A Very "Hot"" first ride of the year

We were greeted with a hot and humid day for our first ride but this didn't deter some 25 bikes and nearly 30 riders who assemble for a 390km ride through some beautiful countryside from the lockyer valley, up the Toowoomba range and down through Ravensbourne National park to Eask and homeacross the Wivenhoe spillway.

Larry parking his Triumph sprint as bikers gathered

Crusty Cav looking forward to day 

Des was really excited....

We enjoyed the shade as we waited for all the band of bikers to arrives. It was great to welcome  5 riders from our "meet-up"group 





It was great to catch up after Christmas, rekindle some great times from our roadtrip and generally get excited about riding the great south east...Des showing the Way.

leaving Gateway

Some of the riders enjoying the run in the sun as we stretched out along the highway on the long, boring stretch out to the Amberley turn-off to Rosewood. 
We certainly were looking forward to a stop to quench our thirst at the "Eagle Rock Cafe" at Laidley. 

Gathering back together fro run to Laidley

 Now for a bit of selfie magic....so let do some handovers

what a view

the Ben & Bec Show

thx steve for the view

Eagle Rock Cafe at Laidley

all bikes lined up in laidley

some awesome Band of Bikers community with Elvis watching over our shoulder

From Laidley we headed through Gatton off through the Ma Ma creek and some beautiful country and  twisties ....then to Toowoomba Federal Hotel for a great lunch then home down the awesome Hampton-Esk road.

Peter & Flemming ready for home

Pete sharing some thoughts with Craig

great road home

check out Steves great movie

Headin Sth - DesDay 4 - the road home

As we prepared for our last day on the road and as one of those old buggers...I reflected on the truth of the above slide...so true ...but unfortunately we have to go home and back to normality of life.

Steve and Des loading up early to leave

So we left Emerville and made our way back to Tenterfield ..then turning off Summerland Way and winding our way up to Woodenbong and over the hill back down Mt Lindsay Highway to Brisbane.

Des getting a farewell from Dot

We would recommend the Club hotel to any bikers looking for some authentic country hospitality... as you cansee in the pic with Des being waved off by Dot, one of the owners.

riding out of emmerville

Again the weather was perfect again for our ride, I forgot how good riding was out this way..we headed for Tenterfield and fuel top up where we told of a great place for morning tea..."The Willow Tree Cafe" ...so after scouring the main street of Tenterfield we gave up and parked to grab a coffee from any cafe! The irony of the following picture was not lost on us as Steve park but two shops away from the cafe we were looking for and stood right under ..yes, an optometrist sign :)

It has been a running joke that Des always gets his coffee first, so after a chat to the waitress we made sure he was last...poor Des.

So, with stomach's full we headed out off on the Buxner Highway, beautiful tree lined road  before turning off to to meandered through the beautiful valley & mountain on average roads to Woodenbog. 

Enjoyed it so much that I forgot to take any pics so picked a few from Google images just for you that give you a little taste of its remoteness. We stopped for a break in Woodenbong and couldn't but appreciate the Crown Hotel with road and trail bike on roof!

So we finally made it back to familiar Territory, Mt Lindsay Highway twisting down the hill, past Mt Barney and more beautiful vista's, we were making good time and had decided to grab lunch at our usual stop at  Macca's at Beaudesert ... but believe it or not, came across some tree felling on the highway which stopped us in our tracks.... a funny ending to such a free-wheeling roadtrip. The pic says it all!!

you can almost hear the growling...let us go!!

  

Santa was not impressed either

 So it was a frustrating waiting game but thankfully we had the big red Honda with its full sound system to entertain us all.

Drew & meagan park the big red for the last feed.

extensive research by Des suggest an ave 2.5 people on phone per stop!!

And so the roadtrip wound down with a calorie load and some fond farewells and great memories .... this was another awesome roadtrip that will take some beating as we hit some of the best riding roads in Australia...with a group of riders you the likes of which you could never better.... thanks for the memories!! 

"Headin Sth" 2014 road-trippers

Headin Sth - Day 3 more great roads

After a later start and breakfast we left the Commercial Hotel Dorrigo , fuelled up and road up the street to one of our favourate places, Juan's Cafe and the smallest motorcycle in the world for a coffee...but the curse of the broken bike rack struck again..not Des this time!!

Thought I would through in this pic of Johaan at a late night coffee the night before...hmm things that bikers get up to on a roadtrip..


Dave enjoying one of his favourite road-trip watering holes ....Steve just happy to be able to check his emails and keep the business demands at bay whilst on the road.. Richard & Johann just chillin!

love that headmaster look steve :)

Now off to the Dorrigo Danger Waterfalls for a little look

Johaan enjoying the dry weather this year... he remembers keeping out of the we weather last year in the bus shelter.
We did see a warning sign for someone that look the mythical best called "the Yowie" :)



Now we got the touristy bit out of the way it was off riding on some great roads, continuing on Waterfall Wat then on Armidale road through some unbelievable landscape and back down the moutain with a a thousand twisties as we headed to Grafton for lunch.

On these fast, curvy roads you need to be aware of the locals , I tried the crocodile dundee hypnosis which thankfully seemed to work.

Those poor sports bike riders  have to spend their time hanging around in the shade waiting for some of us slower riders...its a great look.

We now headed off toward Nimboida and the twisties that saw Dave, and the big BMW come to a ballerina type fall on last years trip...thankfully the road has now been sealed and is very smooooth ..so no such troubles this year :)

we battled some slippery spills form a recent cattle truck

Thanks Steve for another great view ...and the delicate riding of our leader for he day, Richard.

We made our way down the great Armidale Rd , stopped for a break at Nimboida then pushed on through the rolling hills to Grafton and lunch at the local RSL , right on the Mclean river
After lunch it was off on another magic road, the Gwydir Highway that winds its way through the Gibralter National Park to Glenn Innes.....and many more curves. Took a short break at a look out for the obligatory selfie....but with dark storm clouds massing where were heading we thought it best not to be caught on this difficult road in a storm.

As we raced off along the Gwydir...Steve suddenly pull off the road for what I thought was a jornt in the bush but we came out to another magnificent site..the Strawberry lookout....and again , the obligatory selfie, then geared up for a run through some cold and wet weather.

Just couldn't take all the magic in ......

So back on the bike to get wet ...and it was cold water..from a very high place..

..after a fuel & warm up at Glenn Innes servo and Macca's.

We couldn't believe just 5 minutes later as we headed for our nights accommodation at the the Club Hotel Emerville , that it was bone dry ...  blue sky...big sweeping curves

...so we arrived at a place we stayed on our second roadripe over 6 years ago...and, after settling in our bikes in the stable (just like Jesus), though Daves bike did want to have a lie down:)

assumed assumed our usual position on the pub verandah, afterall it was Pizza Night

It was another great Emerville experience.... enjoying the country hospitality and accommodation with some intrigue thrown in at 3:30am when all the fire alarms went off...thankfully just a malfunction but.... seeing mine host in his unmentionables was a scary sight we are trying to get our of our minds.