A mix of usual suspects and newbies met at the Hume petrol station before setting off on a short run to Tidbinbilla Tracking Station. With bright, end of winter light and almost a hint of spring in the air we meandered along passing Lanyon Homestead and then going over the delightful Tharwa Bridge. The pace picked up a little just after the Tharwa General Store as we navigated along the road towards Tidbinbilla. Care needed to be taken though as we shared the road with many push bike enthusiasts, some of whom seemed to look longingly at us as we cruised past with ease while they huffed and puffed. What does make middle aged people don lycra instead of leather? I digress.
Emus, sheep, cows and kangaroos were all a cheery sight as we made our way further along to our destination at the Moon Rock Café. One stray sheep caused a little concern en route with its determination that the grass was greener on the other side, but Andrea was on call and alerted us to it, so all was well.
With our phones dutifully turned off so as not to interrupt ET phoning home we settled in to what seems to be the main game for some of these rides, the food and coffee!
All the dishes were an amazing sight! The big white ones provided a dramatic backdrop to our gathering on the deck as they changed their angles seeking input from the last frontier. Then the smaller dishes heavily laden with toasties, sausage rolls and cakes arrived and clearly put stars in the eyes of some Ulyssians. The galaxy sized slice of chocolate cake, that was as dark as outer space, had its owner the envy of all!
Enough of the food and ‘onto’ the bikes, and among our astronaut crew craft was a Spacy 250. Was that spooky given our venue? A Harley Davidson added a nice soundtrack to our adventure and Marilyn showed up at the last minute on her Ducati to provide a touch of Italian class. As a recent convert to the joys of Japanese technology please forgive me for only showcasing what whets my appetite but I'm afraid my heart still skips a beat within sight of a half decent easy rider and who doesn't love an Italian. Oops digressing again!It was a very pleasant although brief space odyssey and I believe some kicked on for more refreshments elsewhere. Others wanted to go to infinity and beyond but only got as far as Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station, although it was via a few very nice corners!
As with all the Ulysses rides the company was excellent, the journey interesting, the bikes fun and there was plenty of good food and coffee.
Nat ‘Pillion’ TeBay
Riders and pillions were
- MICHAEL WINTERS - TRIUMPH TROPHY 1200,
- GARRY MCCURLEY & NATALIE TEBAY - HONDA VFR1200,
- MARK MITCHELL - HONDA VFR800,
- ASHLEY PLUMB - HONDA GL1800 FB6,
- STEVE MILLS - SUZUKI SV650,
- JULIE HYLAND - HONDA SPORTS CBR600,
- JENNY CARLIN - PIAGGIO 250,
- KEN WILLIAMS - HONDA FIREBLADE CBR900,
- DARRYL PALIN - HONDA GOLDWING GL1800,
- PETER ARDAY - HONDA ST1300,
- ALLAN GRIMES - HD FATBOY,
- CHAS TOWIE - HONDA ST1300,
- ANDREA LANAGAN - SUZUKI BOULEVARD,
- JOHN STORN & ELEANOR - YAMAHA FJR1300,
- GARY MCDONALD - HONDA SPACEY 250.
