After a nice lunch at Uralla, it was time to head off and make my way to Mum and Dad’s, otherwise known as the Crusty’s.
Back down the hill on the New England Highway through the roads works and the increasing amount of traffic. Feeling good and enjoying being out on Fergus. Into Tamworth for fuel again, check in with The Crusty’s to give them a rough eta of 6pm ish and it’s off again. Approaching Willow Tree I was surprised to see that the servo in the wedge is now closed – guess the economy took its toll.
Roll through and head towards Murrurundi (full of tourists), then I thought into Scone but there’s now a new bypass road and you miss Scone altogether….shook my head. Before long and increasing traffic and I’m into Muswellbrook and it’s chaotic. Road works, crazy unpredictable drivers, traffic lights…wtf (don’t have those at home) and there isn’t a lot of places to overtake. Frustrating as we continue through the towns and the forever increasing traffic. Singleton a nightmare, more road works, more idiots – deep breath Kimmie.
Finally we make the freeway and the traffic has thinned out, cruise control is set and Fergus and I are motoring along at a steady pace now, looking forward to getting to The Crusty’s. Now onto the M1 and take the Morisset exit and stop dead in my tracks…traffic, bumper to bumper traffic in the dark. It took forever to reach the Wyee roundabout and I hear this massive clunk come from Fergus around the chain area take is easy and head towards Mum and Dad’s. Pulled into the drive right on 6pm to very happy & excited parents to see me.
A good nights sleep and a sleep in….ahhh!! How good was it to be with them on Mothers Day. Not being able to carry flowers for mum but I did get her a lovely card, some not so winning scratchies and a massive hug. Treated them to Chinese for dinner and they fussed like parents do.
Check Fergus’ chain and it’s flogged…crap. Dad’s not as agile as he used to be but it didn’t stop him from giving me a hand and searching through his shed for the tools required to adjust the chain. After a few words on how the job should be done and what is required for Fergus’s chain we completed the job….phew (no blood was shed and we were still talking to one another…lol). Dad hung up his riding boots a couple of years ago, but the urge to get on a bike even if he couldn’t ride it is still there. How to make an old crusty happy.
It was so good to see mum and dad!! 🥰 Love them so much!!
Worried about making it home with the chain in a shocking state, I’d made a contingency plan to check just before Sydney and if I had to go get a new one then I could make that detour. Luckily the chain was good and I continued on. A lovely day to be riding even if it is all freeway. No traffic on the motorways through Sydney and it’s an easy run into Goulburn. Thought I’d stop at the Paragon Café, but how rude it was closed on Mondays so had to settle for the bakery next door. Checked the chain again and had another plan that if I needed to could stop in Canberra, not required and continued on.
Off the freeway at Sth Gundegai and through Tumut, Batlow, Tumbarumba and Tooma watching for wildlife but in a comfortable place doing it – kinda refreshing better than being tense. Over the bridge at Towong cross the border and now it’s 12kms to home…..the last stretch.
In the drive at 3:50pm and a total of 2096.9km for my total time away.
So good to be home to Karl, Howie & Lucy…love you all 🥰🥰
Think Fergus is broken in now…LOL
Thanks for reading.
