26
JULY 2022
CHARLIE AND RICHARD GO TO CANBERRA, or try to explain to non – riders why I rode to Canberra! By Charlie Brown, Member #410
T
he conversation went thus.... “You’re going to ride to Canberra to look at some paintings by this Geoff bloke” “Jeffrey Smart. Yes I am” “Don’t they have pictures of them on the net?” “Not the same as being there. Why do you pay to go to the footy when you could watch it for free on the TV?” “What are you talking about, it’s not the same as being there” “Exactly!” “Well why don’t you fly down. It will be cheaper?” “Not the point!” “Then what IS the point!” “The ride!” “Wot!” “It is good to have an end to journey toward, but in the end is the journey that matters.” “WTF are you on about!” So went the lunch time conversation at work. Sunday 27 March. 8am and I’m sitting at the BP at Aratula (or as I call it A-RATULA) fuelled up and waiting for Richard. The
CANBERRA WITH CHARLIE afore-mentioned R arrived and fuelled up. A quick exchange of pleasantries and where to stop for fuel and we rode up over the gap. No traffic to speak of but not a lot of fun at the speed limit. On through Warwick and south into the gloom. At Dalveen the gloom was getting darker and wetter so on went the wet gear. At Stanthorpe I again wondered what drop kick decided that a round-about at the southern end of the by-pass was a good idea. We had a good run down through Tenterfield and past Barnaby’s office in the main street. The roadwork at Bolivar Hill has finished and though new bridge is impressive, it has taken the fun out of the road. We stopped at Guyra for fuel and a feed. A lamb pie and chips, very nice. I took the lead and had fun on the road from Uralla to Bendemeer and then a blast down the Moombi hills. Just south of Tamworth at about Goonoo Goonoo we were passing a car when the Man came over the rise in the BM Highway Patrol car. I thought that we were for it as we were both well over the odds, but he just kept going. Lucky. On the way down to Scone we passed a coal train about 1km long. Fuelling up at Scone was complicated by the feral kid from Mad Max II getting between us and the pumps. Back on the road and just made it across the railway before the train. I have sat there on one occasion years ago for about 20 min waiting for the train to go by. We took the Scone - Merriwa road up over Owens Gap. Right at the top as I was cranked over in a corner the Man came up the other way in the Pajaro. Again well over the odds but they kept going.
