Monday, May 27, 2019

Ride Report: Gooloogong, 25 May 2019

The designated Ride Leader was unable to make this one, so Ian stepped up for the job and led us on a merry path to Gooloogong for lunch. Garry McCurley had arrived early with his F6B, closely followed by the volunteered Scribe (thanks Ian) Mick Beltrame (that’s me) on the shiny new R1250GS. It wasn’t long before stand-in Ride Leader Ian Paterson arrived on his GL1800, and lucky-last newbie Scott England rolled in on his R1250RT. It was a dearth of riders, probably due to the distinct possibility that rain, hail or snow might block the roads out west. A dearth is like a large pack, with very few of the pack turning up.

This was the maiden voyage of my new RR, so I was looking forward getting some miles under the tyres and some bugs on the windshield. RR is not a Rolls Royce. It’s a Roo Replacement. After several long weeks of being bike-less, I finally had the new bike under my bum and ready to go. The weather was crisp but enjoyable on the bike. We left in 13 degrees on lightly moist road, saw a low of 11 degrees near Grenfell, then 17 degrees after Gooloogong, and 11 degrees again re-entering the Canberra environs. The rain stayed in the clouds and we had a great run.

The dearth of riders meant that tail-ends and corner-markers were not required, so we just followed the leader and switched positions at the back whenever one of the dearth decided that a gap was too big or it was time to slow the pace a bit. It was clear that Garry had played far too much BP Spotto in his youth (Do you all remember that game?) as he was the only one that spotted the second tortoise, the house on the hill built over the top of the big rocks, the emu wandering aimlessly in the bushes, and the gentleman running from the bushes back to his car after he had clearly been disposing of a body (or having an urgent leak). We all saw the first tortoise and the rather humongous Wedge-tail Eagle munching on the dead roo, but decided that Garry just made all the other stuff up to make us look unobservant.


Apparently, still in NSW despite the dominant beer sponsorship from up north?
The rest of the ride was pretty straight-forward. It was an unexciting run from Nicholls to Murrumburrah where we had a good coffee and some munchies at Terra-Cotta, then departed just as another larger dearth of riders arrived for their coffee break. Away we went to Grenfell and then Gooloogong, the zigging and zagging along the back-roads being a great recipe for running in the new engine on my bike with a mix of fast and slow speeds and numerous rev-changing gear-shifts. We joined a local Harley-riding character on the veranda of the old Gooloogong pub and learned about the locals praying for rain and the influx of Hamish people into the region. They drive cars by the way, a dispensation from the parent group in the USA that reflects the larger distances and dearth (that word again) of towns adjacent their settlements. The old horse-and-buggy doesn’t cut the mustard in country NSW.

Canberra Ulyssians enjoying the abundant sunshine
Lunch was fine for a back-water pub. It was nothing too special, but very enjoyable over a lengthy chat about bikes, life, red trains and other non-essential things. The sun was warming and it was tempting to linger, but we all knew that the cold settles early around Canberra and Sunday traffic in the early dark of a cold evening was not all that enthralling as a prospect. As the GoT saying goes, ‘winter is coming’! We waved farewell to Scott as we entered Boorowa, trusting that he had enjoyed the day out as first run with Canberra Ulysses. Ian, Garry and I opted for a warming brew at the Superb Bakery where the coffee actually lived up to the name. It was a final chance to review the day’s ride and say farewell before heading home.
Ian's 'Wing
Overall, it was a good run with a small group. The highlight for me was running in my new bike. I loved my last R1200GSLC, but this machine seems to be even sweeter. I hope I can keep the roos away this time! Thanks to Ian for being Ride Leader and for Garry and Scott for attending and being good company. Catch up on the next one. Cheers, Mick B.

Sunday, May 19, 2019

Ride calendar for July to September has been posted

The new ride calendar for July to September 2019 has been posted.

Our Ride Planning Team have ensured that there is something for everyone coming up over the next few months.

Click here to view the upcoming rides.

Thursday, May 9, 2019

Ride Report: Festival of the Falling Leaf - Tumut 27 April 2019

This was a strange – but strangely wonderful – overnight ride. What with accidents, injuries, back-seat boycotts, dog pickups and caravans, there were equal numbers of bikes and cars on this excursion to Tumut’s Festival of the Falling Leaf – our first since 2012.
Damon & Jen, Andrew and I turned up on two-wheelers, Derek & Margaret on their three-wheeler, and Kim & Ron and Catherine & Sally in their four-wheelers. We picked up Maritta in her four-wheeler on the side of the road in Murrumbateman (perhaps she had slept there all night after a wild evening in Yass), while Butch and Jan were already at Tumut, ensconced in the luxury of their tin-plated mansion on wheels.
This was the last weekend of the school holidays, with double demerits for so much as picking your nose, so we took it easy out along the Barton Highway in slightly chilly but otherwise perfect weather.
Our first stop was Jugiong, where we joined a host of locals and travellers taking refreshments at the Long Track Pantry. Despite the plethora of patrons and the seeming chaos, our coffees and sourdough toast with butter and Vegemite arrived promptly and without fuss, as is usual at the LTP no matter how crowded they are.
From there it was a short hop down the highway to Pettit, a tiny collection of houses just off the freeway that prompts an obvious question: why is it there? It is only 4km from Coolac and it is so small and insignificant that it doesn’t even have an entry in Wikipedia or on Google Maps (or anywhere else on the internet).
Anyway, leaving aside the existential mystery of Pettit, it was there that we turned left off the freeway and tootled south-east on Gobarralong Road till we crossed the Murrumbidgee River at Gobarralong, a rural locality that does make it into Wikipedia and onto Google Maps with a mere 52 inhabitants (plus an unknown number of cattle and sheep not interviewed for the census) spread over hundreds of square kilometres.
Between Pettit and the river we rode over some of the roughest, most rutted roadworks I’ve ever encountered but, amazingly, no-one fell off (it could have been a different story if the water truck had just been through) and even Maritta’s MX5 made it through unscathed.
We crossed the river on the luxurious new bridge and turned immediately right onto Darbalara Road, which is narrow and unfenced for the first several kilometres. At times we shared the road with sheep and the odd cow but they were obviously used to traffic and nonchalantly ambled out of our way.
Beside the Tumut River, where the road to Gundagai turns off, Darbalara Road became Brungle Road and we followed this through the pretty village of Brungle, up the Killimicat valley, up the steep, twisty climb at its head and through some lovely rolling country to the Wee Jasper Road. Here we turned right and in a few kilometres were in Tumut. Apart from the one section of roadworks, the roads are all sealed and in good condition, though often narrow and winding.
Most of us checked into the Merivale Motel, though Maritta was in a motel around the corner and Butch and Jan were in the Riverglade Caravan Park, sited amidst spreading elm trees on the bank of the Tumut River.
A few of us had a pie for lunch at the Pie in the Sky Bakery before watching the 2pm street parade. I have to say it was a little disappointing compared to the one five years earlier. Back then there were at least two bands, this time there were none. However, there were plenty of historic cars, including dozens of Minis, and a torrent of trucks that kept the kiddies entertained with blasts on their air horns. Paraders from a real estate agency and a couple of NDIS providers only added to the feverish euphoria.
After the parade, needing to calm our frenzied nerves, some us walked to the Tumut River Brewery (I had a pint of dark, delicious smoked porter) and had a quick wander through the obligatory markets, then retired to the motel. We were all settling in for a nana nap when one of our number (who shall remain nameless) started cooeeing, whooping and hollering that it was time for pre-dinner drinkies, so we all dragged ourselves out of our snug beds and into the parking lot, lugging tables, chairs, food and wine, and got stuck into socialising.
The only person not enjoying the moment was the lady in room 6, who was woken from a deep sleep after the rigours of a two-day family reunion and thought maybe the motel was on fire or something. We moved our party a bit further up the parking lot and made our peace with her the next morning.

Maritta had booked dinner for us all at Kinnaree Thai in the Commercial Hotel in Tumut’s main drag. The food was good and plentiful and the conversation was – how can I put this – wide-ranging (what is said on a ride stays on a ride!). Let it be said that no-one left hungry or with their brain unscarred.
From there we made a 10-minute dash to the Bull Paddock for the 7:30pm fireworks, which were pretty bloody good. Everyone had front-row seats and there were no untoward cock-ups by the pyrotechnics professionals. Even better, the fireworks weren’t set to wanky music, so you could lie back on the grass and let the laser-like flashes and blasts sear their way into the Stone Central part of your brain.
After such a big day, we slept well. On Sunday morning I and a few others shuffled down to Macca’s for an egg & bacon McMuffin and a large coffee to kick-start our seedy brains. Catherine & Sally, Ron & Kim, Butch & Jan and Maritta in their tin-tops headed back home via the freeway but the rest of us on our bikes rode south on the Snowy Mountains Highway.
And it was a fantastic ride! After winding along above Lake Blowering, we detoured into Talbingo and the Tumut 3 hydro power station, then climbed up steep, winding Talbingo Mountain, past Yarrangobilly Caves, Kiandra and Adaminaby and on to Cooma for lunch.
There was almost no traffic, perfect sunny weather (the temperature varied from 6° near Yarrangobilly to 19° at Adaminaby before settling down to around 15° at Cooma), spectacular scenery, a smooth road surface with plenty of both tight and sweeping bends … it was paradise! However, not wanting to earn any double demerits, we took it easy and gently cruised the whole way. Margaret said it was the first time she had been across the mountains without having to hang on for dear life!
We lunched in Cooma at Under the Elms café, across the road from Centennial Park, before joining the traffic on the Monaro Highway back to Canberra.
Ian Paterson


Ian Paterson Honda GL1800
Kim & Ron Tito Isuzu DMax
Damon & Jen Hatchett BMW R850R
Derek & Margaret Titheradge Spyder
Andrew Campbell Yamaha FJR1300
Catherine Campbell & Sally Paterson Mazda 3
Maritta Heiler Mazda MX5
Butch & Jan Wills Mazda BT50


Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Next Club Ride: 12 May - Adventure Ride to Tumut (via Wee Jasper)

Date: Sun 12th May
Destination: Adventure Ride to Tumut via Wee Jasper
Distance: 270 km
Leave: Caltex Nicholls
Time: Briefing 9:20am, departure 9:30am
Leader: Al Munday 0438 510 137‬
Warning: Twisty dirt roads most of the way.