Around Australia: Day 42, Woy Woy to Brisbane

Summary: On day 42 of my trip Around Australia on my Burgman 650 Executive I predominantly followed the Pacific Highway. I collected a few IBEM towns and dropped all Big Things along the way. The days was just short of 1,000 km. The family was awaiting me.

Diary Entry for June 4, 2010

My initial, short entry in my "Around Australia" diary for the day read as follows:

Day 42: Woy Woy to Brisbane
Well, the last day  The morning looked wet, in fact the whole day was forecast to be wet. Oh, well, wet suit and diving hood will cater for that, and it did. I collected a few IBEM towns and dropped all Big Things along the way. The main driver was the Big Ayers Rock, supposedly in Karuah, which, as it turned out by a local, was 12 km further down the road — which made me give up on the Big Things theme. I do not want to waste my time on this, hence, I dropped over 20 Big Things I could have visited along the way.
I tried Bear Route #18, which turned out to be a gravel road — not that this is an issue, but time did not permit for this possible adventure; the road was too wet and muddy too. [Correction: I took the wrong turn into the woods; I wasn't on the road I planned to be. Oh, well, there is always a next time.]
The route home was a leisurely run, mostly on the M1 (Motorway 1). I dropped the wet gear in Coffs Harbour, because the forecast was mostly dry for Brisbane, and it was getting wet inside (sweat), and… I missed my heated clothes. Yes, I had them on, but no connection through the wet suit. 
To conclude: I arrived home at 21:18, after 42 days and 26,556 km on the roads around Australia — loving every bit of it!

Photo of the Day

Karuah River Bridge, Old Pacific Highway, New South Wales

Woy Woy to Brisbane

Well, let's get started for the last day of this epic journey Around Australia. I was up at 07:00, a muesli bar for breakfast, packed by 07:45, and gone by 08:00. I reckon the chance of a beautiful sunrise will drag me out of bed easily; rain is simply no motivator to get out of bed. 

I collected the following IBEM locations along the way:

Ettalong Beach

Terrigal

Wyong

Tuggerawong

Kurri Kurri

Taree

I followed the Pacific Highway. The initial plan was to do Bear Ride #18, but I somehow missed the turn-off, when I was looking for the Big Ayers Rock in Karuah. A local told me it was some 10 km further east. I was not keen to chase it, and returned to — what I suspected to be the correct — turn-off to Stroud Road to Gloucester. Hmm, after some crappy tar and then gravel, I arrived at a dead end Limeburners Creek Road.

Limeburners Creek Road, near Karuah, New South Wales, Australia

Way Home

It was a Friday; we had little family reunion in Brisbane on Saturday. The weather was a mix of drizzle and rain; I had some kilometres to clock, hence, the way home was quick affair. Straight on the Pacific Highway, disregard the 10 Big Things around Coffs Harbour, and head home.

And that is what I did; I arrived in Brisbane at 21:30. I had been on the road for 42 days, and some 26,000 plus kilometres. And you bet: I thoroughly enjoyed it! 

Until the next adventure! 

Trip Data for the Day

945 km over the elapsed time of 13 hours 30 minutes.

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