It was a typical Canberra still-a-bit-cool-but-sunshiney-day as we left Nicholls and headed down the Barton, picking up Marilyn on her BMW at Yass - note to blokes: girls on motorbikes are just waiting on the side of the road there to be picked up, so always keep your eyes peeled.We stopped at the Post Office for coffee in Boorowa, and met up with Trevor who came to say hello - it was great to see him coming out for the ride and a catch up. We discussed the dirt road that leads into Iandra Castle, and the fact that we would have to park on the grass so all were advised to take it easy. Andrew was on his new beast and balked at the prospect of dirty old dirt and having to spend all day Monday polishing his new ride, so it was agreed we would all beat him there and throw dirt at him on entry to make the washing worthwhile. Our plan was doomed to failure because we all knew that none of us could beat him there. Leaving Trevor in Boorowa, we set off through Murringo, on to Young and Iandra Castle (Mount Oriel Homestead).
On entering the grounds, Andrew remarked to me that the demographic was just about right - in fact he boasted that he and I were probably the young’uns on the day. When we had a look at the stables, a gentleman with a walker said to me “I asked if there was anyone in there, and all I heard was neigh”. This proved to me that all old blokes are funny, even the ones we had come on the ride with. It was great to meet other like minded Ulyssians on the grounds from the Blue Mountains branch.
The castle exterior was magnificent - the expert tasked with restoring the property in the 1900’s was a pioneer of reinforced concrete work. The interior was amazing, with maids and servants quarters, fine dining rooms, a billiard room, beautiful ornate woodwork, stained glass windows, and a magnificent wooden staircase. There were also many other items proving the amount of foresight the owners had - filtered water for the house supply which was recycled from the roof run off, conduit for electric lighting throughout, a gas making plant, a 20 line switchboard which served the household, a septic tank the size of a two car garage, and a Crossley Gas Engine generating 110 volts of direct current to the main house, stables and cottages.
Peppered about the grounds were bewildered small children asking their parents lots of questions about quaint things like toilets with chains you pulled from cisterns on the wall, hand pumps for water, the pianola and massive old radios the whole family sat around - imagine! There was also a couple in period dress with a Penny Farthing you could sit on for a photo - Daryl and I were both concerned that we wouldn’t be tall enough to ride. We headed back to Young for some well earned lunch at the Wilders Bakery. After some discussion, we chose the same way home as Nat and Gary wanted to stop and witness the wonder of baby Clydesdale foals on the way, and those with other interests, like washing the remains of creamy yellow bugs off their bikes before they went hard, ploughed on to home.
Thoroughly enjoyable - thank you ride leaders !
Kim
CTX1300 - Ron Tito
F700GS - Kim Moorey
F800GS - Marilyn Starick
FJR1300 - Andrew Campbell
FJR1300 - David Robinson
GL1800 - Daryl Palin
GS1150 - Les and Julie Robinson
ST1300 - Chas Towie
ST1300 - Peter Arday
VFR1200 - Gary McCurley and Natalie TeBay
VT750C - Colin Wilson
