38
A
NOVEMBER 2021
By Tony Malone, Member #67
mongst the many fine events that our Club provides, one takes us “Back to the Bush”. Generally these are destinations and meeting places for dinner, with participants doing their own thing on the way there. It is a free and easy concept, and so when I did not think that I could take part in #18 (as I had to do a couple of things on the morning of Sunday 3 October 2021) I made other general plans for the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. However as I finished my chores, and was on my motorcycle, I decided that rather than heading East to all that holiday traffic at Bribie Island (my intended destination), I had ample time to travel to Gayndah to be there well before sun-down and just see what happened when I arrived (as I had not been able to find accommodation when I tried to book). So I slipped up and over Mt. Glorious via Pullenvale and Gap Creek Road, then turned right at the end of the Northbrook Parkway with the intent to travelling to Mt. Beppo etc. As I arrived at the intersection I saw a number of motorcycles apparently gathering to continue their ride, and negotiating through these I was on my way, cruise control set at 80kph. I was rejoicing at what a wonderful decision I had made, when I was overtaken just before the 100kph zone. It was a sports bike, apparently piloted by a female. Two more went past (ladies again), and they settled into just over 100. This was fine for me, as they would be out of my way when we reached the corners (such as they are on that road). However the corners seemed to slow them, and so at the divided line I overtook and settled the cruise at about their speed to keep in front.
B 2 B F OR A DAY
group behind them bearing down on me. As it turned out, approaching the intersection with the Somerset – Esk road the confusion on what they intended to do started to set in again. Pulling over, not indicating, going ahead… I could see the road was clear, and just rode by and turned left (I love 100kWs). Did not look behind, but I am sure my Option 719 was the topic of some conversations later in the day! Mt. Beppo is a good road, and takes one past Watts Airfield, which is to the site of the Brisbane Air Show (which I have been to before, a great spectacle, and cancelled twice already due to COVID-19, now to be held in July 2022. Hope that we are all vaccinated by then, and it goes ahead okay). I decided to let my GPS tell me how to get there, which gladly took me through Goomeri. I stopped at the Bakery for a sausage roll and coffee, to continue along the A3 to Gayndah. Fortunately a gift shop was open next to where I parked my machine, and I was able to buy myself a new silk scarf. Very pretty it is, green with peacock feather design; just right for a Queen’s birthday. It was placed in a bag with the logo “LOVE” on the side, and I hope that I had not given the wrong impression. It is sure to do its job, and silk compresses really well and keeps the drafts away from your neck.
The road to Gayndah is not too bad, and I arrived in good time. Needing some fuel, as the dash showed I had run out about 15km before Gayndah, I pulled into the BP. (These GPS things are great, and I learn more each time I use them. For instance, when my fuel gets low a petrol bowser symbol appears, and if you press that you are shown the proximate fuel stations. Not only that, you can ask it to tell you how far they are from where you intend to end up, from where you actually are, and distance from/to Sadly, this may have been viewed as male etc. No need to think any more). Problem is, toxicity, as at the next broken line all 3 overtook the bowser for the 98 was not working, and I me at speed. Not a problem, I will just settle had the choice of going elsewhere or using 91. back and see what happens with the gathering
