- Michael and Tracey Winters Triumph Trophy SE
- Alan and Lyn Munday Yamaha FJR 1300
- Michael and Kipper Victory XC
- Daryl Cullen Suzuki 1250 Bandit
- Garry McCurley Honda VFR1200
- Rob Lillie Yamaha FZ1
- George Attard Triumph Speed master
- Neil Goldfinch Honda CBR1200 Blackbird
We arrived at Watson a little after 8.30 to find some hardy souls already there and eventually there were eight bikes with three pillions ready to ride at 9am. After a short safety warning about double demerits we left Watson and found our first radar just over the border – a policeman with a radar standing at the overhead bridge near Eaglehawk. Very cunning.
We travelled through Bungendore and arrived at Braidwood to park across the road from the bakery at the NRMA garage. At the last corner at the bottom of the main drag through Braidwood we passed police conducting roadside stops and thought how good it was they were on the other side of the road. After coffee and hot chocolate we took to the road and arrived at Ulladulla shortly before noon. Disaster! – parking was impossible.
Who knew the festival was so popular and we would have a mile long hike to the harbour to watch the festivities? But Al and Lyn came to the rescue and spoke to a marshal who said we could try and find some spaces in Woollies’ car park – just behind the highway and the parade. By the time we’d removed outer garments and inner jacket linings (it was much warmer on the coast than sunny Watson) we were just in time to see a fire truck - the last vehicle in the parade. Oh well – on to lunch. Again luck was on our side – we found some tables and chairs in a small arcade and sat there to eat fish and chips – although Garry put us to shame choosing a healthy salad roll. Really – who goes to the coast and doesn’t have fish and chips?
To walk off our lunches we headed to the harbour. There we saw a statue of St Peter, patron saint of the Fisherman and watched the fleet being blessed. Daryl was accosted by two lovely young ladies wandering through the crowds.We decided to retrace our steps to Braidwood via the Clyde to indulge in ice-creams and coffee. We left Braidwood in dribs and drabs and Mick and I left with Garry and Neil only to be stopped by police STILL conducting roadside breathalysing tests five hours after we first saw them. Spending the day beside the road stopping happy holiday makers had not put our officer in a cheerful state of mind and he was decidedly humourless. Perhaps if one of us had tested positive he might have been happier? I wondered if Daryl had been stopped? He had already described his trip home from Young the day before where he was breathalysed in Harden and Binalong. Did Braidwood make it a trifecta?
We waved Garry and Neil goodbye at Bungendore as they travelled on to Canberra.
A weekend of double demerits made everyone behave on the road and while this may have made our trip a little slower, it also curbed the bad behaviour of many motorists. The glorious sunny weather, fabulous company and safe travelling made today one to remember.
Tracey Winters
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| Words fail me .... |
