Walwa Ride Home - Monday 28^th January 2002

Ben Warden CBR929RR Rob Langer FZ1

Renzo Cunico YZF1000 Danny Kosinski VTR750

Liz Oliver CBR919RR Tim Walker ZX7R

Perer Weyermayr CBR929RR Darryl Chivers CBR929RR

The planning started about 10:00 pm the night before after quite a few ales and a bottle of red. Yesterday, Danny’s bike had given up the ghost with a flat battery at the caravan park by the lake in the middle of the Elliot way. The battery had been dying for quite a while, but it was now declared formally dead. His bike was 92 km away and had to be retrieved. I think Geoff was the one that realized that Wayne’s battery could do the job, but the problem was that Wayne’s bike was now 112 km away. Yesterday Geoff and I had left the ride early, retrieved Wayne’s bike from Granya and delivered it to him in Albury. The plan was for Geoff to ride to Albury at 6:00am. With the rear tyre on the R1 well spent he would return in Wayne’s car by about 8:30 am, deliver the battery, then return to Albury for a leisurely cruise home on the R1 down the Hume. Darryl showed his management skills in improving the plan by suggesting that a battery could be borrowed from another bike, Peter volunteered his, and Danny’s bike could be retrieved while Geoff was on the Albury run. It all worked out well, though the times did slip a bit.

We finally got rolling about 10:15am. Down the now familiar road following the Murray, over the Granya Gap where I see Ben waiting with others at the “T” intersection. Darryl heads off toward Wodonga, wanting to get home early, while the rest of the group headed toward Corryong. After about 5 km Ben realises his mistake and we all turned around, also to head toward Wodonga. And I thought Ben had a map if Victoria tattooed inside his brain! Just before Tallangatta we take the turn off toward Mitta Mitta and go to check out the Dartmouth dam. Plenty of tight twisty stuff on the way to the boat ramp, and then around to inspect the dam wall. They appear to have blown the whole side out of an adjacent hill/mountain to get the stone used to construct the wall. Somehow I don’t think the environmentalists would let them do that today.

On to Mitta Mitta, a sleepy little village, for lunch. No action here. After a good break we keep to the back roads and head on to Myrtleford via Dederang for another meal stop. Renzo leaves us, announcing that he’s going to stay the night at his sister’s place. “She’s pretty old” he says. I reflect on this statement and think that we’re all getting pretty old. “She’s 80” he says. Now that does seem old!

From Myrtleford it’s on to Moyhu and Whitfield for a refuelling stop. Here the local cop seems to take an unhealthy interest in our refuelling activities. He heads out in his 4WD to set a trap. Nothing happens – I must be becoming paranoid. The road from Whitfield to Mansfield is now fully sealed, and what a great road it is. Little traffic, sweeping turns and superb smooth surface.

At Mansfield we break up. I followed Ben out of town, and I soon think that he’s being over cautious, keeping to the left of double lines and observing the speed limit. I take the lead; letting the Green Ninja gods protect us both (61,000km on the ZX7R and not a lost point). Pretty soon a gold Commodore SS of the highway patrol appears over the crest of a hill, but having just been ‘flashed’ by a friendly semi we cruise safely on without interruption. Ben takes the turn off to Yea while I head on down the Black Spur, arriving home at 8:05pm.

A long day – too long, but apart from Wayne’s troubles a great weekend away.

515 km Tim Walker (Kawasaki ZX7R)

1. If you're too open-minded, your brains will fall out.
2. Age is a very high price to pay for maturity.
3. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
4. Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity. 
5. If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before.
6. My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
7. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.