ARR160: Giddy Up Gippsland

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Gippsland

GIDDY UP GIPPSLAND

The former gold-mining village of Walhalla in Autumn splendour (Visit Gippsland)

Like Rumplestiltskin waking from a COVID coma, Victorians are ready to rock and roll. And what better place to restart our road riding repertoire than Gippsland WORDS: RODERICK EIME PHOTOS: RODERICK EIME, CES DESOUZA, PETER WASHINGTON

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he Gippsland region stretches from Melbourne’s eastern outskirts all the way to the state border with New South Wales in Victoria’s far east.

This extensive and diverse geographical area is renowned for its natural beauty with hundreds of kilometres of spectacular coastline, picturesque rivers and lakes, forests and even snowfields. And as if especially catering to riders, there is the Great Alpine Road. Gippsland is quite the package.

Years ago I had made a rash promise to return to the Star Hotel in the glorious former mining village of Walhalla after first visiting there 10 years ago. Owner and manager, Michael Leaney, with his partner Russell, rebuilt the old hotel to faithfully recreate the pub that once stood on the spot back in the day, creating a gorgeous, boutique establishment that has become the central feature of the historic township.

Helping me with the route was local motorsport competitor and organiser, Peter Washington, who knows the roads well.

OFF INTO THE WEST GIPPSLAND HINTERLAND Astride a brand-new Suzuki V-Strom 1050 and a Triumph Tiger 850 Sport, our minor odyssey began from the verdant ‘burbs of the Yarra Ranges. Kicked off with an exhilarating overture via Noojee and Peter’s playground, Mt Baw Baw, it lapsed into a wet and windy affair with a trepidatious, low-light leg along the rocky South Face Road. The twisty, serpentine roads on the C426 between Icy Creek and Baw Baw Village will test even the most ardent road riders. Narrow, tight and often damp, these gnarly roads should be approached with caution at any time of the day in all conditions. No wonder Peter stages his Targa-style competitions here. “The road is a real thrill to ride or drive, in both directions. Anyone who uses it on a regular basis knows how challenging it is, especially when there is traffic going both ways,” Peter reminded me.

Wet and weary, we arrived and installed ourselves in the warmth of the Star’s convivial sitting room, supplemented

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Gippsland

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Reach for the Sky: Great Alpine Road near Mt Hotham

No.21 Dredger Australia has a fixati on for big things an d this jigger takes This big digger du the cake. g coal out of Morw ell for nearly 70 ye ars.

HIGHLIGHTS & PHOTO OPPS by some Tennessee whiskey. I encourage those with time for further exploration of Walhalla to take a tour of the old haunted Long Tunnel mines or a ride along the restored railway to Thompson’s Corner. Even a simple stroll along the town’s heritage main street is a most pleasant affair.

SETTING COURSE FOR CENTRAL GIPPSLAND We awoke to a suitably misty morning, a cloak of wispy fog adorning the valley. Heading south towards Erica on the C481, we rode a mix of secondary tarmac and unsealed roads towards our lunch stop at the Maffra Community Sports Club, an ideal destination for hungry riders looking for hearty replenishment

te at the dinky Dargo Store

It’s all smiles from Jodie and Brigit

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The unsealed Cowwarr-Walhalla Road was the early highlight. Well graded on a hard base, it’s easiest enough if you ride within your comfort zone, although keep an eye out for wildlife. Our objective was the outpost of Dargo, taking us north along the scenic C601 which runs out of Bairnsdale, making an exciting loop we would complete on the following day. Traffic was typically light — but don’t get complacent because logging trucks are busy throughout this region and can be a bit, er … impatient.

We took the C494 out of Stratford, but you might find the Stockdale Road offers a bit more adventure. Either way, you meet the C601 (Bairnsdale-Dargo Rd) after a blast along Beverley’s Road, about 10 clicks south of the Mitchell River National Park. Dargo is a delightful hamlet, blissfully remote from pretty much everywhere. We checked in to comfy cabins at the Dargo River Inn, ideal for a travelling group of road riders. There are also rustic log cabins behind the pub where we found a bunch of Bavarian brumbies also enjoying the high country revelry. “Oh, that High Country Road is deadly,” one of the lads told us as he packed gear into his monstrous GS, making me wonder what tribulations awaited us.

After a yummy but simple breakfast at the Dargo Store, we set out on this “deadly” track. Okay, it’s hard and rocky and requires a bit of care, but neither the V-Strom nor Tiger complained. Perhaps the fact that most of our heavy kit was following with Les and Ces in our low-key AWD support vehicle — a Porsche Panamerica — made it easier than the big BMers packed as high as Marco Polo’s camel.

Anyhoo… the effort was rewarded with corner after corner of fabulous heroic vistas — just don’t take your eyes off the road or you’ll find it’s a LONG way down!

We rejoined the tarmac (B500) south of the Mt Hotham summit and met the stream of traffic arriving from Bright. Bikes of all description, SUVs, sports cars and even

e Noojee Trestle Bridg for more than bridge hasn’t seen a train rail ber tim ent nific mag This rail in the of nce orta imp inder of the 60 years, but stands as a rem wood. with ld bui can you shit e early days — and the awesom

caravans were all on some sort of alpine pilgrimage. The smooth, sweeping, undulating bitumen provided a giddy rollercoaster of a ride that couldn’t help but elicit a wide grin under the helmet. We stopped and chatted with some fellow riders at Danny’s Lookout (1700m), one of whom tells me his name is Danny and he comes up every year on a ride with mates. I declared him a winner and presented him with a back issue of this revered publication.

ut to Danny’s Looko p and tip your hat R, you have to sto CV RA al loc ly nd At 1700m on the GA frie nny Cavedon, the Da er aft d me na y, Dann 0s. agent from the 197

Gippsland Vehi cle Collection Cars, bikes, gift sh op — and the kettle is always on. Not a big collection of bik es, but one worthy of your attention nonetheless. Be su re to check our Ar chie’s Garage and the huge model ca r collection.

EASING INTO EAST GIPPSLAND Onward to Omeo via Dinner Plain, where lunch at the sublime Art Deco Golden Age Hotel is a must. We grabbed alfresco seats in the balmy sunshine and waved pompously to the many bikes ambling past in search of replenishment of one sort or another.

Our descent to sea level was on the famous Great Alpine Road (GAR); we stopped occasionally to investigate local

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Gippsland

wineries and breweries, but alas most are yet to get the memo “COVID restrictions lifted” and remain closed. I signalled the team to pull over at Ensay to do a door knock at the winery. Fortunately, owner David Coy was receptive to my entreaties and sold me a bottle of excellent estategrown red as he unpacked the shopping.

The GAR deserves its reputation as one of the country’s foremost riding roads. In either direction, it beckons to be challenged. Sweeping, rolling curves, well signposted and a predictable surface make it a joy to ride. The Tiger’s lusty triple fairly purred with delight as I accelerated between corners, Peter easily pacing me on the bigger V-Strom.

By the time the salt air hit our nostrils, we’d dropped more than 1600m, but not in some thrill-ride plummet.

It’s a gentle approach, like a glider lining up a runway from 100km out. We arrived exhilarated at the seaside holiday town of Lakes Entrance and checked in to the Central Hotel. Even for midweek the place was busy; power couple Alison and Tyson Murphy run it and have been flat out since Christmas. “I’d love to chat guys, but we’re fully booked tonight,” said Alison as she hurried off, loaded with entrees. It’s great to see hospitality back in the swing.

in the world. No bikes, unfortunately, but no self-respecting petrolhead can pass this shrine without paying homage to our domestic manufacturing history. Well done Neil Joiner and his dedicated team of volunteers.

Our final leg took us through the towering redgums around Fumina (C465), a route clearly popular with local bikers. We grafted ourselves onto the tail of a phalanx of swift runners as they weaved a path through these carbonbased skyscrapers. A fitting send-off indeed.

MORE INFORMATION

ON THE HOME RUN With the bulk of our road trip complete, we set aside some time to visit two significant motoring museums on the otherwise unremarkable leg back to Melbourne. We revisited Maffra to stop by the Gippsland Vehicle Collection, housed in the old vegetable dehydrating factory built during WWII. Inside it’s packed with Australian motoring history with rotating displays that reflect the evolution of Australian-built vehicles, an era now sadly passed. A small but noteworthy display of motorcycles includes such gems as a 1929 Douglas and a 1923 Velocette. There is also an entire gallery devoted to model cars. I forget how many times I blurted out, “I had one of those!”

The second was the most impressive Holden museum at Trafalgar, housed in the former butter factory and with enough of the Aussie icons to challenge the National Motor Museum’s claim of the biggest collection of Holdens

The Star Hotel at Walhalla

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Be warned. Treat these roads with respect.

Throughout the region, you’ll find many local information offices full of ideas and intel on what to do and where to go in Gippsland. For an overview of visitor attractions and activities in all of Gippsland, visit the official website at www.visitgippsland.com.au Star Hotel: www.starhotel.com.au Dargo River Inn: www.dargoriverinn.com.au Walhalla: www.visitwalhalla.com Ensay winery: www.ensaywinery.com.au Lakes Entrance, Central Hotel: www.centralhotel.com.au Maffra, Gippsland Vehicle Collection: www.gippslandvehiclecollection.org.au Trafalgar, www.trafalgarholdenmuseum.com.au Disclaimer: The writer was grateful for assistance received from Visit Gippsland and his ever-suffering mates, Peter, Les and Ces. aRr

Be rewarded with glorious views on the road to Dargo

TRIUMPH TIGER 850 SPORT

ON TOUR

EASY TIGER BY: RODERICK EIME

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he 850 Sport is Triumph’s new entry-level Adventure bike with pared-back trickery. It’s aimed squarely at people like me who would never consider one of the higher-priced, high-tech new Tiger 900s; I’d never use all the riding modes, rider aids and fancy tech, so I wouldn’t buy it.

The Tiger 850 Sport, on the other hand, offers rain and road riding modes, traction control and ABS. For any big bike designed to take average riders on dirt roads, I’d say this is the new minimum spec — tech to help prevent crashes. I used traction control and ABS on all the unsealed sections, but more confident riders might choose to experiment with and without.

Similarly, you might experiment with

“road” and “rain” in a variety of conditions to find your own sweet spot.

The ergonomics offer a relaxed riding position, comfortable all day, while the screen, although small, is perfectly functional and adjustable with a simple single action.

The silky-smooth, liquid-cooled, 12-valve, DOHC, inline three-cylinder is the same 888cc triple found in the fuller-spec’d 900s, just detuned slightly.

But don’t be put off by that. Racing all the way up to Mt Hotham and back to sea level gave me plenty of opportunity to test the flexibility of the engine, which revs freely through the six-speed gearbox and delivers its 62.5kW (84hp) and 82Nm evenly from low down.

Similarly, the handling is ideal for someone easing into Adventure bikes but who doesn’t want to feel like they’re riding an oversized scooter. Within legal speeds, you won’t have any trouble keeping up with your mates on their bigger clumsy machines and may even find you’re more nimble over the rough stuff.

The Triumph Tiger 850 Sport starts at $17,890 (Ride Away). You’ll need to budget an extra $2630 for the full luggage kit although options exist for panniers and bags from a few hundred bucks. There are other options available too, like sump guard, radiator protector, side bars etc.

For full specifications and a complete list of options and features, see www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au aRr

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ON TOUR

SUZUKI V-STROM 1050XT

V-STROM ON TOUR BY: RODERICK EIME

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n issue #157, Phil James tested the new V-Strom 1050XT and came away pretty impressed, so I was very pleased when Suzuki offered to loan me one for my strop around Gippsland. The thing I remember about my first experience aboard Suzuki’s stalwart middleweight Adventure bikes is how easy they were to ride in both the 650 and 1000 guise. Relatively uncomplicated compared to the big Bavarian machines, they appealed to my simpler needs.

The venerable V-Strom has been around for almost 20 years and the 90-degree, DOHC, 8-valve V-twin engine for nearly 25. The bike has been an undisputed sales success and has built a huge core following among riders who are attracted to a no-fuss machine that gets the job done and is

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undeniably pleasant to ride across a wide range of road conditions.

For the sort of touring most Australians do most of the time, the V-Strom is excellent. I was impressed with the way it handled both the bitumen and unsealed roads we traversed, and the riding position is really comfortable at back-road and highway speeds.

Riding the big 1050 still retains all the feel of the original and the ample power and torque are always there when you need it. The engine works better with some revs as it sounds a bit rattly at the lower end, so don’t be afraid to wind it out. That said, the new “Low RPM Assist” feature will help riders make fewer embarrassing stalls while manoeuvring around the car park.

It’s a bike built for two, with lots of

space for a passenger, and there are many luggage options for the touring rider, too.

There’s both aluminium or plastic luggage offered, and surprisingly there’s not much difference in price, so choose the style that suits you best; a three-case set-up is priced from $2398. The aluminium offers strength and top-loading design; the plastic is a neater fit and more convenient in the motel room.

Priced at $20,990 ride away, there’s a lot to like about the V-Strom XT. If you’re planning to get super-serious in the dirt it might be worth looking at all the hightech options from the (mainly) European manufacturers, but some of those can run out to twice the price of a V-Strom. I’d prefer to spend that money exploring the country in nice motels and on good wheels. aRr