather than veering off to Glenmaggie and Heyfield we took all back roads and wooden bridges to Seaton picking up the main drag at Toongabbie. This alternative road has more curves, is much “safer” and nine km shorter than via Heyfield. As the bike seat was starting to feel plank-like, particularly after spending 8 hours either waiting for late planes or sitting in them the day before, any respite was welcome.
We reached Tyers at 2.30 pm after
another 86 km from Licola and contemplated the Hill End, Noojee,
So after another 60 km, Joel and I reached Robin Hood at 3.30 pm and parted company. After refuelling at Longwarry I battled the heavy freeway traffic all the way home, arriving at 4.36 pm after 589 km for the day. The bike clocked over 191,000 km and is now starting to take on a bit of “character” with rattles, stone chips, scratches, wear marks and cleaning stains.
Thanks Joel for coming along for the ride and sharing the experience. I think you enjoyed the ride.
Later that evening I received a call from Breht Emmerson wanting to know how the ride went. Apparently he rolled up a few minutes late and missing us, set about chasing us down. Desperately trying to remember what was written in the magazine about the route, he headed for Korumburra – totally in the wrong direction. After consulting a map and realising the error of his ways he made a bee-line for Heyfield arriving there around 2 pm, expecting us to come past eventually. But Joel and I had cunningly by-passed Heyfield and were already back at Tyers by the time Breht decided to give up the wait. There was a slight chance if he had pressed on towards Licola he may have intercepted us.
Next time he won’t be late!
Ben Warden