BMBEN
Registered user
Bundeena
The forecast this morning was for scattered showers with an 80% chance of rain. But after two weeks of rain I was determined to go this morning. After all, here it was 8.30am and it wasn’t raining yet. I rode around to Maccas half expecting to be the only one who turned up. Turned out the other eight riders who showed up thought the same thing. With Noel not there to lead us, we all stood around dithering until someone, I think it was Dave E, suggested we ride to Bundeena. This suggestion met with everybody’s approval. I knew that Dave wouldn’t volunteer as leader, so I expected Eric to take that role, but alas, Eric wanted me to lead. So here I was cast again as ROAD CAPTAIN. Seems all my facial surgery has not diminished my boyish good looks or charm.
We headed off down the highway and onto Mulgoa Road and through Mulgoa to Wallacia. Here we took Greendale Road past Bents Basin State Rec Area to Bringelly. We crossed The Northern Road onto Bringelly Road and rode (quietly) past the Rebels Clubhouse towards Liverpool. I somehow managed to make the correct turn onto the Hume Freeway where we rocketed along for a few kilometres to the Heathcote Road exit. I don’t know how we managed it, but we were all miraculously still together. We paddled along Heathcote Road till we cleared the 60kmh zone, where it became a lot more fun. I know this is always a busy road but I still love riding it. After crossing Dead Mans Creek and then the Woronora River we climbed up the hill to the Princes Highway at Heathcote. From here it was just a short hop down to our customary smoko spot at the park. You know, the one on the corner where we park in the area reserved for IGA customers only.
By now we were getting bursts of sunshine and we were warming up. Some of us were actually slopping on sunscreen! It was very pleasant there as we munched our bikkies and slurped our coffee, and then I had a brainwave! Instead of going south and entering the national park at Waterfall as usual, we should go north and enter at Audley. The rest of the group were happy with this idea, or at least didn’t openly defy me. (I try not to let all this power go to my head.)
So off we rode, up the highway and turned into the national park. We wound our way down the fairly steep hill and crossed the Hacking River at the Audley causeway. This causeway had been closed by flooding a few days earlier, but fortunately had re-opened. After climbing Artillery Hill we carried on to the Bundeena turnoff where we rode, surprisingly, to Bundeena. We turned into the picnic area at Bonnie Vale, where we figured nobody would be game enough to try to make us pay park use fees, and grabbed a picnic table on the waterfront. This is a really great spot with views across Port Hacking to Gunnamatta Bay and Cronulla. We sat down to eat our lunch and I began to unwrap my Quiche Lorraine, only to find peanut butter sandwiches! Bugger; I’d stuffed up again!
After finishing our lunch, it was still quite early, so I figured a ride down the coast road to Bulli would be a good way to go, and then it started to sprinkle rain. It didn’t look too ominous though, so I wasn’t too concerned. We set off through the park and headed south while the sprinkling rain got a bit more serious. By the time we got to the Waterfall exit, I was considering calling it quits, but I like this road too much and carried on. By the time we left the park at Stanwell Tops the rain had stopped, the road was bone dry and after a few minutes so were we. We rode past Bald Hill where the hang-gliders were out in force, down to Stanwell Park and along the Seacliff Bridge which is always great. By this time I was starting to dream of toilets I have known, so I pulled in at Austinmer before the dream became a nightmare. It seemed a few of the others had been having similar dreams. Feeling much happier, we left Austinmer and rode south to Bulli, turned and climbed up Bulli Pass. We were lucky, as there were no slow trucks in front of us and at Bulli Tops; I somehow managed to find my way through the complex of interchanges onto the Appin Road. I was quite pleases with myself about this, though the rest of the group could probably have done it blindfolded.
We pulled in at the park in Appin for afternoon tea. True, it’s not actually on a corner but it is close to one. Here we indulged in jostling for seating space and other forms of frivolity, while we consumed the last of our nourishing refreshments. Looking out to the west the sky was looking pretty black, so instead of returning home via Broughton Pass and Menangle, we opted to head straight for Campbelltown and Narellan.
I copped a small shower near Emu Plains, but by the time I got to Blaxland I was dry again. Within thirty seconds of shutting the bike in the shed it was bucketing down, but that was OK. I forget what time I got home, but there 261kms on the trip meter and I’d had a terrific day. My thanks to the other eight brave riders for their great company.
Peter M
The forecast this morning was for scattered showers with an 80% chance of rain. But after two weeks of rain I was determined to go this morning. After all, here it was 8.30am and it wasn’t raining yet. I rode around to Maccas half expecting to be the only one who turned up. Turned out the other eight riders who showed up thought the same thing. With Noel not there to lead us, we all stood around dithering until someone, I think it was Dave E, suggested we ride to Bundeena. This suggestion met with everybody’s approval. I knew that Dave wouldn’t volunteer as leader, so I expected Eric to take that role, but alas, Eric wanted me to lead. So here I was cast again as ROAD CAPTAIN. Seems all my facial surgery has not diminished my boyish good looks or charm.
We headed off down the highway and onto Mulgoa Road and through Mulgoa to Wallacia. Here we took Greendale Road past Bents Basin State Rec Area to Bringelly. We crossed The Northern Road onto Bringelly Road and rode (quietly) past the Rebels Clubhouse towards Liverpool. I somehow managed to make the correct turn onto the Hume Freeway where we rocketed along for a few kilometres to the Heathcote Road exit. I don’t know how we managed it, but we were all miraculously still together. We paddled along Heathcote Road till we cleared the 60kmh zone, where it became a lot more fun. I know this is always a busy road but I still love riding it. After crossing Dead Mans Creek and then the Woronora River we climbed up the hill to the Princes Highway at Heathcote. From here it was just a short hop down to our customary smoko spot at the park. You know, the one on the corner where we park in the area reserved for IGA customers only.
By now we were getting bursts of sunshine and we were warming up. Some of us were actually slopping on sunscreen! It was very pleasant there as we munched our bikkies and slurped our coffee, and then I had a brainwave! Instead of going south and entering the national park at Waterfall as usual, we should go north and enter at Audley. The rest of the group were happy with this idea, or at least didn’t openly defy me. (I try not to let all this power go to my head.)
So off we rode, up the highway and turned into the national park. We wound our way down the fairly steep hill and crossed the Hacking River at the Audley causeway. This causeway had been closed by flooding a few days earlier, but fortunately had re-opened. After climbing Artillery Hill we carried on to the Bundeena turnoff where we rode, surprisingly, to Bundeena. We turned into the picnic area at Bonnie Vale, where we figured nobody would be game enough to try to make us pay park use fees, and grabbed a picnic table on the waterfront. This is a really great spot with views across Port Hacking to Gunnamatta Bay and Cronulla. We sat down to eat our lunch and I began to unwrap my Quiche Lorraine, only to find peanut butter sandwiches! Bugger; I’d stuffed up again!
After finishing our lunch, it was still quite early, so I figured a ride down the coast road to Bulli would be a good way to go, and then it started to sprinkle rain. It didn’t look too ominous though, so I wasn’t too concerned. We set off through the park and headed south while the sprinkling rain got a bit more serious. By the time we got to the Waterfall exit, I was considering calling it quits, but I like this road too much and carried on. By the time we left the park at Stanwell Tops the rain had stopped, the road was bone dry and after a few minutes so were we. We rode past Bald Hill where the hang-gliders were out in force, down to Stanwell Park and along the Seacliff Bridge which is always great. By this time I was starting to dream of toilets I have known, so I pulled in at Austinmer before the dream became a nightmare. It seemed a few of the others had been having similar dreams. Feeling much happier, we left Austinmer and rode south to Bulli, turned and climbed up Bulli Pass. We were lucky, as there were no slow trucks in front of us and at Bulli Tops; I somehow managed to find my way through the complex of interchanges onto the Appin Road. I was quite pleases with myself about this, though the rest of the group could probably have done it blindfolded.
We pulled in at the park in Appin for afternoon tea. True, it’s not actually on a corner but it is close to one. Here we indulged in jostling for seating space and other forms of frivolity, while we consumed the last of our nourishing refreshments. Looking out to the west the sky was looking pretty black, so instead of returning home via Broughton Pass and Menangle, we opted to head straight for Campbelltown and Narellan.
I copped a small shower near Emu Plains, but by the time I got to Blaxland I was dry again. Within thirty seconds of shutting the bike in the shed it was bucketing down, but that was OK. I forget what time I got home, but there 261kms on the trip meter and I’d had a terrific day. My thanks to the other eight brave riders for their great company.
Peter M
