Post Flinders - Barrington Tops & 20 Creek Crossings

Today's plan was to travel from Dubbo to Scone where we would leave the Prado overnight, we would unload the bikes and ride over Barrington Tops and on to Nundle at the Peel Inn for the night, then come back the next day and pick up the car, where we would both head our separate ways from there.

So we've managed to extend our ride by another 2 days, yay for us. We got up early and got going as it was about 3 hours from Dubbo to Scone through kangaroo country. There was plenty of thick fog around this morning, hanging around in the valleys as we approached Scone.

With the bikes quickly unloaded, we loaded up our gear and got changed and took off for some fuel, grabbed some lunch at the supermarket and then headed into the hills. We were surprised to find that they have been tarring Barrington tops forest road almost all the way up to the Dingo Gate. 

Near the top we looked out to the north were we would be heading later today. We could see rain showers passing across the landscape. That had me a little concerned. How full will these creeks be?

We continued up to the Dingo gate, it was damp the further up we climbed. We could see dark clouds ahead on the route we were taking.

It started to sprinkle with rain and the temperature had dropped to low teens, we pulled over so Dave could put on his rain gear. Not me, I was going to find out whether this Klim gortex gear is actually water resistant. The road started looking pretty slippery but with our knobby tyres I didn't have and slips or slides so potentially it wasn't wet enough yet.

Dave said we turn off the main road in a couple of kilometres onto Pheasants creek rd. The single lane road went off into the bush, this concerned me greatly as he had never been on it and being wet it could become very difficult. Luck was on our side and it was nothing hard, but easy going.

We came out on the Tomala road near Tomala Station. We stopped here briefly before riding on. If was pleasant farming gravel road along here with superb views over the valleys to the north of Barrington.

We just had to stop and take in the views. We had our lunch here whilst looking over the valley. Dave puled out the drone and flew around chasing eagles thermaling.

It's a pretty steep drop down the hill from here for a couple of Kilometres, then we turned north on Hunter Road towards Ellerston. Passing by the horse studs we got to Barry Station and the first of crossing, a concrete causeway. I recognised this from multiple videos. This is the causeway that everyone crashes in due to being so Slippery, we rode through the very edge by about 1 foot then onto the grass and creek on the side, that 1 foot I was already starting to lose the front end it was that slippery.

We continued on through the 20 creeks, no problem whatso ever. Yes, that's right no problems at all, was a lot of fun. Anyone says anything else, is scandalous lies. Didn't stop to take any photo's until we were past the last crossing running alongside the creek.

The ride out of the 20 creek crossing is fairly steep, we were riding into the sun and there were a few skippy's about so took if very carefully.

We came to an intersection, Dave said lets go up here and checkout this a cool lookout. It was only a short ride but spectacular views down over Nundle to the west.

Dropping down the hill into Nundle we parked up and grabbed a beer from the bar and sat out the front. We soon unloaded the bikes and got out of our gear and tipped our boots upside down to drain the water from them, then head to the bar for a few more beers. The pub was packed today. Apparently it was their busiest day of the year, the local dog festival was on today.

Sipping a beer with my bro and watching the sunset was simply amazing after the last week of riding we have done.

The rooms at the Peel Inn are great, nice and clean, a little on the small side, but are air conditioned and nice comfy beds. Can't ask for much more, and you get a cooked breakfast comes with the room.

The meals were also top notch, fantastic tender steak was so good. I just had to try one of their deserts too, and wasn't it delicious Creme Brulee. I'm bound to put on some weight this week with all these treats and not much exercise. Oh well you have to live and have fun.

After a fantastic slap up bacon & egg breakfast we packed the bikes and headed down Crawney Pass. There was plenty of fog on the surrounding hills, gleaming in the morning light. The pass was clear at the top.

The valleys and hills around here were bright green, in stark contrast to the last week spent in the Flinders which was a dry as a chip.

We were riding in and out of fog patches for some time. Getting back to the car in Scone I helped Dave load up the Desert X and pack his gear. We said our goodbyes and I headed south towards Sydney whilst he went north to Brisbane. Before leaving I grabbed some fruit for lunch.

I went back home via the Putty road, I think I saw about 2 or 3 cars the whole trip. I stopped at one of the rest areas and had some fruit and muesli bar for lunch, that was enough after that huge breakfast.

Getting home I unloaded and checked the bike. It was looking a little sad, the rear shock was leaking oil and appeared to had no dampening. Great, wonder which days that broke on?

Cheers Dave, thanks for organising a great trip away to the Flinders Ranges. One of the best trips for a few years. Nothing for it but a celebratory home coming beer. If you got this far thanks for reading.

Cheers

Flinders Ranges - Arkaroola to Broken Hill - Part 6

Today is our last day in the Flinders, basically we are making our way to Broken Hill so not much exciting adv riding. Not sure why we didn't stay another night or two, it would have been good to do some more exploring, it feels like we are leaving too soon. After breakfast we loaded up and start riding off, Dave pulls up and says "There's something wrong". Checking over the bike, that feeling of dread pressing on the back tyre and it squashes down.

But lucky for us we pulled into the Arkaroola service station with compressor and Dave got out the puncture repair kit. Had it fixed within 5 minutes and ready to roll again. Something to be said for tubeless tyres.

Take 2 - And we roll out for the second time, much more successfully this time. Traveling south down Arkaroola road just past the airport we stopped to take in the views. We are going to miss this. We've really been spoiled these last 5 days.

With it being so dusty and dry out here you could see other vehicles coming from miles away. We saw a couple of cars coming so we got going again before being showered in dust.

Not far up the road we saw this little fella taking a nap. What's up Skip, had too much to drink.....

It was 300kms from Arkaroola to Yunta in the south, all but 20km was gravel of varying quality. Some of it was thick and lose and the bikes were weaving around at 90kmh+. We came across a section that was suddenly soaking wet. WTF. We rode through it slowly  as it was slippy as f*ck, then over the crest was a road crew. They always dump water on the road just as I come along.

We didn't stop at all along here and rode for hours, until near 20kms from Yunta where we came across the Waukaringa Ruins. We had a gander at the smelter ruins on the hillside first.

Riding down to the homestead ruins we could see a group of adventure bikes parked up. There was a group from Newcastle on their way up to the Flinders, they'd stopped to cook some snags for lunch.

We stopped to fuel the bikes and have some lunch in Yunta. It was 200 long boring kms back to Broken Hill watching out for Goats all the way along. We arrived in Broken Hill into a busy peak hour traffic at about 4pm. I was surprised how busy it was compared to last Saturday when there was no one about

Dave said lets go take a look at Silverton, I wasn't so keen but when he said he was going anyway I decided to go too, can't sit around by myself doing nothing besides it was only 25kms. Riding into the low setting sun was hard work especially scouting for Skippy's on the way.

Silverton is famous for the filming locations for several famous Aussie movies starting back in the late 70's with Mad Max 2, Razorback and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

We stopped in at the iconic Silverton Hotel for a ice cold beer and had a look at some of the memorabilia that adorned the walls of the famous pub.

That motor is almost as big as that beetle, would have some serious stomp. Soon enough we were back in Broken Hill at our motel room. We decided on a more up market pub tonight and had diner and drinks at the Broken Hill Pub. It was pretty busy and the food was pretty good. 

Broken Hill seemed very busy with many people after the time we spent in the Flinders Ranges where most days we were lucky to spot a handful of people at best. I really enjoyed the isolation and how remote it was, especially coming from living in a city of 5.5 million people.

Some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere in Australia and superb adventure bike riding, mostly relatively easy riding, but that can ramp up quickly once off the main roads. If you haven't been to the Flinders before put it on your bucket list of places to do. You won't regret it.

I would have loved to spend a few more days, it was over too soon. The adventure doesn't finish here, tomorrow is the trip back to Dubbo and beyond.

Dave went and picked up the Prado and came back and we then loaded the bikes up Saturday morning. The trip back to Dubbo was pretty much the reverse of the day we came out, its pretty boring, so if you read that post in reverse you'll have the idea.

Making Dubbo near sunset we walked down to pick up some beers/wine and some pizza for a night in at the motel. I said to Dave I wasn't ready to go home yet I've got the week off. A dim light went off in his head and said alright we are going to Barrington Tops tomorrow to ride around there and beyond. The adventure continues...........

Arkaroola to Broken Hill

Flinders Ranges - Arkaroola to Leigh Creek - Part 5

We were up earlyish this morning and went for a walk around the village, before heading to breakfast.  We climbed the hill behind our accommodation, there's an old observatory up there, but hasn't been used for many years. I think they have moved to a new observatory on a hilltop on the other side of the village.

All was quiet in Arkaroola this morning, and probably every morning to be honest.

Arkaroola Village

Looking down over the caravan park, it was almost empty. Adam the GS rider was camping down by the creek on the right.

With breakfast dispatched Dave said we will be riding out an extremely remote road today through the Gammon Ranges National Park that will take us to Leigh Creek. He'd seen a gpx track on Brett Pearsons youtube channel for this road, link to the video where he rides some of the bit we did. He said "Brett rode it alone so can't be hard". My reply, "yeah and Brett rides a 701 Enduro bike that weighs 145kg, not a fat porker 250kg adv bike. Big difference."

The road went west out of Arkaroola, starting out, the road was fairly easy going as we were heading toward Bolla Bollana Smelter ruins. We have 75km of extremely remote terrain before coming back onto the Gammon Ranges Road to Leigh Creek.

After about 12km we turned off the main road onto 4 Mile Track, the road got narrower and rougher and much more rocky and even more remote. We soon arrived at Bolla Bollana Smelter Ruins.

There's a large dome shaped kiln at the entrance to the site, now empty. The smelter started operation in 1873 and had ore transported in from nearby mines where they melted down copper.

There's not much left now, you can still see the flue with collapsed roof running up the hill, the chimney has fallen down long ago and can't be seen.

We continued along 4 Mile Track with the landscape changing the further we went, the tree's got fewer and the hills became bigger, the road got more rocky. Its definitely 4wd territory out here. There were a few steep climbs and one very steep descent. So steep we couldn't ride down it, due to the rocks and ruts. 

I was concerned if there was a hill like this one going back up we might get stuck at the bottom unable to get out. I got Dave to ride out and check before I came down it, but all good. It took me 10 minutes to get down that hill clutching it and rolling. 

We had a few more steep rocky climbs before we got to the last one pictured below. They are not any steeper than any of the other climbs I've done, its more the fact they are very rocky and lose makes it more difficult than it looks.

I watched Dave navigate his way up from the other hill, I could see him bounce off a few of the rocks and ledges as he went up. I went carefully down and then went full send on the way up, madly clutching it, bouncing off shit all the way up. There were some big rocks on that hill.

We stopped for a break at the top, and had a muesli bar snack and drink whilst taking in the views from up here. Lucky it wasn't hot out today, every day was a perfect 20°C. That last hill was pretty lose and rocky and it wasn't pretty, but here we are, just getting it done. 

We were only 20kms into the ride and it had taken us 1.5hrs. It was a little technical, line choice became a big part of getting up some of the hills safely.

We dropped off the hill and from that point on the road opened up into a flowing trail, it was 15kms before we came to a gate that lead to another road which headed south towards the main road. We went past a house, first one we had seen for over 50kms, we stopped for a brief photo near Mt Serle before coming to Gammon Ranges Road. We turned right and headed into Copley then onto Leigh Creek.

Leigh Creek is a pretty small town, but bigger than most around the Flinders. The town was founded on mining so its larger than most other towns in the Flinders. We stopped at the pub for some lunch.

We ordered the lunch special hamburger,  but were going to split it as we weren't overly hungry. It was the biggest hamburger I've ever seen. Half of it filled us up it was that big.

Fuelling up we bumped into the same Adv guys we stay next to last night. Back to Gammon Ranges Road, the information sign just out of Copley wasn't very informative. The roads have been deserted today, besides Leigh Creek, we haven't seen a single car on the road all day.

The main road was a gravel super highway and was flowing through amazing scenery. We rode through  Italowie Gorge, more emu's running through the creek bed like mad berserkers.

We got back just after 4pm, much faster via the main road than the adv route this morning. Rather than go straight to the bar we went for a walk around to have a better look at the place. 

At least the Arkaroola road information sign is up to date. 

As we turned to head back into Arkaroola, we were treated to a breath taking sunset.

We had a few well earned beers back at the bar before diner, the chef had the day off and the entire bar staff cook up an amazing BBQ banquet out in the pool area. We again met Adam from Tassie and had dinner and a few glasses of red with him. Such a nice guy and we chatted about riding Tassie and other parts of Australia for a few hours.  We had an early night as it tomorrow we head back to Broken Hill.

Arkaroola to Leigh Creek - Return