Muggaccinos Pedlars Sunday Cyclists – The Bullsheet

This Queen’s B’day long w’end - Friday 8 to Monday 11 June
Muggs return to the Lower Hunter

General driving directions:
Join the F3 at Wahroonga.  After 100km exit F3 at “Cessnock/Hunter Valley Vineyards” sign.  Follow signs reading Cessnock/Braxton until you reach the Bellbird Hotel approx 30km later (3½km SWW of Cessnock). 

Explicit directions from F3 exit:
Turn L at “Cessnock/Hunter Valley Vineyards” sign and continue 2km and pass thru Freeman’s Waterhole, 3km further pass through Brunkerville and 4 clicks later through Mt. Vincent where you carry on a further 3kms and then take a hard l into Lake Rd and drive 7kms to Kearsley.  Turn R from Lake Rd into Allandale St. for 100m immediately passing Kearsley Auto Port, fire station and the Kearsley primary school on LHS. 

Turn L into Caledonia which after about 1.5km veers R and crosses the rail-line at a level crossing where it becomes Cessnock Rd for 250m, then changes to Greta St for 200m and turns R into Collier for 120m and L into Aberdare Rd for 2.2km.  Turn R into Vincent for 650m and L into Wollombi Rd and follow it for a few km ‘till you see the Bellbird Hotel on RHS.  Hunter Haven B & B is a further km SW on same side of Wollombi Rd.

The Jungle Drums beat-out that –

(a)      15 have booked at either:

¨     Bellbird Hotel, 388 Wollombi Rd Bellbird 2325 (4990.1094 refer Tony / Judy) - 3km SW of Cessnock OR

¨     Hunter Haven B & B (Leanne - 4990.8858) 351A Wollombi Rd. Bellbird @ $260 per double room for 2 nights with full English breakfast (works out @ $65 per head per night).  Leanne will refer you to another nearby B & B if Hunter Haven gets chockers.

(b)      Brenda 'n Russell have booked at Heaven 'n Earth Hideaway, and The Flash and Andrew A. may be booking this week.

Sig advises that the Bellbird Hotel is booked-out, so the following nearby digs are noted:

Din dins Friday evening:
We are dining this Friday evening at "Amigos Restaurant" 138 Wollombi Rd - 4991.1995 ph [BYO Wine - "Italian/Mexican/Cajun"] - a veritable stone's throw from our digs in down town, Bellbird.  Cause, some have to work Friday, we won't sit down at Amigos 'til 8:15pm, but Michael at Amigos says "from 8pm is fine."

The Bellbird Hotel has a genuine, up-mkt bistro, so we'll eat-in on either Sat or Sunday evening (depending on a team vote), and choose from the other tucker shops below on the other night, and any spare lunch-times:

(a)               Café Crocodile, Wilderness Rd. Lovedale - 4930.7704

(b)                Magnum Restaurant and Café, Cnr Broke & Braxton Rds - 4998.7881

(c)                Casuarina Restaurant & Country Inn, Hermitage Rd Pokolbin - 4998.7692

(d)                Café Caffe @ Pokolbin Hill Chateau Resort, 188 Broke Rd Pokolbin - 4998.7321

(e)               Café on Cooper Shop, 1F Cooper St Cessnock - 4991.2762

Marea, aka Suicide Blonde, who has attracted half the contingent for our cycling, golf and hiking sojourn, has asked me to firm-up eating-houses for each night, so that we don't overlook the important part.

If you want to accompany Whippet and Helmut Hun, who are driving up early Friday morn', on a 70km hit-out from midday from Bellbird/Cessnock to Braxton in the arvo, 'phone or e-mail PJ who can be reached on 0404014725 - so long as Vodaphone doesn't follow One Tel by going "belly-up".

Tentative times/dates/stuff:

Fri 8             12pm  “Bellbird to Broke”  70km ride -                   ETR 4pm

                    8:15pm "Amigos Restaurant"             138 Wollombi Rd - 4991.1995 ph [BYO Wine - "Italian/Mexican and modern Oz cuisine"]

Sat 9            9am   “Bellbird to Braxton”  75km ride - ETR 1pm

                    3pm     Guided tour/wine tasting at Mount Pleasant

                    7:15pm  Dinner venue from above list

Sun 10          9am   “Bellbird to the Mt View Lookout” 45km ride - ETR midday OR

    9am  Golf - Hunter Valley Country Club

                    2:15pm  Foot-sloggen Wine-athon – 8km wine tasting - visiting Tullochs, Pokolbin, Tamberlaine, Pepper Tree, Lakes Folley and Draytons – ETR to cars 4:45pm

7:15pm  - Venue from above list

Mon 11          9am “Bellbird to Broke” 70km ride  ETR 1:15pm

The Hunter is flat.  Shorter rides/maps will be available for the 30km brigade to “dovetail” in with longer rides.

The Scribe has a heap of stuff from the Hunter Valley Tourist Assoc - places to visit/ things to do, so you won't get bored, even if it dumps down.  This is Muggs 3^rd June long w'end in the Lower Hunter and we know how to amuse ourselves.

Bank Teller’s rap-up on Sunday, 3 June, “Ferry Boat to Patonga  & Iron Horse to Woy Woy Ride” - 98 glorious, fun-filled clicks

On a pristine, blue sky early winter’s morn’, upon the arrival of BackPacker, Suicide Blonde, and pseudo Septic, Bazza at around 10:40am, well nigh 17 Muggs were soaking up the glorious sunshine on the Pier outside the Red Herring.  [But I’m getting ahead of myself – back to the start.]  

Whippet, Ian, and Dicky Knee, by setting a cracker pace (+26km ave) from Turra’ up to Kalkari, thereby threw down the gauntlet to last week’s winner of the coveted Yellow Jersey, Temperate Tony, that it wasn’t going to be a "lay down miseré" this Sunday.  Andrew A, Smiling Assassin, and the Bank Teller had been more circumspect, treating the first climb to Kalkari with the reverence it deserves, cognizant that it was going to be a long day with a few testing climbs later - particularly out of Patonga.  Temperate maintained a more subdued speed as he ushered his son, Richard, (who turned out to be no mean slouch on a treadley) up the initial climb.

As we learnt at Brooklyn, Blonde Bombshell, Mr. Phillips, Pacific Pete, Widget and the Bulbous Bloke had taken the easy-out, by commencing from Hornsby (although as Widget “trumpeted” (to an unimpressed audience) back at Pie in the Sky, reputedly whilst waiting for us at Sparrow Fart, she climbed back to Pie In the Shy - penance for starting with the wusses).  

PJ, still a growing youngster, drew sneers for pigging out on a real brekkie - snags, bacon, tomatoes and eggs (good value at eight ‘n a half bucks), as the remainder sipped sedately on their MoKadors in the sunshine, whilst the Arian Brigade made most of the noise.

Alas, a few of ‘em, incl the late arrivers, together with Papa Bear and Andrew A, had to return south for chores ‘n stuff.  Hence, a dozen of us boarded the ferry at eleven bells, where the Brilliant Blue Hawkesbury was at its glistening, shimmering best.  Unsure how come, but we snared a no-frills $8 fare - notwithstanding the brochure lists "$2 extra for bike".  PJ quietly muttered to a few of the gang, “With the bikes, we should be paying ten bucks!” and was impolitely told to “Shut up” and “Go play with the sharks overboard”.

The climb from Patonga offered no surprises (a tough uphill) and, apart from getting mildly lost in the backstreets of Ettalong, we found our way to Woy Woy.  

Muggs are supposed to be an egalitarian lot [where pimps, prostitutes and pedophiles will readily associate with the likes of an esteemed "Bank Teller"].  Accordingly, the proletariat settled in at a sunny courtyard o’side the Grouse House (3/5 Blackwall Rd - 4340.2300ph) where “Mamma Maria” eventually served up yummy burgers, albeit Temperate and son Richard, had to wait, wait and wait some more for their toasted sambos.  Meanwhile, the bourgeoisie [Dieter/Helga/Sig] headed off to associate with other toffs from the gentry at some up-mkt restaurante, joined by Brenda and Ian, who after initially settling in with the common-folk, joined ‘em having pondered that lunch, with only Maria manning the ovens, might be a drawn-out affair.

We all managed to aboard the 1:26pm Iron Horse back to Brooklyn, although the domicile, “Hawkesbury River” station flummoxed a few of us, who were trying to buy a ticket back to Brooklyn.

Around 2:30pm, having pummeled up the arduous 4km climb from sea level, and fought-off an ever-increasing band of discerning Mt White Motor Bikers (in-search of a meat pie with real meat) and north shore trendies, Muggs snaffled a table at the verdant, sun-drenched Grassy Knoll.  Well, most of us did, whilst Sig, Pete, and The Greiters, rolled on south in pursuit of other commitments.

Thirty eight keenly contested clicks later, at Four Bells, a reduced contingent of diehards re-grouped at Turra’ where relative NewChum, Ian, won the Yellow Jersey with a remarkable 25.4km ave, with Dicky Knee and Whippet not far behind.  Dirty Cheat scrambled in last, av'g 23.2km.

This Sunday, 17 June – Quatre Montagnes (anti-clockwise) from Turramurra 8:05am or Duo Montagnes from Hornsby 8:50am

·       Cyclists commencing at Turra' do not pass the alternate Hornsby start, rather usually catch those departing from Hornsby when approaching Pie in the Sky

·       Ride contacts: Phil Johnston  9498.3684 hm or 9312.3319 wk. or Brian Willis 9807.6439, who’d appreciate a call or e-mail from anyone who might be starting from Hornsby

·       Please hardcopy these ride directions and bring on Sunday

Both below ride start points arrive at 1st Nosh Stop - Pie in the Sky for Brunch with another Bike North ride group (skipping the familiar climb from Brooklyn Rd, ‘cause we did it two weeks ago and its easy):

¨                   Longer Ride - Quatre Montagnes [96.7km]
Arrive Turramurra car park [North/East side of station] in ample time for an 8:10am rollout in/out of Bobbin Head, arriving at Kalkari Reserve Sag Stop after 13.5km at 8:45am.  We take a right onto the Pac Highway at the lights after passing Asquith Golf Course. Then it is due north to Pie in the Sky.

¨                  Shorter Ride - Duo Hills [62.5km]
Arrive at Hornsby car-park [100 metres Nth/West of the Railway Hotel in Jersey St] for 8:50am roll out cycling 600 metres north up Jersey St, taking a 60m L, followed by a R 60 metres later [at traffic lights] onto Old Pacific Highway for the 18km ride to the pie shop).

ETR at PitS is 9:35am, where after chewing the fat, ‘n being neighbourly (for about 35 min) with a crew of less masochistic cyclists, around 10:10am, we return S for about 16km before taking a R into Berowra Waters Rd to descend to picturesque Berowra Waters for the ride on the punt. [You can continue south and return to either Hornsby [38km] or Turra’ [68km] car parks].

After cycling thru rural Berrilee and Arcadia, we include a 4km adjunct W into parts of pastoral Glenorie by taking a - 

¨                   R heading W along Wylds Rd for 1.6km with a beaut new hill

¨                   L heading S along Old Northern Rd for 1.9km

¨                   L heading E along Mid-Dural Rd for 1.4km

¨                   Ahead along Galston Rd for 400m

We arrive at our 2^nd Nosh Stop at Green Shades Nursery Café at Galston [9653.1500ph] (10% surcharge) for an early lunch-time from 11:50am where I've booked with Luigi, restaurant mgr, who is comfortable with us leaving our bikes outside the rest rooms and inside the green metal doors on the LHS.

Allowing a 45 min repast if the weather is pleasant, we commence our return home via Galston George at 12:35pm pulling in at the familiar Hornsby Heights' bus shelter at 12:52pm.

ETR -

¨                  Hornsby 1:15pm – 62.5km - 2 hills.

¨                  Turra' 2pm – 96.7km - 4 hills.

Following Sunday, 24 June - Tour de Windsor/Sackville:

i)      from Turramurra @ 8:30am via M2, Riverstone, Vineyard to Windsor; or

ii)   from Dural @ 9am via Kenthurst, Maraylya to Windsor.

After a hearty Nosh Stop at one of the many cafés in historic Thompson’s Square off Macquarie St, we trace the flat 37km Wilberforce, Ebenezer, Sackville anti-clockwise loop which returns to Windsor for a 2^nd Nosh Stop, whereupon both groups return via Maraylya, Glenorie, Dural (104km) or onto Galston, Hornsby, Turramurra (137km).

The Scribe  - 4 June 2001