We noticed last night that the Kandos Hotel was under new management. The guy servicing at the bar was the new owner (of only 2 weeks he told us) and we noticed some things that highlighted this fact.

  • He did not know whether the hotel had wifi until he went searching in a box of papers

  • The room tarrif was lower than the last time I stayed here

  • And the rooms no longer come with a cooked breakfast

  • The hamburgers we had for dinner (cooked by the new owners daughter) were huge, so big they had to be staked together with a steak knife.

The day started with yet another detour again courtesy of the recent rains. The Byalong Valley Way was closed between The Lua Road and the town of Byalong and forced a detour through Mudgee and the Wollar Rd which added about 70km to our journey. The reward for the extra kms was some nice country scenery and a lack of other vehicles.

The highlight of the day was the Putty Road which historically was the original link between the colonies of Hunter Valley and Sydney. This is a twisty isolated road that is a rewarding ride for motorcyclists.

We arrived home more than a little tired after nearly 500 kms and over 8 hours in the saddle.