Club Ride to Bodalla Dairy Shed 20 Dec 2015.

The day started off very warm and got hotter as the day went on. It was about 32 degrees during the ride briefing at the Watson Caltex servo, 39 degrees while going down part of the Clyde and reached 44 degrees for a while down the coast.

The original plan for the day was ride to Braidwood for morning tea, down the Clyde, regroup opposite the Steam Packet at Nelligan, fuel at Moruya,  regroup out side Bodalla, lunch at Diary Shed, (rather then like previous years ride to Cooma), this year ride to Potato Point, followed by a ride to Nerrigundah, fuel at Batemans Bay, up the Clyde back to Braidwood for afternoon tea, good byes and home.

We made it to Braidwood incident free and after a bit of confusion about where to go for morning tea, ie. DOJO or the Albion we head up at the Albion for a pleasant morning tea.

Even though the temperature was hot, the ride down the Clyde was enjoyable and as planned we regrouped at Nelligen, then incident free onto Moruya for fuel.

While riding to Moruya a goanna wandered across the highway in front of us. Blowing my bike horn to hurry it up did not help.  Then just before Moruya there where 2 huge bulls trying to escape the heat under the shade of a tree.

After refueling at Moruya we continued on to Badolla for a nice lunch. The girls at the Dairy Shed were marvellous and gave us fantastic service. We arrived a bit early and under difficult circumstances due to our early arrival the girls still provided excellent very customer focused service. 

Plans then changed as some decided to head straight home while others decided to go to Narooma to see some seals on the sea breakwall, that Chris Dietzel told us about. Chris very kindly lead us to Narooma and through the town to the place where the seals where reported to be.

While we did not find any seals the ride was really worth while for the scenery alone, including 2 string rays swimming in the beautiful clear blue water.

After we finished a bit of a tour of Narooma, Chris lead us back to Batemans Bay for fuel before our run up the Clyde.  

Before arriving in Bateman Bay the air temperature hit 44 degrees. The air was too hot to ride with your helmet visor up. If you lifted your visor you very quickly put it back down due to the radiant heat streaming on your face.

We made it to Bateman Bay incident free for fuel, a cold drink and an ice cream. While at the servo due to the extreme hot air temperature Chris shows us a novel way to keep your head cool in a bike helmet - place your helmet under a tap and wet the inside lining. Nat then showed us another way to keep cool while riding - soak a bandaner in water and tie it around your neck.

After we fuelled the bikes and some heat proofed themselves we headed up the Clyde. Chris lead us for a pretty standard enjoyable ride up the Clyde until about the 2nd last tight corner.

We found a VW Transport van towing a diesel Pugeot stranded half way around the corner with traffic streaming past.
Chris very thoughtfully stopped to see if the driver need help.

Chris soon worked out the van driver was rather inexperienced and needed help. Chris very professionally took control of the situation and between us all we directed traffic past the van until a solution could be found to get the VW van on its way.

Another guy then pulled up on the opposite side of the road also in Pugeot. Apparently he owned the diesel Pug on the trailer.  The reason it was on the trailer was someone put petrol in his deisel Pug😢.

The Pug owner was very grateful that a group of "bikies" pulled up to help. He commented "it looks like all bikies aren't the same".

Then a half empty flat bed semi came around corner. The semi driver stop and offered to tow the van up the Clyde. He  reversed back to the VW van connected the semi to the VW and with out hesitation the semi pulled the van, and car trailer containing the broken down Pug up the Clyde.

We then got back on our bikes and rode off to Braidwood for a cool drink and more ice cream. After relaxing over good conversation we said our goodbyes and headed home.

Although the day didn't quite go to plan and was a bit warm, the day was a success in that it was a real test of women, men, motor bikes and semi trailers ☺ all past with flying colours - it was a good day.


Garry.

GARRY MCCURLEY & NATALIE TEBAY HONDA VFR1200,
PETER ARDAY HONDA ST1300,
ROBERT MCNEILL HONDA VFR800,
CHRIS MATTHEWS KAWASAKI ZX10R,
CHRIS DIETZEL KAWASAKI GTR1400,
DAVID FORMICA KAWASAKI ZX14R,
MIKE KELLY BMW R1200RT,
MICHAEL WINTERS & TRACEY WINTERS TRIUMPH 1200.

T Shirts for 2016 AGM - FINAL CALL

Just a reminder in this busy Christmas week that with an annual shutdown by the T shirt suppler and a five week lead time you need to order and pay for your Launceston travelling T shirt  by Tuesday 22 December 2015 to have them in time  for Tassie.

Order form and size chart can be downloaded here.

Ride Report – Bright, Victoria, 7-11 Dec 2015

I have December off and Sally, Al and Lyn are retired so we decided to spend five days getting away from it all (except from each other, of course) in the Victorian high country.

Sally and I rode to Bright on Monday but Al had to see his Bermudan banker or Samoan stockbroker or something on Tuesday morning so they couldn’t leave till after that. Sally and I were lucky. Monday was warm and sunny and by the time we got past Tumut and into the shelter of the mountains the wind had dropped. We had coffee at Jugiong, a pleasant lunch at the 4 Bears café in Tumbarumba, a break in the park at Tallangatta, and rode the last part of the journey to Bright via the Gundowring Road (where Mel Gibson used to have his cattle stud) and Happy Valley Road (both very pleasant).

Tuesday was a different story. The weather was decidedly dodgy as Al and Lyn rode from Holt to Jindabyne and across the Alpine Way. It rained all the way from Thredbo to Khancoban, where they stopped for lunch with that uncomfortably soggy feeling you get when you know the crotch of your rain pants has been leaking for the past hour. Meanwhile, Sally and I were sitting in our comfy cabin at the Big4 in Bright, watching the rain pour down and reading, eating, drinking wine and doing all those other things seniors do when they find themselves alone and far from home. Al and Lyn arrived late in the afternoon, fortunately just before the weather turned even worse, ripping branches off trees and causing some local flooding. While they warmed up in the shower (separately, don’t get any wrong ideas) Sally cooked up some spag bol to accompany our dinner of red and white wine and beer.

Wednesday dawned bright and sunny so while Al and Lyn’s bike gear was drying we all went for a walk down through the Ovens River canyon and 160-year-old gold diggings, across a swing bridge and back up the other side of the river. 

After lunch (Subway sangers eaten in a bus shelter we had mistaken for a park) Al and Lyn rode up to the spectacular granite plateau of Mt Buffalo while Sally and I had a relaxing afternoon in town. Dinner was, again, red and white wine and beer, this time accompanied by delicious Scotch fillet steaks cooked on the Big4’s barbie.

Thursday was possibly the best day of the trip. We left Bright and rode over Tawonga Gap to Mt Beauty, up the steep, winding road to Falls Creek, across the Bogong High Plains in some powerfully gusty winds, and along the incredibly twisty-turny Omeo Highway to Omeo, where we had lunch at the Twinkles café. Much of this road was gravel until it was sealed two years ago and it’s now a great ride. Most of it was in third gear, sometimes in second, occasionally in fourth. Only in the last 8 km into Omeo did the Wing make it into top (5th). The temperature on the Bogong High Plains was a brisk 16C but by Omeo it had warmed up to 26C.

From Omeo we took the Great Alpine Road back to Bright, stopping at Dinner Plain for Sally to don some warmer gear and at cool, windy Mt Hotham to admire the expansive views of Mounts Buffalo, Feathertop and Bogong and take some photos. The downhill run from Mt Hotham to Harrietville is an amazing ride! Dinner back at the Big4 was the usual fluids supplemented by barbecued snags and salad.

We returned home on Friday, stopping for coffee and a pie at Tallangatta, bypassing Corryong on the much more scenic route through Granya, Walwa and Tintaldra, lunching at Tumbarumba and farewelling each other at a rest stop at Jugiong. All up, we did just over 1400 km in the five fantastic days.

Ian Paterson

Ian & Sally Paterson GL1800
Al & Lyn Munday FJR1300
 

Club Ride to Jindabyne – Sunday 6th December 2016 - Ride Report 2

Another ride report (or What one does when riding Tail End Charlie) Jindabyne December 2015

First apology to Andrea who is writing the real and factual ride report, as this report only barely has any connection with what really happened.

Now how does one start a ride report.
It was a dark and stormy night, no not that one.
It was a warm sunny day and all the cracks had gathered for the fray.  Nope been done before; now once more with feeeeling, On a fine sunny morning a mob of Ulyssesians had gathered to ride off into the mountains.....

Ride leader Andrew

Andrew was our ride leader and gave the briefing of what, who, why and where (but did not include photographs with circles, arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one.). This did however include corner marking and a tail end charlie (me, cause I had a hi-vis vest).
So leaving fashionably late we headed south and after many fascinating highway kilometres we arrived at Nimmitabel for the first coffee/tea or whatever. This involved using most of the parking opposite the bakery and taking over the tables out the front.

30 minutes later and after a requisite photo op we once again headed south through light traffic and very nice weather (remember this) turning off the highway (thank goodness) to travel through the back roads to Dalgety. 

Fortunately the traffic had generally been well behaved (one equal opportunity car driver who tailgated trucks/car/motorcyles) and we rode together into Jindabyne. (Actually we regrouped outside of town so we could look impressive riding into town but this was foiled by the traffic control lights at roadworks, ah the best laid plans)

There was a very short food break (some called it lunch) where I had an excellent discussion with Andrea that if it sounded healthy it must be (I used this as a rationale for a lemon cheesecake later in the day as lemon is a fruit and good for you, cheese in moderation is good for you and I had a small slice, cake makes your feel good so 2 out of 3).

After filling up the motorcycles that have either small tanks or thirsty motors (or both) we had our final briefing (actual a change of route) as the skies where looking Dark and Stormy. Unfortunately  some riders did get wet before we arrived at Cooma but it was not from the rain rather a full cattle truck that was difficult to pass (yuck)

So the final stop was at Cooma to make sure we are all here (and ice creams) after which we mostly made our own way home either via the Santa Store at Bredbo or cafe at Bredbo (that had really good  lemon cheesecake although not as good as my wife's). While it threatened to rain, I got home dry.

It was a good day, good ride and don't ride close to cattle trucks its yucky.

Mike

Tail end Charlie (Mike)

Club Ride to Jindabyne – Sunday 6th December 2016 - Ride Report 1

We had perfect weather expected for our ride to Jindabyne, ranging from 33 Degrees in Canberra to 25 degrees in Jindabyne.

After a short ride brief by our Ride Leader – Andrew Campbell, 15 riders and 1 pillion took to the road, with Mike Kelly volunteering to be “Tail-end-Charlie”.
Least to say, there no accidents or incidents to be had on the day as we continued our trip to our first stop at the Nimmitabel Bakery for morning coffee.
 

No trip is never as simple as the most direct way to the destination when on a motorbike, with a couple of extra turns we added many more kilometres, twists and turns, to break up the journey. The scenery was second to none.
 
Garry made us regroup – in the middle of the road – to allow an echidna/porcupine thing, to cross the road. Garry, with a coffee under his belt, was also seeing ostriches,…apparently.
 
After a quick stop for lunch – like 20 minutes – just enough time to eat a toasted sanger, we hit the road again – of course, taking the long way back to Cooma.
 
Once in Cooma we regrouped outside a service station, where a majority of the fellas enjoyed an icecream. After a few more chats, stories and pics we scattered on our way back to Canberra.

Genelle and I decided to call in at the Bredbo Xmas shop and well,…..Wow. Definitely a place worth visiting.
 
Thanks to Andrew for leading and Mike for tailing. Great company, great weather, great ride – It was a fantastic day…..Can we have longer for lunch though?
 
Andrea

RIDERS

•     Andrew Campbell            Kawasaki Ninja ZX14
•     Chas Towie                         Honda ST1300
•     Mike Kelly                           BMW R1200RT
•     Garry McCurley                Honda VFR1200
•     John & Eleonor                 Yamaha FJR1300
•     Manfred Halton                                BMW R1200R
•     Trevor McLeod                 Yamaha FJR1300
•     Andrea Lanagan               Suzuki Boulevard
•     Genelle Mills                      Triumph Bonneville
•     Mark Mitchell                    Ducati Scrambler
•     Robert Apps                       BMW R100RS
•     Heike Apps                         BMW R100RS
•     Robert McNeilly               Honda VFR800
•     Sandy Fisk                           Honda Deauville
•     Les Robinson                     BMW R1150GS