Lavers Hill via The Great Ocean Road – Friday 24^th January 2003

Ben Warden (leader), CBR 929 Pete Weyermayr, CBR 929

Dave Ward, MV Agusta F4 Liz Oliver, CBR 919

Rob Langer, BMW 1150 GS Enzo Cunico, R1

On the Thursday of Australia Day weekend a decision was made to cancel the weekend away to Walwa because of the bush fires. A lot of the roads we would normally ride on were closed and the weather forecast was extremely hot. It sounded like a recipe for disaster. As the people who were planning to go on the weekend already had the days off work we decided to do a day ride each day instead. So while most other people were getting ready to go to work on Friday, the above group, minus Enzo, was getting ready for a blast down the Great Ocean Road ( I would really rather have been at work…not).

Dave turned up at the Westgate Shell servo on his latest acquisition – an MV Agusta F4. There was much oohing and ahhing from everyone admiring the artistic Italian flair before we set off. We left pretty much spot on 9.30 am, as Dave had to be back in time for work around 3 pm.

We headed off down the Freeway for the Little River turnoff and from there we followed the usual back roads through Lara and Moriac on our way to Deans Marsh and Lorne. From Moriac the pace picked up and Pete was sitting behind me watching my bike hit the bumps. He pulled me over and offered to have a go at the suspension. Happily I swapped bikes and took off leaving him to muck around with it. I have rarely been happy with it over bumps, especially at higher speeds as the front end gets very light and twitchy and prone to tank-slappers. It makes me nervous and I find myself backing off. However, I have no such problems with Pete’s bike and found myself loving the road between Deans Marsh and Lorne where the bumps can make my bike a bit unpredictable.

Lorne was buzzing when we stopped for petrol and a break. I had forgotten that it was the last weekend of the school holidays. Pete claimed he had made a few suspension changes that should make my bike much better, so we swapped back. But I suspect he was trying to slow me down because when we left Lorne my bike was bouncing around like a pogo stick - so we swapped bikes back again.

As we passed Skenes Creek Dave turned off to go home, and the rest of us rode through to Lavers Hill for a lunch break. Although the day was forecast for 37, it had been quite cool along the coast. But when we hit Lavers Hill it became quite hot and humid, so we sat inside with the comfort of the air-con. After lunch and on our way back towards Apollo Bay we met Enzo coming the other way. He had slept in and missed the start of the ride, left home very late and ridden non-stop to catch us, finally coming across us shortly before he reached Lavers Hill.

We turned off at Skenes Creek and headed towards Deans Marsh. As we left the hills and got onto the flat section the heat hit us like a solid wall. When we stopped for a break at Deans Marsh everyone looked exhausted from the heat. I managed to talk Pete into giving me my bike back as we topped up on drinks and icy-poles and sat in the shade. Before we left I threw a bottle of water over myself to try and keep cool. Rob headed straight for the hose and dowsed himself with that. It lasted for a few kms before drying completely.

Instead of returning the way we had come, Ben, in his infinite wisdom, decided to try out an alternative route back to Melbourne. So from Deans Marsh we headed north to Winchelsea then to Maude and Meredith via the Brisbane Ranges. We had another much needed petrol and cold drinks stop in Meredith before heading off again to break up at the freeway entrance in Werribee.

Apart from the heat, which only really hit us in the final part of the ride, it was a great ride – made only sweeter by the thought of everyone else at work. Thanks to Ben for leading, and to everyone else for helping make a very pleasant day.

Liz Oliver (Honda CBR 919)