Day Twelve
Tamworth to Home
The final day started and ended with bad weather.
The rain followed us out of Tamworth and only abated whilst we ate breakfast at Guyra.
As we drank our coffee we peered hopefully out of the Truck Stop windows at the lack of precipitation but as soon as we suited up the sky started the waterworks again.
In the next hundred kilometres I rode through two brief sections of highway where the Z900 let me know that the only traction control it had was in my right hand.
Aquaplaning is something I really don't want to experience again, but at least I was somewhat ready for it the second time!
Sometime after Glen Innes the rain stopped and the sun shone.
My gloves dried out and my demeanour improved.
I started to enjoy the ride.
Then 10 kilometres out of Stanthorpe the heavens opened and my gloves were saturated again in seconds.
We stopped at Warwick for fuel and I said my farewells as Troy and Josh headed off to Dalby.
As I approached Cunninghams Gap the rain intensified and I entered pea-soup fog. With ten to twenty metres of vision, I tucked in behind a truck and prayed the driver wouldn't career off a cliff.
Heading into Brisbane I noticed that my riding was more aggressive than a fortnight ago and adjusted it to better suit the conditions.
It was a both a relief and a sadness to ride into the garage at the end of the journey.
Great to be home and reunited with family, but the wanderlust had been kindled and it was aching for more.
That night, the dog woke me up at 3am barking at a possum.
It took me a good minute to realise that I wasn't in a dodgy unit somewhere on the road, but I was home.
The Z900 performed admirably.
It covered over 6,000km in 12 days, through all sorts of weather, and over all sorts of roads.
My only discomfort was tingling fingers because of the high frequency vibrations.
I grew to appreciate the bike even more.
Whilst it came away with a few more scuff marks, it's going stronger than ever.
The next adventure awaits.
