DazzaB Adventures

Archive for November, 2010

I woke up today and looked outside to see one of the most beautiful days we have had in weeks. Shame to waste it but in the end I fell back to sleep until Avartie called and said he was being lazy also so probably wouldn’t go for a ride. A short time later he called to say he almost had his gear on and was on his way which brought a smile to my face. In just a few minutes I was showered with all my gear on and was doing some maintenance on the bike in anticipation of yet another great ride. Destination… unknown.

After fueling the bike and ourselves at the local Maccas we decided to forgo the normal rides and head out to the country to see what we could find. Although Harden was the destination chosen, I knew it wouldn’t take much to convince Avartie that we should go further and head a bit further to Temora.

After all the rain we have had recently the country side was a luscious deep green and the hills in stark contrast to the deep blue sky. The temperature was warm as we enjoyed the country roads and all the sights they offered up.

Just outside Harden our ride was interrupted by Constable P from the Cootamundra Highway Patrol who wasn’t happy with our pace and wanted to have a chat with us. He turned out to be a fairly nice guy but of course he had a job to do. So a ticket to the Police Ball was purchased. It must be one heck of a ball given how much those tickets cost. Anyway we all made the best of an unfortunate situation and headed on our ways.

So off it was to Temora. It’s a shame we didn’t get up earlier as it  turned out that there was a fly day on at the Temora Air Museum which is one of my favourite events. But today we would have to settle for a cuppa at one of the only cafes in town that was still open. It was a lovely little place where they were busy making pizzas that looked just delicious. I talked them in to letting me steal a jalapeno pepper to taste which was yummy but very hot of course.

We also met a nice couple while fueling up who were excited to see my bike because they had one as well. The husband and I tried talking his wife in to buying him the same Yoshi pipe that I have after he heard how nice they sound but I don’t think we convinced her. Can’t blame a guy for trying.

By now it was past six o’clock in the evening so we knew it would be dark before we could make it home. But the ride was really nice as we took some back roads to add to our adventure. If you haven’t traveled in that area I can assure you that it’s well worth the time to check out.  We ended our trip by debugging our helmets and getting a bite to eat at the Yass Maccas. After that it was a short 60km hop back to Canberra. That part was done in the dark which wasn’t fun given we were on the Barton highway which is known for accidents and lots of wild critters causing havoc. It wasn’t long before it lived up to it’s reputation when a car decided to pass me at 130kph over a double line on a curve.

So, seven hours later I was back at home with the bike tucked away in the garage awaiting our next adventure.

Most riders in the ACT know about the great roads just outside of Canberra. Urriarra Road, Brindabella Road, Mount Mac and the Cotter are regular haunts for those looking for a great ride close by. So after five days out of town I headed straight for the garage to take my bike out for a fantastic Friday arvo ride. It was just what I needed and although the dark clouds above were heavy with water the weather was fine.

Just south of the Tidbinbilla space tracking station I saw quite a large echidna having a drink at the side of the road. I turned around an coasted up to the other side of the road with my engine off so I could watch it. There was a well worn path down the side of an embankment that  it headed up as I approached. Once at the top it dug itself in which gave me the chance to feel how sharp it’s spines were. I think this is only the second time I’ve seen a echidna in the wild and I found it quite interesting.

Take one weekend, all of Thredbo village and over 3,000 motorcyclists – then throw in raffles, test rides of Honda motorcycles, some of the best twistie roads in the country and you have a recipe for the best time you can possibly have on two wheels.

2009 Snowy Ride Mass Ride

From the Snowy Ride website:

The first Snowy Ride was launched in 2001 as a request from Steven Walter, a young man who lost his fight against cancer. Steve loved motorcycle riding and asked that a charity motorcycle ride be organised to raise funds for cancer research and cancer care, “So that one day no other kid will have to go through what I’ve been through”.

If you haven’t had an opportunity to join in on a Snowy Ride start planning now for next year. Meanwhile here’s a short video I put together this year to wet your appetite: