Page 11 - NLH Newsletter March 2022
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                                                                Belmont 27  February 2022

    There had been a lot of rain on the east coast in the days leading up to the twilight ride.  While the
    worst of it was north of Newcastle, we had seen plenty of showery days and this day was no different.

    When I arrived at Hexham there were others already there.  In the end we had 5 bikes and 6 people who
    had decided to take a chance on going for a ride that may have left us all very wet.
    Todays  ride  was  a  fairly  simple  around  the  lake  ride  with  only  a  few  diversions.    The  first  took  us

    through Minmi via  Black Hill and then  along George Booth Drive  to Richmond Vale Road  through to
    Mulbring.  From Mulbring we followed Leggetts Drive through to the Oak at Freemans Waterhole where
    we had a break.  Surprisingly, the toilets at the Oak were closed,  which forced those in need to go
    across the road to the service station.
    After  our  break  we  remounted  our  bikes  and  headed  toward  Cooranbong.    There  was  a  section  of

    roadworks while exiting Cooranbong.  This had a 40kph zone and a mobile speed camera was working
    in the middle of the work zone.  Fortunately, we had been warned by a car going in the other direction
    and in any case the camera car was on the other side of the road.
    The rest of the ride took us through Wyee and Doyalson North.  There were a few rain spots near Wyee
    but nothing to be concerned about.  After that we turned onto the Pacific Highway and followed it to
    Swansea where we were stopped for a little while because the Swansea bridge had opened to let a
    boat enter the lake.

    Once the bridge was closed it was just a short ride to the Gunya Hotel in Belmont, where we found
    those who had driven were already eating.  Like most pubs, the meals at the hotel were substantial, but
    the food seemed quite good to me.  The conversations around me seemed  to suggest we have been
    infiltrated by a garden club.  I’m not sure if this is a hostile takeover or I’m just getting a bit paranoid.
    We  will  have  to  wait  and
    see.

    It  was  raining  on  and  off
    while  we  were  having
    dinner.  The road was still
    wet in places on the way
    home  but  other  than  the
    few  spots  near  Wyee,  we
    had not ridden in any rain.

    Thanks  to  those  who
    attended.  I think it was a
    successful  club  ride  even
    if  most  of  the  attendees
    didn’t arrive by bike.

                  .....John L


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