- Ian Paterson (leader) GL1800
- Garry McCurley VFR1200
- Neil Goldfinch Blackbird
- Peter Reid M109
- Jeff Jarvis Triumph America
- Chris Dietzel GTR1400
- Graham Williams ZZR600
- Hugh Spencer & Bev Lang R1200R
The temperature was forecast to hit 38 degrees in the afternoon so our ever-caring ride leader offered the alternative of a short morning ride so we could all be at home sitting around the pool, drinks in hand, when it got hot.
It was a pathetic attempt at a sham democracy. The rest of the riders saw through this cowardly, self-serving offer and insisted on being taken to Thredbo and back, no matter how awful it might be for the man out in front.
So we left Hume and headed south on the inspirational Monaro Highway. The Sunday before Christmas was chosen for this ride because our ride leader has this idea that there’s no traffic on the roads that weekend because everyone is doing their Christmas shopping. It was nice in theory, but in practice, with Christmas Day the following Wednesday, it seemed that vast hordes had taken the Monday and Tuesday off work and were already en route to their Christmas destinations.
Traffic or no, hot or cold, rain or snow, the plan was to ride directly to Jindabyne and stop there for coffee, fuel and national park stickers. However, by the time we got to Cooma it was already warming up and the ride leader enticed the ride followers into the Scottish restaurant on the way into town for sustenance and air conditioning.
Plan B now came into effect, which was just Plan A without coffee at Jindabyne. The ride across the Monaro plains was less than idyllic as there was a strong northerly wind which buffeted us from the right hand side at every opportunity. The buffetry was so fierce that Hugh and Bev pulled out at Berridale so as not to aggravate Hugh’s neck injury.
The rest of us got fuel and park stickers in Jindabyne and headed up into Kosciuszko National Park. By now we pretty much had the road to ourselves (except for one unusually intelligent kangaroo that decided not to jump out in front of us) so the ride up to Thredbo was lots of fun. After a photo stop overlooking the village, I sent the others on ahead to Dead Horse Gap, a few kilometres further on. When I got there, there was no-one to be seen. Fearing they might not stop till they reached Khancoban, and thus cause me to miss lunch, I gave chase and fortunately found them huddled together, looking lost and bewildered, a few bends further on.
After another photos stop back at Dead Horse Gap, we returned to Thredbo, where it was a breezy 25 degrees, and dined in the Thredbo Alpine Hotel’s pub area. I had a “Top 2 Bottom” beef burger. I’m not sure if it was so named because of the route it was about to take through my alimentary canal or because we were at a ski resort. Either way, it was very nice to eat as we sat and spun yarns for the best part of an hour.
There was a bit more traffic on the way back to Cooma, where it had now reached 33 degrees. We returned to the Scottish restaurant for cool drinks and, in some cases, disgustingly flavoured slushy things. You live and learn.
We said our farewells and headed back up the wondrous Monaro Highway, passing SUV after SUV packed with kids, Christmas presents, bicycles, boats, painkillers and anti-depressants. The temperature hit 35 degrees by the time we got to Bredbo, 36 degrees at the Tuggeranong turnoff and peaked at 38 degrees as I rode along Parkes Way towards Belconnen.
The heat notwithstanding, it had been a very enjoyable day.
Ian Paterson
