AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 97ON THE ROAD
Bruxner Highway, oblivious to the absence
of his chaser. I wait for the others to catch
up and we head down into the farmland
for the short dirt bypass. It’s worth the
detour for the fun of the slippery farm
roads. We let the DR go ahead as he’s been
lagging in the fi erce pace, but a li le later
on we see a telltale skid mark heading
straight for a barbed-wire fence.
No harm done. When we regroup at the
highway, he fesses up to target fi xation and
ending up off the side of the road. But he
hasn’t stacked it, just dropped it on its side,
picked it up and gone on before anyone saw
him. Although he did leave evidence behind.
Still no sign of the rider who went
ahead, but we all know we’re going to
Drake so we decide to head for the hotel
for a hot shower and a cold beer.
It’s not called the Drake Hotel anymore.
It’s now the Lunatic Hotel, which somehow
seems more fi ing. Apparently there was
some politically correct resistance to the
name change, but that was its original
name so history won that fi ght.
Name aside, this is simply the best
biker hotel in NSW with its bunker-style
dongers, motel rooms, hearty meals, bike
videos on the TV, small collection of bikes
in the bar, motorsport paraphernalia
everywhere and the warm welcome of
hosts and Ulysses members Bob and
Desley Kane.
Unfortunately, they are trying to sell
to retire nearby, but they haven’t had any
takers. Surely the passing biker trade
will encourage any new owners to follow
the Kanes’ biker-friendly a itude. On
one occasion, I arrived here wet, cold and
miserable only to be given a hot cuppa and
had my clothes thrown in the dryer.snapping out alarmingly on the slippery
decomposed granite surface.
I try the fi rst of the two-stage traction
control, but I’m just losing drive so I switch
it off and rely on the refi ned fuelling,
smooth thro le and my “supreme talents”
to stay out of trouble.
Here, Paddy’s Flat Rd is a riotous romp
up and over the ranges, in and out of
scrub, and across open paddocks that
never fails to entertain those who like
high-speed antics. The surface is fairly
consistent and fairly slippery, but the
road is less travelled and there are few
corrugations from four-wheel-drives with
their tyres pumped up too high.
My heart is racing as I charge down
toward Tooloom Creek a li le too fast
and miss the turn across the creek. It’s ok,
because the wooden bridge has now been
fi xed and I veer onto that, pull up, fl ick
down the side stand and peruse the scene.
This is a great location to shoot the boys
crossing the creek below which, at this
time, is running fairly low. I’ve seen this in
raging fl ood and a trickle. You never know
what you’re going to get, but the bo om
is fairly rocky and can be mossy. Today
it’s pre y easy going and the boys charge
back and forth for the camera, loving every
second of it.Lens cap on, we’re back on the charge
up the hill, tails wagging in the a ernoon
stagnant heat. Roos are usually out at this
time of day so we’ve got one eye on the
road and the other scanning the bushes
for errant fauna. Perhaps the barking mob
of 10 motorbikes is giving them plenty of
warning because we don’t see any.
The scrub closes in around us and
the road winds ever tighter so I’ve lost
consistent light for photos ... besides, I’m
enjoying myself way too much to stop
right now. A couple of us are in qualifying
mode and the 1037cc Strom is going for
pole. Mind you, in the tight stuff I’m not
gapping the DL or DR by much at all.
Down the other side of the range, there’s
another crossing over the Clarence River
at the aptly named Pre y Gully, where I
stop again for shots of the guys parading
across the wooden bridge. I’ve also seen
this area in fl ood with the bridge totally
under water.
Shots done, we spin the wheels back
into the scrub for the second qualifying
session. As we leave the close scrub near
a four-wheel-drive camping ground at
Emu Creek, I’m winding on the Strom and
fi nding that mid-range peak an absolute
joy even in top gear.
I’m sparring now with a liquid-cooled
GSA and losing li le in the fi ght. But I can
sense the turn-off onto the Old Bruxner
Highway coming up so I edge closer to
the lead rider, blowing the horn, fl icking
the headlights and trying to pass. But
he thinks it’s on for real so he presses on
harder and harder.
The turn is to the right around a blind
le -hander and my pursuit ends as I pull
up and my sparring partner rides on to the■ Some river crossings
have bridges!■ The boots aren't all that
got wet when Mark fell in!ARR112_094-100_Sydney Off Road.indd 97ARR112_094-100_Sydney Off Road.indd 97 2/5/2015 11:53:57 AM2/5/2015 11:53:57 AM