Click on the map to enlarge it and show our route
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After completing my “Half Way ‘Round” trip in early 2009, I decided that I wanted to share some of that experienced with Chris. Almost 12 months after setting off on that. original trip, we loaded up the Honda ST1300 to retrace some of the spectacular places that Steve, Marcelo, Fish and myself explored on that journey. Here’s the story of our Snowy Mountains ride.
Sun 31st Jan
Chris and I left home at 7.30 am on a day forecast to reach 35 degrees as we wanted to get an early start. We headed straight down the Dukes Highway for Bordertown, where we turned south to Frances where I spent time as a child in the 1960s. The small railway town now looks almost derelict and tired, with the pub and general store being the only places showing signs of life. From Frances we traveled the beautiful agricultural country in western Victoria to Eden Hope and then through the hills to Casterton and on to Hamilton where we stayed the night in a caravan park cabin. It was a beaut day through some lovely countryside, and a great start to our trip.
Mon 1st Feb
We decided to bypass the GOR, so from Hamilton we rode to Colac for morning tea by the lake, and then to Geelong. At Queenscliff caught the ferry to Sorento so that we could avoid Melbourne. The ferry fare was $39 for the bike, Chris and I. We then worked our way around the eastern side of the Morning Peninsula and down the coast towards Phillip Island. For some reason I find this road tiring and boring. From Wonthaggi we rode to Cape Patterson and Inverloch. The short stretch from Cape Patterson to Inverloch is a narrow and winding road which hugs the coastal cliffs and has been 
refered to as the “Little Ocean Road”. Inverloch where we stopped for the night is a coastal holiday town. We stayed overnight in a budget motel as the cabins in the caravan park were outrageously expensive. A VERY tasty old fashioned hamburger-with-the-lot from the local fish and chip shop, and a walk along the coast finished a beaut day. The weather remains good, but the long range forecasts are for lots of rain in the mountains.
Tues 2nd Feb
We rode from Inverloch to Fish Creek, and on to Sale. The roads were quiet and the sky darkened as we approached Welshpool, so we donned the wet weather gear and prepared for a wet ride. That chased the rain away, and by the time we stopped by the river at Sale to boil the billy for a cuppa, it was hot again. I must remember that strategy for avoiding rain as I think we will need it later in the week. We arrived at Bairnsdale at lunch time, and sat by the Mitchell River to eat our sandwiches. At the local Tourist Info Centre we checked the weather for the next few day to plan our timings for crossing Mt Hotham. We had hoped to stay at Bairnsdale for two nights and spend some time exploring Lakes Entrance, but Wednesday looks like being the last of the good weather for a while, so its one night only, and over the top tomorrow. We did quick trip to Lakes Entrance in the afternoon. I’ve never been there before and it is certainly a beautiful place. It’s a great harbour which is base for a large fishing fleet. In holiday time I imagine that there would be masses of tourists. Back at Bairnsdale we took a cabin in the Big4 park, which is right next to a massive factory that makes pies and pasties. All night all we could smell was pies and pasties being baked.
After completing my “Half Way ‘Round” trip in early 2009, I decided that I wanted to share some of that experienced with Chris. Almost 12 months after setting off on that. original trip, we loaded up the Honda ST1300 to retrace some of the spectacular places that Steve, Marcelo, Fish and myself explored on that journey. Here’s the story of our Snowy Mountains ride.
Sun 31st Jan
Chris and I left home at 7.30 am on a day forecast to reach 35 degrees as we wanted to get an early start. We headed straight down the Dukes Highway for Bordertown, where we turned south to Frances where I spent time as a child in the 1960s. The small railway town now looks almost derelict and tired, with the pub and general store being the only places showing signs of life. From Frances we traveled the beautiful agricultural country in western Victoria to Eden Hope and then through the hills to Casterton and on to Hamilton where we stayed the night in a caravan park cabin. It was a beaut day through some lovely countryside, and a great start to our trip.Mon 1st Feb
We decided to bypass the GOR, so from Hamilton we rode to Colac for morning tea by the lake, and then to Geelong. At Queenscliff caught the ferry to Sorento so that we could avoid Melbourne. The ferry fare was $39 for the bike, Chris and I. We then worked our way around the eastern side of the Morning Peninsula and down the coast towards Phillip Island. For some reason I find this road tiring and boring. From Wonthaggi we rode to Cape Patterson and Inverloch. The short stretch from Cape Patterson to Inverloch is a narrow and winding road which hugs the coastal cliffs and has been 
refered to as the “Little Ocean Road”. Inverloch where we stopped for the night is a coastal holiday town. We stayed overnight in a budget motel as the cabins in the caravan park were outrageously expensive. A VERY tasty old fashioned hamburger-with-the-lot from the local fish and chip shop, and a walk along the coast finished a beaut day. The weather remains good, but the long range forecasts are for lots of rain in the mountains.Tues 2nd Feb
We rode from Inverloch to Fish Creek, and on to Sale. The roads were quiet and the sky darkened as we approached Welshpool, so we donned the wet weather gear and prepared for a wet ride. That chased the rain away, and by the time we stopped by the river at Sale to boil the billy for a cuppa, it was hot again. I must remember that strategy for avoiding rain as I think we will need it later in the week. We arrived at Bairnsdale at lunch time, and sat by the Mitchell River to eat our sandwiches. At the local Tourist Info Centre we checked the weather for the next few day to plan our timings for crossing Mt Hotham. We had hoped to stay at Bairnsdale for two nights and spend some time exploring Lakes Entrance, but Wednesday looks like being the last of the good weather for a while, so its one night only, and over the top tomorrow. We did quick trip to Lakes Entrance in the afternoon. I’ve never been there before and it is certainly a beautiful place. It’s a great harbour which is base for a large fishing fleet. In holiday time I imagine that there would be masses of tourists. Back at Bairnsdale we took a cabin in the Big4 park, which is right next to a massive factory that makes pies and pasties. All night all we could smell was pies and pasties being baked.Wed 3rd Feb
Today was brilliant and the weather remained sunny for our first mountain crossing. The road it Omeo is something special. Beautiful sweeping curves and stunning scenery made for an unforgettable ride. We stopped at the bakery at Omeo for a hot chocky and then continued on the Mount Hotham. This road is such a spectactular ride. A significant down side was lots of sand on the road for a few kilometers each side of Mount Hotham. It made the curves quite treacherous, and I can only assume that the sand was to give traction in icy conditions. The twisting descent once 
past Hotham is quite a contrast to the sweeping curves on the way up. From Harrietville we rode to Bright and then over the spectacular Tawonga Gap road to Mount Beauty. The Tawonga Lookout provides views of the Kiewa Valley, Mt Beauty and Mt Bogong, the highest peak in Victoria.
Today was brilliant and the weather remained sunny for our first mountain crossing. The road it Omeo is something special. Beautiful sweeping curves and stunning scenery made for an unforgettable ride. We stopped at the bakery at Omeo for a hot chocky and then continued on the Mount Hotham. This road is such a spectactular ride. A significant down side was lots of sand on the road for a few kilometers each side of Mount Hotham. It made the curves quite treacherous, and I can only assume that the sand was to give traction in icy conditions. The twisting descent once 
past Hotham is quite a contrast to the sweeping curves on the way up. From Harrietville we rode to Bright and then over the spectacular Tawonga Gap road to Mount Beauty. The Tawonga Lookout provides views of the Kiewa Valley, Mt Beauty and Mt Bogong, the highest peak in Victoria.Thurs 4th Feb
The forecast for the next three days is for rain right throughout eastern Vic and southern NSW, so we have decided to sit it out in Mt Beauty. We did some grocery shopping, checked out the local Tourist Info Centre, and because the rain hasn’t arrived, decided to ride to Falls Creek in the late morning. We visited this area about 20 year ago, and the road to Falls Creek was wider than I remembered it to be. Twist and turns and spectacular scenery all the way…. We experienced light showers near the top. At Falls Creek we went to the only open café and had a couple of almost warm hot chockys. Back down towards Mt Beauty and we hed a break at Bogong where a new Hydro Electric Station has been built. Unfortunately the station was closed to the public for the day, so we couldn’t see inside.
Fri 5th Feb
Despite the forecast rain, we wanted to explore some more. We rode back over the Tawonga Gap to Bright and it soon started raining, and we pushed on through some great riding roads to Beechworth. It didn’t look like stopping and we couldn’t find any undercover parking in the town. However we eventually found a playground with undercover BBQ by the lake. We parked by the BBQ, and boiled the billy and had lunch. The beautiful ride back to Mt Beauty via Yankandandah was great (and wet), but worth putting up with the inconvenience. It looks like most of the rain could clear tomorrow.
Sat 6th Feb
This was the day that I was looking forward to, and the weather had cleared. We rode the Red Bank Road which is parallel with the main road to Albury. It was quiet and very scenic, passing though undulating dairy country. We refueled at Tallangatta and headed along the Murray Valley Highway towards Corryong. We stopped at “Lawrence Lookout” which has great 360 degree views. We could see cloud sitting on the Snowy Mountains which we would cross later in the day. At Corryong we visited the “Man From Snowy River” museum, which features the life of Jack Riley, the original Man From Snowy River. Banjo Patterson met him at Tom Groggin Station and based the poem of a series of Riley’s exploits. We also visited Riley’s grave in the local cemetery. After a home made pie for lunch at Khancoban, we rode the spectacular Alpine Way towards Thredbo. Geehi Camp area was a good spot for a cuppa, and just as we approached Tom Groggin camp area for a break, a mob of roos dashed along trhe road beside us. It was the only encounter with roos for the whole trip. Tom Groggin is about the closest the paved road gets to the start of the River Murray. This road twists and turns up the mountains. As we crossed the top of the range the temperature dropped and a light cold rain started, but it had disappeared by the time we reached Jindabyne. The caravan park beside the lake is great and we took a cabin for two nights.
Sun 7th Feb
The forecast for the next three days is for rain right throughout eastern Vic and southern NSW, so we have decided to sit it out in Mt Beauty. We did some grocery shopping, checked out the local Tourist Info Centre, and because the rain hasn’t arrived, decided to ride to Falls Creek in the late morning. We visited this area about 20 year ago, and the road to Falls Creek was wider than I remembered it to be. Twist and turns and spectacular scenery all the way…. We experienced light showers near the top. At Falls Creek we went to the only open café and had a couple of almost warm hot chockys. Back down towards Mt Beauty and we hed a break at Bogong where a new Hydro Electric Station has been built. Unfortunately the station was closed to the public for the day, so we couldn’t see inside.
Fri 5th Feb
Despite the forecast rain, we wanted to explore some more. We rode back over the Tawonga Gap to Bright and it soon started raining, and we pushed on through some great riding roads to Beechworth. It didn’t look like stopping and we couldn’t find any undercover parking in the town. However we eventually found a playground with undercover BBQ by the lake. We parked by the BBQ, and boiled the billy and had lunch. The beautiful ride back to Mt Beauty via Yankandandah was great (and wet), but worth putting up with the inconvenience. It looks like most of the rain could clear tomorrow.
Sat 6th Feb
This was the day that I was looking forward to, and the weather had cleared. We rode the Red Bank Road which is parallel with the main road to Albury. It was quiet and very scenic, passing though undulating dairy country. We refueled at Tallangatta and headed along the Murray Valley Highway towards Corryong. We stopped at “Lawrence Lookout” which has great 360 degree views. We could see cloud sitting on the Snowy Mountains which we would cross later in the day. At Corryong we visited the “Man From Snowy River” museum, which features the life of Jack Riley, the original Man From Snowy River. Banjo Patterson met him at Tom Groggin Station and based the poem of a series of Riley’s exploits. We also visited Riley’s grave in the local cemetery. After a home made pie for lunch at Khancoban, we rode the spectacular Alpine Way towards Thredbo. Geehi Camp area was a good spot for a cuppa, and just as we approached Tom Groggin camp area for a break, a mob of roos dashed along trhe road beside us. It was the only encounter with roos for the whole trip. Tom Groggin is about the closest the paved road gets to the start of the River Murray. This road twists and turns up the mountains. As we crossed the top of the range the temperature dropped and a light cold rain started, but it had disappeared by the time we reached Jindabyne. The caravan park beside the lake is great and we took a cabin for two nights.Sun 7th Feb
I don’t know where all the rain went but we seem to be dodging it quite nicely. Today we rode up to Charlotte Pass, the highest paved road in Australia at 1850 meters, and which has a view of Mt Kosciusko. On the way up, I thought that I had been pinged multiple times my speed cameras, as I kept seeing flashes. I was very annoyed as I was sure I was within the speed limits. However it turned out to be Chris taking some photos over my shoulder, which I didn’t figure out until we were half way back down to Jindabyne. We continued on a short scenic loop that took us from Jindabyne to Beloka, Dalgetty and back home via Berridale. At Dalgetty there is a lovely old bridge crossing a pond in which Playtpus may be found. It was a beaut day of touring the Jindabyne area.Mon 8th Feb
Today our destination was Tumut. Another fine day for us, while the rest of the east coast drowns in rain. We rode to Adaminaby where I dropped the bike while parking it when my foot slipped on some fine gravel. Bugger!! Chris and I sprawled on the road, but fortunately there were no spectators to see the spectacle. No significant damage to the bike, but a little ding on the muffler. I was a bit gun-shy of gravel for the rest of the day. We had a look at the Old Adaminaby site which as flooded when Lake Eucumbene was flooded as part of the Snowy Scheme. There’s not much to see as it’s all flooded!! We rode on to Yarrangobilly Caves. The
road into the caves was a one way paved road, which turned into a 7 km, one way, gravel downhill track, followed by a 7 km, one way, uphill gravel track to get out again. I was not comfortable riding the big heavy tourer with two-up on these tracks, particular after dropping the bike an hour of so before, but we survived without incident. However, we were too tight to pay the hefty fee to get in to see the caves. We detoured to Cabramurra which is the highest town in Australia, and which provides accommodation for the workers at two Hydro Electric power stations. The views were incredible. At Tumut we booked into the local caravan park which is a stunning park right on the river. I would come back here in a moment as it was a beautiful spot, with tame possums frolicking on the verandah. It was here that I noticed that the rear tyre was down to the indicators, so I rang a dealer in Albury to arrange to have a new rear fitted the next day.Tues 9th Feb
Our ride to Albury for the new tyre took us through the rolling hills through the apple areas of Batlow, Tumbarumba, and the area’s around Greg Greg which have quite recently been devastated by bushfire. We crossed the Murray and back into Victoria at Tintaldra, where se stopped for a cuppa and morning tea. From there the road is magnificent as it twists and turns along the Murray and the edge of Lake Hume. We crossed the Lake at Bellbridge and headed for Buzz’s Bikes & Bits for the new rear tyre, which after negotiating the day’s roads was totally had it. After lunch and with a new Michelin Pilot Road 2 on the back, we hit the Hume Highway for a short time, before heading along the river again for our overnight stop at Echuca. We had a great feed of flathead and a couple of wines at the local Bowling Club. Our trip is drawing to an end, and the roads from here are straight and flat.Wed 10th Feb
We left Echuca and continued to follow the Murray heading west in hot weather. At Yarawonga we stopped by the lake for lunch and chatted with some retired folk who were traveling in an old Ford Camper which had done several hundred thousand miles. At Piangil we turned left for the long run across the mallee towards Tailem Bend. Ouyen was our last overnight stop, and we had a great dinner at the local club. Rain threatened overnight, but I chased it away by putting a plastic cover over the bike seat.
Thurs 11th Feb
The morning was beautiful and as we headed for home the sun was behind us, and the sky in front of us was grey. The bright sunlit colours of the mallee were beautiful, accented against the grey sky. We stopped at Tailem Bend for lunch and donned our wet weathers, which this time failed to chase the rain away. We had a wet ride from Murray Bridge to home.What a great trip! The Snowy Mountains are stunning in summer and we are keen to return to do some walking. Kosciusko summit is 18 km return from Charlotte Pass and 13 km return from Thredbo. There are new roads to explore and roads that I would love to travel again either on the bike, or with the caravan, for this is a place that calls me back.
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