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NSW & QLD Loop - Day 2 - Longreach

Date:
By Officer Hardass
Category: Riding Solo

Feeling refreshed after a good pub rest it was time to get up and embark on a 900km run to Longreach.  Jumping out of bed at 6am I looked outside and saw the sun rising to blue sky!  After a quick shower I soon had the bike packed and was heading out of town.  The temp was around 5 degrees so a little chilly but nothing too bad.

 

About 50ks out of town I rode through a stretch of around 100 kangaroos.  Thankfully only one decided it would hop out in front of me, which I was able to miss.  Not long after a small crow looking bird thought it would play a game of chicken with my knee.  Turns out my knee won, although, it was a little sore!  Pressing on for Roma I saw flocks upon flocks of various birds all sitting on the road in groups of around a hundred each.  I couldn't figure out why they were all sitting there on the road.  I later found out this was due to grain trucks coming through spilling grain on the road so of course the birds would be sitting there!

 

Cruising through Roma I was starting to get a little hungry but I didn't notice any bakeries so I kept moving on to the next town on the list, which happened to be Mitchell.  Now this was a pretty little town and had a damn good bakery.  I was a little hesitant in asking for a double macchiato but I thought what the hell, and to my surprise, the girl said, not a problem.  Definitely stopping in Mitchell again.  Moving on from Mitchell onto the other side of Morven the road really started to stretch out into the distance and the country scenery was just spectacular.

 

From Morven through to Barcaldine I don't think I have ever seen so many caravans and campers in my life.  I must have literally passed one hundred of them.  If I wasn't passing a caravan, I was passing a 3 to 4 carriage road train, which is always an amazing sight.  Again, the country scenery through here was simply stunning.  From Barcaldine to Longreach it was only 100ks.  The time was 3pm so I was keen to get there with an hour of daylight left.

 

Arriving at Longreach I stopped and fuelled up before riding into town.  On the way in I rode past the Qantas museum.  It was incredible seeing how big a 747 is even when you just ride past it!  Turning onto the main street I found my motel and headed in.  After a quick tub I walked up to the bottle shop and grabbed a few drinks and headed back to the motel.  On my way back in I got chatting to a couple people sitting outside in the sun.  Turns out they were from Kotara, of all places.  After a good chat and a few beers I was getting pretty hungry so off to the pub it was.  Now, given this was cattle country I thought it only fitting to go for a big T-bone and damn it was good.

 

Back at the motel it was about 8pm and the temperature was dropping quickly.  Before it got too cold I was able to sneak in a nice little Partagas Short, which smoked perfectly.  Now completely content with such an awesome day, I turned in for the night.  Back to the coast tomorrow, heading for Rockhampton.