I had a bit of a serious play on the GPS planning software last night and came up with this as an option (note, edited to go to a three day plan! and again to delete freeway down):
Leave Thurs 4th morning for Bermagui via Wisemans Ferry, Bell, Oberon, Goulburn, Braidwood & Batemans Bay. 700km all up. Leave Charlestown around 7am going via Swansea and Yaramalong, pick up Sydneysiders at about 9:30am at Ebenezer servo (1km after the Sackville Ferry) where we will pick up at least an 800SS Ducati that I know about. We should be getting that first beer around 5pm in Bermagui I would expect.
Fri 5th head for Bombala, Bonang, Orbost then don't care but have GPS'd an off-highway dirt free route for as much as possible with a freeway run into Melbourne. Total 650km. This gives us a free day (Sat) in Melbourne then, as we just have to get that ferry Sat arvo. 5:30pm is the ideal check in time (boarding from 6pm), 6:45pm is the latest possible check-in (sailing is 7:30pm). And, if we need to pull up short for any reason there is some comfortable slack built into the schedule to deal with it.
This is just an initial proposal and anyone else is welcome to join in - there is nothing really fixed about the route and we could readily accommodate diversions to the plan (up front) - but should preferably book our first night's accommodation before leaving. There are A LOT of corners on this route, interspersed with relaxing open bits. Fuel won't be a problem, but you need to be at least in the general vicinity of "an intermediate rider" or better to enjoy it, which shouldn't be a drama as most are.
The first day has a little bit of tighter stuff going through Wisemans, but the rest of the day will be a smogasbord of wide sweepers - the sequence going into Omeo is nothing short of intoxicating, and the road down to Goulburn (now full tar) is a delight of changing scenery and corners, plus the Kings Hwy (Braidwood - Batemans) is pretty flash too!
The Bonang Hwy on day two is a "rather special bit of road" for those that don't know. However there is a perfectly good (boring!) alternate route so you don't need to be put off by it. But, if the idea of a road sign saying "bends next 150km" appeals to you, you will not care about the 20km of dirt you need to traverse in the middle. I have heard it is now less dirt since I, and about 100 other mostly sports bike Ducatis, were there 3 years ago. You see, the thing with this road is it is 100km/hr sign posted and, with the (seemingly) never ending nose to tail sequence of 35km corners, you won't hardly ever get to see that number on the speedo - Oh what fun!
Make sure your tyres are good to go - if they are much past half way on departure you won't make it to Melbourne going the way I have suggested. You can pick up new ones on Sunday morning before the start of Turismo, there is plenty of time and they cater well for this need.
For the return journey I ran out of time last night to get a plan sorted, but am basically thinking of a run through the Snowies then retracing the brilliant route Scott and I took on the way back from the Beechworth NDR where we made it to Bathurst dirt road free without going on a main road almost the entire way. More on this later - and anyway nobody has to decide about the return trip until we get to the end of the event and can see how we're traveling.
The two bikes I know about have safety devices like UHF radios, GPS, a few tools, etc - so that is an extra level of safety available if you join us. But PLEASE, bring your own flat tyre kit!!! Get the ones with the hand pump type air cylinder loader then there is always a way to get out of "it". The odds are you won't need it, but when you do you are really glad of it!
