Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Narooma 23rd December 2012



Attendees:

  • Andrew Campbell Kawasaki ZX14R
  • Chris Dietzel Yamaha FJR1300
  • Garry McCurley Honda VFR1200


Well most people must have had some last minute Christmas shopping to do, as a hardy band of three turned up for the ride to Narooma. Nevertheless what we lacked in numbers we possessed in spirit!


The route for the day was to be down the Clyde Mountain to Narooma for lunch and then on to Bega and the Brown Mountain to make our way home. We were also going to meet up with Tracey and Michael Winters and Jan and Butch Wills in Narooma for lunch as both couples were holidaying in Narooma at the time.


We decided to have our first stop in Braidwood to have a coffee/pie, etc. We were discussing Chris’ impending purchase of a new bike with the merits of the Kawasaki GTR1400 and the soon-to-be released Triumph Trophy being discussed. Well as luck would have it, Anders of Eurotune had just taken delivery of a new Trophy and lent it to a couple who’d just arrived in Braidwood and had parked it right next to our bikes!


So we all had a good like at the bike and a fine looking machine it is too. Seems like it could be worth a look if you’re in the market for a sports-tourer.

So on to Narooma for lunch at Taylors fish and chip emporium, where we met up with our fellow Ulyssians.

Meeting at Taylors Fish and Chip Emporium


The weather forecast for the day had been for late showers, so I was a bit surprised to see the sky turn very black with thunder being heard occasionally. Looking at the radar I could see that there was no chance of escape as there were storm cells everywhere! So we set off south from Narooma and got to the Snowy Mountains Highway when the heavens opened (and I mean opened). It really bucketed down and with our vented summer jackets we all got pretty soaked. The good news was that after Bemboka the weather turned into a hot summer’s day so we were all virtually dry by Nimmitabel.


We said our good byes at Nimmitabel and continued on our individual paths home.


All-in-all a great ride.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Ride Report – Lake Burrinjuck 16 December 2012

A small group of us congregated at Caltex Nicholls for the Chomp’N’Chat ride to the Burrinjuck Recreation area on 16 December 2012. I had a call from Detlev (Det) Voges earlier in the week (from Murrumbateman) who I’d not met before ‘Sure, come along – We’ll pick you up at Murrum or you could come up to Nicholls’. 

As it happens, Det and his wife Hemmy were already at Nicholls when I arrived. As it’s close to Christmas and some of us may not have been out to Lake Burrinjuck before, I gave an account of what could be expected on the road down into the Lake reserve (narrow and winding, and with the potential of 4WD owners with boat trailers that tend to consume the entire road, the message is to use the provided convex safety mirrors that exist, to allow a look around the corners). It is however a good enough sealed road all the way.

The weather was a bit overcast with winds brewing, but putting a positive spin on it ‘Wets not needed’, we headed out. See the attached images, compliments of Detlev, who posted them to his Dropbox site. One of the Jpeg images is the recorded route taken for the day. What a great idea!
We headed out (the seven off us, including the two pillions) via Gundaroo (via Nanima Road onto the Murrumbateman-Gundaroo Road), Gunning, Hume Hwy (boring!), onto Yass Valley Way, and back to the Hume again (via Yass of course). 30km or so south of Yass we rallied at the turnoff to Burrinjuck.

After about 15km or so more, the road narrows with warning signs ‘Please turn on headlights’. Of course, on bikes we always do! The road narrows, and the last 8km is as expected narrow and winding, so we use the safety mirrors. Not a challenge in sight. If there are 4WD’s with boats, they’re either going our way or already at the lake. It wouldn’t be so easy a week from now though! 

We arrived at the park arrivals area, where normally you could expect to pay a day entry fee of $5, get a #4-digit# access code to punch into the keypad to the boom gates, but luck was on our side; the caretaker asked how many bikes (five) and so she recounted the tale of bikes falling over when people lean over to put their code in for the gate. Sounds ugly. She says ‘Entry on the house today, line up two-by-two at the gate, and I’ll hold the boom open for you’. Great! 

We headed for the shop/service station, to order lunch; a big, fat legendary Burrinjuck burger with the lot ($7) has my cholesterol on the rise again, washed down by a can of coke. A great start to my Christmas diet regime (as if!). We relaxed for a while and headed out on a gentle (I thought, but not for Lin who has recently had a knee reconstruction) walk down past the boat ramp and along the lake front to Carols Creek campground. 

A surprise awaits – I thought we had a lot of rain this year. But they’ve released 30% of the dam for irrigation purposes. I’m coming back here for camping/water skiing for a few days at New Year, so the look of the exposed rocks on the ‘beach’ does not impress. We discussed the geography of the area for a bit (where is the opening to the Murrumbidgee River, where is Wee Jasper and Good Hope etc), and then headed back to the shop. Bade farewell to our fellow riders, and headed out the way we came in. With the majority of the group, I took the short way home via Murrumbateman (Christmas shopping to be done) while Det & Hemmy headed further north-west to catch up with friends in Binalong.
  • Ride Leader - Chris Dietzel, Yamaha FJR1300
  • Gary McCurley – Honda VFR1200
  • Graeme & Lin Barber – Honda Goldwing GL1800 (Red)
  • David Greig – Triumph Thunderbird
  • Detlev (Det) & Hemmy Voges – Yamaha FJR1300 (ex AFP bike)

Monday, December 10, 2012

Ride Report – 9 December 2012 – Berrima

Michael & Tracey Winters - Triumph Sprint
Andrew Campbell - GL 1800
Chas Towie - ST 1300
Gary McCurley - VFR 1200
Chris Dietzel - FJR 1300

We set off for meeting point at Epic from Bungendore passing police conducting RBT due to the Ute Show at the Showground the night before. We met four other single riders at Epic – where were all the pillions who were looking forward to a few hours Christmas Shopping in Berrima?

We spent some time discussing which route to take. Last week there were stretches of dirt road on the road from Bungendore to Tarago, yesterday there were roadworks out of Canberra on the Federal Hwy near the NSW border, Macs Reef Road is just one long stretch of filled in potholes and today there was the possibility of being breathalysed on the way through Bungendore. As no-one had partied hard the night before it was decided to return to Bungendore via Bungendore Road and fortunately by the time we got there all the ute drivers had been dealt with and the police had moved on. We headed east along the Kings Highway turning left at Braidwood Road travelling through Tarago before joining the Hume Highway at Goulburn. Braidwood Road was enjoyed as it had lots of sweeping corners and is a good alternate to Tarago Road.

We stopped at the usual place at Marulan for coffee. We left after about half an hour with yours truly test-pillioning a Honda Goldwing. I must say that it was very comfortable, much like sitting in your favourite armchair whilst travelling at above 100kms. And I loved the GPS! And whilst I remained true to my original ride, I did have cause to re-evaluate my preference later in the trip. We left the Hume Highway just after Marulan travelling along the Highland Way. Having gone to great pains to avoid the roadworks between Tarago and Bungendore we were horrified to find that kilometres of this road had been dug up ready to be resurfaced. Rocks, gravel, dust from cars going the other way – not to be recommended. We rode through scenic Tallong, Penrose, Bundanoon, Exeter and Moss Vale before arriving in Berrima. 

We dined at the Surveyor General Inn – lovely grilled barramundi, beer battered flathead, great slabs of quiche and a very tasty looking beef and Guinness pie. Alas, no room for desert but I remedied this by purchasing some calorie laden pastries at the Gumnut café to be taken home for ‘Ron. Here I was disappointed that there were no fellow Christmas shoppers on our trip as the pub had a crech operating where we could have safely left our chauffeurs to while away some time. We did a bit of window shopping but never got the dreaded plastic out of the wallet so back to the bikes where we persuaded a kind tourist to take our photo.

Who would have thought some basic physics would have been our undoing? I was already on the bike, when, as Mick tried to gain his seat, it fell over. I do remember thinking “%$# I’m falling off the bike!” before landing in a messy heap on my hands and knees in the gravel on the side of the road. Lesson – parking bike perpendicular to a hill in gravel is not a good plan. Mick will tell you it was the Triumph trying to toss me off after I had sampled the Goldwing but I prefer the more scientific explanation. Everyone kindly rushed to help us right the bike with all concerned that we were OK. I have two matching bruises on my knees and bike has a pannier with some war wounds. Rider OK and bike OK to go.

We stopped for petrol at Sutton Forest and to discuss the bike drop before turning off at Marulan to travel through Bungonia, avoiding an echidna on the road, back to Tarago. We retraced our forwards trip riding back along the Braidwood Road to the Kings Highway. Fortunately a kindly motorist and another rider warned us of a sneaky policeman training his radar on all oncoming traffic. Chris reported that he looked very disappointed as we all travelled past at a sedate 100kms. The original plan to stop for coffee in Bungendore was scuttled due to the rainclouds and wind so while the rest of the riders travelled onto Canberra, we were home in a minute.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

A land of sweeping Wings

RIDE REPORT : By Ian Paterson


There’s no December edition of the magazine I edit so I take most of November off and work on my photos, do what I’m told around the house, catch up with friends and rellos, and get out on the bike. There’s something wonderful about a solo trip with no schedule to keep to and only a vague idea of where you’re going. I found it both exciting and relaxing.


On Monday Nov 12, I headed off on the Gold Wing on a six-day, 2005km ride around inland NSW and Victoria. I had been hoping to visit friends in Manilla (near Tamworth) but they were in India so I decided to give the trip a more southern flavour. 
Lachlan River at Warroo
On the Monday I rode to Orange for lunch with a work friend and then to Bathurst to stay with my niece and her family. On Tuesday I decided to follow the Lachlan River downstream so rode to Mandurama and then took a great little back road to Canowindra – they were resurfacing three sections but apart from that and a bumpy bit near Canowindra it’s highly recommended. I had lunch in Forbes and then took Lachlan Valley Way to Condobolin on to Lake Cargelligo.   

Main street Condobalin
The lake is full after all the rain we’ve had the past two years and there were plenty of waterbirds, from pelicans and darters to egrets and seagulls. My motel room looked right over the lake. It was my first time in Lake Cargelligo and I have to say that while the lake is quite beautiful, the town isn’t much to write home about. I had dinner in the top pub (there is another pub known as – you guessed it – the bottom pub) and while the food was OK, nobody was what you’d call friendly. The newsagent, post office and one of the two servos are all for sale if anyone is interested.


Lake Cargelligo (from the motel)
All the maps show the road from Lake Cargelligo to Hillston (further west, down the Lachlan River) as dirt but the locals said it had recently been sealed, so on Wednesday I continued down Lachlan Valley Way and then Kidman Way to Hillston, which is about as far west as you can go on the bitumen. The road was in excellent shape and the country wasn’t nearly as flat as I was expecting, with rocky hills in between ripening wheat crops. 


I was really impressed by Hillston. It is very pretty and seems quite prosperous – possibly something to do with all the cotton being grown in the area – and it has a good bakery in the main street. I stopped for a coffee and meat pie and sauce and then sat beside the river for a while reading before having an early lunch at another café beside the river (it was a punishing schedule to keep to). 


Main street at Hilston
After lunch I headed south on Kidman Way to Griffith, where I found the lookout we didn’t quite get to in October, on to Darlington Point on the Murrumbidgee River, and then east via Whitton and Leeton to Narrandera, where I stayed with some old friends. 


There was lots of catching up to do so I didn’t hit the road until Thursday arvo, riding south on the Newell Highway and then on back roads through Urana, Berrigan and Finley to Tocumwal, on the Murray River. I stayed in the Kingswood Motel, which reminded me a bit of the car of the same name. The owners were quite friendly and the bloke suggested I come back some time with the rest of the Canberra Ulysses mob. It was “Parma Night” at the nearby Bowling Club (chicken or veal parmigiana with your choice of 20 different toppings) so that was where I dined.


On Friday I had a walk along the river and then headed south again to Shepparton, centre of Victoria’s main irrigation area, for lunch with another work friend. Then I headed north-east to Yarrawonga and took the Murray Valley Highway through Rutherglen to Albury. I left Albury with a full tank at 5pm and rode to the Hume Weir, across the long iron bridge and around the shore of Lake Hume in the glorious evening light to Jingellic and up to Tumbarumba for the night. 


The upper Murray was stunningly beautiful – there’s water everywhere (the locals said the lake is higher than it’s been for 20 or 30 years), the cows were up to their armpits in lush green grass, and the road was an absolute joy to ride. Tumbarumba has an excellent motel and restaurant that could be a great place for Xmas in July. 

On Saturday I headed home via Batlow, Tumut and the Hume and Federal highways and gave the Wing a well-deserved wash.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

SUSSEX INLET WEEKEND 3RD & 4TH NOVEMBER.

The expectant crowd gathered at EPIC/MACCA’s for coffee with a few tasting the breakfast delights of Macca’s. Introductions all round and a briefing on our intended route the crew were anxious to get moving. 

Left EPIC on route to Bungendore where Michael and Tracey were waiting to join the gang. Very pleasant trip to Tarago. Here Peter, Suzanne and Trevor decided to choose the Nerriga route as an alternative while the remainder followed Chas to Lake Bathurst, Goulburn and stopping at Marulan for morning tea. Weather at this stage was a little unsavoury with a slight misty look about it.

Departing Marulan we headed to Tallong, Exeter, Bundanoon, and Fitzroy Falls with a regroup at the Robertson Pie Shop. As I was leading the ride towards Robertson the Southern ridge looked un- inviting weather wise. i.e. the range had cloud covering certain parts of it. To this end I suggested we put on our wet weather gear as a precautionary measure. After a short distance out of Robertson on the Jamberoo Mountain road we were in the thick of it. Yep rain, visibility down to approximately three metres enveloped in full cloud cover and very vague if not non-existent white lines to follow. Now this is good experience for the un initiated. Some of the intrepid gang had not experienced such conditions and I must congratulate them on their safety approach and adjustment to the surrounding conditions.

As we re grouped at the bottom of Jamberoo I can honestly say the baptism of this little treck was well executed by one and all. WHEW now we completed the last little stretch through beautiful countryside to Kiama. With parking space a premium in the main street of Kiama it was a detour around the block and yep space became available to accommodate all our bikes. As it happened we parked opposite a lovely Café so it was bums down and we ordered lunch.

Departing Kiama saw the route going through Gerringong, Gerroa, and Coolangatta via the north side of the river into Nowra. Once again the scenery was just awesome. Nowra to Sussex Inlet was just a brief run down the highway.

On our approach to Sussex Inlet Trevor coincidently came over the UHF seeking our where abouts. To which I replied just about there. Trevor replied that the welcoming gang were sampling the champagne and hurry up. With the check in and unpack at the Motel it was then time to gather around the BBQ area for nibbles, bubbles, beer and stories, many of which were told and lots of laughter heard throughout the Motel.

Now it was time to gather en mass to sojourn to the RSL for dinner. On arrival at the RSL we were ushered to the Restaurant and low and behold the centre stage was set for the Canberra Ulyssians. A sumptuous meal, along with wine and drinks of various types was enjoyed by all. Great atmosphere and we had a special occasion to celebrate Butch and Jan’s 40th Wedding Anniversary so it was congratulations and cheers by the merry crowd to two wonderful people.

On exiting the restaurant low and behold in the Bistro/Lounge area was music and dancing. You got it, the energetic ones got onto the dance floor and entertained the locals.

Sunday breakfast saw us walk about 50 metres to the local bakery and enjoy the county delights. After brekkie some of the gang decided to go back through Nerriga while Chas took the majority through to Ulladulla then onto the Bay for morning tea. Leaving Batman’s Bay mid-morning gave us a pleasant run up the mountain to Braidwood for lunch. Here we were met by Andrew Campbell on his way home from a little run down and up the mountain (he just needed to get out and ride).

After Lunch it was fond farewells to each and every one and thanks to one and all for the fabulous company, great riding and the fun and laughter.

Let’s do it again

Cheers Chas

The great gang were:

Michael &Tracey Winters, Jeff & Maritta Heiler, Butch & Jan Wills, Jennie Buchanan, Mary Coutts, David Greig, Peter & Suzanne Arday, Jo & Hellen Dutton, Ian Paterson, Chris & Maream Dietzel, Mark & Cathy Walker, Trevor McLeod, Keith, Ros , Chas & Jen Towie


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Ride Report October 2012 Newnes Camping Trip

The intrepid riders:
  • David Campbell    BMW G650GS
  • Leo Farrelly        BMW R1200GS
  • Peter Thomas        BMW F800GS

Saturday morning was overcast and spitting when the three of us assembled at EPIC and by the time we were running down Macs Reef Road it had settled in to a cold drizzle. However, past Bungendore and Tarago, the rain had eased and patches of blue were threatening to open up. By the time we stopped for coffee in Goulburn there were definite blue skies above us. After coffee we had a delightful run through Taralga to Oberon for lunch. The skies had resumed their greyness by then but at least it didn’t look like the rain would be returning.

From Oberon we followed the Duckmaloi Road to the Jenolan Caves Road through Hampton and then on to the McKanes Falls Road up to the Great Western Highway past Lithgow and on to the Castlereagh Highway before turning off to Lidsdale at Wallerawang Power Station. We followed the Wolgan Road to Wolgan Gap and some spectacular views of the Gardens of Stone National Park.

At the bottom of Wolgan Gap the dirt started but it was a very good all weather road. However, it was only five kilometres or so past this that David’s front tire had a run in with a rock and subsequently deflated. Luckily, Leo and I had spent one Saturday early in the year unsuccessfully practicing tyre repairs. But that’s how you learn. After a bit of hesitation we set to and between the three of us, we had a full set of tools to do the job. We soon had the wheel off, the bead broken and tire levered free. We removed the tube and found twin cuts in one of the side walls. The rock had pinched the tube on the rim. We put some patches on and the tube tested OK. Remembering some invaluable advice and tips from Derek Titheradge regarding how to get the tire back on the rim, we soon had it all reassembled. It had taken us just over an hour to do a roadside repair in the dirt and we were feeling quite pleased with ourselves. I adopted my “If at first you do succeed try not to look too surprised” look and we continued along the twenty kilometres in to Newnes.

It was starting to get late by this stage so we rode past the delicenced hotel in to Wollemi National Park and the Capertee Camping area. There were about a half a dozen different groups set up in the area but we quickly chose a site near the river and got our tents set up. Just as we finished setting up and were seriously contemplating our first cup of tea, three young boys approached us and passed on their Dad’s invitation to join them at their campfire. That’s the sort of invitation you don’t pass up so we were soon sitting around a lovely warm fire with Jeff and his three boys, Cameron, Daniel and Matthew. Their hospitality was very much appreciated. We each cooked our dinners then spent the evening having a few chardonnays, Tim tams and Jeff whipped up a batch of dough so the boys could make twists to cook on the coals. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any Golden Syrup to fill them with so they had to make do with honey. Sometimes you have to rough it in the bush.

Sunday dawned absolutely beautiful but slightly tarnished after David discovered something had gnawed through the side of his tent, through his Canberra AGM bag and in to his stash of Belgium Chocolate inside a sealed zip-lock bag. I have had so many run ins with an Antechinus helping themselves to some of my food in the bush before that I now call them all "Antichrists".

Anyway, after breakfast we rode back along the road to the car park and the locked gate at the start of the Glow Worm Tunnel walk. We forded the river then climbed the surprisingly easy one kilometre up to the line of the Wolgan Valley Rail way. It was an easy three kilometre walk to the tunnel passing through a variety of environments from eucalypt forest to tree ferns and rain forest between the narrow cliff lines. The tunnel is approximately 500 metres long and runs in a semi circular shape. We entered and the daylight faded behind us. Several times we stopped and switched off our torches. The walls and roof lit up in myriad new constellations as the glow worms put on their show. The light at the end of the tunnel soon showed and we were out in sunlight where a pair of lyrebirds ran ahead of us up the track through the cutting. We turned off on to a track that led us up then down to the Coach Road. We followed it down through a natural gorge surrounded by high cliffs. David quoted some Kendall to us as the bellbirds opened up and it was absolutely magical to hear their calls as we walked along.

“And, softer than slumber, and sweeter than singing
The notes of the bellbirds are running and ringing.”

We paused for a welcomed lunch break on a benched part of the road overlooking the valley and surprised a goanna as we started off again. We were soon back at our bikes and rode back in to Newnes. Ice creams were consumed at the old hotel before we returned to camp. We left our bikes there as we spent the afternoon following a self guided tour of the shale oil works.

Shale was mined then superheated in retorts to distil off the oil and naphtha. Originally started in 1907, the mines, workings and rail way employed thousands. The last mining operation was a test mine for coal in the 1970s. It was a fascinating and the enormous operation is now rapidly being reclaimed by the bush.
We walked back to our camp and prepared our dinners before getting a fire going for the evening. While we were discussing the finer points of solving everything, a pair of wombats wandered in to camp, as they do apparently. We decided it was definitely time for bed.

We were up early on Monday morning and soon breakfasted, packed and having a great ride along the dirt. We crested Wolgan Gap then on to Lidsdale, Lithgow and Oberon for morning tea where we were reminded to put our watches forward.

The traffic to Goulburn increased due to the aftermath of Bathurst 2012 but we managed to make it to the bakery reasonably unscathed. We had lunch and contemplated a few more of these trips.

We then did our farewells before heading down the Federal to our respective homes. Definitely, a very enjoyable trip.

Peter Thomas

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Ride Report - Griffith – 6 to 8 October 2012

All Weekenders
  • Michael and Tracey Winters – a blue bike
  • Ian and Sally Paterson – another blue bike
  • Chas and Jen Towie – a red bike
Overnighters
  • Andrew Campbell – a blue bike
  • Trevor McLeod – a maroon bike
  • Peter Arday – a red bike

A few phone calls on Thursday night saw the planned ride to Eden and Mallacoota cancelled as the weather wasn’t looking too inviting and a trip to Griffith was hastily arranged with Ian sourcing accommodation in the town. As we left Bungendore on Saturday it started to sprinkle – fortunately the wet weathers were already on so no delay to us. We met Ian, Sally, Chas and Jen at Nicholls and were on the road to Griffith just after 9am with the clouds looking threatening.

We took the road to Binalong where we passed historic Gilbert’s Grave (Sullivan’s mate?) and the sun shone briefly as we neared Harden. Certainly the main income for both Harden and Cootamundra Shires must be canola. The crops were in full bloom and the fields golden and lush. We stopped briefly in Murrumburrah just for a quick break. We ladies watched as a much younger, inadequately dressed and certainly more supple pillion went past clinging on to the back of a Ducati (built for one) – it certainly didn’t look very comfortable.
We then followed the Burley Griffin Way to Temora for lunch in a local café. If you have small children (small , very noisy children) then this café can be recommended to you. It came with an enclosed playpen littered with toys and toddlers whose mums were taking advantage of a coffee and a break. Hamburgers, wraps and coffee were the order of the day for us. While we lunched a storm passed over but fortunately was gone by the time we came to leave. The roads into and out of Temora are very straight and very boring (even for a pillion).

We turned at Ardlethan, stopping at Barellan to have a small breather where we took photos of the giant tennis racket celebrating Evonne Goolagong, who grew up in the town. Chas had heard on the CB that there was a mobile radar in the area and we passed a police car on the other side of the road hidden under a tree – the overnighters confirmed he was still there when they travelled through on Sunday. Being law abiding riders we were well within the speed limit so were allowed to pass unimpeded. 

We rode into Griffith under cloudy skies riding past wineries with vineyards that stretched as far as the eye could see, with many citrus orchards mingled in between. The orange trees were heavily laden with fruit.
After checking in at the Motel, we decided to stretch our legs. A quick visit to the Information Centre was followed by the boys being drawn to the Victoria Pub (where they stayed). We ladies continued our walk, then settled down for coffee and iced chocolate at La Tavola Café. After waiting some time for our husbands to join us, we gave up waiting and went back to the Motel. (The men had made “friends” with a local who treated them as long lost friends insisting they inspect the accommodation offered – anyway, that’s their story as to why they took so long).

That night we went back to La Tavola (locals had recommended it) and for a very reasonable cost we had a bottle of wine, OJ, breads, pizza, fettuccine, deserts and coffee. Early to bed with many thanks to Ian for sending us a text at 10pm reminding us to put our clocks forward one hour.

Sunday we woke to clear blue skies and warmer weather walking to the Scottish café for breakfast. Overnight metal structures of different shapes had been installed on the main street median strip. These structures were covered with rubber bands, through which an army of volunteers were attaching oranges and grapefruit to make Citrus Sculptures. After breakfast we spent some time looking at the memorial to Donald Mackay before heading off to the Rotary Markets that Ian was very keen to see, insisting we linger for as long as we wanted. This was followed by a ride to De Bortoli’s winery where some sampling occurred with a box of same posted back to Bungendore. We then went on a short ride through town looking for the elusive Hermit’s Cave. Back in town lunch was a choice of Subway or pies and sausage rolls from the highly recommended Bertoldo’s Bakery eaten in the local park. By now the Overnighters had arrived so we spent some more time looking at the Citrus Sculptures, again followed by more coffee at La Tavola while Chas and Jen rode away for a small sightseeing trip.

Later in the afternoon after some discussion over drinks outside our rooms, a table was booked at Il Corso Café for dinner - another great Italian restaurant where we tried the veal, steak, spaghetti and pizza washed down with a red.

With the end of the long weekend looming we returned to the Scottish restaurant for breakfast on Monday, to find the renovations of the building were continuing (not being a public holiday in NSW). Monday’s breakfast was much noisier than Sunday’s being accompanied by lots of very loud hammering encouraging us to leave early and hit the road. 

We travelled along the Irrigation Way through Leeton and Narrandera (where a kindly highway patrol overtook Chas and then travelled behind us for some time waiting to book a car as we overtook it). We then followed the Canola Way (you can guess how this road got its name) through Grong Grong, Matong (a rather dilapidated town where a horse grazed on the weed strewn AFL grounds), pretty Ganmain to Coolamon for morning tea. 

After a short break we travelled through Junee and Nangus to Gundagai. As the petrol at the Dog on the Tuckerbox was closed, we purchased petrol at South Gundagai where some stayed at Hungry Jacks for lunch, while we travelled past Jugiong to hopefully get a sandwich at Barney’s café at Bookham. Alas it was temporarily closed for refurbishment so we rode on, parting company from Andrew, Chas and Jen at Murrumbateman. We arrived home in Bungendore to weather exactly as it was when we left – some light sprinkles of rain.

A fabulous weekend with great company and food - a trip to be recommended.

Quote of the ride – “There’s nothing worse than a cold crack!” – you’ll have to ask the riders who said this and why….

Tracey Winters



Friday, October 5, 2012

Change to Weekend Ride Destination October 6-8

Sat 6th-Mon 8th Overnight ride,Griffith (changed from Mallacoota due to weather conditions.)

Because the weather looks a bit dodgy down on the coast, we’re now going to Griffith.
We’re leaving from Caltex Nicholls tomorrow (Saturday) at 9:00am and travelling via Burley Griffin Way (Harden, Temora). 
We’re staying at the Econo Lodge Griffith Motor Inn (02) 6962 1800 and returning on Monday, probably via Narrandera.
If you decide to join us, book your own accommodation and let Ian or Mick Winters (0412 134 376) know you’re coming.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Chomp and Chat to Moonrock Café – Sunday 16th September 2012.

The crew at Tidbinbilla

Participants:
Andrew and Catherine Campbell – GL1800
Darryl Cullen - 1250 Bandit
John Dunn 1500 Goldwing Trike
Peter Schrieber – SV650
David Greig – Triumph T’Bird
Jen Woods – V Star
Denis Paulin – R1200GS
Larry Greetham – Honda Transalp 650
Alea Colquitt – Yamaha XVS650
Gary Dunne - Yamaha XT1200Z
Ian Paterson – GL1800
Steve Mills – SV650
Kevin Shanley – Bandit 1250
Shelley Shanley – ZX6R
Hartmut Kehm – R1200GS
Gary McDonald - BMW R100S ('77)
Trevor McLeod - FJR 1300
Jennifer Buchanan – Triumph Bonneville T100
Mary Coutts – Kawasaki 1000

The weather was promising us a sunny 18 deg, but as we left home in foggy Belconnen I was finding that all a bit hard to believe. However in true Canberra spring style, by the time the ride got under way just after 10am, the fog had cleared and although a bit cloudy it was a pleasant 12 deg!

Nineteen bikes and 1 pillion (moi) gathered to hear the plan for the day. We had two new members on their first ride with the club. Larry, who had taken up the fine art of motorcycling only last year to enhance his brain plasticity and Steve, who was returning to riding after a break. John Dunn also brushed the cobwebs off his trike for the first time in a while. It was great also to see Jen Woods on a ride (we do miss her) and she brought along a friend Denis, who claimed he was the President of the Ulysses club – as if!!!

Now I know you all know the way the way to Moonrock via Uriarra so won’t bore you with details other than to say that I don’t know why they have to run bike races(of the treadly type) on those roads when we want to ride on a Sunday. Never the less it was a great run there, got to check out the new Cotter Dam wall (it’s BIG) and the twisties are always fun.

When we arrived at Moonrock Gary realised that Larry was lost. So Gary went back to look for Larry.
The usual assortment of health food was consumed (chips ARE a vegetable you know), tall tales were told and the usual fun was had. By this stage we still hadn’t seen Larry or Gary and as we had no Barry to go and look for Gary who had gone to look for Larry, we were hoping they were OK. We had no way to contact either of them as that big dish out there renders your mobile phone useless.

Eventually Larry turned up – he’d almost been to Wee Jasper, but didn’t seem too scared by his first Ulysses ride. Gary was later found by Ian, still looking – he’s like a St Bernard – never gives up til his man is found.

For most of us home was via the back streets of Tuggeranong. By now the sun was shining through the clouds and it felt very spring like – finally!!!

Catherine Campbell

Friday, September 14, 2012

Ride Reports

2012

Memorial Day ride to Cordeaux Dam 9th Sept 2012

Well we all met at Epic some had the chance to have a nice McCafe Coffee and quick chat to catch up with each other which is always great to do.

After everyone was fuelled up off we set on our way to Cordeaux Dam. Due to time constraints it was straight up the Hume with a short pit stop at Marulan then continuing on to Cordeaux.

Although the weather was not the hottest at least we had a rain free days riding. On arrival at Cordeaux we were welcomed with enthusiasm by our Jen Woods and Helena Gritton and most members of Natcom which was especially significant in that this particular Memorial day was the first in recognition and celebration of our wonderful founder Stephen Dernley.

A special memorial sights chosen within the national park namely a large boulder which took a great effort by the committee to have approval granted by the relevant authorities. One of our Ulysses members was a qualified Mason and he had the special skills to insert and place the commemorative plaques in the large rock.

After completion of the service Kim Kennison gave a short presentation on the passing of another special Ulysses member Geoff Mayfield who had suddenly ridden on. Geoff was one of the initial members of our club who devoted his time and enthusiasm supporting all that we represent.

Then it was time to depart and wend our way home. Once again it was straight down the highway and the usual boring traffic. That is until we hit Marulan. For the first time I have ever witnessed the complete south bound lands were blocked with numerous police vehicles and most were shunted into the Truck inspection depot.

On reflection I recall a ACT Rapid police vehicle being the first car to meet the oncoming traffic hence with an upgrade they would be able to very quickly identify if you were driving/riding a currently registered vehicle. If not you were shunted into the inspection depot and boy as we went past they were crowded into the station.

From then it was a quite treck home to Canberra.

Least but never Last we were fortunate to celebrate and remember our Loved ones and special friends who have ridden on.

Thanks to the crew who attended.

Michael Winters, Butch Wills, Chris Dietzel, Hartmut Kehim, Silvia, Mike Kelly, Gordon White, Trish Holdsworth, Piers Holdsworth, Garry McCurley, Chas & Jen Towie.

Cheers CT

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Ride Report – Batemans Bay 2 September 2012


Who would have thought? It’s Father’s Day, so I didn’t expect a huge turnout at the new Woolworths/Caltex at EPIC when I got there at 0915 on the 2 September. But then, the weather was nice (it is the second day of spring). We had a crowd, and some more were expected to meet up with us at Bungendore. I advised that I was more than happy for others to set the pace if they so desired, and we set off. I had asked Al Munday if he can lead us to a Fish & Chips eatery at Batemans Bay, as I don’t really frequent the place and wouldn’t know what’s on offer. Al suggested we gather up at Nelligen after we’ve made our own pace down the Clyde once coffee was had at Braidwood. Good idea! Two (plus one) of the attendees were riding CanAm’s, and their intent was to peel off at Braidwood, while another was to peel off to Ulladulla at the Bay turnoff.

The intent was that I would lead the ride, but I was expecting my friend Melissa from Hash House Harriers to join as at EPIC, but no show! We decided to head off to Bungendore, and I didn’t get the text that said she’s ill, and won’t be coming. Melissa had invited another friend (both these girls are close to being able to join Ulysses, so why not!) and Karena was one of those meeting us in Bungendore. I did get the next text from Mel, saying ‘stuff it, I’m coming, and I’ll meet you in Bungendore’. I arrived there, to find Mick Winters, Karena, Marilyn and Steve waiting in Bungendore, but no Mel. Trevor had begun the ride but just near Eaglehawk he had to make a call and we found that he’d had to call it quits for the day.



I asked Mick to lead in to the Braidwood bakery, and I’ll wait for Mel as she is not the most experienced of riders. And so Mick I was left alone in Bungendore, where I didn’t have to wait for long before Mel showed. We headed off for Braidwood at the maximum allowable speed without attracting too much attention to us, and arrived at the bakery just as the crew were finishing coffee. We skipped our pie & coffee and headed for the Clyde with me leading, but not for long, as Andrew had decided to set the pace. When we got to Nelligen, I had just taken off my helmet when the next group arrived. A surprise – Mel was in that first group of four. Her pace did surprise me as she was crook and hasn’t to now been confident on the ‘twisties’, but that seems to have been laid to rest! Alan Munday suggested we go through Batemans to Malua Bay for lunch, where parking would be easier and there is a large park for us to chill out. Decision made.   
Malua Bay

We ate, some headed home earlier than the rest of us, and then we made plans for the return leg. Discussion on where to fill up led me to the conclusion that we’ll stop for coffee in Bungendore and a refuel stop in Braidwood is optional. Alan led us out through Mogo after which I jumped in front. On the first part of the rise up the Clyde (Misty Mountain road area), Andrew again took lead and I followed, arriving at Braidwood and no sign of him! So I too chose to forgo the stop at Braidwood, and we waited at Bungendore for those wishing to have that farewell coffee. Others went straight home.

A great day, but I must apologise for the disorganisation that resulted. All’s well, I think everyone had a another good and safe day’s ride.

  • Ride Leader (?) - Chris Dietzel, Yamaha FJR1300
  • Andrew Campbell – Kawasaki ZX14R
  • Gary McCurley – Honda VFR1200
  • Peter Schrieber – SV650
  • John Sankey – Honda VFR800
  • Trevor McLeod – Yamaha FJR1300
  • Michael & Tracey Winters – Triumph ST1050
  • Peter Arday – Honda STR1300
  • Butch Wills – BMW K1500LTX
  • Alan & Lyn Munday – Kawasaki GTR1000
  • Glen Munday & Jacinta – Suzuki GSXF750
  • Michelle Mount – Suzuki Burgmann 650
  • Hartmut Kehm – BMW R1200GS
  • Steve Hopkins – Ducati MS1200
  • Marilyn Starick – Ducati ST4S Multistrada
  • Karena Knudsen – Aprilia Mana
  • Melissa Wilson – Honda Hornet 600
  • Shelly & Yvonne Wrigley – CanAm Spyder RT
  • Nell & Les Gray – CanAm Spyder RS

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Chris D's European Tour

 
Logo Copyright OzAlps Tours (cliffpopp@ozalps.com)



Europe is a Motorcyclists’ dream (at least in Summer!)
I’ve been planning this for a while (18 months), since a mate of mine from Hash House Harriers told me about this tour group. I opted for the OzAlps 5-country tour (there are 2 other options-Croatia/Dolomites and Mugello GP tour). The 5-countries tour is actually 6, through the European Alps. Starting in Weilheim (south west of Munich/Munchen, Germany), and covering (depending on the group) up to 2350km (we had a 2500km limit on the bike hire), the route over 11 days took us into Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, France and Italy, ending up back in Germany. Cliff Popp from OzAlps has been riding these roads for 25 years, his father being German (and married to an Aussie they moved back to Weilheim, Germany). Cliff’s tour is actually 12 nights, with 11 days of riding (night 1 being an introduction night near Weilheim with fellow tour members). Cliff has a maximum of 8 bikes (including himself) in the tours (mine a GTR1400, as my intent is to have a good 11 day test ride before I buy one here; others in the fleet –which are all current model demonstrators with ABS - vary from ER6, Z1000SX ‘Ninja’, Z750, Versys 650 and 1000, two KTM990 SMT’s, a KTM990 Adventure, and a solitary BMW R1200GS). 8 riders make for a compact group. Cliff’s local knowledge found us staying at ‘digs’ that vary from hotels to old traditional villas and B&B’s (one in Valdengo Italy was once a nunnery of sorts on a rural hilltop hideaway). The route took us through awesome European Alps scenery, and weird places such as Tyrrol, the centre of witchcraft in Europe. 

Day 2: Pick up bikes, ‘Other side’ riding (think ‘throttle to the gutter’ and it takes less than a day for the brain to ‘switch sides’), European road riding etiquette and a local run to Bad Tolz, near Austria, and back to Weilheim. A good drill on corner marking was a must, being used on the tour frequently. A good deal of trust had to be built up quickly, as none of us knew the others’ riding habits until now. For passing, left arm held up at 45 degrees with thumb up by leader is indication that it’s OK to come out and pass, and while clear this is passed down the line. It works, but only if used accurately. Trust is smashed pretty quickly if a thumb stays up when it’s no longer clear. A typical wave to a fellow passing motorcyclist is simply an extension of left arm outstretched. 

The first bit of the 'Gold' Molojapass
Day 3: Weilheim to Imst, Austria (German-speaking Tyrrolian mountain valley), via the Hahntenjoch Pass (1904m, ‘Bronze’ pass on alpineroads.com). We took a tour of the spectacular castle (Schloss) Neuschwanstein, and just after this we crossed into Austria. At this point we lost 2 riders-Tony and Toni (husband and wife team). We stopped, change of surface, loose gravel, Toni’s bike fell over and she copped a broken ankle. If you have to go to hospital, Austria is the place to do it! Cliff arranged for the bike pickup, Tony followed the Ambo back to the ‘Krankenhaus’, and we 6 (Cliff, John, Phil, Brad, Kevin and myself) continued on our way. A fantastic meal was had, with the mandatory beer and a ‘Schnapps’ or two. Oh, this is the day I had a ‘moment’. Right-hand hairpins are, well, different. I approached one incorrectly and came out on the wrong side, just as a couple of Ferrari’s were coming into the bend. Missed the first one, just, and then saw the second. What happens when you look at an object? Just as well car #2 saw what was happening, and pulled up to give me the space I need. Bike behind was watching me, and almost had the same moment. I’m pleased to say that’s the only moment I had. At this point, I confessed to Cliff the moment. Perfect timing, Cliff was about to give us a ‘right-hand-hairpin clinic’. Lesson learned! 

Day 4: Imst to Erstfeld (Glarus, Switzerland, home of the fabled William Tell). In order to get there, the route is via the Bielerhohe Pass (2032m) and the Klausenpass (1948m ‘Silver’ rated pass) into Switzerland. What the... a summer thunderstorm near the top of this pass saw us getting drenched (came on too quick to get Wets on) with lightning, thunder, hail and sleet! What an introduction to the Alps! The sun came out and we were dry again by the time we got into Erstfeld. Another great meal and beverages (the schnapps is great). 

On the awesome Sustenpass
Day 5: Erstfeld to Chamonix, France (at the base of Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain at 4810m). The run to Chamonix saw us doing 3 ‘Gold’ passes-Sustenpass at 2224m, Grimselpass at 2165m and part of the Furkapass (2431m). One of our crew decided the Furka needed to be explored a little further, until it became cobblestones and a goat track....
A bit more riding yet (it was a big day!); Some Swiss autostrasse and into France via Col de la Forclaz (1526m) and Col des Montes (1461m), and then a 35km run into Chamonix, where we found that Tony (male) had decided that with Toni in hospital, there is not much for him to do there except to continue his tour, so he picked up the motorways/Autostrasse and met us again in Chamonix. Another great meal, but interesting – we are after all in France, so a taste of frogs’ legs and snails. 

Day 6: Chamonix to Albertville. In the morning we took a cable car up to the first of about 4 levels up Mont Blanc, where we set about doing a tandem paraglide. Spectacular. I held my digital camera in my hand, recording the entire flight, which lasted about 12 minutes. From there we rode to Albertville France (site of a previous Winter Olympics) for 2 nights. Damn it’s getting hot, so the first thing done (after a beer!) is a haircut, before we hit the heat of Italy. Some wonderful day trip riding here, but this is where we found the worst weather of the trip so it afforded us a little rest. Riding, we took in the sights of Lac d’Annecy. We got some washing done, and a bit of exploring of a hilltop medieval city.

Day 8: From Albertville, over Col du petit St Bernard (2188m) and into Italy. You know the St Bernard dog? this is his home, as the statue at the border attests to. Here can be seen concrete tank traps across the hilltops, lest France or Italy decide to invade each other. Once down the bottom, along the (hot!) valley floor and into Valdengo for the night. A Sunday is a good day to be introduced to Italian traffic. At the ‘digs’ again, a fantastic welcome of cold beer and a great meal by the hosts. A few more beers, but now the schnapps has given way to the Italian form, Grappa.

Day 9: Valdengo to Menaggio, about halfway along the western shore of Lake Como. But before this, I got lost. A bit slow in getting out of a petrol station, and with Cliffs’ earpiece playing up, by the time John (running sweep) got the message to Cliff, they’re long gone and I’m a little ‘momentarily displaced’ in Arona!. A few stops to look at the maps Cliff gives us every day (they are good!) and ask some locals, I text Cliff to find that they’ve stopped for coffee (Italian coffee is The Best) and I’m ahead of them, at a campground clearly marked on the map. So I wait. The run along the shoreline is simply spectacular twisty stuff. This area is home to some rich & famous, including George Clooney, and a Bond movie Casino Royale was filmed at a really great location on an outcrop on the eastern side. A swim, another great evening meal, and I’m out like a light. This day also saw Tony make a beeline directly back to Austria over the Stelvio as Toni was being released from hospital.

Day 10: This is the BIG day! From Menaggio to Latsch (‘valley of the witches’), back in the Tyrrolian valleys. Merano and Latsch are seen as the centre of witchcraft in Europe. The day starts off wet (I had a swim in the lake at 6:00AM in the rain, and it’s still raining when we leave). From the north-western tip of Lake Como, the road climbs; firstly over the ‘Silver rated’ Molojapass at 1815m, through the ski resort of St Moritz followed by the ‘Hayabusa pass’ (Bernina Pass, at 2328m) and dropping into a valley which is a little gem of Italy. Here is Lavigno, a duty-free haven. We have lunch, and do some shopping (my SD card for the Go Pro has died, here I got a high speed 32Gb card for 39Euro, and it’s about $120 in Oz!). A 1litre bottle of Jack Daniels is only 13Euro. We buy a couple of bottles for tonight’s ‘Stelvio party’ in Latsch. The climb out of Lavigno signals the start of the famed Stelvio pass (Stilfserjoch), and at 2760m with 85 very tight hairpins on the ascent and descent combined, it is a very technical ride. It has also started a light shower again, so we wonder what it is like at the top. I would not say it is the best pass of the trip; that is still to come... It is however an awesome road, and by the time we get to the top, it is very cloudy, and cold (down to 6 degrees, it was 28 at the bottom!). By the time we finished the mandatory Stelvio merchandise purchase, it was raining, A LOT. And thunder, lightning and sleet. Wait it out for a bit and put the Wets on. 
The 'down'side of the Stevio after the thunderstorm

Miraculously, it starts to clear for the downhill run, just as well as this downhill side is even more technical than the up! The road ‘ladder’ on both sides is spectacular, it just goes on forever and was seen on Top Gear, and I believe, was the setting for the original ‘Italian Job’ movie with Michael Caine (remember the bus teetering over the edge?). We finally make it into Latsch, and have that Stelvio party and an evening out. Cliff warns us to be ‘back in the digs’ by midnight as it is the Valley of the Witches and weird things do happen.

Day 11: Does it get better? We have 2 good roads still to do between Latsch and Innsbruck (the main city of the Tyrrolian region, a hip town made lively by its’ youngsters, being a University town. I like it!). The first of the passes is the Timmelsjoch (2509m). This pass is THE BEST. It has longer transitions between ladder sections (= faster), the surface is better, and more spectacular scenery than Stelvio. This road was built by hand (pick and shovel) and finished in 1959 after 4 years of building (only 17 months of pure building work due to the seasonal conditions). It is awesome. Just after the Austrian border we meet a downhill section to the town in the valley below. The downhill has open radius sweepers, so a bit of an experiment. A downhill roll with engine off in neutral sees us getting up to 120kmh. Its weird looking at the tacho (0) and the speedo (120), and it’s so quiet! After this, we have a run along the river to the town of Oetz. We swing onto Kuthai Road, which is not a pass but a great set of mild ‘up and over’ twisties. Another valley run into Innisbruck, and another great meal in the company of new friends.

Day 12: The last day. It’s not far from Innsbruck back to Weilheim. We stop for morning coffee at the Kochelsee (a large lake, very popular with holiday makers and very picturesque). We wait here for a while, catching the opportunity to swap bikes. Why now you ask, if the Passes are behind us? Here is the Walchansee Road (the expression for it is ‘It’s not a racetrack, it’s better than that!’). This road has long, perfectly radiused bends that just go on ‘for ever’. It’s not uncommon for a couple of thousand bikes to come through here on a given day, so they are ‘verboten’ on the weekend to give car owners a go. After a few laps of this, we head for the Autobahn to clean the carbon off the piston tops. Nice. 245kmh for a quick 30km, before a leisurely ‘B’ road run back to Weilheim for lunch and hand the bikes back. Is the autobahn at those speeds comfortable? No. I had a big screen with the GTR1400, but still, my neck was sore (maybe because I had the Go Pro on the helmet, so I didn’t want to duck down onto the instruments completely behind the screen), feels like clothes are being ripped off, and too much stress. Give me 160-170, that’s OK. The slow lane is 130km limit! 

So how good are European road users?
Better and smarter than us! And it all makes sense. No over-zealous use of speed measures (Germany = limit + 10%, so 60 = 66 and if you are doing 67, you get fined for 1kmh over the limit, not 7). Roadworks? A simple warning triangle and people get on with their repairs (maybe with a barrier or two - especially on the Autobahn). None of this overuse of barriers and signage (particularly when no work is being done at all-which happens so often here). This is another sign of the road users there being much more observant and generally better. Italy? Looks crazy but it isn’t. The Italian government don’t allow people to get a license for a killing machine (car) unless they’ve been riding bikes/scooters for 3-5 years, so they know how to look after bike riders. Sit off their rear left and watch their mirror. They’ll check it every few seconds. They see you, move hard right and it opens the centre of the road up as a passing lane in each direction for bikes. As you go past, waggle your right foot ‘Thanks Mate’. They leave a few metres at the lights for bikes to filter to front and be first off the lights. They know that bikes out-accelerate a car, so why bother trying? Little, if any, road rage anywhere in Europe from what I saw. No accidents, means they are smarter road users. France-not as careful as Italians, and I’ve heard mixed things. Swiss drivers-Watch them, it is their decision when you can pass, not yours. Netherlands drivers (especially in Winnebago’s)-Netherlands is very flat and not much by way of winding roads, so they need to be monitored closely.

Importantly, in Germany, Austria, Switzerland (not so much in Italy and France)-It’s not good etiquette to pull up at lights and leave the engine on. Come to a stop, stay in #1, flick kill switch off and on, and when lights change pull clutch and hit start & away. It becomes second nature very quickly. Of course, their lights do have a legitimate period of ‘amber’ that tells you to start, and they don’t use that as a sign to jump the lights, so unlike here, you are not likely to be punched up the backside. And the road standards just encourage bikes. No wonder they consistently have the best bike riders (and car drivers) in F1 and MotoGP etc.
What about the rest of my trip? The above was only half of my stay away. Read on. I wanted to extend the bike hire, but it was suggested to me that I’ll be better off with a car-half the price and I can move from place to place without having to carry all luggage to and from hotel rooms; and it gives me a break from the bikes after having just done some 2300km. Best advice ever! Car hire for 10 days (a little Opal Zafira station wagon) ended up costing about 800Euro. From pickup in Starnberg (between Weilheim and Munich), it took me for 3 days around Munchen, and then to Berchtesgaden (south east corner of Bavaria), where I took in the magnificent scenery afforded from the top of Mt Kehlstein. This is the famous ‘Eagles Nest’ where the mountaintop getaway was built for Adolf Hitler in 1934-1938. The scenery is breathtaking, and apparently one of the worlds’ best panoramic views. On a clear day (which I did have) you can look across into 5 countries. He rarely visited the facility, as apparently he was afraid of heights!
From Berchtesgaden I drove north-west to Wurzburg, staying there 2 nights and taking in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. This is a very beautiful old walled town with cobble-stone streets, which is protected under the national trust to maintain its authenticity. Here can be found all the typical German products and crafts, and I ended up buying a cuckoo clock (sentimental to me as it’s made in the Black Forrest– Schwarzwald-which was my mum’s favourite place in Germany when she was a young child, and my dad brought back a clock when he made his first pilgrimage back to Berlin in 1970 to visit his mother after coming to Australia in 1952). I did not stay at Rothenburg, which is a pity as I have been told that they run tours through the town at night, which is spectacular given the use of oil lamps by the guide-a kind of a pied-piper tour explaining away the history of the place. 

From Wurzburg I made a beeline for Cologne, known locally as Koln (on the River Rhine), where my wifes’ nephew lives. I had a quick tour of the city, the highlight being a walk through the Cathedral (High Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Mary). This building is awesome, and it seems, miraculously survived the heavy bombings on Cologne where almost every other building in the entire city was destroyed. Next day, on the Thursday morning before I flew home, I realised that Cologne is only 40km from my mothers’ birthplace of Duisburg, so I went there. I was having a beer in the Marketzplatz (village square) and on a whim I texted my brother and told him where I was. He said he’d text me back, and rang mum (who is quite elderly and can hardly remember what happened 5 minutes ago). Mum was able to recite house number and name (how does this happen?), which he gave me. I stuck it into the GPS and.... the place exists. So I went there. Took some photos, nobody was home and I was about to leave when a car pulled into the driveway. I made some introductions, was ushered inside where I found that this house was bought as a bomb-damaged site in 1950 and rebuilt in 1953 by the in-laws of the current owner. I was introduced to the lady next door who remembers the previous occupants, which may have been my mum’s family! Awesome.... 
Anyway, when I got home there was an email waiting for me from the home owner saying she is sending me a gift for mum. A book on the village covering the period before and after the war. I can’t wait for this to arrive!
From here, where to? Before I left on the trip, I made contact with our Ulysses compatriot in Germany – Gernot Minmig. Gernot is the President of the Ulysses Club of Germany, and he has been to Australia on 2 previous occasions. Once when he rode his Honda Africa twin across Europe, Iran, Turkey, Asia and having it shipped to Australia, where he did the Nullabor, Cape York and Darwin, and more recently he brought his wife Waltraud (nickname Wally) here when he was on an Teachers’ exchange program. Most of the German Ulysses members live in Saarland (the smallest German state near the French border along the Rhine valley, near the northern tip of Schwarzwald).

Gernot and Waltraud at home
Anyway, I called Gernot and he said that I should come to his place on the Thursday (the day I left Cologne) as Friday Ulysses Germany members are going on a ride to Labaroche/Colmar area in France (opposite the Rhine Valley, near Strasbourg), and I can loan one of his 6 bikes (4 BMW’s-2 of which have sidecars for he and Waltraud, the Honda and an old vintage bike made by the company (name slips my memory) that started Audi). Anyway, I got there – about 2.5 hours on the Autobahn, to find that Jacqui from the Ulysses forum group in Sydney is also there, having been riding a scooter through Europe for 4 months. 

Gernot says ‘pick a bike’ so I settled on a BMW R1100GS after a quick ride through his village. A nice BBQ dinner with beer and Wally’s home-made schnapps made from walnut and aniseed, and we turned in. Gernot and Wally were to take the Autobahn as Wally is working till 1PM next day. The next day, Jacqui and I make our way through the most beautiful countryside, through a town called Bitche for morning tea (and getting temporarily lost on a few occasions). 

We finally arrive at the villa in Labaroche at about 7PM. Gernot is already there, and his fellow Ulyssians – about 12 all up including us. We have dinner (again a fantastic BBQ cooked by the owner of the Villa, washed down with, yes, beer and grappa). 

Chris D with UC Germany Labaroche France
The next day saw us splitting into 2 groups-me in the faster group of 6, including Zilka, the wife of Uwe Prinz who is one of the workhorses of the UC Germany. Unfortunately Uwe was not there as he had to work (they both work at the city Krankenhaus / hospital). We enjoy some nice riding through great twisty roads, which was unfortunately cut short when one (Hartmut) went into a corner too hot on his 2-week old R1200GS, and he low-sided and broke his ankle! The slower group had a different motivation-Jacqui with Gernot and one other, rode in search of old World War sites, as Jacqui is in Europe on a fact-finding mission about her uncles who had fought on the battlefields in France. 

The next day (Sunday) Jacqui continued her journey, and we went back to Saarland the slow way, through some beautiful French villages (walled, cobblestoned) with a backdrop of wine-growing countryside and hilltop forts and castles. Would you believe that a 200km ride can take 7 hours? But a fantastic 7 hours topping off an awesome long weekend with the UC Germany. We stopped past Uwe and Zilka’s place, where I am introduced to Uwe and given a Ulysses Club Germany shirt. Such is the Ulyssian hospitality mixed with the abundant German hospitality. 

On Monday I drove myself to Frankfurt airport, stopping in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam for 2 nights. Here I could only marvel at the un-ending madness of the scooter traffic, where again there are no signs of road rage despite the craziness, and no accidents. We have so much to learn! I did not ride, instead choosing to placate myself with the local beers at about US$1 and eating nice Vietnamese food (Mick Harvey, how can you eat pizza here?), as well as the odd game of pool in the local bars-found myself shouting a few drinks as the hostesses do know how to play pool with the help of a bit of cheating here and there.

Can’t wait to do it again, next time hopefully with The Boss.
Chris Dietzel
Ulysses Canberra branch