As previously mentioned, I have been on a variety of motorcycle road trips including a ride along the road known as the Long Paddock. 

    It was a  great adventure and I thought you may like to read the notes.  

Long Paddock stretches approx. 660km along the Cobb Highway (named for the famous coach company) from Echuca / Moama on the Victorian border,

through to Wilcannia in the NSW outback .  I particularly enjoyed the ride north from Deniliquin.

There are a number of metal sculptures and information panels encountered along the route.

The amount of history to be found in the many small outback towns and communities is well recorded and worth the time to stop, explore and learn. 

Ahead of the crowd  !!

Smoko

One of the many highlights of the trip was to visit the Headless Horseman sculpture at the Black Swamp, located between Wanganella and Booroorban.

It is a real experience to travel through this outback area with its seemingly endless saltbush plains. The Cobb highway is still used as a stock route and I did encounter one large mob of cattle grazing along the side of the road. I was then very aware that most of the road is unfenced. Kangaroos and sheep are also hazards to be aware of and I did have to stop and "give way" to some unsupervised sheep crossing the road at one point. Sheep are easy enough to spot as they tend to move in large flocks but I found kangaroos difficult to see until they move and are very unpredictable. 

With little prospect of any police presence it would be tempting to exceed to speed limit but I prefer to travel at a leisurely pace and enjoy the experience. After all, I may never pass that way again. I enjoyed fine weather with mild ambient temperatures on five of the days during this adventure. Two of the motels I stayed at had swimming pools, so after getting out of my leather riding gear, a good "sit and soak" at the end of the day was a welcome relief. The road conditions were generally good [i.e. sealed and with line marking ] and the speed limit in most parts is 110kmph.

The silence out on the plains was very noticeable. With no other human activity to be seen or heard it was so peaceful and serene. A humbling experience. On very rare occasions a car appeared in the distance. A welcome and reassuring sight ? Maybe. 

Not a great place to have any mechanical issues but I was comforted in the knowledge that as long as I could hear and feel the beat of the Vulcan V-twin beneath me, all would be well. 

And it was, thankfully..

Please find attached a few notes regarding my visit to the sculpture at the Black Swamp.

I hope they are of interest to you.

Best wishes 

Laurence