Day 2 Coffs Harbour- Port Macquarie 442 km


The route was along two of the, for motorcyclists, most magnificent roads in this part of the world. The "Waterfall Way" running west (inland) and the return road via the equally famous Oxley Highway.

The smaller waterfalls along the way were slightly larger than previously encountered. However, the route went past the Ebor waterfall and canyon which reminded me of a place in South Africa I visited two years ago. A magnificent place where water cascades down two separate waterfalls into the valley below. When the top of the mountain range is reached it levels out and the roads change into sweeping plains all the way to the cities of Armidale and Walcha.

Many smaller towns have well-appointed coffee shops often themed with a motorcycle travelers back drop. At one of the waterfalls I had met up with Jeff and Sandra Horton of Perth and had lunch with them at Armidale. They had come a long way but were not the furthest away participants as there was a man from New Zealand and a girl from Denmark as well. Most participants were single riders so it is easy to make contact with other people. I guess the average age group of this lot was over 50 years old with a few exceptions.
During one of the briefings, we were introduced to three people: Grandad at 89, his son at 54 and his son again at mid-twenty, all three riding BMWs.

Going down the mountain I got caught in a rainstorm. There was no place to stop and even if there was it would have been impossible to park. When it comes to riding through the mountains in the rain I am an absolute coward and was glad to notice that most people share that condition with me, judging by their change in riding style.

This day, I was the very last to arrive as I had stepped on my glasses and had to buy new ones. (I had heard a “crunch” under my boot and thought, I wonder what that was? Oh-my glasses!”) With one minute to spare, I only just made it to the briefing.