Snowy

Friday Too Far Away
Two courageous Electra Glide riders attempt the
eastern face of Mt Kosciusko, without oxygen.

(Copyright Ian Lay, 2000)

Weekend bike runs are the stuff of fun. We work through the week to earn the bucks to pay for our enjoyment. I don’t know about the masses of Harley riders out in the wider world but for me and a few riding buddies, weekend runs constitute most of our riding pleasure with one maybe two long runs a year in holiday or vacation time. My story here is to put into words the experiences, feelings and joys of one such weekend run… the Jindabyne Brass Monkey run. I'm not real sure of the derivation of the Brass Monkey anecdote only that it is supposed to be so cold as to freeze the balls of such a poor beast. I have to say our run wasn’t cold at all, we did venture into snow but the sun was shining and the temperature very mild. Some might say… "So you went for a two day ride, so what! What’s so special about that?" Come along here with me, join the ride and I’ll let you know.

Monday this week was drearier than most. The alarm goes off at 6:30am and I dragged my tired old body out of bed for another weeks hard slog at the office. It’s raining and gloomy and I get through my morning’s routine and out onto the road by 7:30am. The Monday morning traffic is as heavy as always and I crawl along to start my working week. The odd biker ‘lane-splits’ past me but I’m not overly envious today as the rain is probably making their commute this morning not so pleasant. I get to work and settle down at my desk while my PC boots and I start thinking about next weekend’s ride, but… for now… Friday’s too far away.

By Wednesday evening I’m packing up the bike with everything I think I might need and a little I don’t. OK… so I have an OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) but it’s under control as long as I can have equal weight in each pannier and I’ve allowed for most things that could go wrong. The genuine Harley top box organiser is the perfect accessory for this affliction and holds all the bits and pieces you may or may not need on a weekend run. Phone, charger, batteries, torch, spare cables, matches, night glasses, camera, GPS, playing cards, emergency cash, multi-tool (a kind of super Swiss Army Knife… every boy should have one) and the list goes on… but you get the idea. My mattress, sleeping bag and tent fit snugly into the top box. My clothes and personal gear goes in my old Army pack, which is strapped to the top box luggage rack. By Thursday evening I’m looking at maps and the route that we’ll take and in no uncertain terms getting fired up for the trip and the fun ahead… there’s another workday to get through yet but I’m wanting it all now.

Friday arrives at last and we make our final arrangements over the phone and to meet early Saturday morning. Our group has dwindled to two, the other two tied up with other personal business… but this doesn’t dampen our spirits. Heck, even if you can’t find a riding buddy, going it alone can be almost just as much fun. We all know weekends can’t always be given away to indulgent leisure and there are other important things that pop into our lives to consume our time. The good thing is that there is always another weekend, another ride and plenty of time to enjoy the company of mates on a good ride.

I woke up before the alarm went off on Saturday morning and I’ve got plenty of time to get to the Colonel's place by the appointed time of 6am. The bike (my Running Bear) is packed up, tanked up, topped up, shined up and ready to roll. I stuff down some brekkie while the Bear warms up, a good lump of toast and Vegemite (of course!) and a big cup of coffee which I know will be bringing us to an early stop not too far out of Sydney. My capacity isn’t too good for touring but those who ride with me know this and usually grab the short stop opportunity for a smoke …or a pee themselves, blaming me for the unnecessary stop. 5:30am…and I’m on the road, it’s still dark, quite cool and the weather looks threatening. I figure though I’m on the road now, if it rains… I get wet; I’m not turning back for anything. The traffic is heavy for this time in the morning but at least it’s flowing, unlike weekdays. I pulled into the Colonel’s street and my headlight picked up the reflectors on the side of his Electra Glide parked out the front of his home, what a great sight! Tells me he’s also ready to roll… The weekend is about to start.

We did our normal CB comms check on Channel 20 as we headed out past Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport. My CB seems to be chopping and my transmissions aren’t getting through to the Colonel although I hear him clearly. This is a bit disappointing because we’ve come to use our CBs quite heavily on all runs. We don’t indulge in idle chatter but we do enjoy commenting to each other on various and sundry, not the least being how wonderful it is riding a Harley. I’ve ridden with groups who use the CB strictly to exchange operational information… (Boring!) We figured that this introduces too much control into what should be a free and easy ride. We say what we want when we want! The Colonel led us out through the southern suburbs of Sydney and we head, CB-less, down the Princes Highway toward Wollongong. Wollongong (pronounced Wool-ong-gong, for the Americans who always seem to have difficulty with this one) is a small coastal industrial city in NSW with a population of about 180,000. There are some beautiful beaches in Wollongong, which are populated with surfers year round. Fishing and whale watching are also great pastimes associated with Wollongong.

Well out of Sydney now we come into the Bulli area, the Colonel pulls in at the lookout for a smoke and we stop there for a few minutes and take in the clear early morning. Bulli sits on top of the range just inland from Wollongong and gives a magnificent picturesque view of Wollongong the coastline and the beaches. It’s a good stopping spot and meeting place for bikers. Unfortunately spoiling this view is a number of smokestacks from the Port Kembla steel works spewing pollution into the air but there’s enough good stuff out here to balance this out. Fiddling with the CB while we’re stopped I realised that I have a spare cable in my overly organised organiser… (I knew it would come in handy) worth a try we think and …lo and behold, I’m soon back on the air. We bypassed Wollongong city and are finally out in the open and in ‘cruise control’ country. Cruise is always a good marker to me that we’re out of city traffic, stoplights and people and can now start living the ride. We’ve got straight road and green hills ahead and the sun is starting to poke through the previously threatening clouds. Cruise control on, right hand relaxed, I take in a big breath and shiver… I’m feeling real good as we start to do some serious miles.

We head on down the coast through Kiama through the small town of Berry where I spot the first piece of ‘road cheese’ (a fine American term sent this way by one of our esteemed EG members in the States, Lane Sparks) A small house entirely covered in hubcaps – wasn’t pretty! And was quite incongruous in this small ‘cottage industry’ country town. We’re inland now and pass through lush green hills and eucalyptus forests to Nowra and the St. Georges Basin area and down through the Conjola State Forrest. The Colonel’s voice breaks through on the CB into that wonderful unmistakable Harley drone suggesting that we stop for coffee at the truck stop ahead at Wandandian. It’s mid morning and we’re already enjoying a taste of the good life! We park the bikes and enjoy a good cup of coffee and a nice butt break. We agree that the rule for this ride is that there are no rules and we feel quite comfortable with each other’s attitude and desire for nothing more than peace, tranquillity and the enjoyment of our Electra Glides - Black Beauty and Running Bear.

Bulli Pass

Running Bear & Black Beauty
at Wandandian

We’re down on through the eucalypts and bush to the coast through Milton and Ulladulla. Ulladulla is a pretty little coastal town and as we rode through the smell of sand and ocean was unmistakable. Coming into the town you are faced with a row of multi-coloured beach houses, a colourful and interesting sight but didn’t really qualify as road cheese. We follow the coast to Tabourie Lake where we head inland through the Kioloa State Forrest arriving back on the coast at Batemans Bay, our first fuel stop. The Colonel and I both agree that Optimax is the best fuel for our Electra Glides and is always the preference. Unable to find Optimax or even Shell in Batemans Bay we had to settle for Ampol regular unleaded, seems as if this is the only fuel available in Batemans Bay. If you’ve never put regular unleaded in your Harley don’t ever start. We weren’t long out of Batemans and both our bikes started protesting and pinging with pre-ignition - not only that, hill pulling power was pathetic, certainly not what we are used to. So my/our advice is that if you’re heading to Batemans Bay plan a fuel stop for Ulladulla or Moruya where there was an abundance of service stations. Moruya is another pretty coastal town typical in the area; again the ocean smells were strong and reminding of holidays. At the base of Tuross Inlet twenty or so kilometres south of Moruya we arrive at Bodalla. Bodalla is famous for its dairy industry, primarily cheese (real cheese, not road cheese) damn fine cheese at that too. If you’re ever at Bodalla stop or slow down as you exit to see an exceptional almost medieval church. It stands out and doesn’t seem to fit into the area’s architecture or building style at all. We head on down the coast through Narooma and Bodalla State Forrest and start inland toward Bega and the sapphire coast www.saphirecoast.com.au

We stop for a lunch break at the Cobargo pub and settle in for an hour or so with a beer and a steak sandwich… damn fine steak sambo too, the only thing wrong with it was the steak!! Cobargo is another pretty ‘cottage industry’ small rural town; it sits in from Bermagui on the coast and east of the Wadbilliga National Park. The pub seems to be a regular bikers stop.

Bega and the Bega Valley is another rural dairy area with cheese as a main industry. Bega is also a grape growing district and had a small wine industry. I’d have to say though that I’ve never seen or tried Bega wine but will give it a go if it ever crosses my way. As pretty as the Bega valley is we only touched the outskirts as we left the Princess Highway here to join the Snowy Mountains Highway and travel west toward Nimmitabel and Cooma, the gateway to the Snowy. The Snowy Mountains Highway is a most magnificent piece of road, obviously designed and built by bikers, (well… possibly!) Its long stretches and gentle curves are a dream to ride.

Cobargo Pub

Snowy Mountains Highway

Bikes on the
Snowy Mountains Highway

Leaving the Bega Valley at Bemboka we head up through the South Coastal Range at Brown Mountain where the bends tighten up a little but still give us a very enjoyable ride through. Down the west side of Brown Mountain we come into Nimmitabel and stop for a butt break. The road is quiet and I don’t think one car passes us while we were stopped; a good opportunity to grab a few pictures. Relaxed and ready for more we head off into Cooma, gateway to the Snowy Mountains. Cooma is a relatively attractive town with some interesting, albeit recent, history. Cooma is the headquarters for the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Authority. Between 1949 and 1974, over 100,000 people from more than 30 different countries were employed in the construction of the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme. These were the people who were given the title of "New Australians" of course this term lost favour as Australia moved into multi-culturism and political correctness in the 80s and 90s. At the time the term "New Australian" was almost a term of endearment. The 16 major dams, 7 power stations, lakes, tunnels, and pipelines that make up the extensive scheme can generate almost 4 million kilowatts of electricity, (so I read!) which is distributed to Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory.

Cooma provides us with our beloved Optimax fuel and it doesn’t take the Glides long to appreciate the better fuel as we move on to Jindabyne and Charlottes Pass. We get into Jindabyne at about 4pm, the sun is shining and the weather just perfect. We decide to head on up through the Kosciusko National Park to see the snow. We have a very short stop just out of Jindabyne while the friendly local Police administer an RBT. They give us a brief report on road conditions and it seems fine for us to continue on up the mountain. After a very pleasant cruise through the park and up the mountain we find a group of cars and people congregating around where the snow covers the road and where cars can go no further. We’re feeling that it would be safe to go on for a bit further and get a little higher. 200 meters up the road we’re agreed that we were far enough in; it would be all too hard to lift one of our 360Kg machines out of a deep pocket of snow and settle for where we are. We park the bikes, take in the scenery and the fresh air spending an hour or so there talking to hikers and late season cross-country skiers. Being a couple of engineering types we analyse and dissect the workings of a nearby ski tow while we enjoy the moment on the side of the mountain.

Time to get on back down the mountain and find somewhere to eat and sleep for the night. The run down the mountain and back to Jindabyne is smooth, easy and as always enjoyable. Jindabyne has an interesting history, the new Jindabyne was created in the early 1960s when they built the Jindabyne Dam and flooded the old town as part of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric project. We arrive at Jindabyne around 6pm and stop at the lake camping park we passed on the way up. In the reception office a friendly woman who immediately declares herself and her husband Ulysses members greets us. I usually wear my Ulysses sweatshirt as identification and it’s surprising how many people comment or introduce themselves with a biker story. The woman introduced herself as Gayle and told us that she rides a Sportster and her husband, Charlie a Softail. It was somewhat of a pleasant co-incidence to find Ulysses members and Harley riders as our hosts for the night. The park was only part occupied and we had our choice of sites. Of course we set up camp close to the side of the lake. The amenities at this park are excellent and we would recommend a stay here if you are down that way. Gayle was explaining to us that the NRMA had rated them at only 2 � stars, which was difficult to understand. I would rate the amenities block at 5 stars without hesitation. There are 12 biker sized and spotlessly clean showers each providing three clothes/towel hooks and there is room to actually swing that proverbial cat. The park gets 5/5 from me. The services are included in the tariff and there are no coins or tokens required for the hot water. The amenities also include covered BBQs and picnic facilities. There is plenty of onsite accommodation in the form of vans or cabins and plenty of grassy areas to pitch your tent. One word of caution though, if you decide to camp close to the lake note where the public area lighting is because it stays on all night and can look like daylight from inside a tent. Charles and Gayle Parker can be contacted at the Jindabyne Holiday Park on jhp@snowy.net.au

Gayle recommends the Brumby Bar across the road for a steak and a beer. Anyone who has skied down around this way will know the Brumby bar; even in the off-season the place is busy. A Brumby, for our USA members is a wild horse (probably Mustang in American). The area is full of history of wild and rugged horsemen and there are ballads, songs and poetry a plenty for those who want to get a taste of it. The ‘Man from Snowy River’ is a good Australian movie, more than a decade old now but worth a watch if you see it in your video store. I’m not sure that all would have realised that this theme began the Olympic Opening Ceremony in Sydney a few weeks back, the horsemen riding in, symbolising ‘The men from Snowy River’. We tucked into a good lump of red meat and the ‘all-you-can-eat’ salad and vege bar with a few beers (Tooheys Old of course) and relaxed after our very pleasant 700Km ride. Back at our campsite we sat at the side of the lake watching night fishermen and picking the tunes from the 60s they were playing as they fished. Sitting at the edge of a lake late at night in cool quiet stillness with a couple of beers is a highly recommended activity! Off to bed a bit later than planned and it wasn’t long before the Colonel was punching out ZZZs like you wouldn’t believe.

I was up � hour before the Colonel at 8am and strolled across the road in search of coffee and some breakfast. Charlie, owner of the park dropped by to introduce himself and we had a good chat with him about all things Harley. We had a leisurely morning, departing Jindabyne around 10:30am with Canberra our next destination. On route to Canberra our small group of two was joined by a BMW group of about eight who sat with us until Cooma. We sat on the speed limit all the way to Canberra; our friendly local cop warns me it’s a notorious piece of road for police patrols year round. We’re in Canberra about 1:30pm invited to lunch with my two daughters who live in Canberra. Canberra is the Nations capital, which in my mind presents an almost clinical environment. Canberra is well planned, clean and pretty but if there is a city without a soul then it’s Canberra. Canberra does however have one of the most magnificent buildings I have ever seen. That being the new Parliament House finished in 1988. I lived in Canberra during its construction, which took eight years, it involved shifting a mountain and replacing it with the building. If you ever visit Canberra be sure to visit this building, it’s a wonderful piece of architecture.

Lunch with my two daughters and their respective boyfriends de-jour was a pleasant event. The two young guys drooling over our Electra Glides – and we of course enjoyed this immensely. I was impressed that my two girls were so adept at the social niceties over lunch... wasn’t a bad spread either! I guess it’s been many years since I provided any type of life skill education to them, I think the last was probably a growl over the dinner table not to slurp soup or burp… all the things I do now! They turned out well, I’m a lucky man.

Canberra was the end of the run in many ways. The Colonel was to part company here and head to Mudgee via Yass and Cowra to visit his folks. I was to head back to Sydney via the Hume Highway which (because of the kids in Canberra) I have travelled hundreds of times before, so this leg of the trip was predictable to say the least. Lake George was dried up as it always is and the ‘Boys in Blue’ were either side of the Goulburn bypass as they always are. The time though was good; I began to wind down and enjoyed a Beatles CD (Revolver) as I headed back toward Sydney. I took a short butt break at the tollgates onto the M5 then into the Inner West suburbs and right onto home.

Home at 7pm I unpack Running Bear clean the bulk of the bugs off the windscreen and front fairing and covered him up for the week. Into the shower to clean off the road grime, track pants on and flop my sorry backside in front of the box to relax… reflecting on an exceptional weekend of riding, relaxation and good company, wanting so much to do it over, but again… Friday’s too far away.

Copyright text & images Ian Lay (2000) - update Manson Industries (2010). Copyright music, lyrics and choreography of Friday Too Far Away - The Musical, Kerri-Anne Kennerly, 2010. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers and copyright holders.