SUNNy CoAST BRUNCh

By Tony Malone, Member #67

A SUNSHINE BRUNCH

Here I am(Alone) at Sweethearts Cafe Europe at Eudlo, reflecting on how one needs to pay better attention to starting times, and not think that 08:30hrs is brunch time when I should have arrived at 10:30! Anyhow I enjoyed my Eggs Benedict with bacon, and a lovely flat white. How do I kill time until 10:30 waiting for all those Sunshine people to rise? I will write a review of my ride here.

I live at North Ipswich, and my preferred way out is to the Warrego Highway at Tivoli (no traffic lights, stop signs, hardly any cars etc.) I take the Pine Mountain road (some nice curves; even at 80kph), then through Fernvale turning around Wivenhoe then Somerset Dams and onto Kilcoy. Not too many cars at this time of the morning, which can make the Somerset stage less enjoyable. I took the left turn towards Peachester, and then left up the Nonmus/Bellthorpe Road (washed away in the 2011 floods, and nicely restored. Co-incidentally, speaking with Darryl Gowlett that evening he told me how he had been involved in the survey of the replacement road. Nice corners, not much camber). This is good country for running in a motorcycle (steep climb, lots of acceleration), with mine (a stardust metallic Option 719 R1250RT) having just over 10K on the odometer and needing a bit of hard work. I emerged at the Stanley River Road, around Mary Cairncross Park and left then right for the ride along the ridge to Montville. Nice views, still not too many cars. Turning left takes you down to Eudlo, and the GPS had me right at the Cafe. Parked in ANZAC lane, and wondered why no-one was there, it being 08:35hrs (see above). The G310 with L plates that passed by as I was dismounting did not stop either, and it was only on checking my telephone that I realised my error (see above). To this point the ride had been pretty good, nice corners and no accidents. Went inside and ordered (see above) and settled into the relaxing chairs to make my note. Machines started arriving soon after 10:00hrs, and before I knew it there were about 25 people. Great conversations over nice coffees. I was sitting next to Andrew and Louise Gale who were new members. He had an R90/6 American import (see photo) and we had some good conversations about that. He had not been a BMW owner before, and seemed overcome with the versatility and performance of the machine. Later in the conversation I learned that he was also a bus driver, and we agreed that the greatest problem with that occupation is often the passengers. After an hour or so people needed to leave, and we parted. I photographed some of the machines (there are sure to be more in the photo gallery) as I wanted a shot of the 90/6. Saddled up, and left to return the way I came up to Montville. Sadly there were more vehicles on the road, and this being narrow one needed to remain aware! I realised as I headed to the Obi Obi Road that I could have taken the road to Hunchy (where my late father spent his earliest days, having been born in the Nambour Hospital) and emerged a little to the north on the ridge line. Plan to have a look at that some time later, as it would be a nice loop down to Hunchy and back up the Eudlo Road.

Down the dusty road to take in Kenilworth and persevere with the 60kph zone towards the Green Valley way (lucky the Mary River was not turned into a dam) and then up the Postman’s Track. I decided that I would descend by the Nonmus Road (roads are always different in reverse) and get back onto the Villeneuve Road and the top of Somerset Dam. Back through Kilcoy, and because time was now at more of a premium back home to finish the washing and off to the next event for the day (see above about the evening). I am always disappointed that the speed limit from around the Northbrook Parkway to the left turn to Fernvale has become 80kph, but cruise control is a wonderful thing. I was regaining my trust in the front end; it does not tell you much, just hangs on! So as you will see, I expanded this story to not only be about the ride there, but also the ride back. It was all very enjoyable, and I am in the recovery phase after losing control of my machine at Mt. Glorious on Easter Sunday 4 April 2021 and scratching her on both sides (wet road, fog, gravel on the corner). My confidence restored, I realised that the extraordinary features of the machines built in the 1960s (e.g. the R90/6) and even from 1923 continue to the present day. Which means that while I might ride by myself, one cannot say that in the appreciation of fine machinery that I amAlone.