The ride home from Mitta Mitta. I have not really wanted the post this up. It means the report is over. The ride has ended. One of the best rides I have ever done is finished. Lilly and i will never forget this ride. My Tar Brother Helge and I will never forget this ride. So lets finish it here.
We arose to a sunny day. Stark contrast to the night before. Did we bring the rain or what?! Mitta Mitta was wet. The river had come up too.
A quick breakfast was had. We did not want to take any food home with us. So we ate well.
Goodbyes to our fellow campers/travelers and off we set for home. What a great weekend. Fantastic and inspirational people we will never forget. I have been greatly inspired to take my bike overseas. I knew this would happen even before we set off for this meeting. Now the desire is so deeply planted. I hope one day I can make it real as those we met have.
Again we motored over beautiful roads as we headed north. The rising sun warming our faces. A stray sheep and a wallaby both at the roadside watched as we boomed past. Soon we are back in Bethanga. Helge had left his phone at Charlie's place. I glad he did. It was good to see Charlie again. Before arrived there we had a brilliant run around the Hume Dam. One left hand sweeper just had me cracking the throttle open to catch Helge up. The BM hunkered down on its suspension and tore through the corner. Wow what a sweeper. The BM was not fazed at all by being two up and fully loaded. I needed these corners as soon we would be hitting the Ho Hum boring Hume Hwy.
Phone collected and goodbyes again to Charlie and we hit the Hume. We have hours of dual carriage boredom ahead of us. We need to be in Sydney ASAP ad this is the quickest way to do it.
Holbrook, one of the few towns that the Hume Wwy still goes through looms into site. So to the towering, 90metre long, HMAS Otway submarine in a park on the side of the road. It is a most unusual sight to see as you are driving along the highway between Sydney and Melbourne, at least 400km from the nearest seaport. The story behind the submarine is linked to the change in name of the town. During WW1, the town name of Germanton was considered inappropriate, so was changed to Holbrook, after Lt. Norman Holbrook. Holbrook was the first naval Victoria Cross winner of WW1 as well as the first submariner to get the medal. He received the medal for his daring underwater raid through the Dardanells, Turkey. Sinking a Turkish battleship with a torpedo from the submarine he commanded.
What a great way to get people to stop in the town.
Road works along the Hume slow us down. Lunch time is drawing close so too is Gundagai. Dog on the Tucker Box fame town. We have lunch at a cafe in town. Good fish and chips too.
We didn't bother to pull in and have a look at the Dog on the Tucker box. A huge and I mean huge service station over shadows the statue of the dog. Shame really as it used to be a great spot to stop.
We are humming along and i glance down at my left boot. Of great! It is getting covered in oil. The patch job I did on sealing the 1000 barrels to the 800 engine is no longer holding. It is not a lot of oil and would help waterproof my boot so we push on. Sydney is only about 2 hours away
The closer to Sydney we traveled the more the air started to smell of pollution. Big dark rain laden clouds hovered over Sydney too. They just wanted to dump on us so bad. But we beat them. Not long after arriving at Lilly's place the heavens opened up and down it came. We had made good time today.
Next morning it is time to say goodbye to Helge. First though he must take my bike for a spin. I want his option on my gearbox. Plus I love to hear my own pipes as it disappears into the distance. I can hear him booming around Epping. Music for the soul.
Back and Helge says my gearbox is better than his rebuilt one. Phew what a great relief.
Helge is all packed up. He is heading off to the Ulysses AGM at Penrith then off to the outback. Big bear hugs goodbye and a teary eye and my Norwegian Tar Brother is off. Thank you brother for the ride. Amazing trip. I would ride with you anywhere in this world brother.
There, it is over. The report and the ride. There is not a day that doesn't go by that I don't think of some part of this whole trip.
From my records the trip cost Lilly and I around $500. Thats for petrol, food and other things. Not bad for 5 days away.
Photo credits. Lilly, Helge and me.
{Australia} Off to Mitta Mitta....
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