Sticky's Albury Nationals Roadtrip Log

[Stickman]

This is largely for the benefit of all the Bellett family members (nationally and internationally) that are missing out on this years Nationals in Albury.
I'll give you a run down of my trip to and from the Nats with a few pics along the way too (when and where I can as I won't have internet all the way)

Day 1 (Sunday 25th) was a reasonably early start with an OSJCC cruise in the country. Meeting point was at Caboolture with morning tea at Kilcoy and drive around Somerset Dam for lunch at Esk.
GT Orphanage and Lizzie Leadfoot met us at Kilcoy for morning tea and our club GM + to gave me a little something from Ol Yella for Donkey to carry with him so as not to get lonely.....
Russel and Carrol turned up at Esk too but left after the GM to start their road trip via Toowoomba.
I met up again with Rassel and the Reverend in Stanthorpe for the night with drinks, dinner and plenty of laughter.

Packed and ready to go

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Meet up in Caboolture

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Morning tea and GM with the family

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[Stickman]

Day 2 Met up with Glenn and Elaine Potter just south of Tenterfield (Bluff Rock) before then heading further south alone again through Armidale, Tamworth, Scone, Mudgee, Sofia, Hill End then Bathurst for dinner and a sleep.

But first things first...... COFFEE at Stanum House in Tenterfield

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Saw some beautiful countryside, stopped a few little town pubs and was caught behind a HUGE bucket on a low loader being delivered to the coal fields near Mudgee.

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I even got to see some wild dingoe's hanging around a sheep station too......

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[RobSA]

This looks like its going to be fun to read

[Stickman]

Day 3 (Tues) and it was an early start for me in Bathurst.
With a triple shot coffee some banana bread in hand we (Donkey, Ol Yella and myself) set off to the mountain for a couple of early morning laps.
From there it was off to Crookwell and Goulurn before doing a quick U turn and heading back over to Rye Park for a visit with the "Farmer's" for a couple of hours of chin wagging.
After leaving the warmth of the Smiths it was off to Cootamundra, Junee and finally Wagga Wagga for the night (sorry Gricey, I gotta go further west before I can travel that last little bit south )

I did pass Dave Watts 10 mins after leaving the Smiths place (he was heading to their place) so I gave him the compulsory high five wave as I blasted past at 70MPH

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And of course I avoided the highways every where I could and headed for the hills and dirt tracks over the mountains

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Yes!!! I found a dirt road WITH water splash

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She should have bought a D Max

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Tomorrow I meet up with the SA crew...... I'll be there about lunch time so you will likely find me at the pub knockin' the froth off a few boys

[mrflibbles]

love it already!

[Pombellett]

Compelling viewing Stickdate.

For us non Aussie types your 'travelogue' is better than any Lonely Planet or Rough Guide.

Keep it coming.....

[GTtoo]

That's stuff of troopers, gods and legends, Sticko. You have the country there, must take GT around the mountain one day. In fact too close to Griceys

Sorry,will only see You, Donkey, Yella' (and FLO ) on Friday (for A FUN TIME ). I am seeing some of the SA crew off tomorrow early, photos to follow. We are travelling in 3 crews. I will be rounding up a special guest who insisted on travelling alone and late for family reasons. Wasn't going to let that happen.

Oh yeah, extreme fun when you can give someone the bird at 70mph


B.

[gt orphanage]

We flew into Tullamarine 5 minutes ago staying the night and visiting the two best things Melbourne has to offer Tullamarine airport and the hume. Driving out mid morning can't wait.

[BELLETT69]

Two of the only good things in Melbourne Greg, Mmmmmmm Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gt orphanage]

No good visiting you guy's we will see ya soon

[Stickman]

If I had just 1 extra day of south bound road tripping, I'd have come to visit you Steve

[GerryBellettGT]

Great to see Donkey doing what she does best,racing around the countryside,keep the good times coming,I'am sure there's a book to be written,The Adventure's of Donkey the Tear Drop,Gerry

[Stickman]

Cheers Gerry

Day 4.... have had no internet so this is catch up
Today started off with a lack of visibility as it was really foggy for the first 120Ks out of Wagga Wagga.

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It didn't take long though for the driving to get VERY BORING as I was into the canal and hay plains country with nothing but NOTHING to keep me and my road trippin' imagination satisfied....................... NOTHING

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By the way, the lack of visibility through the windscreen is due to Donkey eating a couple of Galah's for breakfast at 80MPH One of them hit the visor at full noise and emptied his bowels on the windscreen

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There was only one way to solve this dilemma and that was to hand the navigational controls over to Ol Yella (the photo of him that is ) to put us on a route that was more conducive to a QLD'er road trip and straight away he found a very interesting side road........ but it soon turned into a single lane dirt dirt track with nothing but flooded marshland either side for the last 7KM'S that was so narrow that I couldn't even do a 3 point turn on to back track so I had to drive in REVERSE for that 7KM's to a spot I could turn around and head back to the boring tarmac roads again.
Ol Yella then decided to play hide and seek to break the mood but Donkey spotted him pretty quick

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Oh well it was back to the boring stuff.... but just to keep it a little bit interesting I put Donkey into fast forward for the remaining 60KM to Moulamein until I found COWS

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But I made it to Moulamein by 1130am and blew the froth off a few before GT Orph n Lizzie turned up, with the SA (crew 1 ) not far behind them.

...but I'll add that story in the morning

[Pombellett]

Cracking stuff Sticky, great pics....you couldn't make it up.

Keep it coming.

[Stickman]

Plenty more to come PB

It's gonna be a cracker of a week in Albury that's for sure

[Stickman]

Day 5 (yesterday) After a laugh and a chat with the boys and a fantastic pizza for dinner it was off for a good night sleep in Donkey.
The morning was a fairly lazy start with breaky at the local cafe before tucking in behind the SA boys for the drive into Albury.
It seems I forgot to feed Donkey before leaving Moulamein though so he ate another bird.... this time a Magpie

A couple of brief stops along the way but rolled into Albury a little after 12:00
Had the mandatory meet and greet with those already here then got settled in for a weekend of Bellett infusion.

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I was really hoping not to get any rain as I didn't want to wash any of my bugs off, plus my wiper would have made visibility worse than it already was.
Donkey needs all the bugs he can get for the show and shine

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Bugger!! We got rain and he lost half of them

[Stickman]

Day 6 (Friday 30th) and it's the first morning in Albury and it's wet and cold and absolutely fabulous

I only have 2 photos to share this update.......

1. My roadtrip map with southbound route marked in black marker (return trip will be in red and will try not to do same roads)
All up I have done approx 2560kms so far (give or take a few) and anticipate about another 1600km for my return trip
which will be over just the 2 days (8th n 9th Oct) but there will be some epic driving roads to be had in that short distance

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...... and this was the beautiful sight I woke up to, 3 smokin' hot machines all in a row (with others speckled about the motel carpark) Tis a beautiful day in Albury

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[Stickman]

1st official Bellett Nationals car cruise is at 2pm people so stay tuned for further pictorial updates

[BULLITT]

pictures please ...cheers davo

[rod]

nice red 4 door .......