Friday, March 27, 2015

Club Ride to ULLADULLA VIA NERRIGA ON 22 MARCH 2015.


GARRY MCCURLEY - HONDA VFR1200,
NATALIE TE BAY - HONDA VFR1200,
ANDREA LANAGAN - SUZUKI BOULEVARD,
HELEN DAWSON - BMW K1200LT,
KRISTIAN TEREBESSY - BMW K1200LT,
LES ROBINSON - BMW 1150GS,
CHAS TOWIE - HONDA ST1300,
MARK WALKER - HONDA NT700V,
CATHY WALKER - HONDA NT700V,
NEIL GOLDFINCH - HONDA BLACKBIRD.

As the road to Nerriga is now fully tarred, it was decided to go to Ulladulla for lunch via Nerriga and then home via Batemans Bay.

In my trail bike riding youth while growing up in Goulburn, my friends and I often rode this road when it was all dirt, bull dust, corrugated or slippery mud or carved up by a convoy of army trucks. As we were on trail bikes it was great fun. So it's a bit of a different fun adventure to now ride the road fully tarred and on a road bike.

The full ride route was - BP Watson - Bungendore for morning tea - Tarago - Nerriga - Nowra - Ulladulla for lunch and fuel - Batemans Bay - Braidwood for afternoon tea and goodbyes - Bungendore -home.

Due to the current hot weather some had liners removed from their jackets and concerquently found the trip to Bungendore a bit on the cool side.After an enjoyable morning tea we headed off with greyish skies to the wilds of Nerriga and the Sassafras area.

However, just before leaving Bungendore we noticed a beautiful Morgan car that 1 member of our group lusted after☺.

We stopped at Tarago to regroup before continuing onto Nerriga and a planned stop at the waterfall the other side of Nerriga.The weather was OK but getting bit more grey in patches after leaving Tarago.

Also, after leaving Tarago we came across a fox having his or hers morning tea courteous of a dead kangaroo on the road side. On seeing us the fox decided to scamper away by luckily running back into  the bush and not out on the road in front of us.

The ride to Nerriga was enjoyable via crossing the Shaolhaven river at Oallen Ford while pasting through pristine rural and national park countryside. As we approached the Sassafras and went past the spectaular pancake rocks a heavy mist descended on us. The mist shrouded the Pancakes rocks making the rocks and whole country side very beautiful and pictusque. 

After the mist shrouded Pancake rocks we road onto the waterfall for a scenic look. Just before arriving at the waterfall a yellow tailed black cockatoo flew overhead and disappeared into a misty mountainonous ravine. This whole area is very pictusque and worth a stop and  look at.

After a break at the waterfall it was onto Nowra leaving the mist behind us, past the Albatros Naval base and onto the Princess Highway.  The highway was quiet busy and it took a few moments to  actually get onto the Highway.

Once on the highway it was a pleasant ride through lush green countryside containing black & white milking cows with grass up to their knees, onto Ulladulla for lunch at the fish Co op. We were very lucky at the fish Co op to find a vacant table that we all could sit at for an enjoyable lunch of grilled fish, chips and salad.

After lunch some had a walk along the boardwalk that ran all the shore line. It was then time to go, fuel the bikes and head off to Bateman Bay, up the Clyde Mtne to Braidwood. Again the ride to Braidwood was enjoyable with mostly a good run up the Clyde.

At Braidwood some had hot drink we said our good byes and rode home.

In summary the whole day was fantastic and as usual with a great bunch. I look forward to doing the ride again.

Garry - Ride Leader.