Nerriga

Riding up and down the Clyde, Macquarie Pass, The Brown, Mt Darmagh, Imlay Road, Kangaroo Valley even Bulli Pass are good fun.

I've been waiting years for the Nerriga to Nowra Road to be sealed so that there would be even more round trip, and figure 8 options available for groups of club riders.

I waited years for the last 4 kms of the "Windellama Road" route to Goulburn to be tarred. And now the Currawang Road is also sealed.

But when $80m was committed to the Nerriga - Nowra Road (MR92), I knew it was only a matter of time.

Well this month they completed it. And it's great. I did it from end to end and back last weekend and the hardest section from Endrick Mountain to Billy's Hill is fantastic. That part was positively dangerous on anything but a 4WD or an adventure bike until now. But now it's like a freeway. The bridge they built is quite something out in the middle of nowhere, as it is.

Even the signs at HMAS Albatross now say "Canberra via Nerriga and Tarago". Note they do not say Canberra via Braidwood. There's still two sections of dirt on the part between Nerriga and Braidwood. One is 13 kms long and the other is 4 kms long. And they're not great for sports bikes either - pebbly gravel.

But there's just one thing. There's still 4.1 kms of dirt on the Oallen Ford Road. So we still can't get all the way to Nowra via Nerriga without traveling on dirt ... yet. I'm hoping they'll do this soon - especially since the signs say, "Canberra via Nerriga and Tarago".

Oh, there's another thing. Coming back from Nowra I followed a copper who had his side radar at the ready. He was going slowly, and so was I. When we got to Nerriga he turned around and headed back. So it seems that within the first month of opening the police force has identified this road as a likely revenue source. DOH!

That doesn't change the view though, and Pancake Rocks and Jiangara 
Falls are still worth the trip, even if slowly.

If you're game for 4.1 kms of dirt then do it now. Otherwise I'll keep 
an eye on the Oallen Ford part and let you know when it's tar all the 
way.

And let me know if you want a map, or a mate to do it with you. :-)

Gordon WHITE