Day 240: George Is Wet

On the way back from Wallerawang today we decided to have a little rest stop at the Lake George lookout. There is quite a bit of water in Lake George at the moment and it's something of a novelty because for so many years there was nothing there but an enormous, flat, paddock.

The drive home from The Wang was a sedate affair and this little stop was a good opportunity to stretch the legs a little and take a quick photo of the 'Lake'.

After getting back to Matts, unloading his bike and then hooking the trailer back up to my car I headed in to Fyshwick to pick up the Ginger Ninja. With both bikes in tow I made my way home, unloaded, rearranged the garage and then went in to the shops to replace Henry's sun glasses that had been eaten by the dog while I was away. By the time I finished all that, Belinda was home with Henry and any ideas I'd had of a quiet nap had gone out the window... although I did squeeze in a little Nanna Nap on the couch before Henry's bath time.

I'm back at work tomorrow and am feeling like I need a week of to recover from my weekend. At least this time I didn't come home with 6 stitches in my face and the need to replace the handlebars on my bike like I did last year.

So for me, the score card reads like this:
Great riding, check.
Great company, check.
Drinking too much with the boys, check.
No bike damage, check
No injuries, check.

5 out of 5 - a perfect score on the Funometer.

Day 239: So Long, Sofala

I don't know about the rest of the guys, but I woke up feeling a little dusty this morning. We had an early start with a full day ahead of us and the guys from Sunny Corner Trail Tours kicked it off for us with hot coffee and Egg & Bacon Rolls hot off the BBQ, these guys are brilliant. The breakfast was just what the doctor ordered, I was feeling much better and ready to tackle the trails our guides were about to inflict on us. There was talk of Mt Horrible which had a few of us a little concerned, but that was due later in the day.

The ride was, for the most part, fairly gentle today. Even Mount Horrible wasn't that bad, although there were a few who didn't make it up first go and a few others who either walked or were doubled on the back of one of our guides bikes while someone else rode their bike to the top. I made it on my second attempt, my mistake was attempting it in 3rd gear. I just wasn't going fast enough to keep the revs in the power range in 3rd, but in 2nd it was a great climb that I enjoyed. One of the guys made it most of the way to the top, he was had a few hundred meters to go when his chain snapped. It was still very steep where it broke but between 5 of us we were able to push it up the remainder of the hill taking a few breathers on the way. I think we were all glad the chain broke on a small 250cc bike and not one of the heavier 450cc or >500cc bikes.

Eventually we made our way back to Wallerawang and packed the bikes away in the cellar again. Then it was back into the pub for an end of the tour celebration, the pub had put on a roast for us and we all had a few helpings along with many beers. The evening then took on a life of its own when someone brought out a round of shots... I don't remember who started it, but I do remember continuing on with it and then laughing with the guys before collapsing into bed that the publican would think he'd been robbed when he came in tomorrow because the entire top shelf was missing... at least he'd think he'd been robbed until he looked in the till.

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 237: The Convoy

Three vehicles, three trailers and nine bikes all met up at the Eagle Hawk Servo this morning and took off up the highway. We stopped for a counter lunch and a beer or two (for some it was more) at the Taralga pub on the way up and some of us needed to take more 'pit stops' than others along the way to Wallerawang.

We met up with two more guys at 'The Wang' this afternoon giving us a total of eleven riders for our two days of riding. Once we'd arrived we unloaded the bikes, stashed them in the cellar under the Pub and headed in for more beers and another counter meal.

I had every intention of taking it easy and getting an early night for the full days riding ahead of me on Saturday. Funny how it never really works out that way when you get a bunch of guys together in a pub without anyone but the publican to tell them it's time to go to bed. This is even more so the case when you haven't seen some of the guys since last years ride, there's always so much to catch up on. This is bound to be a weekend full of good mates, great riding and copious consumption.

Day 236: Loaded Up, Ready To Go

I loaded the Dirty Husky into the trailer tonight because I'm off in the morning to Wallerawang with Matt and 9 other guys for a weekend of riding. We'll be led into, around and through the Sunny Corner State Forrest by the guys at Sunny Corner Trail Tours. I did a ride with these guys last year for the first time and it was awesome: The trails were great, the group of guys were good fun and the organised tour was exceptional.

This year, it's a few of the same guys from last year with some new faces and the overnight tour will be going to a different pub. It's also the last run for the Sunny Corner Trail Tours guys, they're calling it a day after our tour which is a real shame because they put on such a good ride. I'm sure they'll have some special trails lined up for us as a farewell gift.