Jaqhama
Race Dog
- Joined
- May 7, 2006
- Messages
- 619
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Sydney Australia
- Bike
- Kawasaki Super Sherpa
Shalako-Lin was keen to get out and about on her new Sherpa.
She has never been along the Old Convict Road that was the original main inland route between Sydney and the Hunter Valley.
So Saturday off we went...
This the view of the Hawksbury River, overlooking Wisemans Ferry.
And here's Mr Wiseman himself, came out from Ye Olde Dart (the UK) as a convict 200 years ago, built the first ferry in this region and also built the first pub, which made him very popular with the locals. So much so that they named the township after him
Lin reckons he must have been a real hardman to prosper in the harsh conditions of penal Australia, a man of iron.
I think all the fame and fortune made him a little big-headed.
The ferry still runs today (actually there are 3 ferries in this district, most people only know about 2 of them.) They all work 24/7 year round, with a seperate day each month when one or another is closed for maintaince.
We stopped at St. Albans in the middle of the countryside, only a pub here, nothing else. Been in business since 1836...they got their liquor licence in 1991.
There was a local horse show on, people came from horse farms from miles around. Lin making friends with one of the ponies.
Then it was off along a 35 km road that runs alongside the St. Albans Common. This road part of the original Old Convicts Road.
This lake if full for the first time in years, some years ago I rode a trail bike along the dried out riverbed, nice to see there has been some rain in this area of late.
Even cormorants have taken to catching fish and frogs here.
Now there was this field full of horses.
And I just couldn't help myself. You can just see me in the background.
Because it looked just like the fields that Steve McQueen rode across in the classic motorcycle scene in the Great Escape movie!
I could almost hear the movie theme music.
Of course I'd used Lin's new bike to do my Steve McQueen impression...and halfway across the field had encountered a bog...the pristine Sherpa was now all muddy...Lin was horrified.
While I was innocently explaining that mud and trail bikes go together two other riders came past to prove my point.
We continued on towards the end of the Old Convict Road.
"What's this big rock doing here then?" queries Lin.
The arrow pointing upwards is not directional, it's the logo that was sewn on the old convict uniforms and used to denote convict or prison property.
"Oh look, it's got writing on it!"
These stones were placed here back in the 1800's.
There is a sign warning of huge fines and imprisonment for damaging or removing them.
Jaq wondered idly if there was a surveilience camera hidden somewhere, I mean who'd know if you took one or damaged one, the road is deserted.
It was getting into late afternoon by now so we saddled up and headed back to a main tar road for our return journey back down to Sydney.
Lin was very happy, she'd seen another place that she had never been to before, all thanks to the joys of a motorcycle.
She has never been along the Old Convict Road that was the original main inland route between Sydney and the Hunter Valley.
So Saturday off we went...
This the view of the Hawksbury River, overlooking Wisemans Ferry.
And here's Mr Wiseman himself, came out from Ye Olde Dart (the UK) as a convict 200 years ago, built the first ferry in this region and also built the first pub, which made him very popular with the locals. So much so that they named the township after him
Lin reckons he must have been a real hardman to prosper in the harsh conditions of penal Australia, a man of iron.
I think all the fame and fortune made him a little big-headed.
The ferry still runs today (actually there are 3 ferries in this district, most people only know about 2 of them.) They all work 24/7 year round, with a seperate day each month when one or another is closed for maintaince.
We stopped at St. Albans in the middle of the countryside, only a pub here, nothing else. Been in business since 1836...they got their liquor licence in 1991.
There was a local horse show on, people came from horse farms from miles around. Lin making friends with one of the ponies.
Then it was off along a 35 km road that runs alongside the St. Albans Common. This road part of the original Old Convicts Road.
This lake if full for the first time in years, some years ago I rode a trail bike along the dried out riverbed, nice to see there has been some rain in this area of late.
Even cormorants have taken to catching fish and frogs here.
Now there was this field full of horses.
And I just couldn't help myself. You can just see me in the background.
Because it looked just like the fields that Steve McQueen rode across in the classic motorcycle scene in the Great Escape movie!
I could almost hear the movie theme music.
Of course I'd used Lin's new bike to do my Steve McQueen impression...and halfway across the field had encountered a bog...the pristine Sherpa was now all muddy...Lin was horrified.
While I was innocently explaining that mud and trail bikes go together two other riders came past to prove my point.
We continued on towards the end of the Old Convict Road.
"What's this big rock doing here then?" queries Lin.
The arrow pointing upwards is not directional, it's the logo that was sewn on the old convict uniforms and used to denote convict or prison property.
"Oh look, it's got writing on it!"
These stones were placed here back in the 1800's.
There is a sign warning of huge fines and imprisonment for damaging or removing them.
Jaq wondered idly if there was a surveilience camera hidden somewhere, I mean who'd know if you took one or damaged one, the road is deserted.
It was getting into late afternoon by now so we saddled up and headed back to a main tar road for our return journey back down to Sydney.
Lin was very happy, she'd seen another place that she had never been to before, all thanks to the joys of a motorcycle.
