The quality of the night's sleep wasn't good either with all the usual reasons you don't sleep as well when away from your own bed.
Anyways - got the billy on for the morning's first heart starter and went about systematically packing all the gear back onto what seemed was quite a diminutive Sports Tourer at this point.
Rode down the last bit of the range through to Urunga on the coast, and swung southbound for NSW's beautiful Central Coast Region.
I made my way down to Port MacQuarie for another fuel and brekky stop...
The above shot is the bridge that connects the twin towns of Forster Tuncurry. As you can see - abyssmal weather!
I ended up at San Remo on the Central Coast for the evening, and had a fantastic night with some great friends who put me up for the night. A huge thanks to H, Pat, and my beautiful Goddaughter, Shannen.
The next morning was to be another great riding adventure, but try as I might, an early night simply wasn't on the cards!
A fantastic way to help you get from north to south in this country, is a road by the name of "Old Putty Road" - once described as Australia's "Tail of the Dragon", a motorcycling Mecca, and a great way to circumnavigate our largest city - Sydney, through beautiful and typical Australian bushland.
I would normally have inserted some unbelievable footage here, but the SD Card ain't coughing up its contents at the moment.
Before I reached the 'Putty' I had to traverse one of Australia's premium wine growing regions - the Hunter Valley. Here is some of what it looked like....
Magnificent!
Turned right at the end of it and headed down the Bells Line of Road (another 'To Do' road here).
The next few hundred kilometres involved riding through central New South Wales and the lovely wheat, cattle and sheep farms that adorn the scenery...
I made it through the main centres of Lithgow, Bathurst, Cowra, Cootamundra, Junee, and finally Wagga Wagga - where I was to rendezvous with my mate Growly....
We decided to go to a hotel he spied on the way in for a steak. I was to be his bikie b*tch on the back of the trike - quite an experience.
When we returned to camp with a couple of 'roadies' we had purchased, Growly unveiled his evil plan of deceit and destruction...... THIS....the PURPLE DEATH!
You didn't 'pour' yourself a drink, you 'scooped' one up with your coffee mug!
All through the night, Growly kept threatening to leave a little present for me outside my tent!
Bless him - woke to find my coffee mug washed out, a fresh bottle of water, and a tube of Berocca!
A very scenic ride coming up.
