Page 25 - RidingOn Winter2022

The Warwick

Adventure,

Challenge– Rally

APRIL 2022

The first stated aim of the Ulysses Club is – “To provide also stayed the night, just confirmed how simple travel in
ways in which older motorcyclists can get together for rural Australia can be so great.
companionship and mutual support” and I cannot ignore the
adage that “Riding is all about the Journey”. After 2 years I had some showers and mists as I set off on Monday
of pestilence caused cancellations and the summer floods, morning and then things improved. I was happily rolling
nothing could possibly go wrong with the first National Rally along at a good 100kph somewhere near Coolah among flat
in three years at relatively high altitude in Warwick, could it? corn and sorghum fields, when I noticed an unsigned dip in
the road ahead. Luckily, I slowed down and was glad I did,
I had family/personal reasons to be in Queensland a week as suddenly there was about 15cm of water over the road
before the rally, so I travelled alone this year. I rode out in front of me. Now I can water ski, but I was glad I didn’t
of Melbourne a week early and started my journey by enter that water at high speed. I rode on and after a stop
doing the 25th Autumn Alpine Run and spent Saturday at Tenterfield, I put on my wet weather pants as the cloud
night in Tawonga after riding over Mt Hotham in a group ahead looked ominous. When I reached Warwick, it was
of 20. From there I caught up with a mate in Wodonga really bucketing rain and I “passed” on taking an “arrived
for breakfast and then simply rode North on a ‘tightish’ a week early” photo. The descent down Cunninghams Gap
schedule. On the Olympic Highway I stopped at a rest with sheets of water streaming over the road wasn’t the
area beside a grain silo and happened to meet another most enjoyable ride I’ve ever done. Darkness arrived earlier
motorcyclist. We chatted and he dissuaded me from using than I’d anticipated in Brisbane, and I got quite agitated
the Newell Hwy. I rode on, left the Olympic at Cowra, finding my way North onto the Sunshine Coast Hwy as my
explored some backroads and ended up staying in the pub sodden gloves and fingers really didn’t help while trying
Dunedoo for the night, even though it hadn’t even been to check maps on my phone. OK, I was geographically
on my radar that morning. The hospitality (my bike stayed challenged for a bit. I then enjoyed a week with my wife
under cover beside the pool table), good value meal and and her schoolfriend from back in the 60s North of Brisbane
accommodation, plus, chatting to a group of cyclists who as a milestone birthday was celebrated.

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