Mansfield - 25-26 Feb

Well myself and 6 others did an overnight ride to Mansfield. Saturday morning dawned a beautiful sunny morn with the promise of getting very warm, a promise that was kept. At this point I'll apologise for there being no pics. I left the camera at home on the kitchen table. I'd put it beside my helmet hoping I would remember it, but alas I ended up running a bit late and rushed out of the house and left it behind, I only realised at the first stop when I went looking for it.

We left Wagga just after 9 and headed down to Wymah. Surprisingly this was the first time I'd been on this road, and what a fun little road it is. We took the ferry across the lake/river and headed to Granya Gap and on to Tallangatta for fuel. I really like that piece of road. Somewhere between Wagga and Tallangatta I lost one of the 'buds' from my ear phones, I have some spare ones but they were back in Wagga, sitting beside the camera.

From Tallangatta it was off to Beechworth for lunch, and find a replacement 'bud'. The food and coffee at the Bakery were up to the usual standard. After finding a cheap set of ear phones I replaced the 'bud' and was again listening to tunes rather than wind noise.

After lunch we went cross country to Whitfield. I'd forgotten just how boring the roads between Milawa and Whitfield are, add in the 35+ temp and we were well and truly ready a quick break at the pub before riding on to Mansfield. I haven't been on Whitfield-Mansfield road for years and had forgotten how much fun it was. I'd also forgotten that there are no armco barriers between the edge of the road and what is surely certain death, this tempered our enthusiasm somewhat.

We arrived in Mansfield at about 4pm and headed to the Delitite Hotel, our digs for the night. After a quiet ale we stored the bikes away, sorted out our rooms, had a shower and sat on the balcony sampling some of the cold beer, wine and various mixed drinks before heading down for diner. The meals were great, shame the rooms had no fans, let alone airconditioning and the window in my room wouldn't open, which meant I was very uncomfortable and sweaty (not in a good way) and spent the night tossing and turning.

Sunday moring dawned overcast and threatening rain. I awoke feeling less the good, and no it wasn't alcohol induced. After breakfast we packed the bikes, fueled up and the others put on wet weather gear. I looked at the sky and thought "Na, it's not going to rain" then just as I thumbed the starter I felt the rain falling. Damn, off the bike, wet weather gear on, while apologising to the others.

We finally headed to Swanpool where the others headed to Tatong, Moyhu, Wangaratta, Rutherglen before heading home. Because I wasn't in the mood to tackle unknown back roads in the wet I decided to head to Benalla and took the Hume Hwy to Albury, one of the other blokes thought that was a good idea and tagged along. We stopped at Glenrowan Macca's, with the idea of having a coffee. Well I know I was unwell, but for me to throw out a coffee I must have been really under the weather. So we geared up and rode to Albury for fuel. While we filled up the heavens opened and it bucketed down. It didn't stop raining until I got home. I looked like a drowned rat. But the wet weather gear had done it's job admirably and under the gear I was mostly dry (except for having sweated quite a bit). My gloves were soaked and because they weren't water proof my hands looked like prunes.

So all in all a good weekend on the bikes with good company. If you are going to Mansfield for an overnighter, I can recommend the Delitite Hotel for the food, but I'm sorry even though the rooms were only $50, they really were crap and unless you like being covered in sweat all night, sleeping on crappy matresses and having no air circulating, I'd spend the extra money and stay somewhere else. Oh one thing I did like was the shower. It was the old fashioned huge head that basically dumps water over you, magic.

Oh and the camera and spare ear buds were right were I left them.

This morning I put my helmet on, only to find it was still damp from the rain. Very unpleasant.

Good one Mick. I was born and raised in King Valley and I know the Whitfield – Mansfield Rd very well. There is more Armco there than there used to be. Do you remember the sections of old cable strung between the guide posts? I’m planning on heading up to see the folks in Wang in the next couple of weeks so I will video that road. Its better going up but I’ll be going down then back over Hotham to home.

For accommodation I can recommend the Mountain View Hotel in Whitfield. They have motel style rooms out the back and well priced by all accounts.

I reckon I would have taken the Hume with you too. Some of those back roads are only single strip bitumen.
Oh I reckon the Moyhu to Whitfield section is a nice ride if the wick is turned up

That brings back memories. I spent a few years as a teenager (1979 to 1983) in Benalla so was very familar with the roads around the area. Back then I was into whitewater kayaking and we used to paddle the King River from the William Hovel dam wall down about 7km. Damn it was fun.