Brought back a lot of memories. Travelled the Pacific between Grafton and Brisbane frequently in the 70's . Started travelling it most weeks between Sydney and the Gold Coast in trucks from the late 80's
😂😂😂 Yamba the Place of Motorcycle Adventure. In October 2023 I bought a Victory in Brizzo and had to ride home to Central West NSW. Thought I'd pick up accomm where I wanted, forgot theTime Zone change, got to Byron at 4:30...erm 5:30 on a Sat night and Booking/Wotif had nothing. Rode South on a Sat night hoping for a service centre motel. Ate at Lennox, still no good. Pulled over at midnight in Yamba and slept in a picnic hut just down from your accom. Surf club had breakky at 6am. EPIC!!
Really enjoyable mate, a lot of memories in that. Hard to think that it was not that long ago when large sections of those roads were the actual highway. The plane in the driveway south of Maclean belongs to a bloke named Sparksy who is a Minister that flies himself to remote areas doing church services. I don't know if you rode the old section of the highway from Dirty Creek Range to Corindi Beach but at the bottom of the range is a road now named Dirty Creek Road. It is the original route of the highway up the range and is now a dead end but interestingly you can still that the road markings are yellow.
Revisiting all the places my family has been over the last 5 years or so (baring covid..) Yamba is a biggy for us, but also Woolgoolga (Woopi!) when we stayed at Arrawarra, Corindi and Red Rock. Many a night we've walked up the hill you were trying to jump start the bike after a very beery dinner with the kids. Loving the vids!
There is an old section from Wells Crossing to Glenugie, but it is a pain to get on as you have to do u-turns on the southern end. There is an old billboard at Halfway Creek. The old road was located to the left but is now closed off. Hogbin Drive (In Coffs Harbour) was an old alignment, and James Small Drive is also an old alignment (but due to there being no shoulders, wouldn't recommend)
UA-cam seems to have sent me your way because I love driving videos and also Port Macquarie. I've lived in Canberra for a little over 50 years but have had grandparents, and more recently, just my mum living in Port the whole time and driven or been driven between the two a few times a year my whole life. It's fun to see the highway north which is a bit of a foreign country (although I have childhood memories of the big banana). I'll have a look for later parts. I'm guessing as a motorcyclist, the windy bits on the old Wooton way near Bulahdelah and the stretch from Gosford to Berowra must have been fun.
Sorry to hear that you had a flat battery, atleast you weren't riding a R1150RT where you have disemble the enire bike well almost Glad to see that you are back on the bike with a minimal of fuss. It is amazing how things like that tests your knowledge of vocabulary. Stay upright.
You missed the honey shop at Urunga. You were looking for it in the first video but I reckon you were thinking of the old Macadamia nut castle near Byron.
I definitely missed the one at Urunga after going back and looking at the gpx and footage, but you might be right about the other being further up north. Now I'm doubting my memory!! 😜
Just a correction: the regular Sydney to Brisbane rail service wasn't abolished. The old trains (the Brisbane Limited and the Gold Coast Motorail) were replaced by XPT trains.
Our Tarago which we had for 17 years could be perfect to drive home and then the battery could be completely dead an hour later when we wanted to go to the shops. There was never any warning beforehand. Over the 17 years each time it did it was exactly the same way.
Three highways running side by side in a few places at valla (between Urunga and Nambucca) you missed most of it, apart from the main street at Nam. The reason all the speed cameras along there, on the second highway? well, its the crash capital of the old Pac Highway, as you can tell by the wreaths and memorials along there too. see you out on the trails.
More interesting on video than in reality I think... i stopped riding/driving the Pacific Hwy back in the mid eighties both because it was so dangerous and latterly because it's so boring! I now take the Putty rd., Bucketts Way, Thunderbolts Way and whatever the road from Armidale through to Nymboida and Grafton is called. Or go up west of New England Hwy to Texas and into the back of Brissie from the Border Ranges. I just don't have your patience I fear!
enjoyed your return ride back down the coast Vern, how are you finding the sadle seat on the tenere? im getting a bit uncomfortable after abou 46 minutes.
I'm wondering why bikes and hikes only take you one way and you have to fend for yourself on the way home. I don't think I'll do that ride with them because of that. 🤔
Agreed. Always better to detour off the highway for a nice bite in a quiet town rather than a Maccas at some anonymous service centre beside the noisy highway.
I'm sorry, the dream of a dual carriage freeway is shattered as soon as you get to Newcastle, traffic lights, right hand turns, rickety one lane bridge. Just 2 has from Sydney. That's the biggest irony.
@@MotoRidesAustralia began a couple of months ago inJanuary but….completion date by 2026 is forecast if no large delays. Which of course there always is.
Did you plan the route in advance or did you just look for signs leading to the next section of the old Pacific Highway as you went along? Even in the area I am familiar with (Northern Rivers) it can be hard to find the sections esp as they are not always continuous.
@@MotoRidesAustralia The section I am most familiar with, the Hinterland Way (one of the nicest sections in my view) is in remarkably good shape and at various points has been improved after it stopped being a highway to make it safer (e.g. channeled exit/entry lanes replacing the former T junctions).
Brought back a lot of memories. Travelled the Pacific between Grafton and Brisbane frequently in the 70's . Started travelling it most weeks between Sydney and the Gold Coast in trucks from the late 80's
Great video. Thanks for sharing. Happy birthday 🎉
😂😂😂 Yamba the Place of Motorcycle Adventure.
In October 2023 I bought a Victory in Brizzo and had to ride home to Central West NSW.
Thought I'd pick up accomm where I wanted, forgot theTime Zone change, got to Byron at 4:30...erm 5:30 on a Sat night and Booking/Wotif had nothing. Rode South on a Sat night hoping for a service centre motel. Ate at Lennox, still no good. Pulled over at midnight in Yamba and slept in a picnic hut just down from your accom. Surf club had breakky at 6am. EPIC!!
Now THAT is an adventure!!
Ah memory lane. From memory there always was a lot of speed cameras in certain areas, like Coffs near the Big Banana and further up at Little Italy.
Thanks for the magical mystery tour...... and thoughts and prayers for the dead battery.
It's gone to recycle heaven now 😜
Nambucca Heads was funny. You've ticked it off the list for me me too. Thanks
Bonjour,like it. total excellent ,
G’day, thanks mate 😄
Awesome video mate. Loved the music too. A very pleasant change from Sh1tRock blasting eardrums. 😅
Thanks mate! I do enjoy selecting the music 😁
Really enjoyable mate, a lot of memories in that. Hard to think that it was not that long ago when large sections of those roads were the actual highway. The plane in the driveway south of Maclean belongs to a bloke named Sparksy who is a Minister that flies himself to remote areas doing church services.
I don't know if you rode the old section of the highway from Dirty Creek Range to Corindi Beach but at the bottom of the range is a road now named Dirty Creek Road. It is the original route of the highway up the range and is now a dead end but interestingly you can still that the road markings are yellow.
Revisiting all the places my family has been over the last 5 years or so (baring covid..) Yamba is a biggy for us, but also Woolgoolga (Woopi!) when we stayed at Arrawarra, Corindi and Red Rock. Many a night we've walked up the hill you were trying to jump start the bike after a very beery dinner with the kids. Loving the vids!
There is an old section from Wells Crossing to Glenugie, but it is a pain to get on as you have to do u-turns on the southern end. There is an old billboard at Halfway Creek. The old road was located to the left but is now closed off. Hogbin Drive (In Coffs Harbour) was an old alignment, and James Small Drive is also an old alignment (but due to there being no shoulders, wouldn't recommend)
Hey nice vid. If you’re ever in Woolgoolga again keep riding up the same road towards the ocean, you’ll see an awesome ocean lookout.
Ahh, where the roadwork was? That would have been perfect. I'll add it to the list for the next road trip, for sure.
No instead of turning around in woolgoolga main drag just keep going up that steep hill.
UA-cam seems to have sent me your way because I love driving videos and also Port Macquarie. I've lived in Canberra for a little over 50 years but have had grandparents, and more recently, just my mum living in Port the whole time and driven or been driven between the two a few times a year my whole life.
It's fun to see the highway north which is a bit of a foreign country (although I have childhood memories of the big banana).
I'll have a look for later parts. I'm guessing as a motorcyclist, the windy bits on the old Wooton way near Bulahdelah and the stretch from Gosford to Berowra must have been fun.
It was certainly fun, no doubt. I love the driving videos as well. I have them on in the background.
Sorry to hear that you had a flat battery, atleast you weren't riding a R1150RT where you have disemble the enire bike well almost Glad to see that you are back on the bike with a minimal of fuss. It is amazing how things like that tests your knowledge of vocabulary. Stay upright.
Even just the lucky location of the Repco at the bottom of the unsuccessful clutch start hill. I got out of that one very conveniently.
Timely vid! Hope to be doing Old Pacific in March, nice chill hardtop ride through small towns. Sweet. And agree with the maccas. Consistent
You missed the honey shop at Urunga. You were looking for it in the first video but I reckon you were thinking of the old Macadamia nut castle near Byron.
I definitely missed the one at Urunga after going back and looking at the gpx and footage, but you might be right about the other being further up north. Now I'm doubting my memory!! 😜
@@MotoRidesAustralia my folks would never stop at the Macadamia Castle. I’m not sore about it 😜
Just a correction: the regular Sydney to Brisbane rail service wasn't abolished. The old trains (the Brisbane Limited and the Gold Coast Motorail) were replaced by XPT trains.
Great vlog and happy birthday 🎉
Thanks mate 😄😀
Never do a big trip without my jump pack. I have only used it once but have helped a few others along the way
Our Tarago which we had for 17 years could be perfect to drive home and then the battery could be completely dead an hour later when we wanted to go to the shops. There was never any warning beforehand. Over the 17 years each time it did it was exactly the same way.
Three highways running side by side in a few places at valla (between Urunga and Nambucca) you missed most of it, apart from the main street at Nam. The reason all the speed cameras along there, on the second highway? well, its the crash capital of the old Pac Highway, as you can tell by the wreaths and memorials along there too.
see you out on the trails.
I reckon you could do that trip 3 or 4 times and take a different way each time. So many great roads to discover next time.
More interesting on video than in reality I think... i stopped riding/driving the Pacific Hwy back in the mid eighties both because it was so dangerous and latterly because it's so boring! I now take the Putty rd., Bucketts Way, Thunderbolts Way and whatever the road from Armidale through to Nymboida and Grafton is called. Or go up west of New England Hwy to Texas and into the back of Brissie from the Border Ranges. I just don't have your patience I fear!
The upgraded Pacific Highway is much safer than the old road.
@@RodneyAvery-o2q ‘safer’ he means less likely to hang yourself halfway or end up at Morrisett nut house insane.
Hey would you please do a video on the old roads to miss and the old roads to not miss. Thanks.
You read my mind!! 👍😜
Is there a drone rescue story coming up?
“On next week’s episode, Vern does something stupid” 😜
What recording camera are you using, Great clips I'm watching buddy.
Thanks mate. It's a GoPro Hero 9 and DJI Air 2S.
enjoyed your return ride back down the coast Vern, how are you finding the sadle seat on the tenere?
im getting a bit uncomfortable after abou 46 minutes.
I was thinking of replacing the seat so I'm not on the tips of my toes, but it's so bloody comfortable I don't think I can live without it!! 😜
When at home you should run an OPTIMATE (or similar) battery conditioner on the bike, all the time. It will give you 3 to 5 x battery life.
Where can i find the route that you took? I couldn't find it on the moto rides aus website
Mate, you must have read my mind because I literally had that thought earlier today!!
www.motorides.com.au/rides/old-pacific-highway-qld-to-syd
Happy late birthday 😢
😍
Battery, when they are dead, they are dead. And you can't run the bike on the alternator. Lucky with Repco nearby.
What is “spotto”?
spottofederation.org
I'm wondering why bikes and hikes only take you one way and you have to fend for yourself on the way home. I don't think I'll do that ride with them because of that. 🤔
A bakers shop is much better than Macdonalds
Agreed. Always better to detour off the highway for a nice bite in a quiet town rather than a Maccas at some anonymous service centre beside the noisy highway.
I'm sorry, the dream of a dual carriage freeway is shattered as soon as you get to Newcastle, traffic lights, right hand turns, rickety one lane bridge. Just 2 has from Sydney. That's the biggest irony.
Very true!! Surely someone has a plan somewhere to bypass Hexham? Surely?
Timely vid! Hope to be doing Old Pacific in March, nice chill hardtop ride through small towns. Sweet.
@@MotoRidesAustralia began a couple of months ago inJanuary but….completion date by 2026 is forecast if no large delays. Which of course there always is.
Search for "Hexham bypass".
It wasn't even plausible back in the day. There were regular mega traffic jams, esp on public holidays.
Did you plan the route in advance or did you just look for signs leading to the next section of the old Pacific Highway as you went along? Even in the area I am familiar with (Northern Rivers) it can be hard to find the sections esp as they are not always continuous.
Who maintains the old Pacific Highway? Local councils, as it is no longer a highway but just different local roads?
At a total guess, I would think local council since it's downgraded from a national route.
@@MotoRidesAustralia The section I am most familiar with, the Hinterland Way (one of the nicest sections in my view) is in remarkably good shape and at various points has been improved after it stopped being a highway to make it safer (e.g. channeled exit/entry lanes replacing the former T junctions).
Not the battery, you shoulda bought a Kawasaki.
Re the reduced speed limits NSW = revenue from speeding fines.