Sydney to Moree - Riding the Ride
Wanna be bored? In the nicest possible way? Have I got the ride for you! But let me ?rst, err, bore you with a bit of history:
One of the cruellest ironies in the history of white settlement of Australia is that as the explorers like Mitchell and Leichhardt faced their many challenges, the solution to their greatest adversary, the one which most often killed them, their men and their animals - thirst was usually just a few hundred metres from them.
Unfortunately it was a few hundred metres under them, for much of Australia including much of the dry inland Qld and NSW is underpinned by what was then the untouchable, unreachable, and unknown massive reservoirs known as aqui?ers, the largest of which is the Great Artesian Basin which alone spreads out beneath 22% of both Queensland and the entire continent.
It wasn’t until the 1880s and ‘90s that the GAB began to be fully exploited and by 1897 almost 550 bores had been drilled resulting in both bore head pressure and water levels dropping.
The Qld government sought control over the artesian water in an effort to regulate the rampant irresponsible exploitation of this valuable resource. The self-interested land-owners produced mountains of fake science to thwart their efforts in much the way present day coal and mining companies produce fake science to cultivate climate change doubt and global warming sceptics.
After two decades the govt prevailed and Queensland became the ?rst place on earth where the government had ownership and jurisdiction over subterranean water.
The state and federal governments continue to manage this resource with a major conservation programme underway.
Obviously the bores were sunk for the bene?t of farmers and graziers but a collateral bene?t was the proliferation of spas for community, recreational and health use.
Today we’re left with a wonderful necklace of natural artesian bores and springs dotted throughout parts of the country providing some wonderfully refreshing experiences for weary, dusty bikers.
This ride is so boring it’s the ?rst one to be spread over two months. It takes in a great cross section of the very best outback spas. This ?rst episode deals with the great options on getting from the Sydney Basin up to Moree, the capital of artesian country, so ?ll up the tank, pack the budgie smugglers and hit the road. This is not a ride for a bike that’s been designed to go fast around a smooth track at high speeds for just under an hour. You’re going to need a comfortable ride with a big tank.
WALCHA
The Royal Café and Hotel is one of the top riding stops around. Yours will rarely be the only bike parked out front. Service is good and there’s a cleaning kit on the wall beside the door. News is not so good with the servo nearby: Festooned with ratty signs telling you who’s not welcome in their toilets, this is not the friendliest fuel stop around. Across from the servo, The New England Hotel is much friendlier and does good meal and Thunderbolts Way Café opposite the Royal does fast food if you are into that.
URALLA
Uralla was pretty big when bushrangers were in vogue: when they rode in gangs, terrorised the locals and were harassed by the police… now hang on a sec! Today it’s way quieter, has a good pub, a couple of servos at the south end of town and a nice café or two. The museum on Salisbury St is worth a visit, get a postcard of Thunderbolt and keep it in your jacket. Next time the cops pull you over and ask if you’ve OMG af?liations, tell ‘em, “I’m not an outlaw, this is an outlaw!”
BUNDARRA
I love this tiny town, it just has a great feel to it! The Commercial Hotel does lunches seven days and will make you feel at home. The general store is pure country and its mission statement on the side wall should be a mantra to all travelers. Have a read! (it’s behind the old bowser.)
BINGARA
It’s totally ?tting to describe this beaut town as a ‘jewel’, a ‘diamond in the rough’ as back in the 1880s this was place was the country’s biggest diamond mine! But the mine was short lived and by the 1930s it had shrunk back pretty much to today’s size. Incredibly much of the 1930s architecture and facades remain and Peter’s Roxy Café is the highlight: 1930s are deco elegance at its ? nest. Park yourself in a booth, order some scones and a drink and re?ect on how damn ?ne life can be!
MOREE
An incredible revelation! Moree straddles the Mehi River with most of the town and most of the pubs, cafes, supermarkets and shops to the north of the bridge. The artesian pool and the Royal Hotel are adjacent to the station on the south side as is the Thomas-Lee Bike Shop. This is run by a couple of real riders with a real concern for visiting riders. Visit their website for contact details including an emergency mobile number if you are in trouble.
There’s really only two accommodation choices for me in Moree. The Royal Hotel right beside the pool is friendly, comfortable and cheap. I’ll write about it again in PotM soon., but suf?ce to say here that when the bore was ?rst sunk it blew with such force that the Royal across the road was ?ooded for a week.
The other option is to stay at the Gwyder Camping Ground at the south end of town. This is about as good as camping grounds get. It offers motel rooms, cabins, powered sites and unpowered sites. But it also has its own artesian spa, beautifully designed and built and free to use for residents. The place is run by Tanya who’ll discuss a discount if you arrive in a group.
The Amaroo Tavern with its bloody Dakota parked in the front yard is just up the road and it offers everything you’ll need in drinks and food.
QUIRINDI
I’ve stayed at the Federal Hotel here several times. It’s exactly one tank-full for my Tenere from Sydney. The independent servo on the way into town doesn’t have premium but the Shell at the far (eastern) end has all varieties. Best café and a good Chinese are at the roundabout.
Narrabri and Gunnedah are both major regional hubs offering all the services including bike shops. Like most major regional hub towns, for me they lack soul and character, good for a leg stretch and perhaps a visit to the Tourist info of?ce if you need special info.
CURLEWIS
Curlewis is around 20km south of Gunnedah and its Commercial Hotel is a top stop place if you can work out how to cross the railway lines!!! The pub only serves dinners but there’s a takeaway 50 metres up Goran St beside the pub.
Wherever you stay, relax and get submersed! Tomorrow, using next month’s pullout guide continuation, you’ll be riding long roads under big skies to be totally bored in some weird and wonderful and totally unique places!
Alot of riders know Thunderbolts but most haven’t ridden the most northerly section of it and yet it has some of the best riding of the entire route.
RED ROUTE
Leave Walcha and head northwest to Uralla. For a number of reasons I won’t use the servo at Walcha so when I get to Uralla I turn south on the NEH and top up at the BP on the corner of East St where I get fuel and friendly service at no extra cost.
Swing back north and turn left around Thunderbolt’s Hotel, signposted Bundarra and say, “Goodbye” to most of the traf?c. You’ll be on standard tertiary rural road with a reasonable surface, centre markings but no side lines and few advisories. It’s smooth sailing through rolling country for the 70 km to Bundarra.
If you’re already hot, there’s a top swimming hole beside the bridge at the southern approach to the town and another bigger one under the bridge at the north. To get to this one, turn right before the bridge and head down to the riverside.
Bundarra marks the end of Thunderbolts Way and you don’t want to head directly north. Instead, turn west at the general store, follow this down about 1km and take the right signposted Bingara.
Follow this for around 40km then take the signposted left onto Copeton Dam Rd for some tighter riding on narrower tar all the way into Bingara which you’ll come into from the north east and then turn south into the main street.
Okay, now listen up! Peter’s Roxy Café in Bingara is an art deco anachronism pretty much unique out here. If you know the Niagara Café in Gundagai you’ll know what I mean. It’s bloody gorgeous, serves good coffee and great milkshakes and deserves your patronage! (And you if you don’t stop in, your stomach just might sue you for neglect!)
Not solely because of the Roxy, Bingara tends to be my portal town for all rides out of Sydney to north-west NSW. It has a fantastic vibe, good facilities and very friendly natives.
(If you’ve come this way, join me again 6 paragraphs down at the ‘*’.)
If you have less time, it’s a good option to come up the New England Hwy to Willow Tree and then decide whether to head north through Tamworth and enjoy the open country on the Fossikers Way, or the 70km longer passage via Narrabri which has more highway at the start but the best riding at the end. Your decision!
BLUE ROUTE
If you decide to go via Narrabri, hang a left onto the Kamilaroi signposted Narrabri after ?lling up at the Truck Stop on the Willow Tree corner. If they are out of premium, which seems to happen a bit, head up to Quirindi where the Shell on the far side of town has all fuel grades.
From Quirindi continue northwest through the rather characterless towns of Gunnadah, Boggabri and Narrabri and then a bit over 1km north of Narrabri stay right on the Newell when the Kamilaroi cuts left and then a further 2.5km you’ll see the right turn for Bingara on the Killarney Gap Rd.
Now THIS is a great stretch! Just over 100km of back road riding with two sections of very enjoyable twisties through mountains separated by a ?atter stretch along the beautiful valley ? oor. It’s very enjoyable although I’ve never ridden it without seeing an unmarked radar equipped police car patrolling it.
This brings you into Bingara from the west and when you hit the main street, the Roxy will be on your right shoulder.
GREEN ROUTE
If you decide at Willow Tree to take the shorter route, stay on the NEH to Tamworth and then follow the signs through town for Manilla and Fossickers Way. Follow the dogleg signs for Barrabra and Bingara.
Barrabra has a BP on the main street and a couple of old style cafes. The best riding is now on this last section into Bingara.
*Once you’re sated at the Roxy, head west down the side of the café (signposted Narrabri) and continue for 30 seconds before taking the right signposted to Gravesend and Moree. This stretch doesn’t quite match the bends of Thunderbolts but it’s still a great back roads ride up to the Gwydir Hwy. Watch out for cattle!
There is no fuel at Gravesend so hang a left and head west. If your fuel is low, take a detour to the right after about 23km and head 1km into Pallamallawa (C’mon say that fast) where the store has 91 octane (and there’s a top (secret) country pub!).
Then you can just roll into Moree, our oasis for the day. Just look out for cattle. These are dry times and there’s a lot of cattle in the long paddock. You seriously don’t want to hit one, apart from the damage, you’ll be legally in the wrong.
Moree’s claim to be the centre of artesian spa country is not without merit, its municipal swimming pool, with two huge hot artesian pools plus another cooler pool and a full-sized Olympic pool is the most comprehensive complex in the outback.
If you’ve been smart you’ll have packed your swim gear and towels at the top of your bag so get them out, shell out 8 bucks for entry and get in (no diving allowed!) The end pool has strong jets to massage those tired shoulders whilst the second one, still hot (both are 41C), is calmer and perhaps more relaxing.
The other pools are cooler and so, whilst they are very popular, especially with Europeans who arrive daily from Melbourne and Sydney by the busload and at the train station across the road, you won’t feel crowded.
There is simply no better way to unwind after a day in the saddle!
