Sometimes the need for a bike to
be moved to a more convenient location arises due to many reasons and you, dear
reader, may detect the reasons in other Walwa weekend
stories that may appear in this issue.
It is Sunday lunch at the fresh
air capital of Australia,
Cabramurra. Tim suggests he may not go on to Tumut but do some road checks between Tumbarumba
and Jingellic, which is just up the road from the pub
at Walwa. Thoughts of some time watching the Murray
flow and maybe a cool ale were mentioned. At the time,
mutiny was the call, but only Neville, VTR SP, and myself, joined Tim. Nev had decided to trailer up and
head home early so would leave Tim and I at the “T”
intersection at the end of the Elliot Way
and go through Tooma to Cudgewa.
Down to the pond at the low point
of the Elliot Way (Sue City ..Ed.) we went at
a rate that Tim said was as slow as he had ever been on that road. Something about usually having Rhys or some other try-hard in the
mirrors. On to the “T” intersection, goodbye to Nev, and on to Jingellic over some dirt
sections and into Walwa. Early afternoon fuel
is open so we fill up and ring the Albury Base
Hospital to check on Wayne.
In for a week. So then the plan to get the car and bike
to Albury forms and we decide to get it done this
evening so tomorrow would be free for the return trip home. Car keys are in the
room so Tim takes the ZXR and I take the Wayne’s
Ford, trailer and my gear for the return pillion ride. We head for the Granya road were the ZX900 awaits
in a farm shed. On to the trailer and on to Albury via the Bethanga Bridge, surviving a radar positioned just over a crest.
We headed into the hospital with Wayne's
gear to find him still in emergency, waiting for the doctor to fill him in on
his injuries. He was still in the brace fitted by the Ambo at the crash site
and was concerned about what may be wrong. We talked for a while and then I went
looking for my Aunty Val and Uncle Frank who I hoped were at home so I could
leave Wayne’s bike. Finally found them
after some wrong turns and parked the bike. Then back to the hospital to leave the
car in the car park, which seemed to have some level of security. We could have
left the trailer there also. Keys back to Wayne.
Then onto Tim's ZXR for my first pillion ride, trying to stay in line and not
move around too much. Still light and the sun at our back we do the 110 km to Walwa with no problems, even getting back before the
kitchen closed. So it’s those ales that were talked about at lunch, feeling
smug that all was sorted.
Ben let us enjoy our smugness for
about a minute and then suggested that, as we had assumed the recovery role,
what were we going to do about Danny’s VFR now resting at the bottom of the
Elliot Way with a dead battery?
Recovery Part 2
Only one bike
with fuel, the R1, but not much rear tyre. No
petrol till 9 am next morning. One battery in the
ZX900 at Albury and one VFR you know where. After
some rather crazy schemes to bring the battery and Danny's pride and joy
together Darryl comes up with the simple fix. Put most of the R1 fuel into Renzo's YZF 1000, leave enough to get to Albury and the battery, borrow a battery from Pete's CBRR
and Danny and Renzo will leave at first light on the
YZF to power up the VFR and return it to Walwa.
Next morning the plan is executed
like clockwork: The R1 leaves for Albury and I remove
Wayne's battery, borrow his car and
return to Walwa, playing at being Dick Johnson at Bathurst.
After a quick cupper with the Aunt Val and the Uncle Frank I return to find
Danny and Renzo already back and the rest ready to
leave. Drop the battery in, check it fits, then back in the car for a rerun. Sorted. The Club leaves for Melbourne
at 10.15 am.
Meanwhile I head back to Albury to connect car and trailer, more cups of tea, then
to the Hospital car park to return keys and find Verity has come from Melbourne.
Wayne is now in Ward 10 with TV etc
and people are organised to recover the car. All
that's left is the drone down the Hume Highway
with a thin rear tyre. Fuel at Seymour
and home around 3.30pm
Geoff
Jones R1, 2IC, Tim's
Recovery Service