Bingara, NSW - So much great riding, you’ll be smiling for years to come
BINGARA
It’s no secret that this is one of my favourite NSW country towns. It doesn’t have all facilities but what it does have is friendly, welcoming and stylish. The ‘must visit’ place is the art deco wonder, the Roxy Café on the corner of Fossickers Way and Cunningham St. It was built in 1936 and has been fully refurbed. Their malted milkshakes (served of course in the silver NOT cardboard) are the best I’ve tasted in ages and their scones ain’t half bad either. For various reasons, the opening hours can be a touch erratic so best to ring ahead.
Keen biker, ‘Bim’ runs the BP on the corner of Finch and Riddell, selling 91 and 98. He likes a yarn, and is genuinely interested in where you’ve come from and where you’re going so give some time to getting fi lled before your day’s ride. The Super IGA is opposite the Roxy and it’s a big one selling all you’ll need for snacking plus extensive alcohol. The best pub is the Imperial at the top end of the main street. It offers pub rooms with shared bathrooms, rooms with ensuites, plus motel rooms. They are also the agents for the River House up on Finch St. If you think you deserve something a little more luxurious, you might want to investigate this. If you are camping, you’re spoiled for choice! Follow the eastern loop directions out of town and start looking left. You’ll see countless side tracks each leading down to picturesque free camping sites. These entrance tracks are usually preceded by a sign showing a car and caravan.
Roxy Café Bingara: T 02 6724 0066
INVERELL
A major rural hub town with all facilities and little charm. If you don’t need anything here, your best bet is to take the heavy vehicle bypass left turn (signposted for Ashford) as you enter the place.
The Tourist Offi ce is on your right just over the McIntyre River, and the best coffee I’ve found is at Me and Mr Jones’s next to the Westpac Bank at 56 Byron St.
If you’ve got mechanical issues, Inverell Motorcycles is on your right on the Eastern end of town as you head out on Ashford Rd. They are Yamaha and KTM agents but should be able to fi x any niggles on any bike. The BP is a couple of doors further east.
Inverell Motorcycles: 218 Byron St, Inverell. T 02 6721 1200 (Ask for Cody)
WARIALDA
Best café is on the right as you head into town, the Okey Dokey Café on the corner of Hope St. If you need to refuel, turn east on Hope and there is General Store BP opposite the Royal Hotel. There’s a Super IGA back on Stephen St opposite the distinguished old Court House
MOREE
If you’ve never been to Moree, you will be greatly surprised. The civic pride is tangible and there’s a good selection of pubs and cafes. But the highlight has to be the artesian fed swimming pool on the south side of town: different pools at different temps make it refreshing any time of the year.
Also on the south side is Thomas Lee Motorcycles. They deal in Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and H-D but would be able to fi x any problems you have with any bike you’re on. (T: 1800 642 353) The best BP is on the south end of town where the major roadworks to complete the nth-sth bypass are well underway and will be fi nished by mid-2015. My café of choice is Café 2400 in the middle of the main shopping strip north of the river.
ASHFORD
The so-called, ‘Friendly Pub’ here is now closed, a monument to bad service and poorer community relations. (A long sad story for another time.) There is still a small bakery opposite the post offi ce and general store fuel back up on Duff St. If you’re in need of a swim, head north on the Bonshaw Rd to the 3 Mile Crossing where you’ll fi nd a great rest/camping on your left with very easy access to the gorgeous Severn River. This is a top free camping area with full toilet facilities.
NARRABRI
Tourism Info is on the right as you cross the bridge heading south, just turn into right Alice St and then into the carpark. One of the best, most helpful VIC’s around, and the BP is over the Namoi River at the south end of town.
Before you get going on either of these routes, a quick word: A quirky local characteristic on every one of these roads is steep sided floodways and causeways, many of them not signposted. Some are white concrete based and easier to spot but others are indistinguishable from the road surface and harder to see. They take a bit of getting used to and you don’t want to be entering them, even when dry, with your right hand squeezing hard.
Most of the roads here leave much of the work to you. There are few curve speed or direction advisories, hardly any side markings and long distances of no centre lining.
WESTERN LOOP (ANTI-CLOCKWISE)
Total Distance: 363km
Head west out of Bingara along Cunningham St with the Roxy on your left, take the right at the racecourse on West St signposted Gravesend, and then follow this as it swings left and becomes Elcombe Rd for a sweet trip up to Gravesend on the Gwydir Hwy. Not much at Gravesend anymore as you swing west on the Gwydir for a tick over 23km until you’ll see the right turn for Pallamallawa. From the turn it’s just on 2km to the township with its pub and quality general store with takeaway meals.
For a quieter ride into Moree don’t return to the highway but rather continue north along the road you’ve come in on until you get to the T-intersection at the north end of town. Take the left onto Camurra-Warialda Rd for a 23km run along a quiet country back road strip of good tar. Then take the left on the Newell Hwy for the 10km into Moree.
This is a good time to refresh (see town notes) and maybe to work out your schedule for the rest of the day. If time is a bit tight, head south out of town and stay on the Newell and keep going. But if you have a spare half hour, head over the bridge and then take a left at the fi rst roundabout onto the Gwydir Hwy signposted Warialda.
Continue for a bit over 6km and then take the right for Terry Hie Hie which is 40km of beautiful scenic riding before you go through the town and then follow the road as it winds south and then west and rejoins the Newell at Bellata with its BP servo right in front of you. Turn south here for the run down to Narrabri where you can get all fuels and feeds.
Around 4km short of Narrabri you’ll see the turn east on Killarney Gap Rd which is the road you want for the sweetest part of this loop.
If you don’t need to stop in Narrabri turn left here or if you do drop into the town, retrace your tracks and then take the right (east) and get set for 100km of some of the nicest road you are EVER going to ride.
This is a real jewel of a road with the tightest section at the western end followed by some great valley riding before you head into more hills just to the west of Bingara and some more sweeping mountain curves. You. Will. Love. It.
This leads you right back into the middle of town and you’ll see the racecourse on your left just before you get back to Bingara.
Bingara to Moree: 108km
Moree to Narrabri via Terry
Hie Hie: 148km
Narrabri to Bingara: 107 km
EASTERN LOOP (ANTI-CLOCKWISE)
Total Distance: 270km
Have a leisurely breakfast as you don’t want to be doing this with the morning sun too low. Once you’re sated, head east from the Roxy Café on Cunningham St and take the second on the left (Link St) and then turn right around the park signposted Copeton Dam and Bundarra. This thoroughly enjoyable ride initially dances with the Gwydir River on your left as you head out.
After 20km you leave the river and head into the hills as you enter the Munro State Forest area and these twisties continue after you pass the Copeton State Dam and head north through Gum Flat and then take the right at the Gwydir Hwy for the run into Inverell.
The school at Gum Flat is tiny but obviously services the kids from a wide surrounding area. Take it easy at school drop off/pick up times as the traffic is surprisingly thick and mostly oblivious to bikes steaming through the town!
All services for bike and rider are available here but if you aren’t stopping continue straight through the town on Byron St which becomes the Inverell-Bonshaw Rd as it heads north for the 60km stretch to Ashford. The General Store is on Duff St and once you’ve passed it take a left on Inverell St and then the fi rst on the right at Frazer St signposted Coolatai. You’ll pass the sign showing you’ll be likely to meet up with the full coat of arms along this stretch and the sides haven’t been widely shaven so be prepared for faunal surprises! There’s obviously been some sort of community competition for the best letter box along this stretch of the road so take it easy enough to appreciate the artwork!
After 15km you’ll be directed right onto Yetman Rd and then 3km later left for Coolatai where you turn south for Warialda. There are no services at Coolatai.
This road has even more road kill and not so much traffi c meaning the hit rates must be very high. Take it easy Warialda’s got a nice feel to it and again, once you’re done here, continue south until you meet the Gwydir Hwy. Take it west for 2.5km until you see Bingara signposted to the left. This is quite simply more great rural back roads riding on a good, predictable surface.
Bingara to Inverell via Copeton
Dam: 92km
Inverell to Coolatai via Ashford: 97km
Coolatai to Bingara: 81km
For detailed google maps and a downloadable.gpx map of these routes, please see the discussion section of the motorbikenation Facebook page.
