November 2023

Cucumber Trip 2023

Heading down to see Tahnee & Tiger Read more

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November 8, 2023
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Day 1
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 9:27 AM
☁️ 21 °C
Altitude: 679 m
Australia Harristown -27.579041, 151.93060527°34’45” S 151°55’50” E
Leaving home
November 8, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Here is our 1976 R75/6 with a speedo reading 100,687kms! This will be the first long trip for Cucumber. We filled the bike at Drayton and we head off, I must admit with a degree of trepidation. The bike shakes it's head a little as we run down towards the Drayton Bowls Club.... loading? Something else, I will have to keep an eye on that.Read more
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Day 1
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 10:25 AM
☁️ 22 °C
Altitude: 482 m
Australia Allora -28.03492, 151.98280428°2’6” S 151°58’58” E
Smoko at Allora
November 8, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Well we are enjoying the ride so far. Cucumber is running well.
Less than one hour into our trip we stop and smell the roses.
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Day 1
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 12:19 PM
☁️ 20 °C
Altitude: 815 m
Australia Bald Mountain -28.883493, 151.8962828°53’1” S 151°53’47” E
Allora to the border
November 8, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
I don't want the trip to be rushed, so we stop at Allora for morning tea. The town is looking good, with a little more spring in it's step than it had decades ago. As we leave town we spot Mark Agnew's Overland Deliver Van. We track him down and have a short chat with Mark and Lousie. Michelle from the Vintage Bike club comes over and says hi. I met her and her husband Tony at the Toowoomba Rally. As we get closer to Stanthorpe, there is lots of burnt country.Read more
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Day 1
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 12:31 PM
☁️ 21 °C
Altitude: 883 m
Australia Wallangarra -28.924176, 151.93013128°55’27” S 151°55’48” E
Wallangarra
November 8, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Playing at being a tourist!! I give some thought to the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. The bike is not running that well in the 2,000 to 3,000 RPM rev range and yet it smoots out as we get near to 100KMh.
Passed 6 burnt out railway bridges and one home!Read more
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Day 1
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 2:03 PM
☁️ 20 °C
Altitude: 854 m
Australia Tenterfield Showground -29.054321, 152.0189129°3’16” S 152°1’8” E
Tenterfield
November 8, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
We parked next to a R1250 GSA. The R75 looks so simple, no multiple pieces of plastic, stuck together like a 1980's Transformer thingy. The owner and pillion, a nice couple from Stanthorpe say hi and we both head off in our own directions. Funny that we are heading for Sydney and they are on the better touring machine and they just get to do a day ride. Well on that day, maybe by next week they will off on a world adventure.Read more
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Day 1
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 4:14 PM
☁️ 19 °C
Altitude: 1,165 m
Australia Glencoe -29.926191, 151.72381729°55’34” S 151°43’26” E
Red Lion near Glen Innis
November 8, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Just stopped for a photo. We were lucky we got to stay here with Tim & Linda when it was open!! The bike is still running very average in the mid range..... more Zen ponderings. The sky ahead looks darker and we have tried to seal up our panniers with some gladwrap. I mentioned the head shake in Drayton, it has not occurred again.... that is another thing to ponder on.Read more
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Day 1
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 5:27 PM
☁️ 19 °C
Altitude: 992 m
Australia Armidale -30.504984, 151.67193630°30’18” S 151°40’19” E
Armidale
November 8, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
We checked in at the White Lanterns Motel where Mark, wearing a very swish paisley shirt served us. Told us the shirt was hand made at Joe Banana menswear shop in Sydney. He was really chuffed with Joe and Co.
We gave the carbs a tweak, the right side was dragging the chain a little, that adjustment seemed to improve the mid range running.
Walked into town and had tea at the pub. The baby cried, the grandmother nursed and the guy at the next table rolled his eyes.
Slept fairly well.
Have the panniers wrapped in gladwrap, as is Mal's boot!!Read more
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Day 2
Thursday, November 9, 2023 at 8:45 AM
☁️ 15 °C
Altitude: 992 m
Australia Armidale -30.504974, 151.67188730°30’18” S 151°40’19” E
Uralla
November 9, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Stopped at Armidale Moto as Mal's boots are falling apart. No luck have to try Tamworth. I've always thought of Uralla as a place that people who are not in a hurry stop and watch life rush by. We stopped for breakfast and I took the time to make a sketch of the old building across the road. My boot covered in gladwrap was quite stylish.Read more
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Day 2
Thursday, November 9, 2023 at 10:54 AM
⛅ 21 °C
Altitude: 456 m
Australia Moonbi -31.018128, 151.07128431°1’5” S 151°4’17” E
Moonbie
November 9, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Who's for a cuppa???
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Day 2
Thursday, November 9, 2023 at 12:01 PM
⛅ 25 °C
Altitude: 399 m
Australia Goonoo Goonoo Creek -31.12756, 150.92376931°7’39” S 150°55’26” E
Tamworth
November 9, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
We stopped and found some new boots, made in Romania for an Italian firm. Hard to find things not made in China. We stopped at the Golden Guitar and I sent a copy of the pic to Michael Lorentzen who comes over and plays guitar. At Willowtree we stopped at the memorial for the convicts shipped in the first fleet. Well it was not all pleasant walks in spring sunshine.Read more
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Day 3
Friday, November 10, 2023 at 9:04 AM
⛅ 20 °C
Altitude: 150 m
Australia Singleton -32.375923, 150.96088132°22’33” S 150°57’39” E
Liddell Power Station
November 10, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
It rained the night before and the instrument panel got some moisture inside. Very hard to read. When we entered a small town on the highway, a Police car was sitting on the left. As we passed his brake lights flickered, and then he pulled out behind us and followed us for a bit, I knew I hadnt been speeding but he followed long enough to do a rego check. Then he put on his siren, I pulled to the side of the road, but he sped past and pulled up the car that was, by that time a fair way up ahead. Yes foggy instruments....🤣😅Read more
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Day 3
Friday, November 10, 2023 at 9:05 AM
⛅ 20 °C
Altitude: 150 m
Australia Singleton -32.375879, 150.960932°22’33” S 150°57’39” E
Scone
November 10, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
We rode on as the weather was starting to look a bit ominous! Called in at the first motel here, they had one room left - King suite with a spa!! It also came with a price tag $185 so the kind lady rang the budget motel up the other end of town and got us one for $110. No spa in this one 🙃🙃Read more
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Day 3
Friday, November 10, 2023 at 1:23 PM
☀️ 24 °C
Altitude: 191 m
Australia Ingleside -33.685284, 151.25918533°41’7” S 151°15’33” E
Tahnee & Marco's
November 10, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Came along Monavale Road and stopped at the Bahai House of Worship. I had a lot to do with the Bahais of Toowoomba back in the 1980's. They are a kind lot of people. We stopped for lunch at Whale Beach and arrived just after Tahnee got home from work. Had some lovely drinks out on the front deck. Where they live is a lovely part of Sydney. It would be easy to pretend that the Western suburbs just don't exist if you live here.Read more
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Day 4
Saturday, November 11, 2023 at 10:59 AM
☀️ 23 °C
Altitude: 74 m
Australia Barranjoey Lighthouse -33.580106, 151.32992533°34’48” S 151°19’48” E
Avalon Beach and Barrenjoey Lighthouse
November 11, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Tahnee and Marco went to Pilates and we wandered down to Avalon Beach for a quick sketch. We had juice at a cafe and then drove up to Barrenjoey Headland. We walked up the path to the lighthouse. Had our Remembrance Day service up on the headland. We had an ice-cream at the beach and lunch at the RSL. On the way home we stopped in at various spots and watched the sail boats.
I checked the valve clearances and they were all spot on, so no changes there. Spark plugs running cleaner than before I put in the new rings. In the evening we sat out on the top deck and had sunset drinks. Tahnee and I sat down and watch the first half of Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn......... a perfect end to a beautiful day.Read more
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Day 7
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 10:00 AM
⛅ 22 °C
Altitude: 47 m
Australia Scots Church -33.86511, 151.20628533°51’54” S 151°12’23” E
Sydney Town
November 14, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Marco dropped us off at the bus stop & we caught the bus into town. One hour to get there. In the city we wandered up to the Art Gallery where Sue had coffee while I wandered around. We trudged up town and after getting lost found cousin Jamie on the Townhall Steps. Had an enjoyable catch up over lunch. After lunch we caught the train, but yes we caught the wrong one, so we ended up getting off at Museaum Station......Read more
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Day 7
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 2:51 PM
☁️ 23 °C
Altitude: 25 m
Australia Australian Museum -33.874265, 151.21334633°52’27” S 151°12’48” E
Green Square Station
November 14, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
We took the opportunity to visit the Museum, given we had time before meeting Tahnee and Tiger for tea at Green Square Station. We found the Penguins, been looking for them everywhere. Finally got on the right train and had some time waiting for Tahnee looking up at a giant hole in the roof above the courtyard.Read more
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Day 8
Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 10:36 AM
☁️ 23 °C
Altitude: 132 m
Australia Bungan Head Reserve -33.646102, 151.31228333°38’46” S 151°18’44” E
Kadinsky
November 15, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Because Sue did the footprints, we don't have a foot print for the day when I visited John Simms and then went to the Kadinsky Exhibition with Tahnee. So this page is a sort of compromise. Had morning tea and lunch with John where we talked all things old BMW. I caught the train back into Sydney and had more time at the galley, which was terrific. Tahnee met me there at 6pm and we went to the major Kadinsky exhibition together. We finally got home and it was the end of our last day in Sydney. The next morning we said a sad goodbye and headed out to the freeway. We stopped at the Hawsberry River briefly before riding on.Read more
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Day 9
Thursday, November 16, 2023 at 7:51 AM
⛅ 19 °C
Altitude: 8 m
Australia Mooney Mooney Point -33.534169, 151.19769833°32’3” S 151°11’52” E
Tamworth
November 16, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
We had a truck stop us in the middle of Singleton to tell us our back tyre was showing canvas!! It wasn't..... we had ridden through something white which made it look like it was!!!
A fairly hot day for riding.
Mal wanted to dive into the photo at the bakery in Tamworth and reflect on some of the highlights of the trip not yet covered.Read more
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Day 9
Thursday, November 16, 2023 at 5:48 PM
☁️ 25 °C
Altitude: 868 m
Australia Tenterfield -29.059605, 152.01764529°3’35” S 152°1’4” E
Tenterfield
November 16, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
We left Tamworth and it was hot and then as we climbed toward Armidale the temperature dropped and the riding was pleasant. We thought we would stay in Glen Innis, but the motels were expensive and the day was young but sore was my bum. Rode through a few light showers but didn't get too wet.
Found a good motel in Tenterfield that brought our meals to our room, how good is that!!! Cucumber also got to sleep under cover.Read more
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Day 10
Friday, November 17, 2023 at 8:48 AM
⛅ 23 °C
Altitude: 801 m
Australia Weeroona Park -28.657186, 151.93385428°39’26” S 151°56’2” E
Stanthorpe
November 17, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
The recent rain was starting to add green to the burnt areas around Stanthorpe. A guy in a car ahead stayed in the right overtaking lane and ignored the traffic behind, some people can be either bloody minded or just inconsiderate. We decided to head here for breakfast. A lady called Kath stopped to admire Cucumber. She has taken up riding at 50 and has a 650cc Kawasaki ... Versys, or something like that.Read more
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Day 10
Friday, November 17, 2023 at 10:40 AM
☁️ 31 °C
Altitude: 680 m
Australia Harristown -27.578887, 151.93053627°34’44” S 151°55’50” E
Home James
November 17, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C
There are two ends to this... the Happy End & The Sore End!!
Cucumber did 1884ks on his first big trip with us both on. A little bit of work needs to be done to get him up to speed though.
Really glad we did the trip, one never knows which trip will be the last one. Sue is right Cucumber has a few mechanical issues which I will address as time and cash permitRead more
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Trip end
November 17, 2023