Day 364: Heat Relief

I went riding with Pete, Andy & Matt today and it was pretty warm. As usual we rode some great trails around Tallaganda and had a fantastic time on our bikes. I took off a little ahead of the guys to grab some photos of them coming through the crossing, they didn't disappoint and took the opportunity to cool off in the spray of an enthusiastic crossing. My photo today is of Pete who failed in his attempt to wheelie over the water and in doing so managed to create a decent splash when his front wheel came down in the middle of the creek.

We come this was quite often and ride out here in winter too, the crossings are generally at a more sedate pace in the cooler weather though.

Day 275: Labour Day Ride

Today was Labour day so I spent the day riding around Tallaganda on the dirty Husky with Andy, Pete and Matt. Andy had recently upgraded his bike from the old XR400 that he'd owned from new to a fancy Husqvarna that makes mine look a little dated.

He says it's been taking a little getting used to and I guess that's easy to understand with the new bike having brakes the work, roughly 3 times the power and modern suspension that allows him to choose which part of the trail he wants to ride on regardless of ruts, roots or rocks. There is however one part of the new bike that hasn't taken much getting used to for Andy and that's the magic little button that starts the bike, you see the old XR was a kick start only bike and this was the main reason for the upgrade.

I only took a few photos today because the new camera is much less portable for taking out on the trails than the old Canon and the photos I did take were of Andy's XR so he could advertise it. So today my photo is likely to be the last one I'll ever take with Andy's old bike in it.

As usual it was a great day out with the guys, only this time I came back a little jealous of Andy's new toy...

Day 238: Stopped For A Breather

Last night went on for a while, it was around 2am when I finally climbed into bed only to be woken by my alarm again at 6:45. We had our riders briefing scheduled for 8:30ish and I wanted to be ready, so after a quick shower I took a wander down Main St to find some Coffees and Egg & Bacon Rolls. The Wang bakery didn't disappoint and I made it back to the cabin that Matt and I were sharing to have breakfast and get geared up for the day ahead.

We all rode off not much after 8:30 and within minutes we were winding our way through twisty little trails and up steep climbs that were either rocky or muddy or a combination of both. My photo for today was taken at one of the many stops we made to catch our breath and wait for the last guys to arrive. At this stop, directly behind where I was standing to take it, we all watched some clown in a Jeep try to negotiate a very boggy bit of track that had already been chewed up by previous four wheel drives. He didn't make it far before all four wheels were spinning while he was stationary, it kept us amused for a little while before we headed off again on our way to Sofala.

The trails we rode were great and varied, there was every thing from tight single trail to open fire trails and some dirt roads with long and slippery causeway crossings. I can see why our guides like living and riding in this part of the country. By the time we made it to Sofala it was cooling down and we all took turns in the shower before heading downstairs for a few beers before dinner. At dinner we pretty much filled the little restaurant in Sofala, the food was quite good and the company was great. After dinner it turned out to be another fairly big night at the bar, I think the red wine with dinner may have been a mistake after all the beers both before hand and after. One of the guys even bought some white Port which was shared as a bit of a night cap.

It was another great night out with the boys and I hadn't laughed so much throughout the course of a night in ages, the conversations at our table had me in stitches. Unfortunately most of it, or at least the parts I remember, really shouldn't be repeated.

Day 14: McVicar Matrimonials

Belinda and I were privileged to be among the friends and family of Matt & Renee as they exchanged their vows today. Renee was stunning in her gown and Matt cut a pretty fine figure too even though he wasn't allowed to wear his white shoes. The ceremony was beautiful with the Newport Marina forming an a amazing back drop.

Matt is one who appreciates his beer and I have to compliment him on his choice in beers for the reception. He chose a James Squire beer that I hadn't had before, the One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale. I enjoyed many of these throughout the evening and will be hunting them down in my local bottle shop.

We don't get to see Matt & Renee very often but when we do catch up we always have a great time, today was certainly no exception and we're both looking forward to catching up with Mr & Mrs McVicar again soon.