Thanks John. It was a very pleasant, easy ride. The pub-stays made it a tastefully civilised tour compared to some of the 'rough and reddy' (eg The Gibb River Rd) ones I have done previously.
I commute on the Thorn Audax most days. It is a delight to ride.
You will note I have not even broken the derailleur yet:)
The Canberra to Tamworth ride could easily be extended to Brisabne via quiet back roads. There's some superb country between Tamworh and SE Queensland.