Monday, August 26, 2019

Chomp & Chat Sausage Sizzle at Burrinjuck Dam. Sunday, 18th August 2019

Sunday morning saw ten intrepid riders gather at the Caltex Nichols awaiting our fearless leader who may or may not be coming due to a flat battery. Maritta did arrive on her bike and she proceeded to brief us on the epic but highly dangerous journey to the mostly deserted and most likely haunted township of Burrinjuck Dam. She painted a picture of moss covered icy and twisty roads, unpredictable rock falls and wildlife hell bent on causing havoc and mayhem by ambushing unwary riders from the forest shadows. And not to mention the speed limits changing every thirty metres or so along the Burrinjuck Dam road.

Suitably inspired and galvanized, we headed west along the Barton Highway after Jenny Carlin farewelled us and then south on to the Hume to the turn off seventy five kilometres from our start. The ride along the Burrinjuck Dam road was lovely. Long straights were raced before the road narrowed and hairpins, stylishly decorated with mirrors, slowed our pace. Several boat towing vehicles made us drift towards the perilous drop to our left but no casualties ensured. A few malevolent macropods were passed before the final hairpin and ride up to the township.

We parked our bikes in the Emergency Assembly point for the town and wandered back down the street to Jeff’s place. Jeff was waiting for us with the BBQ befittingly flashed up and sausages sizzling contently on his patio which overlooked a rather depleted Lake Burrinjuck. While we waited for our snags, Jeff regaled us with tales of some seriously weird comings and goings that happened in the hamlet. For instances, one night about a year or so ago someone stole all the pews from the village church and another time a couple of youngsters from the nearby caravan park had decided to take one of the dam’s trucks for a spin as someone had left the keys in it.



Sausages were served up on buttered bread and Maritta distributed soft drinks to all before elegantly decorating the front of her jacket with tomato sauce. Then she produced a wonderful orange sponge cake in honour of Doug’s birthday which we only discovered after Maritta produced the cake and we needed a volunteer to cut it.



Aptly replenished, we remounted our trusty steeds for the perilous return journey back to the relative safety of the Hume Highway at various levels of rapidity. We departed ways here as several felt the need for caffeine and Gunning was chosen as a suitable venue while nearly everyone else headed home. Maritta said she was turning off at Murrumbateman to take the scenic route back to Queanbeyan.

It was a lovely day’s ride and a big thanks to Maritta for orchestrating it and Jeff for supplying victuals.

Peter T.

The Riders were:
  • Maritta Heiler             Kawasaki 900 Vulcan
  • Mark Micallef             Suzuki M109R
  • Warren Richer            Triumph Thruxton R
  • Doug Cawley             Honda VT750 Shadow
  • Peter Thomas             BMW F700GS
  • George Attard            Triumph Tiger XRT
  • Jeff Heiler                   Bunnings Gas BBQ
  • Mick Beltrame            BMW R1250GS
  • Andrew Campbell       Yamaha FJR 1300
  • Jeff Jarvis                  Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe