Phillip Island WSBKs (2016 National Meet)

Who's planning on doing the WSBK's in February, and who is interested in getting a house on the island?

There are plenty of options but we'd need to know who wants to join in to get a idea of what size place we'd need?

Going


Hammy + Mate
Ewok & Bev
madmax
Chook
reddog and Mrs reddog
Barry & Axle

http://www.stayz.com.au/accommodation/vic/phillip-island-gippsland/phillip-island-surrounds/113513

16 Manly Pl 


16 Manly Place
Surf Beach

Sounds like a great idea. Whose picking me up from the airport?

I'm probably a starter but for Sunday only, so wouldn't need the house option.  But if enough signed up for 3 or 4 nights I could be talked into it!

Count me in the the full tour

reddog wrote:Sounds like a great idea. Whose picking me up from the airport?

put yourself and the bike on the train to Adelaide and ride over with me

madmax wrote:Count me in the the full tour

What will you be doing for the 5 days between WSBK's and the National meet?

I was thinking of heading up the coast towards the NSW/Vic border, maybe do a ride through the alpine areas and get back to Melbourne by the Thursday night or Friday morning

Chook wrote:

madmax wrote:Count me in the the full tour

What will you be doing for the 5 days between WSBK's and the National meet?

I was thinking of heading up the coast towards the NSW/Vic border, maybe do a ride through the alpine areas and get back to Melbourne by the Thursday night or Friday morning

Don't know but that sounds like a good idea, plenty of time to work things out though

I might try an be up for it again.
Went to see Stoner leave, so I may as well see him come back...if he dosen`t mess himself up with another stack.

I loved every part of the experience, from the trip down to the trip back.
From Gladstone to Phillip return, via every possible twisty there was.

I hope work allows me to do it.
...........................................................................................................................................................................................

Its good to see my comprehension skills are to scratch, as the heading says "WSB"  not GP as I had going on in my head.
Well that knocks me out of the fun

Chook wrote:

madmax wrote:Count me in the the full tour

What will you be doing for the 5 days between WSBK's and the National meet?

I was thinking of heading up the coast towards the NSW/Vic border, maybe do a ride through the alpine areas and get back to Melbourne by the Thursday night or Friday morning

Hey Chook (and others).  Here's a suggestion:

Sunday: watch the races and stay overnight.
Monday: Philip Island - Reefton Spur - Mansfield - Bright (overnight Bright - it has a great pub, local brewery and some excellent accommodation)
Tuesday: Bright - Mt Beauty - Falls Creek - Omeo - Bruthen - Traralgon (overnight Traralgon).  You simply will not believe the riding on this day until you experience it - it involves crossing the Vic Alps.
Wednesday: Traralgon - Open Cut Mine (for pics) - Licola (for lunch) - Walhalla - Traralgon (overnight Traralgon).  Not quite a rest day but some great riding.  There are extra options!
Thursday: Depart for National Meet (options include Traralgon - Tompson Dam - Powelltown - onwards)

I'd be in for this but wouldn't be able to go onto the National Meet, ie I'd leave you on Thu morning and head east whereas others would head west towards western Vic/SA.

Ewok1958 wrote:

Chook wrote:

madmax wrote:Count me in the the full tour

What will you be doing for the 5 days between WSBK's and the National meet?

I was thinking of heading up the coast towards the NSW/Vic border, maybe do a ride through the alpine areas and get back to Melbourne by the Thursday night or Friday morning

Hey Chook (and others).  Here's a suggestion:

Sunday: watch the races and stay overnight.
Monday: Philip Island - Reefton Spur - Mansfield - Bright (overnight Bright - it has a great pub, local brewery and some excellent accommodation)
Tuesday: Bright - Mt Beauty - Falls Creek - Omeo - Bruthen - Traralgon (overnight Traralgon).  You simply will not believe the riding on this day until you experience it - it involves crossing the Vic Alps.
Wednesday: Traralgon - Open Cut Mine (for pics) - Licola (for lunch) - Walhalla - Traralgon (overnight Traralgon).  Not quite a rest day but some great riding.  There are extra options!
Thursday: Depart for National Meet (options include Traralgon - Tompson Dam - Powelltown - onwards)

I'd be in for this but wouldn't be able to go onto the National Meet, ie I'd leave you on Thu morning and head east whereas others would head west towards western Vic/SA.

Do Dargo Wed not Licola. Least you can get a feed and fuel in Dargo but in any case thats the day I'm happy to be "sick"

Sounds good Ewok, I'd need to be in Melbourne (probably close to Tullamarine) Thursday night if Kaylah flies over for the National Meet, she wouldn't leave Adelaide 'till late Thursday or early Friday.

You can't make it to the Grampians?

Ewok1958 wrote:

Chook wrote:

madmax wrote:Count me in the the full tour

What will you be doing for the 5 days between WSBK's and the National meet?

I was thinking of heading up the coast towards the NSW/Vic border, maybe do a ride through the alpine areas and get back to Melbourne by the Thursday night or Friday morning

Hey Chook (and others).  Here's a suggestion:

Sunday: watch the races and stay overnight.
Monday: Philip Island - Reefton Spur - Mansfield - Bright (overnight Bright - it has a great pub, local brewery and some excellent accommodation)
Tuesday: Bright - Mt Beauty - Falls Creek - Omeo - Bruthen - Traralgon (overnight Traralgon).  You simply will not believe the riding on this day until you experience it - it involves crossing the Vic Alps.
Wednesday: Traralgon - Open Cut Mine (for pics) - Licola (for lunch) - Walhalla - Traralgon (overnight Traralgon).  Not quite a rest day but some great riding.  There are extra options!
Thursday: Depart for National Meet (options include Traralgon - Tompson Dam - Powelltown - onwards)

I'd be in for this but wouldn't be able to go onto the National Meet, ie I'd leave you on Thu morning and head east whereas others would head west towards western Vic/SA.

Those who do all that and go to the Grampians wont feel like much of a ride around the Grampians.

Wednesday could be a more or less day, depending on what people want to do. Walhalla is only 40kms from Traralgon and is a must see tourist attraction (as well as a good few kms of riding). If people only did Walhalla and the open cut mine on Wednesday I think they'd feel pretty refreshed before heading west on Thursday.

Chook: You'd easily get to Tullmarine Thu night - Traralgon is only 160kms east of Melbourne. The back way via Noogee and Powelltown is just a more scenic way of getting there instead of using the freeway. Not sure I can make the Grampians.

Which way would you go for the "Mt Beauty - Falls Creek - Omeo" leg of the ride?


I'd be very keen to do that, I hiked a fair bit of that when I was about 14 or 15, got caught in a blizzard on Mt Bogong in the middle of Janurary, ended up coming back down the mountain the next day before resuming a day later, our 40lb ruck sacks were closer to 100lb when they were water logged, we had nothing left dry, slept in wet clothes in a wet sleeping bag inside a wet tent

Chook wrote:Which way would you go for the "Mt Beauty - Falls Creek - Omeo" leg of the ride?


I'd be very keen to do that, I hiked a fair bit of that when I was about 14 or 15, got caught in a blizzard on Mt Bogong in the middle of Janurary, ended up coming back down the mountain the next day before resuming a day later, our 40lb ruck sacks were closer to 100lb when they were water logged, we had nothing left dry, slept in wet clothes in a wet sleeping bag inside a wet tent

And a little wet behind the ears no doubt 

paul wrote:

Chook wrote:Which way would you go for the "Mt Beauty - Falls Creek - Omeo" leg of the ride?


I'd be very keen to do that, I hiked a fair bit of that when I was about 14 or 15, got caught in a blizzard on Mt Bogong in the middle of Janurary, ended up coming back down the mountain the next day before resuming a day later, our 40lb ruck sacks were closer to 100lb when they were water logged, we had nothing left dry, slept in wet clothes in a wet sleeping bag inside a wet tent

And a little wet behind the ears no doubt 

Ah....paul is here, I take now you've entered the thread you're a starter for the WSBKs and National Meet, you know it's a condition of entry into this thread

Looks like I wont be travelling alone

I did the Mt Beauty-Falls Creek-Omeo on the way back from Parkes earlier this year, great piece of riding.  

Even the Bogong High Plains Road form Falls Creek to the Omeo Hwy, although narrow, is a pretty good road, very little traffic, did it on a week day and think I saw two vehicles the whole way - more bicycles than anything else.  

A must do for any rider.

barry_mcki wrote:I did the Mt Beauty-Falls Creek-Omeo on the way back from Parkes earlier this year, great piece of riding.  

Even the Bogong High Plains Road form Falls Creek to the Omeo Hwy, although narrow, is a pretty good road, very little traffic, did it on a week day and think I saw two vehicles the whole way - more bicycles than anything else.  

A must do for any rider.

Google maps shows the Bogong high plains road at Falls Creek to be dirt, is that still the case?

Nope - bitumen all the way, and because of the low traffic its in very good nick.

Edit: I didn't take any photos but this is from Google:

madmax wrote:

barry_mcki wrote:I did the Mt Beauty-Falls Creek-Omeo on the way back from Parkes earlier this year, great piece of riding.  

Even the Bogong High Plains Road form Falls Creek to the Omeo Hwy, although narrow, is a pretty good road, very little traffic, did it on a week day and think I saw two vehicles the whole way - more bicycles than anything else.  

A must do for any rider.

Google maps shows the Bogong high plains road at Falls Creek to be dirt, is that still the case?

No mate it's single lane of white sealed quartz. Pretty hard to gauge turn and braking points.  Some love it myself and a few others ride it very cautiously.

barry_mcki wrote:Nope - bitumen all the way, and because of the low traffic its in very good nick.

I think MM is talking about the 20km rat run up to the village from the Omeo side

2wheelsagain wrote:

barry_mcki wrote:Nope - bitumen all the way, and because of the low traffic its in very good nick.

I think MM is talking about the 20km rat run up to the village from the Omeo side

This is the section I was referring to, I think it was sealed last year or early this year:

That's good, nothing like firsthand knowledge, we all know street view can be a little outdated

I was looking at the end of street view at Falls Creek, as far as the camera car went. Looks like dirt/gravel. Must be old photo

madmax wrote:That's good, nothing like firsthand knowledge, we all know street view can be a little outdated

I was looking at the end of street view at Falls Creek, as far as the camera car went. Looks like dirt/gravel. Must be old photo

Been sealed for a couple of years at least. Just a shit road to ride in my opinion. Jim Coleman and Tag like it though.

That bit is really just a means to an end - it gets you down the other side of the mountain and onto the fabulous Omeo Hwy (Omeo - Swifts Creek- Bruthen).

The alternative to Bright-Mt Beauty-Falls Creek-Omeo is to go Bright-Hotham-Omeo.  This has some good points, eg the views are fabulous. But, IMHO, the trip up to the top (Falls Creek in the first option, Mt Hotham in the second) in the Mt Hotham option is not nearly as good on a Bandit as the road up to Falls Creek.  The Hotham Rd has a lot of 35-45 kmph corners whereas the Falls Creek rd has a lot of 45-55 kmph corners, which is less tiring on the big machine.  The downwards trip is a bit of the reverse in that Hotham-Omeo is pretty wide and open and hasn't got many tight corners.  The Falls Creeks to Omeo Hwy road (the 33 kms in the map shown) is narrower and has some tighter corners.  You need to be careful but it is simply to get you from one fabulous bit (ie Mt Beauty-Falls Creek) to another (north of Omeo to Bruthen).  I think that 33kms is a small price to pay for the advantages. And it is sealed, but the light quartz is somewhat offputting on your first ride on it - you keep thinking it is white gravel and loose, whereas it is not.