MAY 2020
www.bmwmcq.org.au
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE BMW MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF QUEENSLAND INC. Established 1958
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE BMW MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF QUEENSLAND INC.
The Committee President- Paul Hughes Ph: 0409 814 633 President@bmwmcq.org.au 1200 GS / 700 GS
Vice President - Mark Gilbert Ph: 0400 151 750 vpres@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200GS / F800GS
Secretary - Tony Gray Ph: 0409 493 605 secretary@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 GS (The Grey Ghost) R 60/6
This Issue - MAY 2020 Contents:Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Committee Reports . . . . . . . . . . 5 AGM Minutes - AGAIN . . . . . . . . . 11 BMWMCQ EVENTS CALENDAR . . . . 12 NATIONAL MOTORRAD RALLY . . . . . 14 from the pen of jane gray . . . . 15 THE TIES THAT JINDABYNE . . . . . . 16 CANADA + USA STORY. . . . . . . . . . 21 FROM THE BOYS IN BLUE. . . . . . . . 28
DREAMING OF BETTER TIMES. . . . . 29 A QUICK GLANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 A VERY LONG WEEKEND . . . . . . . . 36 21ST FRIGID DIGIT . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 FOR THE AIRHEADS . . . . . . . . . . . 41 ADVERTISING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 BOOK REVIEW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 FROM THE PEN OF JANE GRAY II. . . 47 BMWMCQ BOOK EXCHANGE. . . . . . 47
Treasurer - John Eacott
Ph: 0428 383 826 treasurer@bmwmcq.org.au 2017 K1600GT
Events - Mark Mustchin Ph: 0416 061 638 events@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200GS
Editors - Cindy & Duncan Bennett Ph: 0401 610 671 editor@bmwmcq.org.au Triumph Tigers Records- Greg Gaffney Ph: 0411424 219 records@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 RT
Tools/Spares - Bill Luyten Ph: 0438 123 747 tools@bmwmcq.org.au R1150 Rockstar - R1200 GS LC
Advertisers
Morgan & Wacker - INSIDE COVER Caloundra Motorcycles - P.42 Northside Motorcycles - P.43 Munich Motorcycles - P.44 Good Wool Store - P.44
TeamMoto - P.45 TeamMoto Springwood - BACK COVER
On The Cover Paul Jacobsen’s great shot from his 800GS cockpit near Imbil.
Regalia - Rosi Johnson Ph: 0424 961 597 regalia@bmwmcq.org.au R1200R
Dealer Liaison - Don Grimes
Ph: 0411 601 372 R1200GS; K1300
Club Details BMW Motorcycle Club of Queensland Inc.
2. Improving the service and availability of spare parts for BMWs in Queensland using the advantage of a united effort.
Address all correspondence to: The Secretary PO Box 3669 South Brisbane QLD 4101
4. Organising day trips, tours and outings.
ABN 30 351 243 651
Monthly meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month at the:
Geebung RSL Club
323 Newman Road Geebung 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.
3. Decreasing maintenance and running costs by mutual assistance on mechanical problems. 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
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Editorial
MAY 2020
Cindy & Duncan Bennett
Editors’ Report
O
K, so you’re at home, the house looks like the Palace of Versailles and the surrounds are like the Kew Gardens, and the beloved motored cycle(s) is/are in showroom condition and starting to attract onlookers. “Oh woe is me, whatever can I do to pass the time?” you cry while pretending you are both wearing pants and still listening to Nigel from Accounts drone on about insurance premiums in your day’s fifth Zoom meeting. We have the answer - the Global Positioning System. Until Toby Price learned Garmin Basecamp to program his Navigator VI, he couldn’t even find his way to Alice Springs let alone Finke, and Casey Stoner once famously went clock-wise around the Phillip Island track for half a lap until realising he’d got his waypoints out of order. Unfortunately learning to plan routes and navigate using a GPS by reading the supplied manual is a bit like learning how to put out an oil rig fire by taking a tour of a fire extinguisher factory - you’ll be left wanting more when the heat is on. We have a better option - the New England Riders in Boston USA must have had some shocker navigational snafus on club rides because they have the best and most practical instructions on GPS’. How they “think”, how to set up Garmin Basecamp on your PC or Mac with the right folder structures and files and all the useless stuff discarded, setting up your GPS (Navigators, Zumos, and Nuvis), what shaping points, waypoints, tracks and routes and all the jargon means, and how to develop routes and tracks and modify them is covered in very simple language, and even in French if you’re up for a challenge. They saved our GPS from being soaked in 91 unleaded and ritually sacrificed I can tell you. Once you’re even vaguely competent, it can change your riding life because finding your way to great places is a certainty, and missing the big sights on or off-road will be a thing of the past. And you can begin to enjoy your Zoom meetings working up a ride to the Maldives on the side. http://www.newenglandriders.org/GPS/GPS.htm
Will just see you on the road if you live within 100km, Cindy & Duncan
Submissions for the Next Journal close 28-ish MAY 2020
VENUE FOR BMWMCQ GENERAL MEETINGS GEEBUNG RSL CLUB 323 NEWMAN ROAD GEEBUNG MEALS OPEN AT 6.00 PM MEETING STARTS 7.30 PM
NEXT MEETING : WHO TF KNOWS!
Committee Reports Paul Hughes
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MAY 2020
President’s Report
W
ell it has been a long month in this household. Working from home is something I enjoy, but I never thought I would ever wish I still had to do the daily commutes etc. It certainly has been “rewarding”.
Yesterday the Premier of Qld announce some relaxation of “stay at home” restrictions as of May 2. The important one for all of us is that it is now legal to go for a recreational ride up to 50 km radius of our homes. Bad time to live inner city, great time to live on the fringes of Brisbane or Gold Coast or Sunny Coast. Still you can ride, and I am certain we will all find some new rides inside the limits. How long before the 50 km limit is extended? Suppose it depends on whether people stick to the intent of the restrictions. i.e.: Don’t ride in groups of more than 2 or your resident family group. Don’t congregate together in groups at stopping points and also maintain social distancing. Now I know BMWMCQ members are pretty sensible people so please don’t be the ones to bring this new-found “freedom” undone. Let’s hope no one else does also.
I have been methodically going through both bikes’ maintenance schedules (I think I have bled the brakes 3-time LOL) and have washed and polished both till the paint starts to thin out. The spoke wheels are the only thing left. Rumour has it one life member has even relented and is currently detailing his bike. That will be something to behold. Photos demanded!!!!!!! The committee has met via the Zoom virtual online program and is still planning events and carrying on the essential business of the club. I have to thank them all for the diligence and devotion to their various responsibilities during this difficult time. Easy to just give up and wait but they haven’t done that, and it is to their credit. Several day rides planned and some weekends as well.
We have left a number of events still up on the calendar. Obviously, they will only occur if restrictions are further reviewed. No one really knows when that will be but no harm in still leaving some there. Travel inside Queensland is the main one along with social distancing numbers relaxation. Need both of them to be revised before we can do anything club wise. For the moment, I have this google map with a 50 km radius circle from my home in front of me. I think I can get inventive inside that circle to plan some exciting rides that I may not have done before. Enjoy what we have and look forward to what might get. Ride safe.
Paul
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MAY 2020
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Mark Gilbert
Vice President’s Report
i Riders,
It has been a quiet month, but the news is we can get out on our bikes after the 1st of May as long as we stay within 50 km of home so I hope you have all been looking after your bikes getting the battery charged, maintenance done, and ready to go. There is not much to talk about as I have not been out on the bike and my post work activities have been severely curtailed.
I feel for the editors at the moment as there is little activity to write about in the magazine, I have provided a bit of my history on bikes to the editors for past magazines, but I am sure we would all like to hear about how you got into motorcycling, what bikes you had, and what stands out in your memory. We all have our own story and in some way it lets us get to know each other that little bit better so have a thought about submitting your story to the editors. Eds: The call to arms has had an overwhelming response this month, with fantastic contributions from a lot of people besides the regulars - but don’t let that stop anyone as there is no limit on the number of stories we can fit into the the Journal. I am looking forward to hopping on the bike in May to turn everything over, use the fuel before it goes off, and maybe take a picnic lunch to one of the many nice places within 50 k’s. Stay Safe, Stay Well at a distance Mark Gilbert
Congratulations to Life Member Greg Dunne for winning the inaugural $100 April monthly sponsor raffle draw! Never a more deserving winner in BMWMCQ raffle history!
Tony’s S-I-L K100RT to Cafe Racer conversion project, and the linisher Tony bought “to help him”. Excuses page 10.
Committee Reports
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MAY 2020
John Eacott
Treasurer’s Report
BMW Motorcycle Club of Queensland Inc
Profit & Loss Prev Year Comparison February 1 through April 17, 2020
Cash Basis
Feb 1 - Apr 17, 20 Ordinary Income/Expense Income Advertising Income Interest Received Membership Fees Total Income Expense Affiliation Fees Auditors Fees Australia Post / Post Box Rent Bank Charges Computer costs Software Expense Total Computer costs Government Charges Miscellaneous PayPal commission Postage Telephone Website Domain Expenses Website Hosting Expenses Website Maintenance Total Expense Net Ordinary Income Other Income/Expense Other Income Donations Income Event income 2020 BMW CA Rally income Event income - Other Total Event income Regalia Sales Total Other Income Net Other Income Net Income
Feb 1 - Apr 17, 19
0.00 193.23 2,178.20
3,900.00 1.45 2,484.49
2,371.43
6,385.94
0.00 660.00 201.00 10.00
238.00 0.00 195.00 0.00
63.59
69.95
63.59
69.95
141.00 0.00 37.45 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 770.00
55.35 58.46 34.25 100.00 10.00 56.36 91.74 1,155.00
1,883.04
2,064.11
488.39
4,321.83
58.00
0.00
1,251.00 0.00
0.00 2,000.00
1,251.00
2,000.00
0.00
25.00
1,309.00
2,025.00
1,309.00
2,025.00
1,797.39
6,346.83
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MAY 2020
Greg Gaffney
Y
Committee Reports Records Officers Report
esterday I went for a short ride on my R1200RT, which hasn’t been ridden for two months, to get some cheap fuel. The battery wasn’t flat however the tyres of course needed some air before going to the service station. There was a slight drizzle but it was good to be on two wheels again. I’d like to thank Gary Bennett for doing a fantastic job going through old journals and finding the club join dates for many members. I have updated these join dates in the website database.
Greg Gaffney records@ bmwmcq.org.au New Members : Nil
Committee Reports Bill Luyten Good news, we may be riding sooner than we thought. Seeing to what level the Covid 19 restrictions are lifting we will plan a service day soon, I hope. I’m looking at updating some of our tools and will discuss this with the committee. If any members have suggestions for tools, they think will be useful, please let me know via the above email and I can take it to the next committee meeting.
Repair Manuals
I have various Repair Manuals available to borrow mainly for the older bikes. Cheers, Bill
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MAY 2020
Tool’s Report • • • • • • • • • •
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 Diagnostic tool (for older bikes) Tyre Pressure Monitor Sensor (TPMS) tool Enduralast hall sensor tester Brake bleeding tool (suction bleeding via the brake caliper) Compression tester
Club Tool Loan: $50 deposit (refundable) for GS911: Tools There are special tools available including the GS-911WiFi and spares can be picked up at my place in and 3 pin diagnostic tools. Springfield. Contact Tools Officer Special Tools Bill Luyten 0438 123 747 • Twinmax electronic carburetor balancer (Twin wluyten@bigpond .net .au or BMW engines) • Vacuumate (electronic synchronization of throttle Club email: spares@bmwmcq.org.au
Tools for loan
Rosi Johnson
Regalia
As this is my second month as Regalia Officer, there is nothing to report - however there are plans afoot for a Welcome Pack for members and an order form will soon be available also to enable members to order shirts, hats and other Regalia more easily.
In the meantime, if you have any requests just shoot an email to Rosi and she will be happy to look into your request: regalia@bmwmcq.org.au
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Committee Reports
MAY 2020
Tony Gray
Secretary’s Report
ike most of the country, the job of Secretary has been in a mild state of hibernation this past month. The Annual Return to the Office of Fair Trading was lodged following the Club AGM and finalisation of the annual accounts. The committee has held its first ever ‘Zoom’ video-link meeting which was very successful. The monthly draw of a $100 gift voucher to one of our valued journal sponsors was conducted (well done Greg Dunne) and I have written a story for this journal which will hopefully transfer your mind to a happier time and place. Jane has turned her mind and pen to the Corona virus with her usual twist to make it ‘fun’. On the personal front Jane and I have taken the time away from riding and grandkids to repaint the house. The old house is approaching her centenary and is in need of some TLC. Under the house our son-in-law has been ‘quietly’ cutting and grinding on the recently acquired K100RT that is being converted into a Café Racer. As the mechanical consultant on the project I have had to turn away when the cutting disc comes out – and not just to shield my eyes from grit. Watch this space for further developments. Stephen is an ex boilermaker/fitter and a perfectionist. His attention to detail is boundless so the finished product promises to be something special. The workshop has also acquired a new Linisher to smooth and finish the cut material prior to polishing. This is a very handy piece of kit indeed. Keep safe and keep busy.
BMWMCQ Meeting Minutes 02 April 2020 - Unofficial Day 12 of Isolation Version Venue: Home Meeting Opened: Apologies: Minutes of Previous General Meeting:
After Home and Away - Will Ziggy’s hunger for the truth tear the family apart? Everyone. You have all wronged me. Accepted: A. The Hun
Number of Attendees: Visitors: Treasurer Report: Editor Report:
1 0. Not even family. I’m re-drafting the Will. Treasure remains buried. But I have a map, I think it’s in the neighbour’s yard. This cabernet is an absolute cracker! And I’ve lost the cap! I must push through!
Tools Report:
Bill has awesome tools. I’ve seen them.
Regalia Report: Records Report: Events Report: Secretary Report:
Rosie has regalia. I wonder if she has any ghost repelling polo shirts? Greg has records. Even a Bob Denver LP according to rumours. Mark’s odds published on which will be first event after the Corona. 3:1 against on June coffee. Christmas in July still pulling some money. German Club June heavily backed. Tony is the secretary. He might be available for casual typing. I will ask.
Dealer Liaison Report:
Don is liaising while maintaining a social distance of 0.82 fathoms.
Vice President Report: President Report: Other Events/Buy/Sell/Swap: General Business Closed:
Mark G is presiding. Over vice. Inject Dettol to kill the virus. A President said that, but it wasn’t Paul. I need some binoculars, and a Ouija board . Badly. Was he the one that led the charge into Suvla Bay? Damn, I found the cap. Next meeting is at 7.30pm Thursday Somethingth of Sometime 2020.
Seconded: B. Pitt
AGM MINUTES - AGAIN
MAY 2020
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BMWMCQ Annual General Meeting Minutes March 2020 Meeting Date:
5 March 2020. Time: 7:30pm
Chairman: Apologies:
Attendance: 46 Paul Hughes/Tony Gray Cindy & Duncan Bennett, Maggie & George Rafanowicz, Mal Cramer,
Minutes of Previous AGM:
Liz Healy, John Allan, Craig Brennan. Accepted: Rosi Johnson
Outgoing Presidents Report:
Outgoing Committee Member Reports:
Seconded: Geoff Hodge Presidents Report included Events report that was handled by the Committee to cover the vacancy in this position. There has been a full calendar of varied events to try to cater for all members. Thanks to the committee for their work this past year and to the members for their support of the club. Committee members presented their review of the year. GG mentioned there are currently 233 members of the Association. Cindy & Duncan Bennett submitted a written report which was read by Paul Hughes. Mention was made that C&D will be unable to complete the full year as they will be touring overseas for an extended period in early 2021. New blood is needed in this vital role.
Outgoing Treasurer Report:
VP Richard Maher has announced that he will not be re-nominating for the role this year for personal family reasons. Thanks extended to Richard to his contribution over many years. Motion to accept the tabled documents moved by John Eacott: Seconded by: Richard de Groot
2020 Committee Nominations: By Tony Gray
Accepted by the members present. Nominations received prior to meeting by the Secretary. A call was made to the floor for any other nomination as each position was called. No other nominations were received so all nominees were elected uncontested. President: Paul Hughes, Vice President: Mark Gilbert Secretary: Tony Gray Treasurer: John Eacott, Records: Greg Gaffney, Tools: Bill Luyten, Regalia: Roswitha Johnson Events: Mark Mustchin Editor: Cindy & Duncan Bennett
Special Resolution:
Dealer Liaison: Don Grimes, Nil
Closed:
8.20 pm
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MAY 2020
BMWMCQ 2020 Events Calendar
BMWMCQ Club Events
The current situation around COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and subsequent government mandated restrictions have forced the suspension of all Club activities including rides, meetings, lunches etc until the situation improves and advice is received to allow planned activities to be reinstated. Advice will be provided on resumption of events via the Club Facebook page and the Website events calendar.
EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS CALENDAR Date 15 - 17 May TBC
Event Location Ruptured Budgie Mingoola via TenterRally field
Contact Moto Guzzi Club of QLD Annual Rally see the FB page for more...
MAY 2020 BMWMCQ 2020 Events Calendar BMWMCQ Club Events for MAY 2020 - CANCELLED
Datee Thu 02
Sun 05 Sat 18
Tue 28
Start 7:30 PM
Event Details Contact Club General Geebung RSL Club, 323 Newman Road, Meeting Geebung Qld….Meals from 6:00pm with meeting commencing at 7.30pm.
8:00 Club Ride AM 09:00 Coffee Meetup AM 6:00 PM
ALL WELCOME! Come and meet people who share a common interest.
The German Brisbane German Club, 416 Vulture Street, East Brisbane Club
Standard Ride Meeting Places
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MAY 2020
BMW MOTORAD RALLY
ountdown to the BMW Clubs Australia Motorrad Rally is still on!
The sponsors are coming on board for the Rally and planning work continues to make this a memorable event for the Club on the long weekend of 2nd to 5th October at Stanthorpe. Registration cost is $64.39 per person and includes Rally entry, dinner on the Saturday Night and breakfast on Sunday morning along with a welcome pack including Rally Badge and Sticker along with goodies from our generous sponsors. Registration bookings are now open directly from the BMWMCQ website (no login required), or just click here and do it right now: www.motorradrally2020.com.au
Accommodation options include camping at the Showgrounds, or your preferred style of lodging in or around Stanthorpe. A list of suggestions is provided on the registration page. Thanks to our generous sponsors, some are doing it tough:
FROM THE PEN OF JANE GRAY
MAY 2020
FUN AWAITS JEGApr2020
Was it only last month we were out on the bike Able to ride wherever we liked? Now our minds are restless & our feet are itchy Our right hands now especially twitchy!!! Stories & videos of other’s adventures Only make us gnash our dentures It won’t be long till we’re straddling a chair Facing a fan as it blows our hair Helmets & jackets sitting gathering dust Each day checking for signs of rust Plotting & planning for our Great Escapes When restrictions are lifted & fun awaits How to stay well till that day finally comes Must we stay at home & sit on our bums? Keep up your spirits (& beer if you like) Before you know it we’ll be back on the bike
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MAY 2020
South by South-west Part 1 By Duncan Bennett, Member No.4171
B
“
eware the Rides of March!”. So said the soothsayer to Julius Caesar in 44BC as he rode past on his BMW R minus 40 flat twin, just before he crashed badly on the floor of the Theatre of Pompey trying to pull a big mono. Well described in Shakespeare’s “What Really Happened” Act III draft, apparently Julius wasn’t the only one who crashed (et tu, Brute?). The soothsayer knew his stuff; March is a month of stinking hot, freezing cold, drenching wet, and cherry-lip-balm-applying dry in Australia, often all on the same day. But circumstances conspired to link a series of events that demanded we tackle the south-east corner of the country in this most uncertain of seasons. Event No.1 was a brilliantly organised family holiday to Kangaroo Island in late March. We’d booked flights and were comfortable with the concept of sharing a van with sisters and brothersin-law, with blood oaths taken that no winery was to be left unmolested or shellfish shell to remain filled. Event No.2 was the annual Compass Reunion, as close to an event that cannot be missed as one’s own birth, arranged marriage, or funeral. Event No.2 dates were announced later than No.1, but the timing was perfect; a week between them made a swing out to Kangaroo Island after the Reunion as natural as not remembering to put on pants before opening the front door. Flights were duly cancelled. Bikes were prepared.
The Rides of March according to Garmin
THE TIES THAT JINDABYNE Sacrifices to the God of Garmin were made, with red wine splashed liberally over well-done offerings. Some hard-core adventure riding via Google Earth was undertaken, and it all appeared beautiful. A quick thrust south through the NSW hinterland including some dirt, a couple of days with our son and family in Nowra, and a final push onto the chosen Compass Reunion venue of Jindabyne. Surely nothing could go wrong, but it was indeed the Rides of March. Firstly, the bushfires, then the flooding. Talk of moving the Compass Reunion to the Otways in Victoria, no big drama for us, and eventually a slight shortening of the ride-out due to the lack of roads open in the bush. Actually a positive for us, with more time to casually cruise through the countryside afterward on the way to Kangaroo Island.
Active over 50’s get an air-conditioned bus. We need to get active. Two days after arriving back from a Mali work trip, hopefully having avoided malaria, Dengue, Ebola, and any number of the usual west African flesh-eating horrors, we were on the road. Grafton was the first destination via the Lions Road, and we were quickly into some excitement. The five Grady’s Creek crossing alternative was chosen as usual by me while Cindy took the bitumen, but the sight of a drenched rider sitting dazed in the first creek crossing next to his bike chilled some adventure riding fervour. Just getting to him and his bike on foot was a challenge – the warm and shallow river flow over the new concrete causeway had created a surface like ice smeared with grease. The traumatised rider was reassured that his failure was a physics given and alerted that there were another four crossings. We lifted his bike and got turned around, and meekly followed the true path, i.e. the bitumen. Arrival into Grafton signalled the start of the true adventure –
THE TIES THAT JINDABYNE
commencing with the motel pool. Day 2 had been allocated enormous planning energy; tracks from the Old Glen Innes Road south to the Armidale Road were followed on Google Earth from 10 metres up; no fake roads for these riders thank you. Reality was a bit different, the Old Glen Innes Road was closed. Okay, unplan B the Glen Creek Road through Nymboida onto the Armidale Road. Sorry, the Armidale Road is closed because the bridges were burned, then washed away. An hour and a half and 60km after leaving Grafton, we arrived in Grafton. Unplan C was the East Dorrigo Road and up Waterfall Way – not a shabby detour and calm had returned by lunchtime in Dorrigo, and we were very relaxed by Tamworth so decided that was far enough. The original plan of Nundle was abandoned, a sad victim of our disinterest in riding an extra 60km.
Good summary of Day 2 Day 3 was the Day of Putty. The famous road west of Sydney has been written up in at least 20 motorcycle magazines since 2015, so expectations were a) it would be crawling with sports bikes, b) crawling with police, and/or c) crawling with caravans, but we were obliged to try it. After a break in Scone where we just had to order a scone and send pictures to everyone asking for guesses of where we were (well done to Bruce Macmillan of Tasmania, a prize isn’t on its way), we hit the Putty Road. The northern section had “fake road works”, i.e. no road works are happening as the road is perfectly fine, but for some reason – likely recent fire damage - speed is restricted to 60kmh. It was totally devoid of traffic. After about 80km we reached the Grey Gum International Café,
MAY 2020
17
presumably named on the basis of having only foreign customers travelling to or from Queensland; the Phillip Island crowd were on their way north.
Putting along the cooked Putty The southern half of the Putty Road was more open and therefore faster, and pretty quickly we were air-kissing the western suburbs of Sydney; nothing really satisfying but no exposure to traffic sores. The best part was a cruise through Rooty Hill – the suburb with the highest rating on the immature giggles per mention index in Australia. Then south into Wollongong via the M1 OMG I’m going to die if that truck/car changes lanes descent, and in mounting moisture we arrived into our son Tim’s place in Nowra. Never in day-off-the-bikes history have we got it so right; Day 4 was relentless rain. Nothing to do but cruise the supermarket and marvel at the COVID-19 (The ‘Rona) panic buying frenzy which had stripped the dunny paper shelves bare, and cruise the motorcycle shop where I was looking for a new pair of motorcycling gloves to replace my be-holed set. Cindy somehow ended up with new gloves while I got nothing – retail shopping is a mysterious and dark world.
Son Tim brought the right tool for the job
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MAY 2020
Day 5 started with some off-road family adventures west of Nowra, our son Tim had planned some routes through the bush along the Braidwood Road, confidently leading in the horribly wet and greasy conditions as only someone on a Yamaha WR450 with knobby tyres can do when chased by huge fully-loaded adventure bikes with 50/50 tyres. A fire trial was the first and last straw – the rain had turned the yellow clay into a slippery mess – Tim’s recon up it nearly ended in disaster so play was abandoned, goodbyes said and we continued along the Braidwood Road. By the Nerriga Hotel all terrors had been pushed deep down into the repressed trauma bank – only 87% full now, and a steadying coffee had the lid back on tightly.
No country for adventure motorcycles By Braidwood the GPS insisted we take the Cooma Road, but the lid on the repressed memories bank was discovered to be a bit loose, so we took the bitumen via Queanbeyan to a lunch at a popular Scottish family restaurant chain that shall remain nameless. The final blast to Cooma, coffee in our traditional Under the Elms café, and we punched down to Jindabyne to ride wildly around trying to find 95 unleaded and backtrack via roundabouts to the Rydges Resort, scene of the 2020 Compass Expeditions Reunion. After an unpack, it was off to the bar to greet old mates and meet other Compass ride veterans. This event attracts people from far and wide so there are about as many boring moments as toilet paper rolls in the local Woollies. A wander up the road for excellent pizza and the usual endless accompanying hilarity, and it was time for bed.
THE TIES THAT JINDABYNE Day 6 had been a source of anticipation and worry for a few months. We’d been asked by Craig Jackson of Compass to give a presentation on our riding travels at the reunion dinner. Having first ascertained that Craig hadn’t been spotted on a Harley and rightfully sacked by Compass and was seeking some extreme vengeance, or was emailing from his new asylum cell, we’d dangerously said yes. Fortunately for the crowd, we weren’t the headline act as this is rightfully reserved for someone who’s done something way out of the ordinary. So after a very good reunion lunch and reunioning with more old friends and meeting lots of people, the normal options of a dirt ride or road ride were chosen by the gathered mob. The headline act did the dirt ride – on a Triumph Thruxton café racer mind you – demonstrating her capabilities as a rider. Heather Ellis is the embodiment of a freak adventure rider, she rode up Africa by herself in the 1990’s before the invention of instant communications and rode through countries like the DRC at a time when people could still just disappear out there. She’s written a couple of great books about the Africa ride and her return to Australia via the endless part of Asia including Russia. It was a real honour for us to be the supporting act to Heather, and it earned us a free glass of red from Compass founder Mick McDonald, probably because we knew secrets about him but had only broadly hinted at them.
Craig Jackson finishing his introduction and happily remembering he could always activate the fire alarm Day 7 to Day 10 followed the Compass Reunion routine, riding out either with the
THE TIES THAT JINDABYNE Dirt People who took pleasure in adventure motorcycling, or with the Café Latté Parté who had motorcycles but for whom the primary pleasure was finding ridiculously expensive coffee. To spread the benefits to burned out and now saturated towns we were taken to Batemans Bay for one night, then Mallacoota in Victoria for another night before returning to wrap things up in Jindabyne.
The power of expensive coffee; Compass founder Mick McDonald in support vehicle, before and after As anyone with even the most rudimentary knowledge of geology will tell you, the Palaeozoic Era sediments with Ordovician Flysch sequences and interspersed Berridale and Bega Batholith granitoid intrusion events create an ideal environment on the Monaro Plains for adventure riding. We’re not geologists but the wide-open treeless plains with relatively straight roads and long lines of sight to spot any ADHD cows, coupled with the granite sand road surfaces allow for some great fast and fun rides. The slide propensity meaning an inclination or natural tendency to attempt drifties – out there is insatiable.
How’s that for geology!?! Down in the very south-east of NSW and into Victoria the hilly logging country running down to the coast provides a few more challenges, but only the main roads had been re-opened after the bushfires and it was often a “ride in and see”
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experience. Our longest failed “ride in and see” occurred on the Cooma – Braidwood road on the way to Batemans Bay when we managed to get 35km up the dirt past Numeralla before not only was there an oft-ignored road closed sign, but actual road workers who said no for good reason. Full retreat was required, and a series of farm roads were travelled at variable pace, including getting stuck for a while behind an uncaring grader driver who already had several destroyed adventure bike carcasses tangled in his blade, to eventually reach Braidwood way behind Café Latté Parté. Most of the riding wasn’t terribly technical, and the burned-out undergrowth allowed for some great vision from the hills which made it very enjoyable.
Gum tree heaven – competition burned out, and now wet One section on the last day inspired calls to health insurance providers, last minute updates to wills, and reciting of Scripture. Timbillica Road and following logging tracks through valley and hill country near the border was designed to cut the corner off between the Princes Highway and the fabulous Imlay Road. Ride leader Craig was later to say; “I don’t remember it being that tricky while seated in the 4WD with the independent suspension, wide off-road tyres, windows up, perfect air-conditioned temperature, and awesome tunes lined up on the Playlist”. The road surface itself wasn’t that bad, a bit rutted in the low sections, but the creeks were more like very deep table drains and to prevent wash-out and possible inconvenience to stable vehicles with 4 large patches of contact with the earth, large
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basalt clinker the size of 6-egg cartons had been used as rough sheeting. The first one was only about 300m off the highway, I was following Craig closely, and I saw him slow then briefly disappear before popping up on the other side. As I was close, I had to stop, and this was a bit like a brief delay being called as you lie under the guillotine; relaxed is a hard state to achieve. The difficulty appeared to be that the sheeting had not been packed into smooth single rut lines but was cut with nasty ridges at all angles. Sheeting myself, is what I should do on these roads in future I thought as I rode into the maw. As always on these types of crossings, momentum is a friend as the physics of a fast moving yet quivering mass is overwhelming, and even though the totally wrong line was taken over the worst bits I popped up on the other side with physiology and reputation undamaged.
Smiling hysterically wards off concerns of adventure riding mortality A few more of the same nature were crossed before an extremely welcome coffee stop on the intersection with Imlay Road provided an opportunity to sponge up the excess terror sweat and offer up empty muesli bar wrappers to the gods of practice and luck. Hitting the bitumen, the Imlay Road confirmed its reputation as one of the best engineered roads in Australia – the speed can be set at around 100±5kmh (plus preferably) and the relentless sweeping bends just soaked up while keeping a weather eye on the horizon for log trucks. A Nimmitabel lunch rounded off the reunion on-road luncheons, before what was some of the best dirt roads I’ve ever experienced at the top of the Monaro Plains past the Boco Rock Wind Farm and into Dalgety. One final ride past a dead wombat with a spray-painted red cross on it – presumably the work experience kid
THE TIES THAT JINDABYNE on the Council gang is told where to pick them up after they’ve had a chance to “mature” - on the Jindabyne Dam wall and we were back to Rydges Resort.
Michelangelo’s Mallacoota Seagull, from his “Jeez that Sistine Chapel was a bitch” period On the final reunion evening, it was off for another screamingly raucous restaurantclearing dinner up at the Banjo Paterson Inn, with mourning that it was all over for another year. Yet again it was a great event with excellent rides and accommodation regardless of the increasingly traumatic The ‘Rona restrictions on “were recovering” local businesses out in the bush and on Compass’ business. Unless we are doing some other epic ride with Compass somewhere else it shall remain one of the most anticipated weeks in our calendar. As long as we don’t have to get up and speak again.
Do we like The ‘Rona? No we don’t. End of Part 1
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Meredith & Steve’s 2019 Canada, Alaska and Montana trip by Air, Sea, Bus, and Motorcycle
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he planning for this trip started in the usual places – Maps and Google. Our plan was to fly direct to Vancouver and spend nearly a week exploring this city before embarking on the Island Princess to cruise to Alaska. Following this we would hire motorcycles for 3 weeks to tour British Columbia, Alberta, and Yellowstone National Park in Montana. We left Port Macquarie on the 24th April, and departed Sydney for Vancouver on the 25th April.
On the plane and excited to go We arrived in Vancouver on the 25th April and flew directly to Victoria, Vancouver Island where we spent our first 3 days. Victoria is the Capital of Vancouver and houses the Legislative Assembly.
This building was established in 1897 and is set in stunning grounds with beautiful tulip Gardens, fountains and Totem Poles carved to celebrate
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the completion of the Commonwealth Games. We share Captain James Cook with Canada who was searching for the North West Passage and in March 1778 put into Nootka Sound for repairs. On board at the time was William Bligh and George Vancouver. We spent a lot of time wandering just taking in the sights. The weather was sunny but there was a bitterly cold wind blowing. We toured the old Fisherman’s wharf which houses quaint little coloured boat houses moored at the wharf.
Fisherman’s Wharf boat houses We caught the quaint old water taxi back across the harbour. We spent the afternoon visiting the Royal BC Museum, and it is well worth a visit. It gave us a good background into the history of BC from the 1st Nation to arrival of Europeans. We completed our day with traditionally cooked Wild Coho Salmon and Halibut. The following Day we visited Craigdarroch Castle built by Robert Dunsmuir, who was born in 1865 and was a Coal Miner for the Hudson Bay Co and became the richest man in British Columbia. The building was used through its life as a Military Hospital, College, Conservatory of Music, and is now an historic museum. We then caught the public bus to Butchart Gardens. Even if you are not a gardener this is well worth a visit. Jennie Butchart had the idea to beautify a worked out limestone quarry which used to supply her Husband Robert Butchart’s nearby Portland Cement Plant. The result is 55 acres of beautiful garden. We then left on the public bus to the airport to fly back to Vancouver. We were very impressed with Vancouver. It is a modern clean and tidy city surrounded by those Rockie snow covered mountains that we would
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be heading for in the following weeks.
Butchart Gardens We had read about a new tourist attraction that had recently opened up called Flyover Canada, and decided to give it a go. It is a 5 story high cinema screen where you are strapped into a seat, and then they retract the floor. Scenes over Canada are projected on the screen, as they simulate you flying above the scenes. The seat banks and turns and rises and falls over the scenes. You get the smells of the forest, the moisture in the clouds and the wind in your hair (if you have hair). A truly remarkable experience. We walked around Stanley Park in the afternoon.
Grouse Mountain Grizzly The following day we caught the bus to Grouse Mountain which overlooks Vancouver. There are normally a number of activities operating up here but they were not open as yet as it was too early in the season. But what really got us excited was to see the two Grizzly Bears, Grinder and Coola who were orphaned 18 years ago and have been living here since. They were brought here to save and study them. They had just recently awakened
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from their hibernation. We could have watched them all day. It was just exciting to see bears. Little did we know what was in front of us on the Motorcycle Trip where we saw numerous bears up close in the wild. On our final Day in Vancouver we visited the Capilano Suspension Bridge, which has been reassuringly wobbly since 1889. The bridge crosses a 37 metre span and is 70 metres high. It was interesting reading about Canadian Forests. On the 1st May we headed off on the Cruise Ship, the Island Princess This was our first cruise, and we were not sure how we would go. The highlights of the Cruise were:
Glacier Bay. What an incredible sight. The ice wall of the Glacier was higher than the ship. The noise of ice cracking and moving, called white thunder, is unbelievable. It is like the glacier is alive. The scenery is spectacular, the remoteness and ruggedness and power of nature is mind boggling.
The helicopter ride and landing on a remote glacier was breathtaking We visited a working Musher Camp where they train the dogs over the summer. This was a
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great trip out there as we were able to get out of the very touristy town. The dogs get so excited and just want to run.
Musher training camp The on board live theatrical shows were fantastic. These performers were so talented. We also enjoyed the talks by the Naturalist, and the first woman to win the 1000 miles Iditerod Mushing Race through Alaska. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed the experience of Alaska, but it will be our first and last cruise. On the 8th May we disembarked and caught a cab to BC Cycle Hire and Tours to collect our Bikes and head off for the Motorcycle part of the tour. We hired an R1200RS for Meredith and an R1200GS for Steve. After completing the relevant paperwork we headed off. Our first stop was at Princeton. It was only a short day of approximately 250kms. It seemed to take forever to get out of Vancouver. We continued on through the Okanagan Valley on Highway 3 to Cranbrook for our second night. The scenery was
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fantastic and we could see the Snow covered Rockies in the distance. But we were not heading there yet. We were taking a small diversion to Yellowstone National Park. The following day we headed into the USA. The snow covered mountains looked fantastic in the distance as they rose out of the plains of Montana. We were getting excited as we knew we had to cross these mountains. Our plan was to make the border crossing on the Chief Mountain Highway, in the Glacier National Park. However when we got to the turnoff the sign said the border crossing was closed. We had to detour from our plan and cross at Piegan border Crossing, near Cardston. We then struck 11 miles of serious roadworks on our way to Browning. Lucky for us the traffic control guy told us that the road through West Glacier had just opened that afternoon and we could go that way to our destination that night of Kalispell. A fantastic day riding through plains and mountains, although we were disappointed that we could not go through the centre of Glacier National Park. The next day was a cool start at 8°C as we headed to Livingston for our overnight stay. We were surrounded by huge snow-capped mountains on either side of the road. The final few kilometres into Livingstone was on the highway at a sensible speed limit of 130kmh or 80mph. The following day we headed into Yellowstone National Park. We had one night at the Old Faithful Inn. Although it was very expensive it was worth it for the experience. Our second night we stayed just outside the park at Gardiner. We picked the right time to visit Yellowstone, although it was reasonably busy, it was certainly not overcrowded. Being so early in the season does have disadvantages as well. Not all roads were yet cleared of snow so we could not go everywhere we had hoped. We both really enjoyed the park. The highlights were: Our first sighting of Grizzly Bears in the wild. What a fantastic experience. We spotted a sow (mother) with 3 cubs playing. The other wildlife we saw: Bison, Elk, Grey Wolves. Yellowstone was the first national park declared in the world. It was established in 1872
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and covers over 2 million acres.
Mammoth Springs are fantastic with colourful works of art produced by the enormous power of nature. There are many picturesque rivers and falls and lakes scattered throughout the park, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is 4000 feet wide and 1200 feet deep, a great sight.
There was still a lot of snow around, and Yellowstone Lake was still frozen
Old Faithful Geyser still performing approximately every 90 minutes Other geysers, hot springs, boiling mud. There is a lot to see. We both really enjoyed Yellowstone, but had we left it another month the place would have been overrun with tourists like ourselves. We headed back towards Canada and had our overnight stay at Great Falls, a fairly large city which did not impress us too much. The next morning we headed for those fantastic mountains, and of course we had to travel across those 11 miles of roadworks. However we were fortunate to be the first travellers to cross the border on the Chief Mountain Highway as it was now open. We were the first to cross this season and the Border security took our photos to put on their website, or so they said. We arrived back in Canada and spent the night in Pincher Creek, Wind Turbine Capital of Canada. Lots of rain overnight and a very bleak outlook the next day as we headed off for a 3 night stop at Banff.
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First over the border at Chief Mountain crossing
Meredith resting on the way to Pincher Creek We took the long way round via Radium Springs where the temperature had risen by 20% to 6°C. We lunched on typical huge hamburgers and fries at Radium Springs before travelling on to Banff which so far had been a fairly miserable ride. But our spirits lifted when Meredith spotted our first Black Bear on the side of the road. But just as she was getting the camera out along came the Ranger, sirens on and moving us on. This was not the only time a Ranger stopped us when we were near bears. We became convinced that a tracking device had been inserted on or in us when we went through customs. As luck would have it we saw another bear and no Ranger in site. We had a three night stay in Banff, and decided to have a day off the bikes. We enjoyed Banff, although touristy it still has a lot of character, surrounded by mountains. It was overcast and drizzly rain for the three days we were there.
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Lake Louisa - overcast Despite the weather we rode out to Lake Louise, to find it frozen, snowing and the mountains covered by clouds. We were not disappointed though it was still a fantastic sight. The day was also topped off because we saw more bears and no ranger. After leaving Banff we travelled towards Revelstoke, just to see the fantastic scenery. Emerald lake was gorgeous:
And there on the side of the road, a Black Bear and of course a bloody ranger to move us on. We spent that night in Golden where we had dinner at the good old Wolf Den bar where there was live music and gourmet hamburgers and interesting characters. We left Golden the following day in minus 0.5°C and headed to Jasper where we had three nights booked. We took a diversion back to Lake Louise as it was a clear and sunny day, to see the difference in the scenery from 2 days before. It was great to see the fantastic scenery in sunshine. The highway to Jasper is the Icefield Parkway, claimed to be the most scenic highway in
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the world. It did not disappoint us the scale of the mountains and the glacier valleys, lakes, waterfalls, wildlife, is extraordinary. We saw Big Horn sheep and of course we saw another bear 19kms outside of Jasper.
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we followed his suggestion, as not only are the falls magnificent, but Meredith spotted a black bear with her two cubs which crossed the road directly in front of her.
We saw another two bears that day. What Lake Louisa - sunny a privileged experience. We overnighted in It was an amazing day on the road, Kamloops. spectacular scenery that words cannot adequately The next day we headed for Penticton via describe. It was no doubt the of at theJohn bike‘O Groats, Kelowna where Steve had a new set of tyres fitted. Rosihighlight and Steve Scotland trip. The tyres had only done 6000kms but the rear was past the wear mark and the front only had about 10% left. Apart from the start of the day the trip was mainly on highway, so not a very exciting day. Penticton is a very nice town, a place where a lot of retirees end up. The following day we headed towards Whistler, with an overnight stop at Cache Creek, of which the best part was leaving Cache Creek. The ride there was good with winding roads and beautiful county scenery with not a snow covered mountain in sight. The area close to Penticton was a rich fruit and vegetable growing area, and Icefield Parkway closer to Cache Creek became a mining area. Very We had three great days in Jasper taking interesting and varied scenery. short rides to visit the Maligne Canyon, Waterfall and Lake, and Athabasca Falls. After we left Jasper we headed to Kamloops. We had some stunning scenery and fine weather to start with, but then as can happen it turned wet and cold. We sheltered for a while and had breakfast at Mount Robson cafĂŠ, and a couple of coffees, but finally headed off in the rain. But just as we came over the next mountain pass the weather cleared and we could then see the magnificent scenery. Tony Gray had suggested we visit waterfalls in the Wells Gray Provincial Park. We are so glad Duffy Lake on the way to Whistler
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We arrived in Whistler on the 26th May. The scenery was magnificent as usual and the road was good to ride. We arrived at lunchtime and spent time looking around this very touristy town. Despite the tourists it is still a town full of character, with a really relaxing atmosphere. We did a lot of wandering and people-watching. We were surprised how this time of year as the ski season comes to an end and the focus turns to mountain biking, with tracks down the mountain and the ski lifts changed to bike lifts by hanging the bikes on the back of the chair, and you catch the lift to the top of the mountain and fang back down. Looked like a lot of fun. The following day we took a ride on the SEA to SKY highway which runs from Vancouver to Banff. We had read a lot about this scenic ride but would have to say we both found it underwhelming. The scenery was OK but the traffic was horrendous. We finally had to return the bikes, having ridden for 21 days and travelled 6100kms, mostly through fantastic scenery that the power of Mother Nature has calved out over the centuries. We had a terrific time. We next flew to Montreal where we spent 5 days exploring the city. Unfortunately Montreal did not present very well. It is a city under major road repairs, highway building, and multi-story buildings being constructed almost on every corner. The result is a lot of dust and dirt. Even the old part of the city is under major repairs, and for now has ruined the city. If you come back in 10 years or so it may be better, but we did not really enjoy it. We then caught the bus to Quebec City where we stayed for 5 nights in the centre of the old town. We really enjoyed our stay here in this quaint French influenced town. It continually messed with our head that we were in Canada but felt we were in the middle of France. The people just change language at a drop of a hat. Back on the bus to Montreal for the weekend where we stayed in a hotel made up from 3 old historic houses and run by the friendliest of staff. We just chilled out there, and then went to Cirque de Soleil for our last night of our trip. Which was a fantastic way to end what was a great holiday.
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The full story of our trip is detailed in our Travel Blog: https://mkaye5.travellerspoint.com
Editors note: Just after Steve and Meredith did this fabulous trip, we did our big Alaska ride. We count 16 bears in this story. 16. Sixteen. How many bears did we see out in the wilds of Alaska, known as the bear capital of the planet? And during the following drive through the wilds of Canada? Counting the three stuffed bears we saw in hotel lobbies, we saw three. Live bears out in the wild? Nada. Zip. So this excellent story was very tough to read without envious thoughts creeping in topped up with thick conspiracy theory icing - what on earth could have happened to all those bears that came into contact with Steve and Meredith? Who knows, but perhaps anyone who is nervous of bears (living or otherwise) should be prepared before popping over to visit.......
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FROM THE “BOYS IN BLUE”
DREAMING OF BETTER TIMES... By: Tony Gray
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here is an old quote (credit to Woody Allen from memory) that goes – How do you make God laugh ……….Tell him your plans! What were your riding plans for 2020 that have now turned to porridge? I know of at least one couple in the club who would have been riding in Italy this northern hemisphere summer – the Dolomite Mountains to be specific (hi Meredith & Steve).
Jane and I and the Grey Ghost were planning on touring NZ but fate intervened and we deferred even before anyone knew a Corona came in any form outside of a Toyota Factory or a Mexican Brewery. Our thoughts have turned to past tours – what were the best riding places in the best areas where we had the most fun and now harbour the fondest memories. Well here goes. If we were given a choice to ride in one region of one country where would it be? Consideration has been given to the roads, natural beauty, history, food and people – in other words a slice of riding Heaven. We are at one with Meredith and Steve here – the Dolomite Mountains in northern Italy. We had just touched the Dolomites during our 2010 trip, loved it when we stayed there in 2012 and then chose the area as the place to celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary during our trip in 2018.
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The Dolomite Mountains are on the Italian side of the Italy/Austria border on a line between Munich and Venice. This National border was the site of fierce battles during WW1 between the Italians (on the Allied side in that War) and Austria (on the Prussian side). With victory for the Allied forces came rewards for Italy in a border realignment that passed the South Tyrol region into Italian control. The great Dolomite Range is now in Italy but large areas of the Dolomites remain culturally Germanic so the visitor is presented with a variety of architecture, food and culture that transcends both Austria and Italy. Some towns carry both Italian/German names eg Bolzano/ Bozen. A legacy of the WW1 battles was that both forces in the conflict built roads and tunnels to the frontline in the mountains to support their respective troops. These roads over the mountains provide access to the many ski-fields during winter but during the warmer months they exist purely for the delight of motorcyclists (and our lycra clad 2 wheeled cousins).
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These mountain roads generally do not carry “through” traffic. There are alternate faster options around the mountains for the commuter and commercial traffic, leaving these networks of roads for pleasure. We are talking mountain pass after mountain pass. I have studied one route where it is possible to ride over 17 mountain passes in one long day. I cannot think of any other place where such a smorgasbord of riding would be possible.
Let me put that prospect into an Australian perspective. In my humble opinion Australia only has one true road trafficable mountain pass, The Great Alpine Road over Mt Hotham in the Victorian Alps. The Bogong High Plains and Dargo High Plains Roads in the same area are also great roads but not true passes. The Great Alpine Road is the highest bitumen road in Australia at a peak height of 1862 m. It is a magnificent ride and a highlight of any riding day. Now imagine doing that 17 times in the one day but not at a ‘meagre’ 1862 m but with many over 2,000 m. Note that my vision of a mountain pass is one that goes up to a peak then immediately descends. The Australian Alps have many great roads but they ascend/ descend a plateau – you cannot ride over the top of Mt Kosciuszko. Some like Mt Wellington in Tasmania only have one access road while others that we call mountains are really just hills (eg Mt Glorious). No correspondence will be entered into lol. OK now have I got your interest? Firstly the Dolomite Mountains are stunning and unique amongst the European Alps. You will never forget the first time they come into view – they are stunning. This comment from Jane’s trip notes “The mountains rose up so starkly and
DREAMING OF BETTER TIMES...
looked as if they had been painted against the sky”. These are indeed sheer stark mountains devoid of vegetation. They are comprised of …. Dolomite (I will leave it to the discretion of Ed. Duncan to add the geological specifics*). A picture of me astride the Grey Ghost on Pordoi Pass (2239 m) with the massive rock formations as a backdrop graced the cover of the Club Journal in October 2012.
The highest peak in the Dolomites is 3,343 m which is quite low compared to Europe’s highest peak, Mont Blanc 4807 m, but dwarfs our own Mt Kosciuszko at 2228 m. Quite rightly the Dolomite Mountains have been bestowed UNESCO World Heritage status. These mountains are the playground of the skiing set during the winter months so several of the higher peaks are accessible from the roadway by cable car – Pordoi and Falzarego are two good examples. Even though we motorcyclists are intoxicated by the pleasures of the ride I certainly recommend that you take some time out to enjoy a ride of a different nature by cable car up some of these peaks
DREAMING OF BETTER TIMES... as the views are outstanding. In addition as mentioned earlier some of mountains were the site of WW1 battles and there are many stark reminders of those days over 100 years ago. Falzarego in particular has quite extensive walks along its peak and the remains of tunnels and fortifications from battles never forgotten.
The mix of Austrian and Italian cultures becomes obvious when you look at accommodation options. The term ‘Garni’ which means a Hotel in Germany & Austria is used widely in the Dolomites. In Australian parlance these Garni are more like our B&B’s but on a larger scale. They serve breakfast but no evening meals. From our experience they are mostly family run and you get to mix and meet the host’s family (who live on the premises) as well as other travellers. We have not been disappointed in any we have used in our travels and they are reasonably priced compared to staying in a ‘signature’ hotel in a larger town or city. A feature of these accommodation houses is the beautiful floral decorations that adorn the window boxes during the spring/ summer/early autumn seasons. They are a delight and it appears that each tries to outdo their neighbour. This is very much an Austrian tradition.
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Thankfully you won’t find western style flashy signs in the villages. In fact it can be quite an exercise to find the accommodation you may have pre-booked such is the low level of signage. This is a recommendation to prebook if you are staying outside of the larger towns. Unlike Australia you cannot ride into town late in the day and be presented with a smorgasbord of Motel/Hotel offerings. On our last trip in 2018 we couldn’t find our house in the beautiful little village of Colfosco.
After riding around several times we had both dismounted and headed in separate directions asking questions as we went. We had been going past the house but its sign was on a different street and the street numbers were randomly allocated – don’t expect 22 will sit between 20 and 24 as it may in fact be on the opposite side of the road in the next block. All was good in the end and we enjoyed a delightful stay at Garni Settsass. Our host, Shabnam, was Iranian and had migrated to the area with her family 26 years earlier to escape the Iran/Iraq war. Her young daughter, Soraya, was a delight as was her mother. Soraya was practising her English language skills on us – it was one of 4 languages she could speak – Italian, German, English and the local dialect Ladin.
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The regional food again offers a mix between the two cultures but being in Italy it is very easy to get good coffee, excellent pizza and a fine wine or beer. On that same trip in 2018 we frequented a small pizza restaurant, L’Tabladel, where we sat each night watching the pizza chef (who appeared to be the owner) rolling the pizza dough as he chatted animatedly with his guests never once watching what he was doing but performing the task perfectly. Each pizza he presented to us was superb as only the Italians know how.
There are many fine towns and villages throughout the Dolomites as accommodation options. The village of Arabba appears often on motorcycling sites as it is well placed between the popular Pordoi and Falzarego Passes. It does however suffer a lot of through traffic because of its location. The largest of the towns in the Alta Badia region is Cortina which has a population of approx. 6,000 which is comparable with say Stanthorpe in SEQ. The population of these ski towns swell enormously in season and they have quite sophisticated (and expensive) retail precincts.
DREAMING OF BETTER TIMES... Our favorites in Alta Badia are Corvara and Colfosco which are just a few km apart. These are picturesque little villages surrounded by mountain passes – Gardena (2121), Sella (2244), Pordoi (2239), Compolongo (1875), Valparola (2192), Falzarego (2105). Again revisiting Jane’s trip notes from 2012 when we stayed in Corvara we had a particularly wet day so mooched around the village and caught up with correspondence and the weekly touring chores.
The rain clouds lifted and we hit the road about 2pm. We arrived home just on 7.30pm (late twilights) in time for dinner having crossed Compolongo, Cerada, Rolle, Valles, Pellegrino, Sella and Gardena mountain passes – that is 7 passes in a ‘leisurely’ afternoon with coffee stops on the way. Can you understand why we love this area so much? When is the best time of year to visit the region? Unfortunately the best riding conditions clash with the long summer school break in Italy – for 2020 this is from 8 June to 17 September. We were there in July in 2012 and September in 2018. The area is easily accessible from the
DREAMING OF BETTER TIMES... northern Italian cities like Milan so the roads can get very busy (especially with cyclists and motorcyclists) on weekends. No two seasons are the same so even in the summer months you may encounter cold conditions but the mountains generally offer protection from the oppressive summer heat and humidity that can grip the lowlands in northern Italy.
Riding in the region outside of these dates is certainly achievable but the snow seasons can be fickle – some of the highest peaks like Stelvio Pass can get closed by sudden snow falls even in the middle of summer – this happened to club members Michael & Ann Ahlberg who were also touring Europe at the same time as us in 2012.
The location of the Dolomites in northern Italy provides plenty of extended options once your appetite for riding mountain passes has been satiated (if it ever does?). Just to the north lies Grossglockner, Austria’s highest mountain. This is a tolled private road but a ‘must do’ when in the region. It is spectacular. Further to the east in Austria’s Karnten (Carinthia) State lie more spectacular riding opportunities, lakes & culture (this is our own Rosi Johnson’s birthplace).
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Head west and you will be in the land of chocolate and cuckoo clocks, or south to the cultural centre of Italy in Tuscany (why not pop into the Ducati Factory at Bologna on the way). The options are endless. (Peaks) Hopefully this little reflection has given you some ideas to chew over while we await that day when we can again feel the breeze in our faces enjoying everything that motorcycling has to offer.
* Remember that you asked for this Tony:
Dolomite CaMg(CO3)2
An anhydrous (i.e. no water) carbonate mineral; calcium magnesium carbonate.
Like limestone CaCO3, dolomite is a sedimentary carbonate rock that dissolves in slightly acidic water, hence forms the spectacular and abrupt peaks that so capture a motorcyclist’s attention. Who knows but they might already be mainly gone, dissolved away by acid rain and as Tony suggests starting to look more like Mt Glorious or Mt Gravatt, so get over there as soon as possible.
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A QUICK GLANCE
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A Quick Glance in the Mirror No quick glance this month as Gary is busy getting a lot of history stuff together for the “History” tab on the Club’s website. Looking forward to that very much.
Sourced by Gary Bennett #509
May 2010 journal: Ride to the Red Centre - Steve & Carole Blackbourn, Murray & Jenny Brown, and Graham & Cheryl Ball in Standley Chasm.
Who is this ex VP on the way to Karuah Rally in 2002? And this little piggie didn’t make it home by the looks!
A great line up of bikes in age order circa 1989 at a General Meeting held at Mungungo near Monto - thanks to Peter F
CHRISTMAS IN JULY - FINGERS CROSSED
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Ho Ho Ho! We are still planning to celebrate with some festive cheer on Saturday night 4th July at “Midnight at the Oasis”, at Motel Oasis Kingaroy, COVID-19 willing. There is motel style accommodation or camping and cabins within walking distance. There will be led rides (road and dirt) to the venue for the July monthly club ride – details to follow. Complimentary Nibbles by the pool at 4:00pm, followed by Buffet dinner Turkey and cranberry sauce Roast Beef and red wine Jus Australian Prawns Pork Belly and Apple sauce Selection of Vegetables and Salads Dessert Buffet Selection of 6 mini desserts Tea and Coffee $30PP A hot breakfast will be available on Sunday morning for $18PP Motel Oasis Peppertree Cabins Kingaroy Holiday Park 50 Walter Rd (07) 4162 8008 (07) 4162 1808 Kingaroy Qld 4610 P: 07 41622399 E:stays@moteloasis.com.au www.moteloasis.com.au
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A Very Long Weekend
A VERY LONG WEEKEND
from where the heck is the next fuel station and my gauge getting too close to the wrong end! I had By: David Whale already switched the tag on the carb to the reserve position! I think that this situation might ring a bell oredom had well and truly set in to put it mildly. to a few of my recent travelling companions! A proud owner of my new (new to me) and first BMW. A rather nice Red and Silver paint job and a newly fitted screen. My R100T and I were ready for an adventure. Not that I realised at the time what sort of adventure it would be.
B
I won’t go into the circumstances of my freedom at the time but free I was, and had an acute case of itchy feet. With time on my hands I decided that I’d make a trip for a couple of days from my home in London and visit an old friend in Canterbury. A surprise visit as he and his wife were always at home in their thatched cottage in a very picturesque part of Kent. No M25 ring road in those days so the trip across London was as hot as it was tedious, with the traffic nearing the East End so slowly the laziest of workers would have been proud of it. For some unknown reason I travelled with my passport and I had some traveller’s cheques left over from an overseas holiday a few months before (no credit card in those days). I think that in the back of my mind a day trip to France could possibly be on the cards. Once on the A2 the open road through the top end of Kent was a breeze. The R100 purring through the countryside eating up the miles as if they were popcorn. It was one of those late summer days that when they do happen in England they seem do go on for a while. Clear blue skies and a joy to be on two wheels with really no care in the world apart
In those days a GPS was known as a MAP. No fancy gizmos telling me how far I had before silence from the engine. I made it to a fuel stop with a sigh of relief and readied for the off again. (the fuel gods are nearly always with me). Riding through Chaucer country I realised how much I loved this part of the world with rolling hills and manicured paddocks, the ride was pure hedonism. I did a slight detour through Canterbury and took a glimpse at its magnificent cathedral. A town I love to visit and did so an many occasions for both pleasure and business. Arriving in the quaint village of Nackington, south of Canterbury I was ready for the warm greeting I usually got from two Labradors that seemed to save up a years’ worth of slobber just for my arrival. Instead I was greeted by a guy right out of a black and white film, a cross between Wurzel Gummidge and a cow milker with a floppy hat, loose country style clothing and straw coming out of parts of his jacket! My friends were having their house rethatched and were sunning themselves in Spain! Plan B (not that plan A had too much thought in it) was implemented. There was a lovely pub I used to go to in Dover. One of those oldie worldly pubs that you see in documentaries and murder shows on TV. Low beams, real ales and a landlord whose nose shone in the dark. The pub overlooked the city from the hills and did a rather nice Scampi and chips from what I could remember. 40 or so
A VERY LONG WEEKEND
miles further along was a labour of love on this lovely day and so off I went. Sorry! Closed for renovation! Plan C came hurriedly into action only there was no plan C. From the hill top overlooking Dover I could see the ruins of the old castle and the bustling town below with more trucks than I had passed on my way down busy winding their way onto ferries destined for who knows where in Europe. Plan C suddenly reared up and bit me! I said to myself; “Self, you have your passport and money, how about a day trip to France to buy a nice bottle of wine, stay the night in a quaint French hostelry and come back tomorrow?”. Self agreed and before long I was admiring the White cliffs of Dover from a Sealink ferry trying my best to avoid seagulls that seemed to want to use me as target practice. Getting a ticket was easy, when you have a bike as they will always fit you on these huge ferries somewhere. I bought an open return, not because I planned to stay any length of time but it was a cheap deal on offer. Calais! Bonsoir France! A place I have visited a few times both on a day trip from school and when I ventured further afield on a driving holiday. Being wary of the French border police I was very polite. The reason for this change of character was because the last time I was there I was in my Black Escort RS1600 with long hair and a very thick dark beard: I was stopped and asked where I was going. “Germany” I replied. “Why have you come to France”? “It’s in the bloody way you idiot”! Not a good start to my holiday but that is another story. I rode up to the old town which was always a good place for a cheap eats and small hotels. That would have been the case if not for a festival of some Saint or other and everywhere was booked or the price of the Hilton. I was beginning to thing that I would run out of alphabet plans before too long! One kind old lady did tell me that there was a small pension on the road towards Belgium and she could phone to see if they had any vacancies. She did and there was, so the two wheels pointed north east and away we went. By this time, it had been a very long day
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and after a beer and wine with the ‘repas du jour’ it was time for a well earned sleep. The bed did seem rather inviting except for the bolster instead of pillows! Not that it bothered this weary traveller. The owner was a BMW fan and made my bike more comfortable that I was. He was telling me how he used to ride them during the war and went into great detail of which I understood little. Refreshed, bathed, full of coffee and French bread I devised Plan D. Brussels! I’d never been there so I thought it was a great time to do so and have a look around. I have to say that Brussels has the worse set of road signs I have ever encountered in any city of the world. Not that I got lost, as I had no clue as to where I was anyway so it made no difference but a hint as to where the city centre might be would have been nice.
I found the old Expo space age building (slight exaggeration, it found me) and I spent a while having a look at that and taking in the various sights nearby. Brussels seemed to me like a city that had no soul. Not sure what it was but I decided not to stay too long. Plan E was to visit Cologne as it was just down the road so the trusty steed and I were off once again. That night’s accommodation was very interesting to say the least. A small hotel off the main motorway (I needed fuel and was not going to risk going too far) was in itself quaint and quirky. My room was obviously a converted barn and the door was something out of a medieval castle. The key was the size of crowbar and just as heavy! No chance of me leaving with this. The blinds did their job and once the light was out is was pitch black. At some stage during
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A VERY LONG WEEKEND seemed to be on my side with endless days of mild to warm temperatures. A nice situation to be in but I wasn’t really sure where I was going and why. I guess I didn’t care either. The southern part of Germany is a wonderful place as many of you who have been there on bikes will agree. I found a small motorbike shop who seemed honoured to do an oil change for me and check the bike over.
the night I felt something drop on my face. After slapping myself around a few times there was nothing there but I switched the light on only to find that the roof was covered in hundreds of cockroaches! The light seemed to be their signal to retreat to various parts of the room at great speed. I spent the rest of the night with the light on and head firmly buried under the covers! Cologne was a delight and people were very friendly and interested that I was on my BM. It seemed that wherever I stopped people would ask me where I was from and why was I in Germany. Good question which did take a bit of avoiding. Onwards to a town where I lived a few years back. Heppenheim. South of Frankfurt and Darmstadt. Not too sure why I came back here and I kept looking over my shoulder in case I ran into the woman who asked me to marry her years ago to which I beat a hasty retreat! In reality I came to see if I could find an old friend who was a great musician and we had many a beer and jam session together. I found the bar that he owned with his lovely wife but sadly he’d died of cancer and the place had changed hands. It was a great shame as he had dozens of reel to reel tapes of concerts he’d been in and one of my favourites was with Ella Fitzgerald. It’s a lovely area and the Odenwald is very picturesque with some lovely riding through dense forest. A great place to just stop and enjoy a picnic and listen to the abundance of wild birds. This area is often missed by tourists who plough on through to the Black forest and Bavaria and other southern regions. I’d lost track of days right now and one day seemed to just fall into the next. The weather
I meandered around there for a few days waiting for Plan E to miraculously appear but it was not forth coming. I managed to subsidise my eating and drinking for a few days playing piano in a bar. I’d played there many years before hand on a camping trip and still had memories of an encounter with two Swedish girls who I thought were asleep in my tent! That is another story! Fate seemed to lend a hand on my further travels. I thought I’d go to Italy and catch up with some old friends who lived in Tuscany and who I worked for in their restaurant. The ‘Pedale e Forchetta’ (Pedal and Fork) which was a great haunt in the 50’s and 60’s for mad keen push bike riders including some of Olympic standard and fame. However, the travel gods had other plans. That became Plan E! With no GPS and a very sketchy map I took a wrong turn and in true male style did not stop to ask where I was or directions. I knew I was heading for Trieste and the thought of a visit to Venice after would be nice but somehow, and to this day I have no idea how it happened but I crossed the border into what was then Yugoslavia! I hugged the E65 along the coast and found some amazing small towns where some of the people just stared and pointed as I stopped. At one stage I had about what seemed to be 20 kids
A VERY LONG WEEKEND around the bike all shouting at me at the same time. A police officer decided to investigate the commotion and luckily spoke fairly good English as, I found out later, his mother was from Birmingham. The inevitable questions about where I had come from and where I was going became a little harder to explain as the days went on. I did my best to explain my nomadic tendencies at the time and not only did he understand but said how wonderful it was. I spent a few days in a place called Nuem, on the advice of the police officer, which is north of Dubrovnik. Very cheap and good food and a chance to catch just to contemplate the next plan. I didn’t want to retrace my steps but was unsure what to do about my return trip which by this time starting to bounce around my head as to something that must happen. I was told by a guy who owned a bar that became my local for a few days, there were boats and ferries that left Dubrovnik for Bari. Plan F was born! Dubrovnik it was.
After a day or so exploring the locality I negotiated (with help from a very friendly local) passage across to Bari on a peculiar looking vessel which would not have been out of place in a Viking movie. Getting my bike aboard was no problem and part of the deal was I would cook for them on the way across. It was hardly P&O but there was plenty of wine and beer (not that the captain drank) and my food seemed to satisfy hungry sailors. With a mixture of Italian and English we all got along fine which was a relief to say the least as I had visons of never being seen again and the BM becoming a
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diving site! Buongiorno Bari! Hugging the coast north the Italian roads where good and thankfully uneventful.
By now I was getting the feeling that my long weekend was long enough. But I was still well over 2000 miles from home! San Marino, Bologna, Turin and then back into France. By this time, I needed a new back tyre. I was told that there was a good place in Lyon. Good was not quite the word I’d have used and all they had that fitted my bike was a Chinese Dunlop thing. They said it had wonderful grip and would see me through for a while. It did. But the while was not very long and by the time I got to Paris there was more tread on a cue ball! Another tyre from a garage just outside Paris, well two in fact as the front also needed replacing. Paris to Calais in one hit was relatively easy but I decided to rest there before the ferry home the following day. No saint’s day or any other festival so accommodation was easy this time. At last, a plan worked out. Dover to my home in London was a bit of a blur and I just wondered to myself along the way, how the hell did all this happen?
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FRIGID DIGIT
FOR THE AIRHEADS - and they are many
MAY 2020
MMM BOXERWORKS AIRHEADS GROUP PAGE This month the below video is entitled “Oil Pressure and That Little Red Light” Here is a story of woe caused by a very cheap part that caused catastrophic damage to a BMW Airhead Motor. In this case the owner was not to blame as the incorrect part had been installed by a ‘Professional Shop’. There is a lesson for us all however regardless if your ride is an airhead or the latest wethead – ignore an engine warning light (in this case oil pressure) at your peril. It may (just) be a faulty switch but it may not. As Mark relays in the video, you are playing a game of Russian roulette if you continue riding with an active oil pressure light. Watch and learn. https://www.facebook.com/Boxerworks/videos/2373639516265388/
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MAY 2020
ADVERTISING & BMW SUPPORTS
ADVERTISING & BMW SUPPORTS
MAY 2020
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Brisbane BMW Motorcycle Specialists Need your BMW motorcycle serviced? We can also help ensure your pride and joy stays in top nick. Northside Motorcycle Tyres and Service has the latest software for BMWs enabling us to re- set service reminders, and assist with diagnostic testing and component testing making it more efficient to solve any problems with your bike. Log book servicing which won’t void your warranty. Book in for a BMW motorcycle service today with our expert team and you can be confident that Your pride and joy is in good hands.
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FREE BMW Motorcycle Safety Inspection Report But perhaps more importantly, be prepared before you head off! Book in for your FREE safety inspection report. This simple check can mean the difference between a hassle-free ride versus getting stuck on the side of the road with no phone coverage a long way from the nearest town. “NEW WEBSITE” SHOP ONLINE FOR ALL YOUR MOTORCYCLE TYRES & ACCESSORIES WITH THE ADDED BENEFIT OF AFTERPAY “BUY NOW, PAY LATER” HTTPS://NSMCTYRES.COM 1/14 Paisley Drive Lawnton Qld 4503, Phone 07 3205 6505 Email info@nsmctyres.com
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MAY 2020
Very Useful Services & Cool Stuff
Call now for our frEE parts CataloguE
Genuine & Aftermarket parts (from 1955 onwards) • Accessories • Australian Agent for Hepco & Becker Luggage Systems and Crash Bars Electronic Ignition Systems Unit 5&6 / 9 Hayden Crt Myaree, Perth, 6154 Western Australia
www.munichmotorcycles.com.au TrAde enqUiries WelCoMe (open till 7pm est.)
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Phone: 08 9317 3317 Fax: 08 9317 3359 email: munich@iinet.net.au
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From business card to full page, all sizes are available.
The BMWMCQ electronic journal is distributed to members and interested parties throughout Queensland and basically anywhere that has the internet. In addition, the journal is issued to other BMW affiliated Clubs. Get your message out to people who own, ride and restore BMW motorcycles.
Good Wool Store Pty Ltd 49 Queen St BERRY 2535 P 02 4464 2081. F 02 4464 3344
www.goodwool.com.au
Phone your requests to Don Grimes - Ph: 0411 601 372
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MAY 2020
Ubuntu (One Woman’s Motorcycle Odyssey Across Africa) – by Heather Ellis
I
first read this very interesting book while recuperating from my broken ankle in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – it certainly put my self-pity into perspective! It was the early 1990’s and Heather, working at a mine site in the Northern Territory packed up her TT600 bike and headed from Perth on a cargo ship to Durban, South Africa. This book has a lot of great stories, and is a testament to the generosity of the human spirit (“Ubuntu”) and Heather’s perseverance over the 42,000km of her trip. She encounters everything and overcomes major hurdles with grace and humour. We had the pleasure of meeting Heather and hearing her speak (on her new book – Timeless on the Silk Road) at Jindabyne in March. She is a very genuine, humble person who has achieved so much and overcome major obstacles. I can definitely recommend this book as being one that brings the continent of Africa to life for the readers – never a dull moment! Heather’s website is: https://www.heather-ellis.com/ Review by Cindy Bennett - member 4170
BOOK REVIEW An excerpt from the book to whet your appetite is below where Heather is travelling towards Kisangani in Zaire (“about as close to the middle of Africa as one could get”): “At any one time, there are thousands of people travelling the world by motorcycle. It is the vehicle that carries us ordinary folk to extraordinary places so that we can explore these unknown frontiers. So when I returned to my tent to find two Germans travelling on mud-encrusted BMW R100GS’s camped nearby, I was not at all surprised. The two men in their mid-thirties - both tall, blond, lean and somewhat tired - had ridden down through Europe, North and West Africa, across the Central African Republic and into Zaire in only three months. They thought I was absolutely crazy to continue my travels into the interior, where there were armed rebels and Mobutu’s unpaid soldiers, who all knew I carried cash that amounted to a small fortune to them. But despite these cold, hard facts, I refused to consider the danger. I refused to live in a world ruled by fear. Instead I wanted to live in a world ruled by Ubuntu.”
FROM THE PEN OF JANE Part II...
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TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED JEGApr2020
How are coping? I hope you’re all well Behind closed doors it’s hard to tell Staying at home week after week Praying this virus will finally peak When will it be over & at what cost? Financial hardship & loved ones lost
Reaching out to others however you can A beaming smile or a wave of your hand Daily walking taking in the fresh air Stopping to chat wherever you dare Social distancing rules now are the norm No easing off till we’ve weathered the storm
Keeping up spirits with light-hearted fun It’s amazing the things some people have done Now’s not the time to be laying blame Controlling this bug is the aim of the game Scientists & health workers need all our support “Take nothing for granted” – we’re now being taught
BMWMCQ BOOK EXCHANGE NEW BOOKS AVAILABLE!
Race to Dakar Charley Boorman Extreme Frontiers Charley Boorman (Racing Across Canada) What If I Had Never Tried It Valentino Rossi (The Autobiography) The Road to Mali Craig Carey-Clinch No Room for Watermelons Ron & Lynne Fellowes Great Motorcycle Tours of Europe Colette Coleman A Motorcycle Courier in the Great War Captain W.H.L. Watson Australia Motorcycle Atlas With 200 Top Rides (6th Ed) Hema Maps Overland Magazines - issue #’s 11; 19; 21; 22; 25; 26; 27; 28 and 29. Adventure Bike Rider - issue #’s 44; 46; 51 and 53 The Touring Motorcycle Jeff Ware & Kris Hodgson
BMW Twins BMW Boxer Twins BMW Motorcycles A Century of BMW
Mick Walker Ian Falloon Bruce Preston Manfred Grunet & Florian Triebel
2 x On Tour with Compass Expeditions DVDs
The initive is being overseen by Jane Gray and you can communicate with Jane via email at: library@bmwmcq.org.au Arrangement can be made with the librarian to pick up & drop off at the monthly Members meeting.....Editor