Page 20 - RidingOn Winter2022

The long road to

Warwick and back

Many of my friends talk about my “big trip smile”. This smile is
a permanent fixture from ear to ear during my pilgrimages to
the Ulysses AGM/National Rally. For a variety of reasons, I have
not been on a big road trip for five years. This year, my big trip
smile returned.
Like many Ulyssians, there was the wait, fingers and toes
crossed, hoping covid and the state restrictions were going to
ease enough to allow a National Rally event, in some form.
After so many disappointments, I tried not to get too excited
but as the restrictions, one by one eased it seemed likely.
Eventually, I was down to counting how many sleeps until the
trip.

Next decision, do I ride by myself or with others? Choosing
riding buddies for long trips is always a sensitive one.
Fortunately, I have a few friends I can dangle the travel
carrot at. This time it’s Brian Lacey and Greg Rees both from
Melbourne Branch. My trip was a 4 week one and I planned
to break it up into sections. In the end, I travelled 8070kms
across 3 states and 1 territory in 29 days.
Planning routes, packing and strategizing how to continue
my immunotherapy infusions was my next dilemma. The
routes were easy, Brian got stuck into the route planner and
presented a great plan for us to tweak. I requested a drop into
Mount Panorama at Bathurst as a bucket list tick of mine. We
shared the booking of accommodation.
My infusions include vials of human immune cells that need to
be temperature monitored within specifications and not shaken,
at a value of $2300, it was a serious consideration in planning.

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