A few hours spent around Ballimore (NSW)

[GarryMember]

With the day off (have to love 9 day fortnights) and waking to yet another sensational day it was decided to head out and explore some more of the local area to see what was around.

So after a quick fuel it was onto the tracks beside the railway line and out to see if the new block that would soon be my home had been mowed ………… any excuse really, the track beside the railway is fun

From the block it was out through the back of Wongarbon and towards Westella where I thought I saw my mother-in-law ……………….

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But then realised that I was wrong as this cow was far younger, better looking and has a personality (harsh but I am kind …………… ask the wife)

Mind you, even the mother-in-law couldn’t ruin this ride or these views

And so it was onwards towards Ballimore, but before getting there I saw this old tank and, well as someone who likest he old used farm houses, shed tanks and bridges, I just had to get a pic.

Crossing the highway at Ballimore it was of onto the unexplored road and into the yonder to see what was around.

I saw these things off the side of the road

Took a pic of the bike

Not a bad view out here either

Now to go that a way.

Got back on started all over again but all to soon just as I clicked 4th gear there was a bloody emu that decided that he could run faster and so decided that we should share the road …… kind of. So as I hit full on ‘oh shit, this will be interesting’ I decided to simply stomp the rear brake to create a small slide that allowed me to just change direction and slow me enough to watch the damn dumb bird run off the side of the road and collect the fence at full noise. Yep, full pace into the fence it ran with the only noise being the sound of the fence shuddering, but did it hurt the damn bird ………. hardly, it quickly regained it’s feet from the crumpled position and decided to follow the fence line as they always seem to do, looking for that space to get away.

Now, I do say ‘dumb bird’ and really they aren’t that smart but man I do enjoy seeing them out in their natural surrounds, just as I do all of the wild life (well, except 4sd, they should be in captivity) as it really does make an enjoyable ride. So yes, I may be harsh on them but I would not ever want to hit one nor never see them as they are damn impressive critters these birds.

And so, after a small break of a few minutes to try to let the bird get away it was time to start up and get going again to see where this road would lead ……………… now, remember when I said that I stopped to let the bird get away a little ………..FAIL on my part as there he was again after about 1 kay or so.

Now, all the head shaking in the video is simply me trying to make sure that the bird was going to stay off the track so I could keep going and with that sorted it was a little further along before another stop at what really were some bloody good looking horses

One in the video just kept farting at me all the damn time, made me feel like the wife wast here the whole time (and no old nag jokes)

Horse fix over I waved goodbye to Sara Jessica-Parker and continued along, through a few gates all the time admiring the myriad of track off the side, but all the time knowing I was on semi-private property (public road, but on property).

After a few more minutes and after crossing the last of the properties it was ‘last gate time’ and off into the National Park where I had been once before, but had accessed differently and never been this far along. The tracks in the park are generally straight, varied surfaces and well treed but as I knew from last time I was in this place, there is plenty of wildlife that wish to share the roads and will cross it just like a pedestrian at a shopping centre (ie. Without looking, just walking), and so due caution was observed.

After a few kays on Freemans track I turned onto another (sorry, name escapes me) and found this one to be super fun. This one was straight, like real straight up and over the hill in the distance but with erosion mounds every 100 or so metres and so it was mound after mound and speeds up to 100 or so kays for around what felt like 3 kms. Mind you, it may sound boring but the mounds were at different angles and varying heights, plus there were so many different surfaces it was always interesting, but by the end and not having ridden this kind of track for a while my legs were killing me.

Now before I am told, I have already ordered a case of HTFU which should be here this week but in all honesty that last track was awesome fun, just good honest brutal fun and no doubt people with more skills may have been bored but that is the advantage I have ………. no skills means I have a higher threshold before boredom sets in as they say.

Eventually the track wound (as much as straight piece of road can wind of course) it’s way back to the main road and so it would be turn left and head back towards Dubvegas, leaving so much of the place to be explored another day. So a trundle down the tar, a turn left onto Old Mendooran Road and through to the causeway that had to be crossed, and crossed I did even if the flow was quite strong for a change.

All to soon it was back home to the mundane, but there is plenty more to find so I have set the task for myself.

[alanMember]

looks like fun and the photos look familiar would join you for a ride but my chook chaser is crap in that kind of riding

[AlexMember]

Same here. I definitely don’t have the bike for it. Ecks probably still has an ADV bike? He’s in Wellington again.

[Perry GilsenanMember]

Thanks for posting the report, Looks like a nice spot to explore!!

What camera were you using? Im trying to learn Hero 3 usage at present in time for Scrapheap Ride

Pezz

[GarryMember]

Pezz,

The still camera is a cheapo Nikon L310 and the helmet cam is a Contour HD

As for the spot, the national park looks like a sensational spot to explore and the ride to it is pretty damn good as well.

Gaz

[alanMember]

was a heap better spot before the national parks took it over its turned to shit now in comparison

[AlexMember]

white rocket wrote:

was a heap better spot before the national parks took it over its turned to shit now in comparison

Haha I saw that one coming a mile off.
Yep the NP areas are great spots but don’t put a wheel off the main tracks or they will ass cane you. Shame really. They don’t let anyone take fallen timber anymore and they don’t maintain the forest for fire anymore so all us RFS blokes are shit scared of fire anywhere near them. It’s also interesting to note if there is any bushfire or car fires in a NP, RFS are not allowed to enter until requested by NPs themselves. :blink:

[GarryMember]

white rocket wrote:

was a heap better spot before the national parks took it over its turned to shit now in comparison

That is the story of pretty much every place that National Parks control unfortunately as they seem to want to lock down and shut off many good pieces of the regions to pander to the louder minority groups.

[alanMember]

:whistle:

[Dave O’RourkeMember]

Thanks for posting mate. I drive past Ballimore all the time when i’m heading from Gulgong to Dubbo and am always peeking for some riding around there. Will definately head over that way on my next day off to have a look around. What NP is over that way?

[AlexMember]

There’s a great forest around those parts that we ventured in recently but unfortunately it’s fiercely protected by it’s surrounding farmers and the parks people. Would be nice to have somewhere local to cut some trails.

[Author]

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