President’s Report

President John McNair & Cheryl

2021 HAS BEEN A BIG YEAR FOR ME WITH MY WEDDING IN APRIL WHEN MY LOVELY FIANCÉE CHERYL BECAME MY WIFE. WE FIRST MET WHEN WE TRAVELLED TO SCHOOL TOGETHER ON THE SAME SCHOOL BUS AND ATTENDED THE SAME SCHOOL IN COOTAMUNDRA NSW.

After school our lives took different directions before meeting up again two and a half years ago. Cheryl is enjoying the VJMC and the activities it provides with enthusiasm and support. We have both been taking great enjoyment out of working together in organizing events for our local area and the club in general. Cheryl and I would like to say a big thank you to all those who have passed on their congratulations and well wishes following our wedding. Our first National Rally in two years was due to be held in Bendigo, Vic, in October. With last year’s rally in Toowoomba cancelled due to the Covid 19 threat, we had all hoped the situation would be much improved 12 months down the track. However it was not to be, with much of the country in lockdown and the situation not improving rapidly, our rally - like virtually all events - had to be cancelled once again. I can say it will be worth the wait. Bendigo is a beautiful city with many historical buildings and locations throughout the city and surrounding spectacular country. We have all the latest on the rally on the following pages. Over the years I have both ridden and driven to our rallies and I find that no matter how you do it the trip to and from the rally is a big part of the event. This is especially more so if you are riding in a group or even just a couple of bikes. I rode from Brisbane to the 2003 rally in Morpeth NSW and while the ride down was straight down the highway, the ride back took me on my first ride along the Thunderbolts Way from Gloucester up to Walcha and onto Uralla. This was a very enjoyable ride as was my ride with fellow Brisbane member Graeme Knight up the Oxley Hwy from Wauchope to Walcha and on to Tamworth in 2018. I hadn’t been on the Oxley for more than thirty years and had never stopped in to Gingers Creek Café on the way. The ride down to the 2017 rally took us down to Coffs Harbour and then up the amazing Waterfall Way with an overnight stop in the beautiful town of Dorrigo. We had about four or five bikes on that trip and the overnight stop provided lots of laughs and tales over and ale or two. In 2013 I drove and trailered my bike to the Victor Harbour south east of Adelaide for the rally. Fellow Brisbane member Ken Knight and I drove down with an overnight stop in Balranald on the western side of the Hay Plain in south west NSW. Upon driving into the motel we met up with other members from Brisbane, Canberra and Sydney. The following year we met up with Wayne Lavers from Grenfell at a roadhouse near West Wyalong on his Suzuki TS250 on his way to the rally in Victor Harbour again. That would have been a long way across the Hay Plain at 90kph. Well done Wayne. A group of about six members rode up to the 2019 Rally on the Gold Coast from Melbourne detouring through the Snowy Mountains on roads obviously made for motorcycles. This trip took a few days and I bet the overnight stops were a lot of fun. All going well, next year my trip home will include some riding through the Victorian Alps and the NSW Snowy Mountains areas.

Ride safe. John McNair