With the Australian callsign VK4ION
WELCOME TO MY MOTORCYCLE PAGE
Well you asked for it
Here are some of my recent motorcycle rides. I forget to take photos so some of the best images are in my head!
FIRST TRIP ON NEW INDIAN DECEMBER 2015
A Trip to Mt Lamington National Park
On the road between Gympie and Maleny
The lookout going up over Mt Mee
Mt Mee road runs between Woodford & Dayboro
The dam near Esk
BUNDABERG TO BATHURST 2014
"T" Minus 2.
Leaving Bundaberg in torrential rain, first stop was an overnight at Hervey Bay until the storm blew itself out.
"T" Minus 1. Time to get to Brisbane to meet the riding partner.
Strangely after a night of howling gales... it's Blue skies for the ride south!
OK... meet up with the Riding Partner... My Daughter... taking her on her first long distance trip.
She's riding the Little Purple Pig [Yamaha V-Star 650cc] and I'm riding the BMW R1100RT.
The weather forecast looks dreadful so we've packed all the thermals and wet weather gear... nothing will dampen our spirits on this trip - we've got every eventuality covered.
Official Day 1. Brisbane to Tamworth 600km
We hadn't meant to ride that far but Glen Innes was boring and the barman couldn't be bothered to serve us.. preferring to play his computer game...
So on we rode to Armidale only to find NO ROOMS anywhere! It was graduation week and every Uni and college campus and every proud parent had booked the entire town... Oh well let's ride on to Uralla it's only 20km down the road...
Oh dear! A convention of car enthusiasts is in town... NO accommodation.
Well it's dark now, the temperature has dropped 20 degrees but it's only 75km to Tamworth... so let's ride through the New England ranges in the dark! **yehar grandma** this will put a chill up your spine.
The lights of Tamworth and a luxurious motel never looked so good! We were prepared to pay any price to get that bed.
Great dinner at a local pub with great live music. We feel better already
I guess you'd call Day 1 a baptism of FIRE for 'The Fox'
That's Vincenzo's near Stanthorpe, the "Fruitisforus" Dinosaur is at Ballandean and our proof that we left Qld and the weather was fine and sunny.
and see we did intend to stay in Glen Innes... but they lost our business.
We are WHOVIANS.... That's Doctor Who Fans to the rest of you and look what we found... Just the best mail box EVER!
I like old railway bridges so had to stop to grab that shot
Day 2 Tamworth to Bathurst via some very unusual back roads!
First a stop at the Werris Creek Railway monument
And why does Werris Creek sound familiar to you? Well it's where Angelina Jolie is filming a 1930's era movie.
All the townspeople were extras and this railway station features in the movie as well.
These magnificent sculptures stand as testament to those who worked so hard on our railways.
Together with the Memorial wall commemorating those who died in the line of duty it all makes for a wonderful monument. 
Don't take the fast lane out of Tamworth, this place is a truly great achievement and a "must see" in our books .
There's a museum with displays of railway memorabilia... we like this novel Railway Water Set... well it IS Bottled Water!
...you just have to share a glass, and don't forget to hang your hat on the Hat-Hook!
Across the street was this old railway residence and weather station... ok, ok... the weather station might have seen better days!
Images like this give you a glimpse of Australia's past, they're not famous buildings but they are images which become fixed memories in your mind.
Maybe that's why I love to ride motorcycles... I'm constantly imprinting wonderful images of our beautiful country, none that can be replicated for you on this page... but you should see inside my head. hahahaha [hmmm maybe not]
Well we've wasted enough time, we'd better be getting on to Bathurst... now how do we cross over the ranges and get to Bathurst on the other side? I know... let's ask a local at Meriwa!
Well wasn't he a nice man..." just go about 6km out of town and you'll see a Left turn and a road to Mudgee".... hmmmm we've come 10km.. we DID see a road back a bit but it didn't say Mudgee... but that must be it... "let's turn around and take that road".
Oh look it says Goulburn River National Park this will be pretty! AND DIRT ROAD!~!! after we were 30km into it.... OH and here is a flooded causeway... not a problem to us... HAHAAHA it was 2 idiots on motorcycles laughing our way through some beautiful country. After 20km of Gravel which was well maintained we thought we were legends. Then we came to a crossroads.
Let's go Left to Bylong.... and welcome to HELL. 16km of THE WORST dirt road in Australia. We were crawling along at 20kph and when we finally hit bitumen we found 2 men on motorcycles resting under a tree. They stood there, open-mouthed! "you came through THERE? on THOSE BIKES!" Well yes actually, we're women and Legend's after all and we know they spread our fame to the rest of their group they were shepherding. We're famous down that way now BWHAHAHAHAHA.
This isn't the flooded crossing we crossed, we were too scared to stop there and try for a photo Op! Too wet and slippery and uphill riding.
This one you can see the water has just reseeded enough to show how high it had been just the day before... told you were were following some mammoth storms.
And the irony is that we never got to Mudgee. That TURN OFF the local told us about was about 40km out of Merriwa..
But we discovered some amazing country, popped out onto bitumen road near Bylong and headed through Rylestone and Kandos into Bathurst.
Found a nice motel close to a pub and we were set for the night.
Another one of those memorable scenes and it's why we ride.
To be the only person on a stretch of road with a view like that. Some would call it lonesome we call it freedom.
Made it to Bathurst and of course had to ride around Mt Panorama
Day 3 Bathurst to Katoomba
Via Oberon and Jenolan Caves
Now put up your hand if you've even been on the road from Oberon to Jenolan Caves. As I thought... not many takers hehehehe It is an AMAZING road. The warning signs will astound you... "No trucks, no caravans, no articulated vehicles". The good bends are signposted for 25kph.. the really interesting ones are marked 15kph. They are VERY scary and you double back on yourself and the camber of the road feels all wrong.
But we made it of course.. and we were squealing with delight when we got into the little village that is Jenolan Caves.
Looking back up the hill towards the Guest House and the small ticket office and gift store. The cave systems are brilliant and you simply have to take a tour.
This is the opening under the mountain called the Grand Cavern but I prefer the old name Devil's Coachouse
Was I tripping, I saw monks and coloured lights and some beautiful formations
This final shot is called the Dragon's Head. It looks like one to me but then I'm kooky enough to see faces in all sorts of things.
Ok enough of the caves it was back into the saddle for the ride back up the mountain and on to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains.
First stop, the Three Sisters lookout at Echo Point.... Second stop.... The pub!
$6 Pints! And wonderful Monteith's Summer Ale...........It turned into a VERY long night!
Next day we were sick little puppies! So a large, healthy breakfast was called for then off we went.
We really didn't like the highway so we went cross country just as soon as we could.
Out to Richmond and UP the PUTY Road which runs through some beautiful country behind Sydney and Newcastle and we arrived in Singleton in the Hunter Valley...
An early night was called for and some yummy Chinese Take-Away bed picnic!
Look! Look what we saw along the way! Another Doctor Who themed mailbox.
It's the famous K9 of Course, so another stop and run back to get a photo.
This trip is taking a rather long time with all these stops hahaha
Along the Puty road you come to the Half Way Roadhouse, it's a burned out shell from some massive fires which went through the area but an amazing artist lives there.
He created this giant which he calls Wo-Man.
He makes & sells strange tables and if you take the time to just stand and look around you will find strange bugs and monster sculptures hiding in the grass.
There is a picnic area for anyone who wants to stop off and just take in the serenity of the place.
Some final memories
A funny thing happened at Gloucester... a mean lady at the petrol station so we paid her $2.50 and left! We figure we're not welcome there
The Best Scones on the Coast the sign says... for the Moreland Cafe... they actually have the BEST fresh, home-made apple pies in the entire WORLD. Do yourself a favour and get off the highway near Taree and try it.
And we just loved this sign in a pub somewhere!
We had to endure 200km of Highway 1 until we could go cross county to Grafton where we fitted a new front tyre to the BMW.
Just outside of Kyogle we found the best motorcycle road of the entire trip.
You leave the highway and head to The Risk [yes, it's called - The Risk] and you go up over Mt Lion on a road which is maintained by the Lion's Club of Kyogle.
They do a wonderful job on this road and it winds through some magnificent scenery. When you get to the top of Mt Lion you are only a few kilometres from the Qld border and there is an honesty box!
If you enjoyed the ride, put something in the Donations Tin.
So now were were back in Qld and all the signs say, Beaudesert and Brisbane so we headed into the city.
All up the little bike did 2300km and 3300km for the BMW
What a wonderful trip and fabulous bonding session for mother and daughter
And my favourite photo of the entire trip... stick 'em up lady!
September 2013 - A ride from Bundaberg to Cairns
"
 Packed and ready to depart |  Bowen such a strange town with unusable, contaminated land right in the centre of town |  Must take the sky rail up to Kuranda |
Break the journey and walk through the rainforest | 
Another stop to see the waterfalls | 
Coming in to land |
Someone has to keep this running, 1 man climbing and another on top |  
A stop at the Kuranda bird sanctuary | 
A Cassowary had something to say |
Caught the old train back down the mountain. Don't bother, it's long and boring | 
View of Cairns tourist precinct | 
Helicopter lands ahead of a black storm |
Lets leave Cairns and head North | 
Up to the Daintree and Port Douglas | 
Wait, stop and check the map for the Tablelands |
Rising up into the Tablelands | 
Settled in for the night at Rockhampton |
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Goodbye and thanks for calling