Fang to Kangaroo Valley

Tried to convince some mates to go riding today and drew a blank - so went solo to the Southern Highlands and Kangaroo Valley. What a great day it turned out to be! Cool, (actually a bit cold, just in leathers and no dryrider jacket over the top) but clear; dry roads except in a few corners.

Left Canberra via Mack's Reef Rd - a nice fang there - did some more low level flying with a couple of other bikers, who shot past me out beyond Bungendore. Passed them at the Loaded Dog Hotel in Tarago (Only because by then they had stopped and were getting off their bikes).

V. quick run up to Goulbourn and then on to Exeter. Stopped and had a chat at the Robertson Pie Shop (just about obligatory if you're on a bike), then tackled Macquaire Pass and back up again. There were a few bikes out, but not as many as I expected.



Snapped a couple of pics of one guy coming over the first railway bridge on the Pass. Got to get better at my action shots, I think.

One of the good things about riding by yourself is you can go where the whim takes you, so I found myself exploring lots of side roads in and around Robertson and Kangaroo Valley too.

The ride down Fitzroy Falls rd to KV was great - absolutely no cars or trucks in the way, had the road to myself. However the traffic coming up the escarpment was very heavy. I sort of hoped it would be gone by the time of my return journey.

I was planning on having a steak at the Friendly Inn in KV, but there was a folk festival on so the town was packed. The pub has great steaks, but it can be slow at the best of times, so I made do with a beef burger at a cafe across the road - as their ad said - the best burger in the business. It was damned good.



Even with the incessant traffic, the Valley was magnificent - lush and green after recent rains, trees and shrubs in bloom, temperature mild - and no flies (yay !!)



Came back via Bundanoon. I've been meaning to spend more time in this town. Took a few photos of the main street and the soldiers memorial hall. Would have liked to have sat for a while and have a coffee, but it was starting to get late and the light was fading - the road from there for the next 50 kms was pretty much straight into the setting sun - even with a tinted visor, that's hard on the eyes.

Things I wanted to photograph but didn't - will have to go back again I suppose:
the escarpment around Kangaroo Valley;
old buildings in Penrose;
line of ghost gums by the road at Wingello, glowing in the late afternoon sunlight;
my shadow racing along beside me, on its own bike.

Took a few shots at the lookout over Lake George, but it was a little later than I hoped, so the light wasn't quite what I was after.



Finally as I rode into Canberra, I saw Vladimir Putin's aircraft (an Ilyushin IL 62, which was stabled at Canberra Airport during APEC) fly overhead - too dark too get a decent shot.

Great day, but now tired - oh damn, got the ironing to do now :(