2025 (Not The) Snowy Ride - Day 6

 DAY 6

I was up early to try to beat another hot day. I took a wander around town to find a coffee and to see what might have changed. The post office looked the same...

It was good to see that the old ambulance station was finally being rebuilt. It was firebombed about fifteen years ago and has sat burnt out, an eyesore right here in the centre of town for all that time. To see what it looked like in the early 2000s have a watch of the movie "The Dish". All of the town sequences were shot in Forbes, not Parkes.

Next on the agenda was a visit to Mum and Dad. I was pleased to see that the little conifer that Steve and I had planted when Dad was buried was still hanging on despite its less than idea conditions. I'm no floral arranger but I did my best at replacing the flowers as well.

It was warming up already and I had about three hours riding ahead to meet the others at the O'connell pub for lunch. Heading east to Eugowra I stopped briefly as the jackaranda trees in the centre of town looked very pretty.

They also had a replica stage coach in the park. 

What is the significance of this I hear you ask? Well, in 1862 it was the site of Australia's biggest gold robbery (and still is to this day) when the Frank Gardiner gang held up the stage coach carrying gold and cash from Forbes to Sydney.

From Eugowra it was across to Canowindra then a meandering back way through Mandurama, Neville, Barry, Newbridge and Perthville to O'Connell. I wasn't really sure where I was most of the time as I just plugged O'Connell into the gps and started to follow. I knew how to get to Mandurama but then the gps kept trying to take me through Bathurst - which I didn't want, it must have just been the quickest way -  so I followed signs for Neville and let the gps keep recalculating. I seemed to be taking a lot of turns on some sketchy little back roads but apart from the heat and now strong winds, it was pleasant riding.

Because of the heat I didn't stop for many photos. I arrived at the O'Connell hotel to find what looked like a closed up pub.

I stood in the shade of a tree for fifteen minutes and decided to call Steve. He reckoned the pub should be open so I went and pushed on the front door.....and it opened! Wandering in I asked if they were open to which they said "yes"! "Ahh, you looked closed up, what with your sign board tucked away and not on display out front" I replied. They said because it was so windy they kept it in as it just kept blowing over.

So I moved my bike into the shade closer to the beer garden and grabbed a Tooheys Old while waiting for the others. Apart from the wind kicking up pollen and activating my hay fever it was very pleasant and shady here.

The others rolled in about thirty minutes later. They had been slowed by a looong section of road that was signposted at 80km/h between Boorowa and Crookwell and was very well patrolled apparently.

After a quick drink and bite to eat we said our goodbyes as Stu, Dave, Thomas and Karen were heading south to Batemans Bay to stay with Stu. Rick, Speedy and I were headed for Sydney. Geoffrey had already taken a shorter route to Sydney - no doubt to make sure there was cold beer for when Rick and I arrived at his place. ;)

There were to be no more photos from today as we were in get-it-done mode as it was very hot and windy ahead of the frontal change that was charging up behind us. It got to 38C as we crossed the Blue Mountains. We just went the main Mt Victoria way as it would be a heap quicker once we hit the M4 on the other side. If we went the Bells Line of road we would be stuck in stop start traffic for near fifty kilometres in stifling heat. No, getting it done after six days on the bikes was what it was all about now.

Arriving at Geoffrey's place at about 4pm we stripped out of our hot riding gear and grabbed a beer on the deck. Steve showed up shortly after and we spent the evening eating pizza, drinking beer and reliving the ride. Does it get any better than this?

A nothing much day but it was still 365 kilometres on the bike.

All up I covered 2 445 kilometres with a large chunk of that being new to me roads. It was an awesome trip and I must thank Stu, the ride leader for organising the accomodation and route itinerary. Thanks mate, I hope I can make it again in 2026!

Cheers.