Tuesday 6 May 2014

Going South - Day 2

Well we woke up bright and early the next day .. well OK I cant lie, everyone else woke up bright and early, I crawled out of bed feeling like something that was dragging it's body from the primordial swamp .. but it was early. My back was killing me so I stole some of that serious pain relief back that I'd given away the day before, and gave the home made back rest I was using to Terry to prop up his new bags.

Then we checked out what the others were doing.

Some of them we doing heaps, the group that had ridden ahead the day before was all ready to go. Some were ready to go but ... one bike wasn't going anywhere. Yep the battery had decided overnight to just die a quite death. The NRMA was duly called again and we told the other guys to go ahead to Terry's son's coffee shop for breakfast, we'd catch them up. And so we waited ...

And waited ....

And waited a bit more ...

Finally Terry thought he should get to the cafe in case his son was worried, I also decided to tell the other guys to just go ahead to Bright, we'd see then there.

And then ...

Yep we waited some more ...

The NRMA guy musta been busy, he turned up eventually, and then told the guy there was nothing he could do, he'd have to buy a new battery. Then he gave them directions to the nearest place to buy such an item. Now I don't remember exactly how it happened, but the guy with the flat battery got his bike jump started and then he and the two others with us headed off down to town .. why I was left all alone I just cant fathom at the moment. I was though, that was OK, I needed petrol, and to let Terry know what was going on. Then I went to find them sitting out the front of the shop ... waiting ..

They didn't have a battery for a bike, but a nice man had offered to go and pick one up for us .. we just had to wait for him to get back with it.

So we waited ...

And waited ....

Then just to break things up a bit ....

We waited some more ....

The nice man really didn't take that long, he soon pulled up with a nice shiny new battery in a box. Was a matter of minutes to put it in the Shadow and then I just had to find my way to the cafe where Terry was waiting.



So after an early start .. we left Wagga at about 10:30 and finally headed on our way. Oh well it wasn't far to go that day, we could still take it easy.

Our next stop would be Wodonga.

Oh I forgot the map, sorry here ya's go ...



View Larger Map

Actually we ended up stopping somewhere else along the way. I cant remember the name of the town, but we all just felt the need to get off and stretch our legs. Well the girls stretched, the boys sat.


And after a short rest we were all ready for the next leg to Wodonga. I have video of this bit of the ride, but sheesh it's pretty boring. The ride wasn't boring, it's was just plain relaxing to tell the truth, my back was feeling fine and the bike was feeling fine and that just made me feel fine.

Lunch was a bit late, at an Irish pub in the main street of Wodonga.


I love a Guinness but didn't indulge, we still had a fair bit of riding to go.


No we didn't stop for a bit of a work out while we were waiting for lunch, that's just the only parking spot I could find.

After leaving the pub, I only got lost twice. Pretty good I thought considering they had blocked off the road that Google Maps had told me to take and then I had to find my way round the back roads to get onto the country street that we needed to take. I even managed to find a petrol station too. It wasn't just pure luck that while we were in the petrol station I spotted the street we were supposed to be on out the other driveway .. well there could have been a little bit of luck involved I guess.

You know I don't really remember the rest of that ride, it was pretty, there were trees, and we were starting to see mountains. But what I was looking for was the sign that said .. Bright.

As we finally entered the town I was being wildly urged by a set of enthusiastic hand signals to stop. So I stopped! I was thinking that maybe I'd missed the turn off for the camping park that were to spend the weekend in. Nope, we'd just missed a whole town, but that wasn't my fault honestly. Apparently we were supposed to pick up one of the guys who was already at the park, he'd ridden to meet us at some town that I don't remember the name of, and that he thought we were going through. But we didn't go through it.

And then finally we got back on the bikes and soon found ...


Yep that's the cabin we were to stay in for the next three nights and it had a really comfy bed .. yay!!

This was what I was looking for, peace and tranquillity, and friends to share it all with.



This is the accommodation just next to us where most of the guys stayed, and where all of the action happened over the weekend.

I'll share a bit of that with you soon I promise. I have some video that I still have to edit so it may take me a while, but hang in there I'm sure it wont take me as long as last time!

12 comments:

  1. Sounds like there was a lot of 'hurry up and wait' the morning of the second day. I am glad it all worked out and everyone made it to the lodgings.

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    1. There was, but it was pretty relaxed, and with the knowledge that I didn't have a lot of riding to do the next day I managed to relax that evening with a brew or two and some old and new friends.

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  2. Brenda:

    at least you had a sort of, relaxing day waiting around with just a short relaxing ride. Still not sure how you can get lost with only one road to get there, unless you missed the signs

    that's not really camping when you have a little house to stay in. I guess you're too noisy, that's why you have to stay away from the other guys in a separate building.

    I like the idea of your bike under cover, right by your door (where the guys stayed)

    Nice weather too

    bob
    A weekend photographer or Riding the Wet Coast

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    1. It was relaxing actually Bob.

      Umm well what happened was that they were doing road works, they had completely closed down the road and I had to find my own way around to the road we needed, as it wasn't a main road that we were taking the detour signs were not helping at all.

      Never said I was into camping Bob :D And I have to say I wasn't the noisy one .. oh no .. you would have to be going hard to beat some of the guys that partied on every night while we were there .. but at least it didn't keep me awake as they were on the other side of the building.

      Yeah it wasn't really under cover, just under trees, and yep they got wet the one night it did rain .. but then there was more on the trip after we left that made a bit of rian look like a walk in the park. More soon :)

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  3. I am with you on the back pain scenario. Not always sure if it is from all day riding or a bad bed.

    Your camping scenario is very much to my liking. What a lovely cabin.

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    1. It was a beautiful cabin, with a very comfy bed Sonja .. much more my scene!!

      The sore back I am actually putting down to a massage I had a couple of days before I left, she made my neck feel much better, and I haven't had a migraine since then, but I think she was just a bit too rough on my poor old nurses back. It did get better and by the end of the weekend I'd forgotten all about it.

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  4. Seeing those nice clean chromed machines, neatly parked up, reminds me that I've got a job to do that I've been putting off for weeks. Mind you, I've got half an excuse that the weather has been a bit wet recently. Well, OK, not yesterday when I went to Hastings in East Sussex for the Bike1066 Motorcycle Show but then I hid my road-weary Suzuki Inazuma up a side road at the top of the hill! At the show, the cruisers were gleaming! What I don't understand is how come your bikes are so clean after riding a distance?

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    1. Hmm that's interesting Walter, cause those machines were dirty!! Must be my wonderful photography skills that makes 'em look nice and shiny :)

      I'm with you, sometimes it's just all too much, and in the same way that I neglected my blog for a while after returning, I didn't wash the bikes for a few weeks either. It was only when we decided to go for a ride that the guilt got the better of me and I had to wash them.

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  5. Sounds like a bit of a topsy turvy day, doing nothing and then everything at once.
    Those cabins and motel looked pretty good. Hopefully a nice bed should help out with your back. Then maybe you can enjoy the ride a bit more.

    Looking forward to see what you thought of the Tawonga Gap near Mt Beauty.

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    1. The bed did help a lot!!

      The motel is actually kinda dorm style accomodation in the camp grounds, there were 4 bunks in each but most of the guys just went two up in them. There was also a kitchen/ dining and sitting room type area as well as a BBQ area .. pretty good set up actually.

      Umm we didn't get to Mt Beauty .. I think that's where the mystery ride was on Sunday, but Cray and I left early to beat the weather .. oh but more about that soon .. it was .. well exciting is one word you could use.

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  6. Nice adventure Brenda! I am not good with the hurry up and wait part of it though, I get a little impatient and then just want to get moving. Sorry your back is hurting.

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    1. Thanks Dar :)

      Ya know normally I'm a get up and just get on with it type or person, but this time I guess I was in the right frame of mind (holiday mode), it didn't really worry me for once.

      Thanks, the back is getting better, I have re - injured it since being home but it will always be like that .. the price a lot of nurses paid in the day before OH&S.

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