END OF WEEK MENTAL RESET

WORDS AND IMAGES: RIAAN HUSSELMANN

WITH A DEMANDING MONDAY to Friday job and family commitments taking over the weekends, I have needed to find a few loops that I can squeeze into a Friday afternoon / evening from Sydney.

Whilst I love the off-road, I still like a bit of twisties and really need a combination to feel like I’ve made a good effort. Living in Sydney, I have to commute a couple of hours to get to worthwhile dirt. Each route is approximately 500kms and provides variety. The one I chose today runs through the Blue Mountains, around the back of Lithgow, Lidsdale area and back to Sydney.

Heading out at about 2:30pm usually sees me return home by 9pm, physically exhausted but mentally exhilarated and ready to take on the weekend and the following working week. Both of these routes are mid-size and big bike friendly. I typically run hybrid tyres on the 1190 with more aggressive tyres on the 701 to maximise off road fun.

Being summer, I know the sun will set around 7:30pm. All going well, I’ll hit the dirt by 5pm at the latest, giving me a few hours of sunlight in the dirt before I head back on the tar to Sydney. Job done.

The roads are surprisingly quieter heading up on a Friday afternoon with most of the traffic heading the other direction.

I arrive at Mount Victoria and turn into the Darling Causeway. This road was closed for many months when the 2019 fires came through and provided a glow at night, which I hope I never see again. I reach Bells Line Road and head towards Newness Forest. With the NSW Government investing millions into Newness and Wollemi National Park, the roads have been freshly graded, and you really can take a Corolla down most of these roads. This makes it easier for bigger bikes with a mostly pothole free run. There are trails running parallel with the road with varying levels of difficulty to make the journey even more interesting.

Heading out of Sydney down the M4, M5, M7 I reach the A32, which is where the twisties start. The A32 twists and turns and I can already feel the stress from the week peeling away with every kilometre.

The dirt loop runs for about 80kms, in arguably some of the best trails NSWs has to offer. Starting off at Newness Zig Zag Railway entrance, heading into Blackfellows Hand Trail, crossing over Wolgan Valley Road onto Bicentennial National Trail and then Moffitt Trail before heading towards Capertee, and then back onto the tar via Castlereagh Highway to Lithgow and onto the A32 to head home.

It always amazes me that in this day and age, there are so many things vying for our attention. Everyone is either focused on what happened in the past or what is happening in future and not enjoying the present. Riding motor bikes for me means I am totally committed and focused on the here and now, a mental reset and a reminder of how grateful I am to be able to do this. anyone on these trails at this time of the day, which is one of the reasons I like this loop on a Friday afternoon.

The trail through Newness and Blackfellow Hand Trail is fast and flowy. Even though I have been here a hundred times before, the surroundings take my breath away every time I visit. As the wind hits my face and I hear the roar of the engine, I’m stuck in the moment and no longer thinking about work or what is happening on the weekend. The furthest into the future I get is what obstacles are coming up in the next 200 metres. I feel alive and am grateful for the opportunity to have my health, be on a bike and surrounded by such beauty.

Heading into Bicentennial National Trail, I can either chose to attempt the step up, or go around and take the easier path a kilometre down the road.

At the end of Blackfellow Hand Trail you reach historic caves, which was a meeting place for the Aboriginal tribes of the area who named it Maiyingu Marragu. The large rock overhang and shelter is a place of cultural significance, and shows well-preserved Aboriginal drawings of hands and weapons.

Crossing over Wolgan Road and into Bicentennial National Trail I get to my favourite part of the loop. Fast and flowy, but with a lot of technical terrain to catch you out if you aren’t paying attention. On the right I am flanked by the Newness Valley Plateau, with very long drops and breathtaking scenery. It is rare to see

A kilometer before Moffitt Trail, I head right onto an unmarked trail to get another view of the Newness Plateau. More narrow track, but the end result is absolutely beautiful. A good place to have a snack and something to drink and take in the different colours brought by a sun preparing for its slumber. I head back towards the Moffitt Trail entrance and stop at the bottom of the valley. I wonder what this was like thousands of years ago, but don’t think it was much different.

Heading into Moffitt Trail, the steep hill keeps me on my toes followed by many steep contour mounds. The contour jumps make me feel like a child who discovered a trampoline for the first time. A great way to end the dirt portion before getting back onto the tar.

Being a little later and the sun starting to set, I have to be more vigilant with wildlife about before I get back to Mount Victoria area. I decide not to go via Bells Like Road for that reason. By this time, there is little traffic on the roads and I can enjoy heading back with very little slowing down my return trip, with a big smile on my face and another mission accomplished.