VFR750 Rob Matricciani/Mandy Flower (Lead) ZX6 Campbell 1^st ride

CBR900RR Ian Payne ZXR750 Ben Warden

VFR750 Jack Youdan (2^nd Rear rider) CBR250RR Steve 1^st ride

XT600 Les Leahy (1^st Rear rider) 650 Cruiser Les Khan 1^st ride

It was still hot and sultry, despite the wet roads and apparent change in weather from 38 degrees for the past 3 days. A 10 am start at Yarra Glen put the pressure on, so after refuelling at the local Mobil it was onto the Ring Road and around to Diamond Creek, Kangaroo Ground and some corners at last on the Christmas Hills Road. The roads were now mainly dry, tyres scrubbed in, head clearing.

After a brief description of the day’s route and a call for a volunteer rear rider, we set forth, leaving at 10.15 am, heading along the back road to Healesville and the Black Spur. Les was bringing up the rear. The Black Spur looked a bit dodgy with the occasional wet corner, but with hardly any traffic, the opportunity was too good to pass up and Rob waved me by. At Narbethong I sipped on the water bottle, the first of many drinks for the day. The others soon arrived.

A lonely ride to Marysville where I corner marked and talked to Geoff Jones who popped out of the woodwork in civvies, having a "re-aquaint yourself with the wife, dirty weekend" – his words, Val, not mine. Soon enough Les arrived and we hustled off. Past the golf course I figured I would count the number of bridges, as there have been some serious accidents along this Buxton Road recently, where people have collected The Bridge. There are three of them, so I am none the wiser.

We trundled up the 4 kilometres of highway to Taggerty, turned right to Thornton, a lovely road, and around to Eildon for morning tea. I didn’t fill up as I still had at least 100 km worth of juice, and with much highway to be covered, figured the economy would be pretty reasonable. Instead I skooted around to Lyn and Eddy’s but they were not home. Back to Eildon proper for morning tea: home made cake and a bottle of tomato juice. Suddenly I was hugged from behind. Lyn, Eddy and dogs were on the way to the butcher and stopped to pass the time of day. Their detailing business progresses, a new boat and 1500 psi water pump the latest acquisitions. Lyn looks happy and well. They are looking at getting into the house boat cleaning game, and are advertising in the local exclusive House Boat Club magazine. I took a few photos of Lyn and Eddy’s puppies: two big rotweilers.

Time waits for no man, so back to the bikes and across the Fraser National Park Road. I stopped at the top lookout to admire the view, or more precisely, the lack of water in Lake Eildon. Apparently the old dam wall is starting to protrude, and is only about 0.9 metres below the surface. There’s no water at Bonnie Doon, grass two feet high. It looks weird. Les Leahy remarked he had never seen it in a worse state.

Alexandra and back to the Highway for the long haul to Mansfield. I found myself dropping off to sleep. It was hot and unpleasant, roads straight, speeds low, bad sleep the night before. Very dangerous stuff. I was glad of the stop, regroup and refuel at Mansfield. Including the 60 km to Yarra Glen, we had travelled an indicated 264 km. As suspected, I hadn’t hit reserve until the 250 km mark, roughly 20 km better than usual. I pumped some sugar in to the veins, trying to kick start the sleepy body into life. I need not have worried. The road down to Howqua and Jamieson and ultimately Kevington gets progressively twistier. Throw in the odd gravelled corner, almost total unfamiliarity with the road, and you are suddenly very, very awake. I gave the others a few minutes head start, and it took me 30 km to catch Les and Les. Everyone else had also woken up and lifted their skirts. Top road. Dangerous as.

Kevington Pub is as Aussie as they come: run down, corrugated red iron roof, rough hewn tree limbs to support the balcony, and two Kiwis behind the bar. It was old as the hills with very low ceiling heights – people were smaller back then - almost derelict, kids watching soft port on the TV, 4 or 5 locals holding up the bar, very basic menu, nothing over $7, time of no consequence. The first of us to arrive was around 1.50pm; the last to order was at about 2.10 pm, meals arrived at 2.50 pm and we were back on the road by 3.40 pm. Time is important for city slickers.

We ordered five steak sandwiches and chips, and two fish and chips. We were down to seven people now, new riders Steve and Campbell departing much earlier at Alexandra. Rob had warned the Pub owners to expect us, back at Eildon. While sitting outside on a large rough wooden table, The Cook wandered out and offered us the choice of Bambi or cow for our steak sandwiches. I gamely took the venison option, the others the cow. Les decided that the meat was not too chewy or gristly for a steak sandwich. By this time we were pretty hungry, so it would not have made much difference what it was.

Rob availed himself of the swimming opportunity as advertised. The Pub has a great water hole a few steps from the back of the pub, a nearby camping ground, and a bush stage for Australia Day non-stop entertainment. Not the place you would take a lady though ….

Back to the bikes and more fun roads. Jack took up the rear rider station, giving Les a chance to unleash those pent up horses. He set off at a mad clip, the tight twisties suiting his bike, no doubt grinning from ear to ear. At Mansfield there was some confusion over corner markers, the standard mis-communication that occurs when you get three old blokes trying to have a conversation with their ear plugs and helmets still on. No damage. We recovered soon enough. "but I thought you said .." " But I thought you said …"

At Bonnie Doon we stopped to regroup and for a spot of sustenance – read 600 ml of iced coffee to ward off the boredom-induced sleep, and probable dehydration. You dripped perspiration if you stood still, riding only marginally more pleasant. The coffee worked – I was quite refreshed.

At Yarck I headed for Yea, while the others continued on to Alexandra and across the Molesworth Road to Yea. (Wrongly, I figured they were going to go straight back down the Highway and over the Black Spur, much the way we had come, due to the lateness of the hour. It was only days later that I remembered Rob had said we would head for Yea via the Molesworth Road, and Ian confirmed that they had. I blame the heat!) So, I meandered around the Highway to Yea before getting onto my once favourite road (nothing compares to Walwa weekend roads), the Flowerdale to Kinglake West blast. A pleasant fast cruise, not another bike on the road due to the heat. At last the air temperature was starting to drop. Down through Whittlesea, Kalkallo and the Hume Highway to reach home by 6.20 pm. (I think Ian got home at 7.30 pm!)

Round trip of 550 km. Low speed thumping from last week fixed by swapping tyres – out of round or something, yet to be determined. Enjoyable ride in places, company always good. Weather very tropical and most unlike Melbourne. Probably only 32 deg, but extremely humid, the sun barely visible all day.

Thanks Rob for leading us to a rarely visited (by our Club) destination and organising the Pub, ensuring we would get fed and watered. Full marks to Mandy as it would have been a tough ride as pillion.

The ZXR clocked over 25,000 km and is suffering in the power stakes quite noticeably. Cut my losses? Put another engine in it? Then sell it? Fix the brakes – the carriers are worn out. I fear these decisions may have to be made sooner rather than later. Stay tuned!