Last day of the Club Run

Barbecued breakfast at 8, followed by a slideshow of Warren and Carole's Kashmir trip. Off at 9:30 to Muswellbrook, then homewards, observing speed limits more closely as we trundled down the Putty Road, with a final break for coffee(?) at the temporary Halfway Cafe.





Then our chain of bikes headed south, to disperse as necessary. Home at 1:30, and now time to evaluate the choices made of travelling gear.

250 km today, 1040 km for the trip, average speed 77.5 kph, 4.4 l/100 km

But here's a couple of memories for the participants: Nowra 1968, Oran Park 1969 and Strawberry Hills 2000

Location:Grose Vale,Australia

Day 2 of the Club Run

Tonight we're at Warren's at Gundy, a house on a hill in the midst of Paradise, complete with it's own river.












The road north from Gloucester this morning was damp everywhere, and wet in the shadows and south-facing slopes. It wound through and over small thickly-forested hills, with clouds hanging in the valleys, so had to be taken carefully for the first 70 km or so.






Then we climbed up onto the plateau past the Bucketts Lookout, through fog and rain, and the temperature fell to 12 as the road opened out and became fabulous.

The last 50 km into Walcha are so, so good, though they need to be taken at speed to feel the swoops and swerves to their best! Transcendental. I felt like turning back and doing it all again.

Lunch at Walcha while we all calmed down, then another great blast across to the New England Highway at Bendemeer.






This was to be the last section of fine road before we rejoined the arteries, so we did our best to enjoy it. Don was unsure whether his load was properly secured, so he gave it the 250 k test, and it passed. The rest of us disdain such youthful exuberance, of course.

A brief visit to the Powerhouse Motorcycle Museum at Tamworth allowed us all to find one or more of the bikes we'd owned many years ago, or wished we had.






Geoff bought a new CB350 just like this in 1968. My CL350 bought at the same time had high pipes.






A CB750 K0, before the K1. Bev and I bought a K2 in 1974.






All of these old bods raced bikes in the '60s.

So then to Scone and Gundy, via Quirindi, Werris Creek and Wallabadah, with 28 degrees making a sweaty contrast to the morning. Don made some sparks as we approached Gundy, where Warren had prepared a barbeque and many bottles of home-brew, still being opened as I finish today's tale.






420 km today

Location:Wiltons Ln,Kayuga,Australia

Club Run

A few of the former members of the UNSW Motorcycle Club are having a ride together, the first for about 30 years. For me this also allows a dummy run of my Europe preparation.

We used to meet at the Anzac Parade gates at 8 AM on Sunday morning, and head off to Kangaroo Valley or Newnes. Today the first group (Don, Jim, Len, Peter and Geoff) met at Silverwater at 9, then rode up Old Northern Road towards Wisemans Ferry. Geoff Wiltshire and I had arranged to wait for them near Glenorie, and they rolled up at 9.50. The day began clear blue, then slowly clouded over and stayed in the low-20's.

After crossing the Hawkesbury at Wisemans,




we carefully splashed east through recent puddles on the road beside the river, then north to Spencer for a long chat and coffee. Warren was waiting patiently 40 minutes north at the Wollombi pub, and then had to endure a 90-minute lunch-break while more chat occurred. (These mates hadn't seen one another since December)

A check of the weather radar suggested wet riding ahead, and some took precautions, kitting up immediately. Others waited till they were half-drenched, then fell behind while they changed.




The rain punished us all, some more than others, but we all had reason to be grateful for the progress the last 30 years has seen in tyres, brakes, reliability and weather protection.




Naturally the bourgeoisie with their BMW kit suffered a minimum of discomfort.

Warren led us through a maze of Hunter Valley towns; Cessnock, Kurri Kurri, and the rain came and went, growing steadily. Our pause in Dungog was brief, with the thought of warmth and food drawing us on to Gloucester. Much of the road between Dungog and Gloucester is worth another (dry) ride. Although the sight lines are poor, the surface is good with wide lanes and edge-marking, there was little traffic and the swervery was great fun. Even the old guys could smile.

Don lost his sleeping bag from the back of his R1; Geoff Sim saw it fall and went back to collect it. When the others passed him, they all assumed he'd dropped his bag AGAIN. Our history does pursue us!

So on to the Bucketts Way Motel,




and a welcome small dry space for the bikes.




We're sharing the motel with the Pollie Pedal tonight, so we dined and drank at the Roundabout pub, and had fun recalling whatever we could.




Warren Sakey, Peter Allen, Long John Silver, Jim Meyer (organiser), Don Anderson, Len Eagles, Geoff Wiltshire, Geoff Sim on camera.

370 km for the day

Location:Lavers St,Gloucester,Australia