- Michael and Tracey Winters Triumph Trophy
- Mark Walker Honda NT700V
- Garry McCurley Honda VFR 1200
- Rowan Boucher Yamaha FJR 1300
- Rob Lillie Yamaha FZI
- Daryl Palin Honda Goldwing
- Brian Agius Honda ST1100
- Peter Arday Honda ST1300
- Trevor McLeod Yamaha FJR 1300
- Graham Williams Honda VT 750
This ride was a little like the ten green bottles song with riders dropping off throughout the ride. Eight riders met at Watson, collecting two more at Bungendore before riding for morning tea at Braidwood under cloudy skies. Arriving earlier than usual the café wasn’t as crowded as expected and we all enjoyed coffee, hot chocolate and cakes before Trevor and Brian decided to return home. Eight of us had a good ride to the Bodalla Dairy Shed riding along wet roads, some with puddles. Staff at Bodalla told us it had poured rain just before we arrived so we were lucky to have avoided that. Just as we were finishing lunch, four pedestrians arrived – Janet and Kerry Mulgrue with Rob McNeilly and Pam and their four legged companions.
We left as the sun started to shine with a quick refuel at Narooma enjoying glorious riding conditions down the coast through green fields to turn off to Cooma just north of Bega. Perhaps the ride from the turnoff to Nimmitabel for afternoon tea was the best part of the day. The views were extensive and we didn’t have to share the gently curving road with many others. Mick and I were lucky to get in front of a slow moving vehicle at the base of Brown Mountain and enjoyed a faster ride up the hill than others behind us. Rowan and Mark chose to ride on at Nimmitabel – Mark’s excuse being that he was hosting a BBQ later and he couldn’t expect his neighbour to drink alone. Fair enough.
That left six of us to enjoy the hospitality and good coffee at Nimmitabel Bakery where Mick kindly bought a loaf of bread saying it was my Christmas present. We stopped at Cooma for a fuel stop with Graham and Rob riding straight home. Four of us refuelled at Cooma with Garry declining to linger longer for an ice-cream. The traffic heading north was the heaviest we had experienced all day with many overtaking opportunities taken. Peter was forced over double lines by a driver towing a dog trailer who decided to move into the overtaking lane earlier than could be reasonably expected.
Only two of us took the turnoff at Hume to Queanbeyan, parting company at Canberra Avenue.
A great day’s (long) ride with good company and plenty of food and coffee. Once the clouds had burnt off and the threat of rain gone, the sunshine made it a joy to be out riding. Many thanks to those who attended.
Tracey Winters
Footnote – there was one other green bottle at Watson in the morning riding a green Kawasaki who chose to ride with another group – yes you know who you are – coincidentally they were riding the same route as us and we crossed their path a few times throughout the day.
