www.bmwmcq.org.au
DECEMBER 2017
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE BMW MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF QUEENSLAND INC.
Established 1958
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OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE BMW MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF QUEENSLAND INC.
The Committee
This Issue - December 2017
President - Richard Maher
Contents:-
Vice President - Les Fitzpatrick
Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Committee Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Cindy goe to a Christmas party. . . . 7 General Meeting Minutes . . . . . . . . 11 November Club RideWoodenbong. . 12 Argentina with a 31 YO airhead . . . . 14 3 Islands Tour Part3. . . . . . . . . . . 16
Ph: 0415 111 454 president@bmwmcq.org.au R 1150 R Ph: 0418 197 709 vpres@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 GSA and a few more
Secretary - Greg Gaffney Ph: 0411 424 219 secretary@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 RT & R 90 S
Town Meets Country. . . . . . . . . . . 26 BMWMCQ Supports . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 BMWMCQ Events Calendar 2017. . . 30 Argentina Blogs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Cupla Adverts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Treasurer - Tony Gray Ph: 0409 493 605 treasurer@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 GS (The Grey Ghost)
Editor - Dave Hepburn Ph: 0422 080 524 editor@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 RT
Advertisers
Records Officer - Craig Brennan
Cafe2U - P.28 Good Wool Store - P.32 HydroTac(R) Lenses - P.28 Motorcycle Adventure Products P.28 Munich Motorcycles - P.32
Ph: 0422 907 934 regalia@bmwmcq.org.au R 100 RT
Regalia - Kellie Wicks regalia@bmwmcq.org.au F 650 GS
Tools/Spares - Geoff Hodge
Ph: 0413 180 101 tools@bmwmcq.org.au F 800 GT + R 51/3
Tools/Spares - Bill Luyten Ph: 0438 123 747 tools@bmwmcq.org.au R1150 Rockstar - R1200 GS LC
Shannons Insurance - P.34 Northside Motorcycles - P.34 Morgan and Wacker- Rear Cover TeamMoto - Front Cover
O
n The Cover... Who....Meredith Herpitch What..Meredith is riding a BMW RS 1200 Why.. Coming down from Charlottes pass When..The Steven Walter Snowy Ride: Raising Funds for Childhood Cancer Research
Events -Trent Smyth
events@bmwmcq.org.au R1200 GSA and a 92 R100 GSPD
Sub Committee • Dealer Liaison / Advertising - Don Grimes Ph: 0411 601 372 • Forum Moderator - Garry Hilton
Club Details BMW Motorcycle Club of Queensland Inc. ABN 30 351 243 651
Address all correspondence to: The Secretary PO Box 3669 South Brisbane QLD 4101 Monthly meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month at the:
Moreton Bay Sports Club, 175 Boundary St., Tingalpa
A Club Ride is usually held on the first Sunday after the monthly meeting. BMWMCQ AIMS The objectives of the BMWMCQ are to increase the enjoyment of motorcycling by: 1. Improving the opinion of the public towards motorcycling in general and associated members particularly, by careful, courteous, considerate riding, especially when riding with the Club, and rendering assistance to all road users in difficulty.
2. Improving the service and availability of spare parts for BMWs in Queensland using the advantage of a united effort. 3. Decreasing maintenance and running costs by mutual assistance on mechanical problems. 4. Organising day trips, tours and outings. 5. Encourage and support Regional Ride Groups 6. Affiliation with other clubs/associations where such affiliation would be of mutual benefit. DISCLAIMER The views and opinions expressed in this Journal are those of each contributor and are not necessarily shared by the Editor, management, and / or membership of the BMWMCQ. The Editor reserves the right to refuse any advertising or delete any material which could be considered or interpreted as questionable, libellous or offensive, without consultation. WEB SITE Visit: www.bmwmcq.org.au
4
DECEMBER 2017
Dave Hepburn
Editorial Editor’s Report
I
am sitting at the keyboards felling bloody miserable cause I’ve contracted another bout of bloody bronchitis…Oh Joy Oh Bliss. I sit here thinking where the hell has the year gone. I tend to think that the passage of time is directly proportional to each person’s activity…the more you do the faster time passes. The BMWMCQ certainly keeps me busy with editing the monthly magazine and all the rides and social gatherings. I think this magazine is my eighteenth and when I first started I had articles coming out of nowhere…. Now I have to scrounge through Facebook to find items of interest for those of you who are not on Facebook just to fill the pages. I still have that little core of faithful writers providing the bulk of the articles but a few more would be much appreciated. For the first time since I have been Editor I have two reports on the big ride on 15 November 2017: Thank you Alison Sayce and David Pidcock… your reports are much appreciated even though I lifted David’s from Face Book. What excited me about these articles was that there was a reunion of sorts between Brisbane and Toowoomba riders. They all had a great time, excellent Route, terrible weather but much enjoyment. I hope that we will see much more of this activity. You will note that there are a number of articles from Nick Hese making his way round South America. Nick writes some articles specifically for the magazine and he also writes blogs for Facebook… I have lifted a number of the blogs to supplement the magazine articles: again for those of you who do not have a Facebook account. There will not be, as per tradition, a January 2018 Magazine. The next magazine will be published around the 1st of February 2018 and as such the cut-off date for Committee reports will be 15 January 2018. In a couple of days, health permitting, I will join with those of you who are attending our Christmas Party and I am looking forward to meeting up with you all.
Not not normal normal! This BMW special has two R75M military engines combined as a 1500cc flat four. It’s driven by an early R5 gearbox (w/no air cleaner casting), with a mix of high and low exhausts, and a flipped rear cylinder head. I bet it would pull a tree out of the ground - what a beast! Policy Regarding Submissions Submissions to the journal should be relevant to BMW motorcycles and or to the BMWMCQ and its activities. Articles or Letters to the Editor may or may not be published if space does not permit or if the content of the submission and or letter is not considered to be of interest to members or not in the interests of the Club, our sponsors or advertisers. Members are encouraged to use this, our journal; to express views, float ideas or make inquiries of other Club members on technical, organisational or other matters which may benefit the Club and its associates. Submissions should be kept to a reasonable length and maybe edited or published in part only, if the Editor considers it necessary. Note – submissions close on the 15th of each month! BMWMCQ Committee
Committee Reports Richard Maher
G
5
DECEMBER 2017
President’s Report
’day readers Glad to be talking my normal language again. I’ve been in Japan since we last spoke and I have to say without exaggeration that the Japanese are happy that I’ m home too. I struggle with the English language on a good day. The Japanese spoken language is downright difficult and that’s just the half of it. They have three written versions of their language. Thank goodness it’s a lovely country and there are plenty of magnificent sights where you can just soak it all in without with speaking. I did that a lot, my wife and the Japanese people were very happy with this. I expected the country to be rife with hyper performance motorcycles. After all the Jap’s make some of the fastest bikes in all of the categories. I thought I’d be snapping away shooting all sorts of unique examples of two wheeled Japanese history. I barely saw a motorcycle let alone a performance motorcycle. It’s weird. I wonder where they all are. Japan is the perfect country to ride a motorcycle; the roads are fantastic and they ride on the correct side of the road. There are plenty of hills and sweeping countryside to keep you interested. The locals are very tolerant and understanding of motorcycles in traffic. The Food and Beer are a bonus! If you want a great motorcycle holiday in a safe and clean country, Japan is for you. While I was away the committee kept themselves busy supervising the website upgrade. As you read this the new Website should be live. The upgrade has not been without its dramas. The old website didn’t go quietly. Quite a few of the plugin’s required attention and it kept throwing up nasty notices to members repeatedly reminding them that their membership fees were overdue. Needless to say this caused quite a lot of grief. Hopefully we can bring this very long episode to a successful close and make use of a fully functional website. As much as I don’t a want to remind you all that Christmas is zooming up on us: It is zooming up on us. The Christmas party is happening prior to the December general meeting this year. Evans Head in northern NSW is the destination and I look forward to hearing all the stories, good, bad or indifferent at the General Meeting. I will be attending my dear old mums 80th birthday over this weekend, so I’ll leave the Vice President to officiate on my behalf. For my in-attendance at the Chrissie party I’ll take the last club ride of the year. We are heading north for the day. That’s all I have at the moment. When I finish writing this I’ll give the ride planning some serious thought. If I don’t see you before Christmas I would like too take this opportunity to wish you a safe and happy holiday season. I trust you will have the opportunity to get away on your motorcycle for a relaxing ride and I look forward to seeing you in the new year. PS……I’m attaching a picture of a bike I found in Tokyo. Its not a BMW but it looks comfy: its got a noisy pipe and an on-board music system: it looks like it has cruise control. The paint is not original but I can live with that. All I have to do is ship it home. I may have to find someone to wash it now and then. Any takers?
See you all soon.
6
Committee Reports
DECEMBER 2017
Les Fitzpatrick
Vice President’s Report
Noting to Report Les Fitzpatrick vpres@bmwmcq.org.au
Cindy and Duncan go Bush/Rogue to Get to the Christmas Party
P
acking the bikes up for our week long trip down to the Hunter Valley and finishing up in Evans Head next Sat for the Christmas Party! Covering some nice dirt as well. 25 November 2017
Continued on page 30
Committee Reports
7
DECEMBER 2017
Tony Gray
Treasurer’s Report
Treasurers Report BMWMCQ Meeting – as at 17 November 2017 Funds Available Business Cheque Account 10243020: Funds Available Premier Investment Account 2249 3654: PayPal Account: Total Cash Assets as at 17 November 2017:
Notes: Payments Processed:
Comment:
Website Software Upgrade ISSUU Annual Subs
$ 4,837.59 $14,910.57 $ 353.11 $20,101.27
$ 1,250.00 $ 528.00
The current account balance in the Business Cheque Account is inflated by member prepayments for the Christmas Function. This amounts to $2,668 which will be fully expended for the Christmas Function. From a personal perspective Jane and I are settling back to normality after completing our Three Island Tour, the final chapter of which is included in this month’s club magazine. Combined with last year’s Lap we have ridden 35,000 km on the two trips around this beautiful country of ours. The beauty and diversity of the country is stunning but it is always the warmth of the people we meet on our travels that last longest in our memories. Motorcycles are like a magnet to people, the great conversation starter. Whether it is an ‘old timer’ wanting to share their motorcycling past, a family wanting to know where we store the kitchen sink or a question of what we do when it rains, they always leave with a smile on their faces after a chat. Such is the effect of a fully laden touring motorcycle on ‘normal people’. Our adventures were well and truly put into perspective on this trip when we had the absolute pleasure of meeting Ron Fellowes and his 1910 FN as we boarded the Spirit of Tasmania. I mentioned this encounter to Club stalwart Mal Cremer, who promptly acquired a copy of Ron’s book from the Hollard Park library and devoured it in one sitting. Now I have borrowed several excellent books from Mal and know him to be an avid reader and a very knowledgeable man on a wide range of subjects. For Mal to show such enthusiasm you know this is going to be a good read. My copy of “No Room for Watermelons” by Ron & Lynne Fellowes arrived in the mail yesterday so that is where I am now heading. Look out for a future review and in the meantime get out on your bike and enjoy this great country.
8
Committee Reports
DECEMBER 2017
Trent Smyth
Events Coords Report
Hi all
W
ell the year has been a cracker and we are now starting to draw to a close with most of the outings and rides: we still have the Christmas party, which looks like we are going to have a great turn out for it. I want to say a huge thanks to Paul Hughes for doing the bulk of the organising; including setting up some activities to do while down at Evans Head as well as managing the lead ride as well. Thanks Paul it has been appreciated. So; as for the activities for the 60th next year; I will be sitting down with Richard and Charlie to get a briefing on all the details so I can start to post events…. so expect to get slammed on Facebook once I get time to do it. I and the committee will be asking ALL members to step up to the plate and help run the bulk of the activities next year and it can’t just be the same people all the time. We need some of the members that have been in the club for a while to step up as well as some of our newer members to give a hand. Just because you have never run one before or maybe one you ran didn’t go quite right; don’t let it stop you. I am here to help as much as I can as is the rest of the Committee. If we don’t get people putting their hands up for activities we will put everyone’s name in a hat and the person that we draw out will be “voluntold” which means you will be volunteered by somebody and then you will be told what event to run. Some talk the talk now it’s their turn to walk the walk. Trent Smyth events@bmwmcq.org.au
Craig Brennan
Records Officers Report
WE DID IT!!!!!!!
T
he website has been updated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It doesn’t look any different, although in time it will: it is certainly different from my perspective. Naturally there are glitches and they have given some grief, however, we have been making great progress in overcoming them. It’s all good fun. I wish to thank you all for your patience during this transition period, as I get very upset with abuse. J Records are happily ticking along with no major problems and all seems reasonably well for the future. I look forward to seeing you in the near future and for those I miss, have a very merry Christmas, and may all your truly boorish relatives somehow just not make it this year, Cheers! Craig
Submissions for the next journal (FEBRUARY 2018 Edition) close on the 15th
Committee Reports
DECEMBER 2017
Bill Luyten & Geoff Hodge
Service Day
T
he Club may hold another ServiceDay before the end of the year, still working out a date at this stage. If it all gets too busy with end of year functions or members tripping away we’ll have it early in the New Year. There are special tools available (see below list) including the GS - 911WiFi and 3 pin diagnostic tools.
Contact Tools Officers:
Bill Luyten 0438 123 747 (wluyten@bigpond .net .au) or Geoff Hodge 0413 180 101 (ggilps2@optusnet .com .au)
Tool’s Report K Series K1200 (LX628) x2 $16.00ea
Filter - Fuel
K & R Series in line (KL145) x1 $20.00ea
Brake Pads
520HF - R60, R75, R80, R100 x1 $27.00ea G391ST - K1/100RS/1100LT, RS/1200RS, LT R80R, C/850/100/1100/1150 x6 $43.00ea
Spark Plugs
XR5DC (K/R1100) Bosch Super x2 $10.00ea
Tools
Oil filter removing tool - (OCS 1)K/R4V x5 $13.00
Club email:spares@bmwmcq.org.au
TOOLS HIRE SPARES AND SALES
There are special tools available:
Special Tools Twinmax electronic carburetor balancer (Twin BMW engines) Vacuumate (electronic synchronization of throttle valves up to 4 cylinders) Clutch alignment shafts (3 sizes) Compression gauge (cylinder pressure) Steering head bearing puller and seating tool Gearbox output flange puller GS-911 Wi-Fi Diagnostic tool (Wi-Fi and USB Version) GS-911 3 pin interface Tire Pressure Monitor Sensor (TPMS) tool Enduralast hall sensor tester
Club Tool Loan:
$50 deposit (refundable) for GS911. Tools and spare can be picked up or brought along to the next meeting or Club ride.
Spares Sale at Cost Price
The Committee has decided to not continue selling spares so when our existing spares are gone they will not be replaced.
Spares Still Available Filters - Air
From the Pen of Jane Gray ROADSIDE REMINDER JEGJun2017
Cruising along on our merry way Enjoying ourselves on a beautiful day Ambling along or looking for thrills Out in the country or up in the hills Just when we think Life couldn’t be kinder We come across one of those timely reminders Somebody else was enjoying their day Who knows what factors came into play? Whatever happened we’ll never know There’s just a white cross & flowers to show Appearing suddenly can be a bit haunting The number we see can be a bit daunting It’s food for thought as we keep on cruising What lies ahead is not for our choosing We won’t let it stop us nor get us down We’ll keep it in mind as we’re riding around
9
10
Committee Reports
DECEMBER 2017
Kelly Wicks
Regalia Officer’s Report
H
aving lugged the regalia to every club meeting (or should I say that I make Les load and unload the car with the help of Trent usually and others) and not selling anything on most occasions is disappointing. I have had several conversations with Richard regarding the moving of the regalia stock and with the New Year not too far in future and the stock is not getting any younger! In my talks with Richard we have come up with the idea of only producing speciality shirts in limited numbers so as not to accumulate excess stock. Orders would be placed based on pre-sale figures i.e. members pay up front before we order. I have raised the issue with the committee and I would like to make every effort to get rid of all stock: achieving this was discussed at the November General Meeting and while I was not able to provide final costs on stock to be sold please check the details below. This spread sheet has been presented to the committee and has been approved. There was a discussion among committee members about the fact that we have authorized embroiders who have our approved logo on file and people can arrange to have their own shirts embroidered at their own cost. The one at Brendale is very good and will do one offs. Brendale is happy for you to provide your own shirts or purchase theirs and will post (at your expense) back to you or you can walk in off the street and have the embroidery done while you wait. This is great for people on the north side of town but not others. Maybe we can organize other areas e.g west, south and east side embroiderers and the club pay the one off payment usually $65.00 to $75.00 and publish these companies in the journal so Club members can take them there at their own cost/leisure. These are just thoughts for a more formal discussion. The only down side is that the club makes no money; having said that we have only ever put 10 per cent on top of the price of any regalia anyway. DESCRIPTION/ITEM MENS
Navy Polo shirt with white piping Black T-shirt with Embroidery Navy Polo Shirt
Black T-shirt - logo centre of chest Navy T-shirt -embroidery
Black polo T-shirt material Black polo shirt
Navy polo T-shirt material
Grey polo with white piping
BMWMCQ REGALIA STOCKTAKE AND FIRE SALE
1
2
1
Lge
X-l
2
2
1 1 1
Grey t-shirts with embroidery Bucket hats - M/L Bucket hats - S LADIES
Grey with white piping polo shirt
Navy with white piping polo shirt Navy fleece vest
MISCELLANIOUS
Side/centre stand supports Satchel bags
2 1
2
Beanies
Pink T-shirts
1
2
3 1
2X-L
3 1 1
1
1
1
1XL
2XL
2
3X-L
1
1
were $30.00
now $20.00
were $40.00 were $25.00 were $25.00 were $35.00 were $40.00
3 1
were $40.00
3 1
were $40.00 13 7 2
were $40.00 were $25.00 were $20.00 were $20.00 were $20.00
were $30.00 were $40.00 were $40.00
6 3
were $35.00
were $15.00 were $35.00
now $20.00 now $20.00 now $10.00 now $17.00 now $20.00 now $20.00 now $20.00 now $20.00 now $17.00 now $10.00 now $15.00 now $15.00
now $15.00 now $20.00 now $20.00 now $20.00
now $10.00 now $20.00
Committee Reports Greg Gaffney
11
DECEMBER 2017
Secretary’s Report
MINUTES NOVEMBER GENERAL MEETING 02/11/2017
Opened: 7.35 pm pologies: Richard Maher, Paul Hughes, Craig Brennan, George and Maggie, Paul Malcolm, David Whale, Ron Durkin, Terry Fitzpatrick, Sasha, Merv Bone and Mark Mustchin Visitors: Cameron Whitford riding a R1200GS and Arno Johnstone riding an 800GS
A
With Richard travelling in Japan Vice President Les took the chair. General: Tony reported the cheque account is $5,155.00 the Investment account $14,900 and the PayPal account is $860.00 with a payment of about $700 going for website development. Greg advised the website was still being upgraded which has turned out to be a very big job. With the testing of the automated membership renewal some members were unfortunately sent renewal notices inappropriately. It was reported by Craig that some members are also not receiving their membership renewal card in the post. Craig feels this is a postage issue and will be investigated further. Tony reminded members that until the website is upgraded they will still see the joint membership at $65.00 not the $75.00 it should be. Dave Hepburn just returned from Portugal and apologised for the journal being a little late. Les spoke of his concern of membership numbers being down and ways we my look at building our numbers up. Anita said with the competition we have now from other social media groups we all need to carry membership forms with us to hand out where the opportunity arises, and we may need to consider other out of the box ideas. Ariella said she was invited to join by word of mouth and we can all do a lot better at finding new members if we share our passion. There was extensive discussion on the issue of membership numbers. Les expressed his concern as to whether we as a club are still relevant and what changes we may need to look at. Les finished by saying we need to produce the rides and activities that people want to do. Trent reminded everyone of the ride he will lead on Sunday to Woodenbong with an early start at Yatala. Kelly advised there are still some B2B t-shirts available and over the next couple of months we will endeavour to reduce our old stock. Kelly also advised she has organised all the Xmas decorations for the Evans Head dinner. Geoff said there was not much to report on for tools but spoke highly of the ride organised by Morgan and Wacker’s in October with a very nice provided lunch in the German restaurant in Ipswich. Raffle: 1st – Rosi Johnson, 2nd – Drew Ray, 3rd – Duncan Bennett Closed: 8.30 pm
12
12
DECEMBER 2017
November Club Ride to WOODENBONG
November Club Ride to Woodenbong
The blue one obviously appealed to the officers of the QPS who had pulled him over for a closer inspection. Our coffee stop was at Green Lane Coffee Plantation on the eastern escarpment of the mountain just past the turnoff to the Goat Track. Check it out. I counted 22 bikes at coffee which was probably a few more than the proprietors expected but they managed to service us quite well.
C
lub Events Coordinator, Trent, took up the cudgel and organized and led the November Club ride – a first and hopefully not last for Trent judging by the success of this one. The usual Southside meeting place at Stapleton BP servo in the early morning, yes it was a 7.30am start, saw a bevy of BMs gather with one happy Honda, a trusty Triumph and a sole Suzy. The early start was called to beat the expected heat of the day as well as accommodate that arcane daylight saving regimen that operates south of the border where we were headed for lunch. The tone for the day was set early as Jane and I saw two Police bikes on the M1 questioning a rider on a 500cc Hardly Davo, surely not for speeding, something the poor little thing was clearly incapable of doing on a 100k posted road. It was obviously a full roster day for the patrol bikes & cars of the QPS who were out in force. Our group rolled quietly through the back roads of Yatala enroute to our coffee stop on Mt Tambourine. Traffic was heavy climbing the mountain including a couple of eye catching Lamborghinis in bright green and blue.
The next section of the day’s journey was back down the goat track to Canungra where we picked up Murray & Jenny Brown amongst of sea of bikes then over back country roads to Rathdowney. Here we picked up Charlie Brown enroute passing more QPS patrol bikes & cars. Rathdowney was the place to regroup and stretch but the line had not stretched too far over the back roads. Good corner marking and an experienced TEC made sure of that. Our sister club was also out for the day as we passed a long line of our 4 wheeled brethren heading in the opposite direction on the Rathdowney road.
November Club Ride to WOODENBONG
DECEMBER 2017
13
The rain predicted for the day had not materialized and the temp was warm but not too hot, perfect for our assault on the twisties climbing Mount Lindsay Road to Woodenbong. Now this road could never be called perfect but it is still a hoot to ride in company. The road has not been resurfaced this century (or arguably last century either) with bumps much more suited to a GS than an SS but its climbing serpentine
A great day was had by all so a big thanks to Trent for organizing and to Les & Kelly who played TEC and helped Trent with the route planning.
Tony Gray
nature guarantees a wide smile on the face of any committed motorcyclist. Lunch at the Woodenbong Pub seemed to satisfy the appetites of the hungry hoard as stories of the mornings ride were exchanged. Corner marking had worked well with a new recipient deserving of a Craig Award. What you haven’t heard of a Craig Award? Come along on club rides and you will understand. Today’s recipient was our youngest member, Ariella, who managed to sail past one corner marker without seeing him; also a warm welcome to Paul who was along on his first club ride.
14
DECEMBER 2017
ARGENTINA with a 31 year old airhead
Hola Amigos - from Bariloche
F
irst a correction, the bike is actually 31 not 36, my maths is in need of help! After 5 nights in Bariloche I have seen enough German food, beer and architecture to last till I get back to Europe. This is a nice town very focused on the tourist, summer and winter; it sits on a large lake and is surrounded by the Andes. It seems most stores are focused on outdoor activities, tourist souveniers or food (especially chocolate). There is also a huge number of hostels and hotels from 2 to 5 star. I took the opportunity to ride along the lake to the Nahuei Huapi National Park. The ride along the lake was great and the park was amazing, I felt like I was back in Scandinavia or maybe the South of NZ. Well worth the effort.
Soon it was time to head back to Chile along the Ruta Siete Lagos( Route of the Seven Lakes). I can’t help but say the scenery is amazing; regretfully it was misty and not good for photos. Soon it was time to climb the pass to Chile and deep snow started to appear on the roadside, though the road remained clear; 45 minutes and both borders cleared and back into Chile.
What a transformation, from rugged Mountains, snow and pine forest to open valleys, green pasture and farms. I decided to follow the new road around the lake from Entre Lagos, past volcanoes and along winding roads to end up in Puerto Varas. This is another small tourist focused town, where I found a nice hostel run by Swedes and Germans! Whilst here I managed to meet Daniel Pazollo, an expat American who runs bike tours down the Carretera Austral. He has been a great help with advice on road conditions, fuel and accommodation.
As my helmet flip top failed to flip, he took me around to a few bike shops and got me a substantial discount on a new Nolan Helmet‌
ARGENTINA with a 31 year old airhead South Americans have large heads; alas I do not, so choice was very limited, though I am happy with my purchase.
Daniel runs a fleet of DR 650’s and KLR’s, with a 4WD support vehicle, so if you want a tailor made adventure without bringing your bike he is the guy.
Next stop is Puerto Mont, which is a fairly large town(it has a shopping mall, Mc Donald’s and Subway), it really has not got a lot going for it but it is the starting point for the Caraterra Austral, which will take me down to the Glaciers in Southern Patagonia. On Daniels advice I took a side trip to the Island Of Chiloé. As you can imagine being an island things instantly became more expensive! Three nights there certainly proved worthwhile, with a trip to the Penguin sanctuary (Magellan and Humboldt penguins) to see penguins, seals and seabirds. Two firsts for me, crossing a fast flowing river and riding along the beach! Another day saw me attempt to ride 180 km to the south of the island to see the end result of the Pan American Hwy.
DECEMBER 2017
15
There is some dispute about this as Wikipedia tells me it ends in Ushuaia! Unfortunately weather beat me, after waking to light rain, I delayed my departure but it did not stop. Off I ventured and after 90 km of roadworks, slippery conditions and crazy drivers, I decided to stop at Castro. Whilst fortifying myself with coffee, I ran into two French cyclists on a tandem, who had ridden from La Paz and were aiming to get to the end of the Carratera Austral, a significant amount of dirt road ahead of them. I wished them luck! So a little wet and disappointed I headed back to Ancund and a warm fire! Just as I got into town I spied a Triumph Tiger in the Shell servo and stopped for a chat. Turns out to be a Swiss rider who had ridden overland from Europe via the Stan’s, Asia and Australia, flying his bike out of Sydney.
We plan to meet up down the road and share some adventures, though he tells me at 57 he is to old for camping, as I am 60 that sounds like a good excuse to leave the camping gear on the bike! Tomorrow it’s back to the mainland and the start of the Carratera Austral.
Nick Hese
16
O
DECEMBER 2017
3 ISLANDS TOUR - PT3 tony and jane
THREE ISLANDS TRIP THE FINAL CHAPTER
ur journey thus far had taken us over 6,000km to South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula and Kangaroo Island, across Victoria’s Grampians, Ocean Coastline and historical Gold Regions to where we now sat at Melbourne’s Station Pier preparing to board the Spirit of Tasmania. The date was 27 September, early spring, and early in the motorcycle season for the Island State. The small number of bikes, seven, aboard the Spirit supported the theory with two of those returning home from ‘the Big Island’. One of those bikes and its rider, Ron Fellowes, was a very special combination indeed. Ron’s mount was a 364cc in-line 4 cylinder shaft drive FN manufactured by the Belgian company in 1910. No that is not a typo, the bike was over 100 years old and Ron a sprightly 75 years young. The bike had a wicker sidecar attached and was returning to their Tasmanian home in the Huon Valley after touring around South Australia’s Barossa Valley at a Rally for pre WW1 motorcycles. That trip alone impressed us but it was the signwriting on the bikes tank that really drew our attention. This detailed the countries that Ron and the FN (in solo form) had traversed in travelling cross country from Nepal to Belgium in 2012. The tale of that trip and the restoration of the FN in preparation for the trip are chronicled in Ron’s book, ‘No Room for Watermelons’. Grab a copy it is a rattling tale that puts our own motorcycling pursuits into perspective. Chatting with Ron then following the FN onto the Spirit was a real thrill.
I wrote early last year of the trip I did to Tassie with Paul Hughes and some other Melbourne mates of mine. This trip was to be very different with just Jane and me enjoying the anniversary of our 1978 honeymoon ride around Tassie aboard our 860 Ducati Bevel Drive. We have revisited many times since 1978 and this trip would not see as much dirt as last year and at a more relaxed pace.
Tasmania offers so much variety that every trip can be completely different with the weather playing a major role when you are mounted on a motorcycle. With that thought in mind we generally do not book or plan too far ahead (usually 1 or 2 days) preferring to read the weather and head where the best is on offer. We expected and were prepared for cold weather at a time when S-E Qld was experiencing a heat wave. We were happy with our situation. We alighted early on a mostly fine cold day in Devonport and following tradition headed to Banjos Cafe on the mall for brekkie and coffee. The weather predictions dictated that we were heading towards the east coast after a run through the B & C roads behind Sheffield.
Every part of Tasmania offers a unique experience but after many trips and much discussion we have resolved that the north coast region and the roads into the western tiers offers the best riding and weather combination. The tourist centres provide local area tourist maps and these provide lots of local ride options. We completed a tight little back roads circuit plunging down to the shores of Lake Barrington to take a look at the World Class Rowing Course looping around through Moina and Wilmot and back to the Murals of Sheffield for lunch.
3 ISLANDS TOUR - PT3 tony and jane The air was fresh and clear as we knocked over a favourite road through Paradise then onto Mole Creek and beautiful Deloraine for the night with dinner in front of an open fire at the Empire Hotel. We were probably 50k from where we left the Ferry in Devonport Sheffield is famous but with an for its murals extra 300k on the Gray Ghosts Odo as we contemplated three weeks of this delicious pleasure. Those three weeks were to cover just under 4,000km; so less than 200k/day average but for those experienced in Tasmanian roads a max 300k/day average is as much as you should plan. Anything more and you will be missing the beauty of the place. On this trip we booked stays for 2 or 3 days so we could explore some areas in more detail. We used stayz.com.au to find cottages for longer stays allowing us to self-cater and do day trips without the gear load on the Ghost. Much has been written about Tasmania in past issues of the magazine and on Facebook by members who have been enthralled by the place. We have contributed to that collective wisdom so rather than writing a blow by blow of our three weeks on this trip I have collected thoughts on our favourite places to stay and visit and roads to ride. This is probably a better way to assist those Tasmania ‘virgins’ who may be planning their first trip to ‘The Little Island’. Tasmania Tourism divides the State into five regions so that is a good basis to plan any trip. Landing with our bike in Devonport placed us on the eastern edge of the North-West Region. This is hard to beat from a rider’s perspective. The Bass Highway links the main townships along the coast from Devonport to Smithton and it is a very good road BUT more fun is to be had by taking the secondary roads that often hug the coastline and dart off to interesting places. Amongst these ‘must see’ is the coastal road from Ulverstone to Penguin which was once the main road but now is a sleeper road following the coast and rail line.
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Ulverstone is a pretty town on the Leven River well worth a close look with a beautiful park along its eastern shore. Onto Penguin and stop in at the Bakery for a sweet treat – the best on offer and at yesterday’s prices.
Once past Penguin through Preservation Bay to Sulphur Creek where the road re-joins the Bass Hwy on its way into Burnie which is the major town and shipping port on the north coast. This is the former home to Cindy & Duncan so you should be able to find a fine IPA (India Pale Ale...Ed) here. The lookout above town provides a great view of the wharf activities but the access is quite steep so best to visit here first before pursuing a few IPA’s. Continue east on the Bass Highway until the turnoff into Wynyard which has more treats in store. Attached to the information centre in Wynyard is the ‘Wonders of Wynyard’ Veteran Car Display which also includes some bikes.
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For a few dollars donation be enthralled by one man’s passion for collecting and restoring veteran and vintage cars. The standard of the restoration for what are often extremely rare or even unique vehicles is outstanding. On Wynyard’s western doorstep is Table Cape from which the best views of the northern coastline are on offer as well as the historic Table Cape Lighthouse where guided tours are available if you want to be ‘enlightened’.
The highway from here to Stanley is a high speed blast with little traffic. Stanley is a top spot to stay awhile with a rich history, a top pub, curious shops & cafes and plenty of wildlife where the nightly Penguin Parade gets top billing. The ‘Little Penguins’ (their real name) come ashore after sunset in season to tend their young in the rookeries along the shoreline. Well worth dragging yourself away from the Stanley Hotel to take a gander. Climb ‘The Nut’ for great views.
One of the reasons we love touring Tassie in spring is to be enchanted by the beautiful flowers that are awakening from their winter hibernation. There is no better place in Tassie than Table Cape to view this wonderland. This area is Australia’s Tulip Capital and the brilliant colours of these exotic flowers are celebrated in the annual Tulip Festival in mid-October which coincided with our visit.
There is also a chairlift if you are allergic to exercise. Stanley was our furthest point west on this trip as the weather prevented us from tackling the western explorer (which Paul & I did in 2016. It’s a great adventure). The western explorer and a guided trip to Cape Grim are the only reasons IMHO to continue to Smithton and beyond. The backdrop to this beautiful north coast is the Great Western Tiers which is a line of mountains forming the northern edge of the Central Plateau. This area behind Burnie, Penguin, Ulverstone, Devonport and radiating out from Sheffield provides some of the best riding roads to be had in Tasmania. There are many viewpoints over the valleys and mountains (including Cradle Mountain) on these sometimes very narrow B & C roads. The Woodhouse Lookout on the B17 road behind Penguin is a personal favourite.
Even without the flowers or the views, Table Cape must be ridden. It is a delightful narrow twisting rider’s road, just watch out for the farm vehicles. Back to the highway for a short stretch before the next detour down to Boat Harbour Beach where the SLSC café sits right on a pristine white sand beach with the clear cold waters of Bass Strait lapping at the shore: Coffee time.
3 ISLANDS TOUR - PT3 tony and jane The views of the Leven Valley are intoxicating. If you are feeling energetic then take a walk into the Leven Canyon – there are 697 bush steps between the upper and lower lookout platforms. We did it!
Swing across from the N o r t h -We s t Region on the road towards Launceston and the North taking in the towns of Deloraine and Westbury on the B54 thus avoiding the highway. We recommend the 50’s Diner on the eastern edge of Deloraine where the owner has a right hand drive conversion business for American cars and has collected a load of American 50’s memorabilia which is now displayed in a very authentic replica American 50’s diner.
Well worth a visit for a soda and hotdog!
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There is another themed café at Exeter north of Launceston named after famed Kiwi Burt Munro. The owner, Tibor Mucha, has been an avowed collector of ‘stuff’ related to motorcycles for four decades. He has several old British bikes in the café as well as a 1941 Indian Scout to justify the Burt Munro tag for the café. There is a heap of period motorcycle related memorabilia throughout the café. The cafe has only been open for 12 months and he has big expansion plans. We were lucky enough to get a ‘tour’ through Tibor’s BIG shed out back. A veritable Aladdin’s Cave of Motorcycle parts, engines, frames and just ‘stuff’.
It is great to know that these eccentric characters still exist to help colour our world. Further north along the Tamar estuary is Beaconsfield made world famous by the mine disaster over 10 years ago. These days the mine museum and record of that fateful occurrence brings tourists to an otherwise neglected part of Tassie. The Batman Bridge
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crosses the Estuary south of Beaconsfield and it has always provided a thrill as the wind howls down the valley from Bass Strait. The north-west offers plenty of winery opportunities and some half decent roads heading to Derby which is developing as the MTB capital – those lycra clad loonies who do it in the dirt must bring plenty of cash with them as the area has huge plans to keep extending the trails and resources for them. For us simple motorcyclists however the road from Derby through Weldborough to Pyengana is pure Heaven. More bends than in a packet of twisties. Head into Pyengana and the Pub in a Paddock and onto St Columba Falls.
The ‘Bay of Fires’ name was bestowed by Captain Tobias Furneaux of the Royal Navy who was the first European to chart and navigate these shores in the 1770’s. The name referred to the string of camp fires of the indigenous people ringing the bay at the time of Furneaux’s exploration but equally it could refer to the orange coloured lichen growing on the granite outcrops along the shoreline of the bay. Have a coffee with a million dollar view at the tourist hut then complete the ride out to ‘The Gardens’ for great views back to Binalong Bay. Before leaving St Helens hunt down some fresh sea scallops – superb. St Helens is at the northern end of the Great Eastern Drive which stretches over 176km to Orford in the south.
This is beautiful dairy country so be careful where the herds cross the roads and do what cows do. Back onto the A3 the ride into St Helens is more open but no less fun. Here like on any of the narrower Tasmanian roads beware of loose gravel on the inside of left hand bends. The tourists do not know how to keep their motorhomes on the tar and drag gravel onto the road with their outside wheels. Out from St Helens is the stunningly beautiful Binalong Bay on the Bay of Fires.
This is a beautiful piece of road covering the very scenic coast and hinterland and leaves its more famous Victorian cousin (GOR) for dead from a rider’s perspective. As good as this road is we always take a couple of diversions to favourite spots along its route. The first of these south of St Helens is a loop up Mt Elephant to indulge in the Mt Elephant Pass Pancakes – definitely more a crepe than a pancake but the name sounds better. Whether your tastes lean to sweet or savoury you will not be disappointed. Our preference is to ascend the mountain from the south up Mt Elephant Pass:
3 ISLANDS TOUR - PT3 tony and jane which is the tighter and narrower route then to descend back to the coast via St Mary’s Pass which is more open and wider but carries a lot more traffic. Further down the coast is one of our favourite destinations, Bicheno. Bicheno is central to the Glamorgan Spring Bay Council which in an Australian first in 2006 declared the Council area to be motorcycle friendly. It is nice to be welcomed. As well as the natural beauty of the place there is a small but worthwhile motorcycle Museum on the southern edge of town which was unfortunately closed on this visit. Bicheno is a great base to explore the Freycinet Peninsula either overland on foot from Coles Bay to Wineglass Bay (arduous) or by boat (bumpy). Why not do both? It is a beautiful part of the world. Climbing away from the coast there is a lookout to the peninsula now incorporating a lookout tower, café and wine tasting centre as part of the Devil’s Corner vineyard.
How many reasons do you need to stop?
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We stayed on the coast for a stop in Swansea where we stayed in a B&B that served the best breakfast we have encountered anywhere we have travelled in the world. Very bike friendly too – Meredith House. With tummies full we backtracked to take the turn to Campbell Town on the B34 Lake Leake Road. This is a cracker of a road with high speed sweeping bends aplenty. Campbell Town is one of several historical ‘coach stop’ towns on the Hobart to Launceston route. Others are Ross, Oatlands and Richmond to the south. These are places of enormous historic interest from our earliest convict days with quirky as well as architectural interest.
The Red Bridge is an example of the latter while the quirky includes this example from the engraved red brick tiles set into the footpath detailing convicts transported to Van Diemen’s Land – JOHN HOWARD transported for 10 years in 1843 for STEALING GUNS.
The sun was shining so we pointed the Gray Ghost north on Highway 1 for a short distance before turning off on C146 headed for Evandale. There is some good quality dirt on this road through lush farming country with views to the snow-capped Ben Lomond to the east. Evandale is the Penny-Farthing cycle racing capital of Australia.
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3 ISLANDS TOUR - PT3 tony and jane We spent a wet day in Hobart after a ride up Mt Wellington in heavy cloud. The views from Mt Wellington’s peak are stunning but not so on this day.
Scratch the surface and you will find plenty of quirky items of interest in Tasmania. It is a very quiet little place with picture postcard beauty. Longford is another town of enormous interest close-by that we determined to visit in more detail later in the trip. We turned south to overnight in Oatlands then followed C roads (some dirt) back to the coast.
We planned a day walking around Maria Island where the ferry crosses from Triabunna which has very limited accommodation. Accommodation options are at Orford or even the 60km ride d o w n f r o m Swansea. Maria Island is a National Park so all wildlife is protected and they seem to know that. Expect to get up close and personal with the Wombats, Cape Barren Geese, Wallabies, Roos, Pademelons and myriad bird species including Wedge Tailed Eagles. Expect to spend a day here but bring your own supplies as there is not a coffee shop in sight.
It’s still a hoot of a ride and not to be missed when visiting Hobart. The Cascade Brewery visitor centre café at the base of the mountain is a good option for lunch. On this trip we did not travel south of Hobart to the Tasman or Huon Peninsulas or to Bruny Island. These are all worthwhile excursions if the weather is playing ball. The weather cleared and we set our sights on the serpentine road to Lake Pedder and the Gordon Dam. This is an out & back trip of some 250km but well worth it for the ride and views. We were now heading deeper into the Wild West which is notoriously wet – to the tune of 1500mm annual rainfall in Strahan. If you stay awhile and only see sunshine then head off and buy a lotto ticket while your luck is in.
3 ISLANDS TOUR - PT3 tony and jane
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No lotto ticket for us as we found a wet Queenstown after worthwhile diversions into Lake St Clair and Nelson Falls and then the stunning descent into Queenstown.
This is one very memorable road with care required as trucks, vans and campers cannot negotiate the tight bends on their own side of the road. The roads out of Queenstown to Strahan in the west or the north are all great motorcycle roads. A favourite is the B28 Lake Plimsoll Road north to Tullah which roughly parallels the main A10 road but on this occasion it was wet as well as carrying a heavier traffic load than expected. This was easily explained when we returned from Tullah on the A10 and found it in the worst condition of any road we encountered on this trip. It was severely potholed and torn up so hopefully the State has a resurface in the budget. Further north on the A10 a trip into Waratah to view the gorge and former tin mine workings is rewarding before tackling the great road through Hellyer Gorge as it dips and rises on its course to the coast.
We revisited the north-west on our way across to Longford for our last few days in Tasmania. Longford is a great base from which to explore the Ben Lomond National Park to the east (entry fees apply) and the Great Lakes Plateau to the south-west. This road climbs the plateau from Cressy by way of Poatina and the famed Poatina Esses.
It is a sublime piece of road with great views back over the plains. Once up on the plateau the road loops around Great Lake to the largest town on the plateau, Miena.
Heading south will take you down to Bothwell on the road to Hobart but we turned north on the dirt road towards Deloraine. The well graded dirt stretches for about 26km through very isolated fishing and hunting enclaves. Beware the sound of banjos as you pass through this area. Once back onto the tar the road sweeps and turns on its way back down to the plains. Delightful.
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Amongst petrol heads Longford is famed as the home of the fastest motor racing circuit in the Southern Hemisphere from 1953 to 1968. The Australian GP was held here in 1959 and 1965 as well as Tasman Cup races and numerous TT titles. Four wheel heroes Brabham, Clark, Hill, Stewart, Rindt, Amon, McLaren & Courage as well as their two wheel contemporaries Duke, Redman & Carruthers all raced at Longford. Unfortunately a major highway now cuts across the old course so it is not possible to ‘do a lap’ of what was once a 4.5 mile (7.24 km) course. Here is an excerpt from the history of the course that gives an insight to the ‘good old days’. Its four and a half miles consisted of sharp corners linked by long straights that were simply country roads lined with thorny hedges. There was a flying mile, a high speed jump over a railway crossing, a hairy kink beneath an unforgiving brick viaduct, two rickety wooden bridges and a right hand turn around a well patronised hostelry in the middle of the town. A Boag’s Beer sign hung out over the track.
That hostelry, The Country Club Hotel, remains and is chock full of memorabilia and they still serve a nice cold Boags.
Window display at Longford Country Club Hotel
Before leaving Longford we visited the World Heritage listed Brickendon and Woolmers National Trust Estates just outside of town on the banks of the Macquarie River. These properties provide a window into the life of the early settlers in this part of the country and are very well presented.
We headed back to Devonport via the Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm (another tradition) in full knowledge that this would not be the last we would see of Tasmania (God willing). Like motorcycling itself, the love of Tasmania gets into your blood and cannot be expunged. As Arnie said, we will be back. There is always a letdown when you board the Spirit of Tasmania for the overnight journey back to the Big Island knowing what you are leaving behind.
3 ISLANDS TOUR - PT3 tony and jane Fortunately for us there was a big motorcycle race at Phillip Island about to start so the next few days were far from boring as we thrilled to the talents of the riders of the MotoGP circus.
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These are all familiar roads to us but we threw in a new one this time over Granya Mountain after an overnight stop at Bright. This road, the C546, leaves the Murray Valley Highway between Tallangatta and Corryong and winds its way up and over Granya Mountain before crossing the Murray River back into NSW at Jingellic.
This also completed the third leg of our island motorcycle trilogy being Kangaroo Island, Tasmania and Phillip Island. We left PI early on the Monday morning following the races headed for the roads of the Victorian Alps.
Great ride over Granya Mountain
There was still snow in them hills and the air was clear and crisp.
The road opens as it sweeps its way into Tumbarumba. Plenty of timber trucks ply this road so be on the lookout. The Bakery at Tumbarumba is the place to stop for lunch. Our four day journey home included overnight stops at Blayney and Uralla as we managed to miss the storms that struck S-E Qld soon after our arrival in Brisbane. Our seven week journey covered 12,341 kms which the Gray Ghost swallowed in her stride. With 156,000km now on her clock she is showing no sign of ageing. There are plenty more roads waiting out there for us.
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When Town Meets Country - Alison
A DAY OF OLD AND NEW … LINVILLE 19TH NOVEMBER 2017 PART 1 TOWN BY ALISON SAYCE
A
fter a rainy Saturday (I love them actually – I give myself the day off from domestic goddess duties), I was rapt to wake up to blue skies on Sunday – not completely excited at a 5am start, but you gotta do what ya gotta do. Ian and I were on the bikes by 6am, a quick fuel up and were at BP Blacksoil only 3 minutes late to meet Toddy – he was just setting off for Toowoomba. It was clear skies until almost at the top of Murphy’s Creek, when the clouds came over and it was COLD! A few drops of rain before arriving at BP North Street. Some people put the first layer of rain suits on, and we were off – sort of – lots of traffic lights to practise our take-off. We travelled to Clifton – could have done with a coffee at The Jam Factory after experiencing a rather tense moment through a bend where the road maintenance crew had used pure tar to re-seal a road – no traction to be found anywhere for a good glide through the bend. From there across Heifer Creek Road; MaMa Creek and into Esk; doubling the group size from the initial 9.
After coffee, pies, scones and all things delicious, the spirited ride continued past Somerset Dam and all was well until we reached the Moore environs, when the clouds dumped a lot of water very quickly. Visibility was down to a few metres, complete with a lot of water on the road – it was character building! A servo appeared in my peripheral vision, so
I pulled over promptly. It was a game getting to the pump with the forecourt awash with water, diesel, oil, fuel etc. Many of us took the opportunity to refuel before lunch, and to put on some rain gear, or examine the state of water–resistant clothing. Keeping zips closed is a handy hint!
When Town Meets Country - David The rain appeared to ease off, so we mounted up and headed the final 10km to Linville Pub. We managed to decorate the main street of town with our clothes, plus every available surface of the pub. Food service was prompt and the food quality good, and friendly people, so all was well. The rain continued to bucket down, and as most of us were finishing lunch, a gap appeared in the clouds, so Dave Pidcock took a few very quick group shots, and we were on our way home. The first 10 minutes was wet, but eased up from there. We took the road to Moore – Goombungee – Esk – Coominya – Lowood – Glanmorgan Vale, Pine Mountain and home. A quick 555.9 km day of meeting old friends, meeting new friends, re-visiting favourite riding roads and discovering a few new ones, plus a pub that hosts cyclists on the Mary River Valley Rail Trail – us one day if I can get Ian on to his pushie and off the bike(s). Thanks for planning and lead-
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We left Toowoomba on time with 9 bikes and 10 riders (some had ridden up from Vegas), dodged storms all the way to Esk where, as always, we had an awesome smoko at ‘Julie’s at the Refectory’. We picked up another 5 bikes and 7 people from down the range, Great to see you all - really appreciate the support. We mountain men and women should do a bit of the same! We left Esk in 23 degree heat, muggy, but didn’t look too threatening. Everyone took off their wet weather gear. Yup,
ing a great ride, Dave – good pace – thank you.
A DAY OF OLD AND NEW … LINVILLE 19TH NOVEMBER 2017 PART 2 COUNTRY BY DAVID PIDCOCK
T
he Warrego Riders really mixed it up today - sunshine, cool weather, steamy humidity, good food, even better roads and rain, so, so much rain.
I can hear you saying, ‘that’s not going to end well’. We hit the D’Agular Highway after riding up through the Dams and Gregors Creek, to suddenly end up in some of the most torrential rain I’ve ever experienced. Visibility was down to a couple of meters and we were drenched in seconds.
A quick fuel stop at the Independent fuel station before Moore (and a dickhead in the servo who quite literally wanted a fight after blocking the fuel pumps in his car for 20 minutes) before a very welcome lunch break at the Linville Hotel. Continued on page29
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When Town Meets Country - David
Wet jackets, shirts, jocks, socks and boots being emptied of litres of water - what a sight!!! Semi-naked Warrego Riders cavorting about the place - not quite the bodies I saw in the Justice League movie the night before..... Close, but no cigar boys n girls. It was good to meet up with another Kato rider - thanks for joining us Ron.
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The pub put on a great feed - have too say (honestly) one of the best rump steaks I’ve ever had. The publican was such a genuinely good guy too. We decided to make a break for home and did take a pretty direct route back, albeit with a nice run through the Palms Conservation Reserve - a really nice bit of road.
Continued on page 31
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BMWMCQ 2017 EVENTS BRG
DECEMBER Saturday 2 Christmas Party Thursday 7 7:30pm Monthly club meeting TBA Sunday 10 Monhtly Club Ride Saturday 16 9:30am Saturday Coffee Run Italics font denotes event organised by other clubs
BMWMCQ 2017 Events Calendar Ride Leader / Contact Evans Head NSW Services Club Tingalpa Richard Maher TBA
Extraordinary EVENTS Calendar
Cindy and Duncan and the Christmas Party - continued from page 6 Great day of riding through Border ranges NP, Kyogle, Dyrabba and onto tenterfield.
ARGENTINA with a 31 year old AIRHEAD A DAY OF OLD AND NEW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29
We ended up in Toowoomba 4 minutes late at 4.04 pm. Not a bad effort. We Approximately x 430 km for the day. Great company, awesome roads, a few challenges, a bit of pace, nearly had to dredge out the boxing skills, but lots of camaraderie and laughter. It was so good to see a number of pillions, and, as always, so, so good to have a mix of female and male riders. It was just as it should be. Looking forward to your joining us next time Bec Fox. You were missed today and, as someone said, ‘she seems the type to love a crazy, mixed up day like this’ Nailed it đ&#x;˜‰. Need to work out a venue for the Xmas party in Dec - at the coffee night we decided on another BBQ on the road somewhere. If anyone has any bright ideas, please let me know. More to follow! Have a great week everyone and see you on the road again soon.
Dave Pidcock
ARGENTINA - NICK HESE BLOG ex face book blog 1
W
ell, I had planned on waiting a few days to post but the weather has beaten me today so I will post this up now before I enter the internet wilderness of Southern Patagonia. I spent a few days in Puerto Montt, the gateway to Carratera Austral, the Chilean road to the Southern Patagonian ice fields; unfortunately rain made an appearance most days and has hung around since. Puerto Montt is a large town on a bay leading out to the Pacific Ocean and has all the negative point of a city, traffic being one! I found the most southerly McDonald’s in the America’s, but resisted the temptation! It’s not even a tourist town, like Puerto Varas, only 40 odd km away, I. Could not even find one Souvenir shop, despite an intense search. My planned hostel turned out to be undergoing renovation but luckily the owner Fixed me up with a friends Hostel, who even cooked me dinners.Score! So after Daniels suggestion of visiting ChiloÊ Island off I went 80 odd km of toll road, at $1.05 Aust, not bad! Of course the ferry made up for that but it was a quick smooth ride I am staying in Ancund in the north, sharing my Hostel with a group of retired Chilean women we are having a great time together, my Spanish may even improve. Yesterday; as you saw, I ventured out to see the Penguins, a great day and a few new biking experiences for me.
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Today the plan was to ride 170 km to the South of the island to see the Pan American hwy monument. Locals say it ends there but Wiki says it end in Ushuaia. Unfortunately I did not find out. It was foggy and raining when I woke so I delayed till 1030 and hit the road, still raining! After 90 km of roadworks, slippery surface, constant rain and crazy drivers; I decided I really did not need to see the monument and stopped at Castro. A coffee and feed certainly helped my spirits if not my wet Socks. Whilst there; I met a French couple on a tandem bike, who had ridden down from La Paz and were going to do the Carratera all the way to Villa O Higgins(Insane springs to mind), also met a Spanish rider on an F800gs, waiting for the ferry to start his trip South. I stopped to look at one of the World Heritage listed churches, many of which dot this beautiful island. Regretfully whilst it did not rain in Castro, It did the whole way home. More forecast for the next few days, where is spring? I saw a Triumph Tiger in the Shell servo, so turned around for a chat. A Swiss rider, who tells me at 57 yrs he is too old to camp, hmmm‌We will hook up somewhere on the Carratera, so it will be nice to have a travel buddy. With any luck Gail Baillargeon, may catch up with us too.Well the sun has made an appearance at last and my gear is drying in front of the fireplace, so I might go and chase a Coffee!
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ARGENTINA with a 31 year old AIRHEAD
DECEMBER 2017
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ARGENTINA - NICK HESE BLOG ex face book blog 2
H
ola Amigos, from Chaiten on the Carratera Austral Well as you may have guessed the weather has been more rain than not the last few days, which has made life interesting if not a little unpleasant; I managed to escape Chiloé Island and briefly back to Puerto Montt to refuel, before heading down the Carratera Austral, towards the South. Various maps show different road surface so it was a little confusing as to what to expect, but it’s the only road so let’s go!
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DECEMBER 2017
• BMW trained technicians; • BMW national service technician of 2006 (metro winner), Adrian Cash; • Log Book Service followed by BMW Motorrad Maintenance Schedule; • BMW software used for diagnosis; • Re-set service light, time & distance; • Great deals on the leading brands of motorcycle tyres.
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ARGENTINA with a 31 year old AIRHEAD The first section was mainly paved; with a short ferry crossing; then they snuck in some “Rippio” (a loose gravel road base…Ed) to test my rusty dirt riding skills. Luckily no rain and I made it to Hornopiren safely. As the forecast was for more rain and it was at least dry, I decided to stay 2 nights and organise my ferry rides to get further south and to sample the local culture and cuisine. Hornopiren is a small town whose main industry seems to be accommodation for travellers waiting for a ferry and the salmon hatchery. The Farming of Salmon being a big enterprise in these parts. Ferries organised, I departed for a 4 hr cruise, enjoying the rain and mist and not the expected views! After our first port there was a “Mad” dash over 10 km of gravel to the next ferry. The roads would be ok if dry but wet and full of potholes, with trucks; cars etc. trying to push past it was a challenge. On to the second, smaller ferry for a 20 min crossing then the fun begins. The locals tell me this is the wettest spring in many years, just my luck! What this means is the normally fair roads are potholed and a “bit” damp. Onwards forever onwards! Only 60 km of Rippio, potholes, roadworks and rally drivers! I averaged about 30 kph, so it was a slow trip and you guessed it, the rain started again!
On the ferry I met an American on a KLR 650, who had hired a bike in Santiago and had 3 weeks to get to Ushuaia and back. We travelled together to Chaiten and in the morning he was off to do 500 km, good luck! After an extensive search we found a hostel with rooms and bunked for the night, amazing what a fire and warm bed and a pizza can do for your spirits. There are two American cyclists here and some Spanish girls, so lots of stories and advice being swapped A rest day today, as the forecast is for sun tomorrow followed by another day of rain, then 5 days of sunshine…
Let’s hope so!
DECEMBER 2017
35
Life could be worse, I could still be working! Lol
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