There were two rides on the Calendar for this Queens Birthday long weekend 7-9 June. I was originally to lead a Club ride to the Hawkesbury Valley / Central Coast, and on the calendar also a Decide’n’Ride.
Unfortunately, as communicated (communicate? A pity I didn’t do that at home!) at the May branch meeting, I made myself available to lead the ride on the one weekend that was (apparently planned) to be our daughter’s 21st Birthday celebrations. A bit of poor planning all round – fancy wasting a long weekend on a party!
So it was that common sense prevailed and I cancelled the weekend ride, and I turned up for the Decide’n’Ride instead, at Caltex EPIC on the Sunday, for a 1000 start. Being a long weekend, and quite chilly at that, there were only a handful less one, brave enough to ride this day (to be fair, others got an impromptu ride in on the Saturday – how was the ride Trevor, Peter & Peter?).
It was good to see some different faces on the Sunday ride, those attending being more likely to ride on the Wednesday with the ‘Usual Suspects’. I suggested doing the simple loop (Macs Reef Road, Bungendore, Tarago, coffee at the Roselea Cafe in Lake Bathurst, Goulburn South, Collector pub – and lunch - and then home). There were no objections to the route; just long enough, and get home to thaw out a little.
It was a very casual ride, and we had an unusually long coffee stop at Lake Bathurst, discussing the options of hiring bikes Vs shipping one’s own on extended trips to Europe & beyond (eg, South America anyone?). To do the tour yourself or take an organised tour? Eventually we got back on the road, and made our way to Collector for lunch. Just as well there weren’t too many of us.
Apparently there was a ‘Do’ at the pub on the Saturday night (the occasion – ‘Because we can’), and there was no fish on the menu, and only 3 chicken schnitzels left, and some burgers. It was nevertheless filling enough.
We bade farewell, and rode back home on the Federal Hwy (could have taken the detour through Gunning and Gundaroo, but John and his ‘Wing don’t like gravel – and fair enough too).
Thanks for a pleasant day.
Chris Dietzel.
Riders
- Chris Dietzel: GTR1400
- Neale Hammond: BMW K100RS
- John Blandford: GL1800
- Garry McCurley: VFR1200
- Dennis Paterson: Suzuki DL1000 (the Big ‘Strom)
