The Winter Gully Tour - 4th and last day

After a great nights sleeps, thanks to the electric blank and thick doona , we awoke to blue sky's and blow zero temperature... expectations rising for a great day that includes lots of twisites, beautiful national park, rivers and even a barge ride.

After a hearty breakfast ,gear loaded and fueled up we assembled for a final group photo in front of the Great Central....with a little drama thrown in from the Harley of course. Despite being on a charger overnight the cold temperatures meant the bike could kick over....soooo out came the push starters and with the help of a hill managed to get the big beast started.

-2deg C says Johns Oxford temp guage..but with a hot breakfast and Harley prayer we were ready to go

So we finally herded all the bikes together for the last family pic at the Grand Central before heading out on the final leg home.

Temp was a balmy zero when we left Glen Innes ,with no forecast of black ice after a clear night, we headed of with anticipation of a great roads and views. 

Jesus & dish-washing gloves

So heading into the clear, cold morning with the visor regularly fogging up I reflected on the T-Shirt that Leigh McQueeney kindly gave to each Band of Biker on the tour and hoped that "Mayhem Rising" wasn't a prophetic picture of the rest of the day....though maybe Leigh McQ did :) 
The road ahead of us moved from undulating open high country to forested twisties as we headed through the Gibraltar range with pack of Band of Bikers close behind .

Stopping at the wonderful Raspberry Lookout our we had another internal tank filling experience with more awesome vista's....the colours of blues go on forever in their shades....

and we took our last group shot of the tour ...great memories

Enough standing around we had more riding to do and some twisties to tackle down the mountain...and along the Mann river to a leg stretch at Jackadgery.

The bikes have done us proud with only a loose mirror and Harley starting issue. This was a great pic of the mighty steeds at our Jackadgery rest stop.

It was then onto Grafton for a fuel up then along the Clarence river to grab the ferry over to Lawrence and a great road up to Sumerland Highway and casino. 

Lawrence ferry that will take us to Pringles Way and onto the Summerland Way

Check out Steve G's video of the Band of Bikers coming off the ferry

So we enjoyed a great run on Pringles Way then up Summerland Way through to Casino


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From Casino it was a short run to Kyogle... with a few "where are the Keillars" issues but all sorted and though our planned cafe stop closed (seems all of Kyogle was closed) we pulled into the Kyogle pub for a late lunch , some technology catch up and some final laughs....was impressed with the Barhams food demolition capability :) 

poor Brett...no one wants to talk

With our bellies and bikes full the fun wasn't over as we headed off the 150km to Brisbane, enjoying more great sweeping corners then twisties up and  over "The Main Range" and down to Beaudesert via Rathdowney.

They say there isways a twist in the tail of any experience and for me it was a loud rubbing noise as I slowed for the Woodenbong intersection, with Leigh McQ ushering me to the side of the road my mind went to a broken belt drive....4 hours wait for RACQ... transport home ....a disasterous end to my amazing roadtrip  BUT it was only a broken bolt on my saddle bags and after much work from a number and Brett's Ocky straps we were back on the road...only my pride dented as I now took the "luggage" failure mantle from Des...and these stories last a Loonngg time :)

that is not going to fall off now!!

An uneventful run down the mountain, more twisities till near Rathdowney then rolling hills through to Beaudesert where we said our good byes and headed off in smaller groups to various parts of Brisbane.
The Winter Gully rightly takes its place with our list of other great tours... great roads, great locations and awesome community.

...and Commandment 10 fulfilled...we came home safe with very big smiles on our face:)

THANKS BAND OF BIKERS - WINTER GULLY TOUR 2016









check out our last day video below



....now to finalise our Tassie Tour...March 2017 . 

.. Leigh Keilar has been at it again...check out his great prose

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