Geoff Jones ZZR600 Di Welsford CBR600 Jack Youdan VFR800

Ray Walker GSXR 600 Rhys Williams ZX9R Ian Payne CBR900

Martin Bastock CBR1000 Darren HoskingVTR1000 Bradley Cain TRX850

Greg Hales TL1000 Wayne Grant ZX9R

I really do enjoy the northern rides. There are many great spots to visit although it is often better to have a half day rather than a full day into this area. The day began at the Whittlesea pickup, no city pickup as it was a short ride. The place was a little deserted on my arrival. However I was confident a few would show. Geoff Jones normally enjoys these rides, as they do not lead him miles from home (Melton).

The plan was a simple one: head north the best way possible, so the roads heading back to Whittlesea can be enjoyed. From Whittlesea we headed to Wallan followed by Romsey. Nice clear sweeping roads through this area, mountain type views as well. From Romsey it is up to Lancefield. This is the part that could literally put you asleep, although fortunately on the ride that never occurred and besides, this part is over in about 15 minutes. Travelling down this busy road it is wise to watch your speed as many police have been spotted in these parts. Thankfully the turnoff to Pyalong is just out of Lancefield.

It is a great ride up to Pyalong where the trees start to hug the road with a strong canopy of branches overhead. The shadows on the road provide even more visual stimulation. During winter after some heavy rain falls it may be difficult to tell what part of the road is dry. We however were enjoying a clear day. Pyalong is actually a good place to stop; not too busy. It has a couple of shops to cater for those who enjoy everything they eat boiled in fat.ie deep fried, and for those who do not. On this type of a ride the journey has been too short and there was no way I would stop after only riding for about 30-40 minutes.

After sailing through Pyalong the road leads us to Tallarook. It can take you to Seymour although there is not much to see and really only highways to travel. It is much smarter to head to Trawool via Tallarook. We passed the Trawool Resort; an interesting name given it is the ONLY thing at Trawool, where the old railway station has been successfully converted into a pub and restaurant.

By this stage the time was getting on although all seemed to be enjoying themselves. The sun was shinning, the birds were singing, so why stop. I was aware that some male members of the Club require a stop each hour without fail due to excess pressure of the bladder but I knew the next town was not far. A right turn points you in the direction of Strath Creek, which really is just a shop with petrol, sitting in the middle of nowhere. It turned out to be a terrific spot as some were starting to get a little low on fuel. I did not realise at the time but some of the bikes in the Club are quite fussy about what they drink, premium only. Guess what Strath Creek does not have? That’s right, no premium. There was one guy there in even more trouble as his mint ZX9R sat on its rim, the tire was so flat. Flowerdale was only up the road and for those who need ‘Special Fuels’ it could accommodate. Hell, you could even put BP Zoom in there if you had wanted.

By this stage people were just starting to get into the riding so a quick blast up to Yea and back was in order. This would have to be one of the best roads in the state, and although I can think of a couple of others, this would rank right up there. From Flowerdale it was back to Kinglake West where some had to leave us. It makes more sense to leave at this point if you intend to head out east even though you do miss a very enjoyable blast back to Whittlesea, which is where we ended.

Thank you to all those that attended. A special mention should go to Ben Warden who missed the start at Whittlesea and spent the day catching up. To his credit he did catch up with the ride. However by that stage we were only 2 km from Whittlesea where we had started. It always pays to be prompt.