The Ride Begins - Tidal River to Albury

The  Ride Commences - 18th April 2017

Tom’s ride commences – he is joined by Keith McCulloch – From Tidal River through Yanakie to Foster – I am to sit out this first stage - I skirt around the miscreant campervan as she sits in Albury – I am nervous – just 9 days and I will need to have her tamed – I look at the weather forecast – it seems like summer is not only nominally over but that autumn maybe feeling a little lazy and is anxious to hand over weather duties to his colleague Mr Deep Dark Winter – I am both pleased to be still at home rather than in the extreme southern climes but at the same time I am keen to exchange southern weather for the Queensland autumn!  

They take the time to call on the Southern Ocean in case she has a need for some form of communication to be carried with the riders to her northern relatives - she agrees to pose with Tom for a photo before thanking them and sending them on their way 

They then tackle the job at hand - they ride through the National Park to its entrance and on to Forster - a mere 60 kilometres.

Of course, as is the nature of nature – she enjoys the challenge of dealing with people who take on a challenge - immediately she arranges for Keith to have difficulties with his shifters – oh dear – they are the same as those on Tom’s bike – surely these bikes are in no way related to the miscreant camper-van!

Escort duties for the stage between Tidal River and Albury have been assigned to the capable hands of Chris Parker – he is a reliable attentive individual whom you can rely upon to be where he is supposed to be at the time he is supposed to be there – at least that was the expectation – when Chris never turned up on his bike to meet them and ride with them into Foster there was some concern on the part of the riders - he was eventually found still at the caravan park completely engrossed in his book! - the book he was engrossed in was so engrossing that its absorption took absolute precedence over any requirement to be at any particular place at any particular time – "Oh you are here already" says Chris.

Tom casually mentions Chris’ rapture with his book in a phone call to Barb – it is Rotary night – Barb tells David Dow – David takes delight in telling all and sundry including Chris’ brother – texts emanate from phone after phone all designed to aggravate a chastened Chris – “What was the book like?” – “Did you enjoy your sleep” - “Can’t anything remain a secret” says he.

Day 2 - Foster to Sale

The weather remained pleasant as the riders made their way to Sale through Darriman, Giffard, Longford and Sale. The day was entirely uneventful save for the enormous echidna that caught their attention - this was fortunate since they expected that Chris would be an attentive and alert escort  - that expectation was partly wrong and partly right - he was alert and attentive alright but in the pursuit of caravan showrooms rather than on the pursuit of two mad bike riders - he later explained that he had an urgent requirement to deviate from the prescribed route in order to visit caravan purveyors in Traralgon! - "I knew they wouldn't need me!

Day 3 - Sale to Bairnsdale

To Bairnsdale through The Heart, Cobains and Merlieu

The weather is superb - 27- clear - sunny - the Victorian Riviera! - altogether a perfect day for a long distance ride. Another uneventful day.

Day 4 -  Red Sky in the morning - Shepard's Warning!

Towards Omeo and the mountains - the sky is that red - that particular red that worries any rider who has agriculture in their DNA - the riders accept that their idealic riding conditions are not to be sustained - let's make the best of it - grind away - drizzle starts - grind away - cross the Tambo River - follow the Tambo River - Cross it again - follow it again - at Swifts Creek the drizzle stops  - approach Omeo - reach the top of the divide - the Policeman is interested in the antics of the two long distance riders - "haven't you heard of aeroplanes"  - "enough of that - please take our photo in front of the sign"  - down into the Omeo.

Day 5 - More Mountains but some dales

Omeo over Mt Wills to Mitta

A cold, dry morning - it stays dry until the climb up Mt Wills - then it becomes foggy - the fog develops into drizzle - the drizzle develops into heavy rain at the summit

Let's not hang around here too long -  rain all the way to Lightening Creek -

Into Mitta - time for a sleep before the support riders arrive.

In no time Tom wakes to a bang on the door  - Marie, Sue and Chris arrive with a message - "the boys are on their way"

Norm, George, Howard, Charles arrive - sodden - sodden - sodden!








Day 6 - Towards a rest break

The party of six head prepare to head down towards Albury - Norm McCain notices the absence of panniers on Tom and Keith's bikes - "where are your panniers?" - "in the back of Chris' car of course" - Norm is a little crest-fallen - perhaps his rain soaked ride of yesterday may have been a a tad more tolerable if he had loaded his panniers in the support car.

The morning is cloudy then clears - Alan Jones rides up from Albury - poses for photos - and then their were seven! - seven to deal with the fog over Lockhart's Gap - the weather clears and Stage One of the ride is done and dusted!

Days 7 and 8 - Time to gather some thoughts before the next stage