Canberra Ulysses are a hardy lot. I had been advised by a certain un-named Ride Coordinator that September rides shouldn’t start before 9:30, but I stuck by my guns for an 8:30 start on a day when showers and wind were forecast. In the event, there were nine riders, and most of them were at the Hume Caltex by 10 past eight.
The first leg of this ride was the run down the Monaro Highway to Cooma, where we stopped for coffee at the Lott Cafe. Now, the Lott has a reputation as the best cafe in Cooma; the problem is, everybody else seems to know that, and the place was packed to the rafters, at least as much as any place can be at the moment. Thus, we were reduced to standing outside with a takeaway cuppa.
From here we headed north on the Snowy Mountains Highway, then turned west on back roads through Rocky Plain. These roads are narrow, but in good condition and with hardly any traffic. There are miles and miles of rolling hills and sweeping bends, with views of the alps. Next came a fuel stop in Jindabyne, where the Caltex was pandemonium with departing skiers, then on to Dalgety for lunch.
Buckley’s Crossing Hotel was our lunch venue. Since we had a table in a room to ourselves, and all the group seemed to enjoy their lunch, I think I fulfilled my brief as Ride Leader. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Ulysses rides, it’s that the quality of the lunch determines the satisfaction of the ride.
The afternoon leg from Dalgety to Cooma traverses a part of the Monaro which is largely treeless and is again rolling hills and countless sweeping bends. This area can be uncomfortable if it’s windy, but on Sunday, despite the forecast, it was fine, and once again there was barely any traffic.
The final leg was the Monaro Highway from Cooma to home. At his time on a Sunday afternoon, the traffic was quite heavy with skiers returning home; still, it’s only 100-odd kilometres and the road has quite a few more passing lanes these days. The Ride Leader and TEC stopped for a coffee at Bredbo; everybody else pushed on home.
Thanks to Kevin Sherman for volunteering to be TEC. Thanks to everybody else for making my first official venture as Ride Leader a success.
The crew:
- David Brown Kawasaki ZRX1200S
- Terry Butters Honda ST1300
- Chris Dietzel Kawasaki GTR1400
- Anthony Hanson BMW R1200RT (official photographer)
- Dave Jones Yamaha XT1200
- Colin Sweeny BMW K1200LT
- Chas Towie Honda ST1300
- Kevin Sherman Indian Scout (TEC)
- Scott England BMW R1250RT (Ride Leader)
