Armidale, Uralla, Gostwyck loop

A lovely half-day coffee ride on quiet, scenic and mostly sealed roads. Head out of town on Bundarra road, turning at about 15 km towards Invergowrie. At Invergowrie there is a small shop selling coffee, but its too early to stop yet. Bundarra Rd has some fast traffic and lacks a shoulder so we avoid it at the busiest times (~9 am or 5 pm). There is a quieter/hillier alternative route via Booroolong Rd/Dumaresq Rd. Once off Bundarra rd there is generally very little traffic and the route is very scenic. Thunderbolts way has a great swooping downhill, which if taken at maximum speed can get you most of the way up the other side. Uralla has a great choice of cafes, so a stop is compulsory. It is possible to head back to Armidale via Barley fields Rd and join up with the outward route on Rocky River/Hawthorne drive corner. However, the route mapped here is more interesting (and about 10 km longer). Heading out of Uralla along Gostwyck rd involves a little climbing before you are on a ridge with fabulous views. There is then a long descent down to Gostwyck station and the picturesque Gostwyck chapel, DRG woolshed. There is a ~8 km section of dirt along Gostwyck Rd/Mihi Rd. This can get a bit bumpy when not recently graded. However, we regularly do this ride on road bikes. The seal is reached again at Enmore Rd for a very pleasant if a bit hilly ride back to Armidale. All roads on the return trip are very quiet.