Pain Factor: Started an 8 out of 10, ended a 6 out of 10.
Magpie attacks: Nil
Cow sightings: 18
Accommodation Highlight: Urunga, thought to be a two bit town on the Pacific Hwy that no one stops at was actually really nice. I think we were the only ones staying at the pub, so the entire top floor and shared amenities were ours, all ours, mwhahahaha!
http://www.strava.com/activities/191511610
After strategically preparing our breakfast in the shared kitchen to avoid our over zealous "friend" we sneaked out of our lodgings, and set sail for Coffs harbour. A rough start for me today with the cold appearing to move from head to chest. I was not a happy camper for the first 30 minutes of the ride. I felt down about 20% on energy and the bushman's hanky got a real workout (no doubt Santo got a good running commentary of my condition over the bluetooth headset). Added to that, the ride out of Grafton was up hill for the first 5 for so Km's. Heading out on Armidale Rd, our route was the Orara way to Coramba, then the Coramba Rd would would take us into Coffs.
45, 40, 35, 30....
These ones I don't like on a bike. You see, you are going just slow enough to get a good, hard long look at those little fuckers juuuuuust to remind you how long it took you to cover those last 5kms. You have no idea how many times I did those countdowns. Sometimes I swear a number got repeated just to piss me off even more.
For me, today was one of those days where I felt like a diesel engine - hard to start, runs shit cold, but once warmed up it's fine - just don't stop it. So, once I started feeling ok, I was too scared to stop so I just going and the first stint saw me put in a solid 3 hour stint. There were several tiny sleepy villages along this route, Nana Glen, Coramba, and Glenreagh. Glenreagh claim fame to this thing, which I swore was a big dingo on approach, but apparently it is a "Golden Dog". Anyway, the big dog didn't really warrant a stop for me (remember the diesel engine) so here is snap I lifted from a Google Search for you to make your own assessment.
The phenomenon is well and truly over. But some towns still live the dream and refuse to remove these eyesores. Take a quaint little town just up the hills behind my home town of Wollongong. This place is really nice with hipster cafes and pubs, and it's need for a "big something" has well and truly passed. Yet, still sitting right in the middle of town is their "big potato", which in my book is actually a giant turd. You be the judge.
Time for a few more on the road photos. Here is one looking back into town, just as I'd passed through Coramba:
..And the rig having a rest while I sat and munched a banana looking back into town:
There were some decent hills and undulations towards the end of the ride and I knew I was several hundred meters above sea level. Coffs Harbour is right on the coast (duh) and I found myself longing for each corner to open up to a nice easy ride down to town. This did come, but very abruptly about 3 or 4Km's from Coffs, it lasted about 5 minutes and would be perfectly suited as one of those kamikaze sled board tracks.
Santo and I re-grouped on the outskirts of Coffs Harbour. There was still plenty of time left in the day and a decision needed to be made if we crack on pull up stumps in Coffs. This decision was based mainly around me (and my cold) since SuperSanto probably could have ridden directly to Sydney.
As I was beginning to find, grazing while riding was not enough for me and at the 3-4 hour mark I needed a substantial meal. I had a chicken salad (basic country style) in Coffs and it perked me up no end. Re-energised we pushed on. We followed the GPS map to the coast and road out of Coffs around the airport, down through Sawtell and along the Pine Creek Way (basically the old Pacfic Hwy right next to the new one). Progress and time is a fascinating thing. Along this ride we saw evidence of the very old, old (which we were on) and new Pacific Hwy - 3 upgrades over time. No doubt a fourth will run through at some time in the future.
The sun was shining and the ride out of Coffs was most pleasant, which included a nice ride along the Belinger river and over the old Belinger Bridge. I remember this bridge on our trips to QLD when I was very young. Can you believe this was the main route between Sydney and Brisbane...?
We eventually rolled in Urunga at which point a decision was needed to push on to Nambucca Heads or stop here. There was much to'ing and fro'ing. Eventually a decision was made to go on, until I got 200meters down the road and saw the sky. A quick check of BoM on my phone (gotta love travel in the 2010's) and indeed... trouble brewing. Being a bit careful with the chest cold, I called Santo and declared we were stopping here.
To the passer by, Urunga is not much. You can literally see one riverside cafe and a couple of petrol stations from the <busy> Pacific Hwy. But roll the 1km into town and wow, what a nice little hidden gem. The local pub was again our lodgings of choice. I would actually stay here (in Urunga that is) for a holiday in future. First port of call in Urunga was to switch from the throat cough medicine to the chest cough medicine. I got the usual friendly country help, and the girl was most confused when my only priority was a plastic bottle (which I later explained was because I had to carry the bastard on a bike and didn't want the weight of glass). I enjoyed the night in Urunga. A great big pub meal, Kookaburra and Kangaroo sightings a plenty and a great walk along this massive long wooden walkway across the marshland out to the ocean. Up, Up, Urunga!
Santo and I re-grouped on the outskirts of Coffs Harbour. There was still plenty of time left in the day and a decision needed to be made if we crack on pull up stumps in Coffs. This decision was based mainly around me (and my cold) since SuperSanto probably could have ridden directly to Sydney.
As I was beginning to find, grazing while riding was not enough for me and at the 3-4 hour mark I needed a substantial meal. I had a chicken salad (basic country style) in Coffs and it perked me up no end. Re-energised we pushed on. We followed the GPS map to the coast and road out of Coffs around the airport, down through Sawtell and along the Pine Creek Way (basically the old Pacfic Hwy right next to the new one). Progress and time is a fascinating thing. Along this ride we saw evidence of the very old, old (which we were on) and new Pacific Hwy - 3 upgrades over time. No doubt a fourth will run through at some time in the future.
The sun was shining and the ride out of Coffs was most pleasant, which included a nice ride along the Belinger river and over the old Belinger Bridge. I remember this bridge on our trips to QLD when I was very young. Can you believe this was the main route between Sydney and Brisbane...?
We eventually rolled in Urunga at which point a decision was needed to push on to Nambucca Heads or stop here. There was much to'ing and fro'ing. Eventually a decision was made to go on, until I got 200meters down the road and saw the sky. A quick check of BoM on my phone (gotta love travel in the 2010's) and indeed... trouble brewing. Being a bit careful with the chest cold, I called Santo and declared we were stopping here.
To the passer by, Urunga is not much. You can literally see one riverside cafe and a couple of petrol stations from the <busy> Pacific Hwy. But roll the 1km into town and wow, what a nice little hidden gem. The local pub was again our lodgings of choice. I would actually stay here (in Urunga that is) for a holiday in future. First port of call in Urunga was to switch from the throat cough medicine to the chest cough medicine. I got the usual friendly country help, and the girl was most confused when my only priority was a plastic bottle (which I later explained was because I had to carry the bastard on a bike and didn't want the weight of glass). I enjoyed the night in Urunga. A great big pub meal, Kookaburra and Kangaroo sightings a plenty and a great walk along this massive long wooden walkway across the marshland out to the ocean. Up, Up, Urunga!
(I took photos of the 4 or 5 Kangaroo's we saw gracing on the above walk, but yeah, like the Internet needs more photos of Kangafuckingroos).
I am, you are, we are Urunga!
Justin.
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