Wauchope Overnight (RR)

Ride report: 25-26 July 2018

Legend:
  • Colored tracks are planned route, replace by red line as recorded track when completed,
  • orange dots are spotwalla data points (using BubbleGPS) – 10 minute intervals
  • There may picture icons which contain photos and standard message icons for breaks.
  • S & F – start and finish.
Highlights
  • Toms Creek Road – stunning opening views north into the valley, a great track, 26 km joining Innes View Rd to Oxley Highway.
  • Black Flat Lane – Borserio Drive and Black Flat lane was also a great track – 16km running from Mount George to Bulga Rd.
  • Scenic Route to Ellenborough Falls – Blue Knob Lookout was a nice place to re-visit. The views were a bit more misty this time so no view of the coast, but I decided to go back to the scenic route rather than continue on to Rowleys Rock Lookout.
general route
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Wauchope Overnight GPX 2.43 MB 8 downloads

2 GPX Tracks IN and OUT from Salt Ash to Wauchope NSW for an overnight ride. Recording...

From Nelson Bay, via:

Karuah, Buladelah, Wang Wauk Forest, Bunyah, Krambach, Mount George, Killabakh, Toms Creek, Ellenborough, Wauchope, Mount Seaview, Blue Knob, Ellensborough Falls, Bobin, Belbora, Bunyah, Bulahdelah.

Number of Riders
solo
incidents
1 – drop on Killabakh Rd
1 – near miss with a logging truck
Commentary

I had to back track along Crawford Road. The crossing at Lees Creek was mostly dry but very large boulders made even walking the bike across pretty sketchy. Being a solo ride, I eliminated that risk. The road leading in was also sketchy (I ignored the ‘Road Closed’ sign) but a look up the other side north of Lees Creek revealed that there had been very little traffic on that section for quite some time.

Beautiful country roads, especially north of Mount George. Obvious signs of better rainfall in these northern areas compared with points south.

The section of road between Kimriki and Bundook (Somerset Rd) is through private property. I took a liberty here. At the end of Somerset Rd a cattle grate with no gate was marked with signs ‘Private Property’, ‘No thoroughfare’ and ‘End of Council Maintenance’. A large property and a reasonably good road with no gates at all went west past 3-4 other ‘private’ holdings which did have locked entry gates keeing me on the main road. I past one ute and trailer going in the other direction and we waved at each other. There was no attempt to halt me or question my presence.

cautions

Wang Wauk Forest way from Wootton Way to Horses Creek Rd is used heavily by logging truck. The road is in very good condition which encourages the trucks to speed. I had about 3ft to pass an oncoming truck on an almost blind bend. The truck would have been going 70kph and I would have been almost the same. I had to take aim into a large cloud of dust and pray. So be warned.

accommodation

Overnight accommodation at the Hastings Hotel in Wauchope. Good value at $50/n single. Good restaurant, great pork burger special and secure parking in either the bottle shop of the beer garden overnight.

Video
OSM Map Corrections
wauchope - old highway
Entry to Old Highway

Open Street Maps is missing ‘Old Highway’ which is a track joining Oxley Highway to Yarras Mountain Trail. The gated entry to Old Highway only has a ‘Cattle Ahead’ sign, otherwise it is innocuous. The LPI NSW basemap shows the track alignment, Google earth reveals some risks in crossing certain sections. But this route provides very good access from Doyles River Rd to Oxley Highway. Blue route added to OSM.

Latest Edits to Open Street Maps

next time

Doyles River Road looks interesting, I’m sure there a way to get from Costigans Rd map off Oxley Hwy south through Yarras into Biriwal Bulga NP and onto Doyles River Rd. Try Old Highway.

There must also be a way to get from Doyles River Rd to Innes View Rd

I missed a visit the planned visit to Rowleys Rock Lookout which would also have brought me down through Wherrol Flat Road and back thru Black Flat Lane to Mount George.

Stats

Planned: 300kms up, 337km back, Actual 729kms

Ambient Temp 7-23C
Max Engine Temp (at front rocker cover) 134C
Road Conditions no rain
all roads dry & dusty
some causeways
very little water
Costs Fuel: $50
O/N: $50 (plus meals)
Tyres: $25

And I did all this with my front wheel valve nut locked up under the valve cap and not against the rim as per BMW Service Bulletin 2066.