Portland 25th
to 28th March, 2005
Suzuki Bandit 1200 Ron Johnston (Leader) Yamaha 250 Majesty Peter
Philferan
Suzuki GSXR1000 Lyn
Duncan Honda VFR800 Bruce Saville
Thursday night after
tea I decided to look at my bike. Apart from cleaning it after the Tassie trip,
it has just been sitting in the shed collecting dust. I checked the tyre
pressures, lubed the chain, and fired it up. It only ran on three cylinders, as
usual, so I decided to investigate further. After removing some body work and tank
I found one of the spark plug caps was faulty, not staying on the plug. This
explained why it ran on three cylinders instead of four. I remember it wasn’t
running the best in Tassie. It makes a difference when you want all the power.
The part has been ordered.
Lyn Duncan rung me earlier in the week about coming to Portland. She was
concerned that she might miss out. I told her not to worry since no-one else
apart from Bruce had rung and hence there was plenty of accommodation. She said
that she would see me at the Shell Westgate on Friday morning. Julie and I saw
Peter Philferan on Tuesday evening at his home to tell him that the Hotel was
closed on Friday and that when he gets to Portland, he was to go to the farm
and we would collect him up on the way through.
Friday. The weather
didn’t look very exciting. I kept looking out the door every 10–15 minutes to
see whether it would rain, and to decide what to wear, Dri Rider gear or
leathers. I ended up wearing my
leathers and put my Dri Rider gear in the car. I would decide at the Shell
Westgate whether I would change or not. I felt very lazy and was quite content
to just sit in the car and be driven for a change.
I arrived at 9.30 am at Shell Westgate and there were people and cars
everywhere. Replenished the fuel and
waited for Julie to arrive in the car about 10 minutes later. Lyn arrived about 9.45 am. She filled her
bike up and we had a bit of a chat. She asked if anyone else was coming and I
said no. Lyn had not been feeling well
all week but was looking forward to seeing Cliff, Danny and the farm. Shet
didn’t know how far she would go, but would decide when we got to Lorne. We departed about 10 am, Julie in the car
and Lyn and I on the bikes.
Princes Freeway, Maltby Bypass. There was a cop car parked with its
lights flashing, the traffic banked up for a couple of kilometres. I thought
there must have been an accident. We rode between the cars. When we got to
Duncans Road everybody was turning off to go to Werribee. I noticed a pointsman
manning the intersection after the turn off.
He certainly had his hands full directing all that traffic. The traffic
sort of thinned out a bit and made it a bit easier.
We turned off at Little River, down to Lara, Lovely Banks, and up
Purnell Rd. Where this road runs between Mathews and Anakie road is to be
closed shortly, so if any body is going to do a ride down that way, make sure
it is still open. It seems crazy to close it, a main thoroughfare like that.
Batesford, Barrabool, Moriac, Wurdiboluc and Deans Marsh where we
stopped to let my hands thaw out. They were that cold and white due to poor
circulation. I reckon if you had hit them with a hammer they would have
shattered. We stopped at the show ground and it was quite pleasant in the sun.
I wanted my hands thawed out for the run through to Lorne, not much fun with
frozen hands.
The run through to Lorne was okay, the road clean. Last time there was
still some chip left on it. Lorne: there were people and cars everywhere. At the servo I even met one of the painters
from work. Lyn went for a walk to find something to eat and bringing it back to
servo. She said she felt a bit dizzy and would go home. I told her to go;
there’s not much point in riding if you are not feeling the best. She said she
would follow for a few corners out of Lorne and then head home.
Lyn was amazed at all the back roads we had come along and wondered how
I remembered them all. Lyn said she would just ride back down the Great Ocean
Road because it was easier and she had no idea how which way we came. We said
our goodbyes. Lyn followed for a couple corners and that was that.
I saw my first cop car booking someone, a silver SS Commodore, before
Lavers Hills. You come down this hill; it’s long. You go up a rise with a left
hander and there is a house on your right for sale. There is a bit of a flat
with a sweeping right hander and off into some twisty stuff. So, I’ve come down
the hill fast, up the other side and onto the flat…shiiiit…. Let throttle go,
coast past at 80 kilometres and get on the gas, putting a few cars between me
and them.
My next stop was Lavers Hill. There was a reasonable amount of traffic
on the road. While I was having a light lunch several buses went past. I
tootled off, passed a few cars and buses. One bus driver indicated, moved left
and waved me past. Ten points to that driver. I gave him a wave.
Wattle Hill area, the twisty down hill section and the road is a bit
rough in places. I had my work cut out because a bloke driving a Toyota Coaster
size bus was giving me a run for my money on this down hill section. I was
watching him watching me in his mirror. Near the bottom he let me pass. Maybe
he was a motorcycle rider, or maybe he was a smart arse, who knows. He let me
pass eventually, no harm done. Port Campbell next stop. I got fuel and noticed
my fuel tank overflow pipe was hanging down and lying across the exhaust. That
could have been exciting. When I had the tank off the night before, I forgot to
reconnect the overflow pipe which consequently fell down, coming to rest on the
exhaust pipe.
From Port Campbell to Peterborough was uneventful. Upon entering
Peterborough I was flashed by one of three riders going the other way. Caution.
I think these bloody speed limits are stupid: 100 then 80 then 60, cursing
them. As I ride over the bridge there
is a fellow rider on a BMW in uniform booking some poor person in a silver
Falcon.
From here to Warrnambool it’s a boring ride, but I just paced myself.
With no competition, I pretty much stuck to the speed limit. From Warrnambool
to Port Fairy to Tyrendarra I just take it easy and watch out for any law
enforcement officers.
I arrived at the farm around 5 pm. Peter P hadn’t arrived as yet. It was a long day and I was feeling tired,
this riding at the speed limit takes it out of you. Peter arrived around 5.30
pm. He came to the house, had a cup of tea and spoke to Marjory, Pam and Julie.
Cliff wasn’t there because he was helping Danny Hawker with fencing.
About 6pm Peter and I left the farm for Portland. Julie followed soon
after in the car because she had some of my gear in the back of the vehicle. We
arrived at the Hotel, got the keys and sorted out our rooms. Cliff rung and
asked about having tea in town; we decided on Macs Hotel.
At the Hotel everyone was enjoying themselves. There was Cliff and Barb,
Peter P, Julie and myself. Cliff has
his hand in a partial plaster and he isn’t going to be riding for a while, so I
decided I wouldn’t go to Mac Park on Saturday and instead just go out to farm
and have a lazy weekend. I suggested we go to Warracknabeal and have a look at
the vintage tractors and equipment. They also have a tractor pull on Saturday
night. It takes about 5 hours to get there, so the idea was canned. I have
ridden my Honda 400/4 twice to Warracknabeal and my Honda 750 once in earlier
years. We were last there 4 years ago. It’s worth it if you have the time.
Saturday. Peter P had a
get together with the Ulysses Club and I went out to the farm and gave Cliff a
hand to feed the sheep. Cliff was on the tractor with the machine for feeding
out and I was on the four wheeler opening and closing gates. While we were
feeding out, Barb sent a text message to Cliff to say that there was a snake in
the back yard. Cliff suggested I go back but changed his mind and jumped on the
back of the four wheeler and said to go for it. We arrived at the house and Barb said “It’s over there, it’s over
there.” Cliff grabbed a piece of hose and I grabbed the spade. We went looking
behind the bamboo, but couldn’t see anything. Then Cliff spots it in the
paddock, so we climbed over the fence and Cliff belts it a couple times. It
slithered off into the bamboo before I got time to do anything with the spade.
We went poking about the bush. Cliff reminded me to watch myself. He
poured some water over the bush but wasn’t enough to do anything. We waited
around for about 15 minutes and still nothing so we went back up the paddock.
The snake was a Copperhead and was around 4 foot long.
After lunch Julie and I went to Portland to have a look around and visit
her Dad at Lewis Court. We picked Peter P. up around 4 pm and took him out to
the farm for tea. I gave Peter a guided tour of the farm on the back of the
four wheeler. I pointed out to Peter another snake hanging on a fence that
Cliff found on the track and killed the week before.
Back at the house, Barb had been busy half the day organising the
evening roast. We hadn’t heard from Bruce at this stage, but Cliff said he went
past on the bike, slowed down and sped up. I rang the Gordon Hotel to tell them
he was on his way and to ask him to ring on the house when he got there, which
he did.
The meal Barb cooked was yummy and every body enjoyed it. After the
meal, Bruce had every one in fits of laughter with tall tales from his
legendary past. Very funny…go Bruce.
Jason Peters arrived. Much idle chatter well into the evening. Around
midnight, Jason took Peter back to the Hotel and Bruce and I rode the bikes,
encountering some rain. Back at the Hotel we went to the lounge and had coffee.
Bruce and Pete were out on the balcony having a cigarette. Then we watched an
Aussie movie from the seventies, a bit like last yea, which finished about 2
am.
So much for going to bed early, suckers for punishment. The three of us
fell asleep and missed the last 15 minutes of the film.
Sunday. Peter went to
church and then visited some Ulysses members. Bruce went to Warrnambool to his
girlfriend parent’s place. Julie came
into town to collect her Dad from Lewis Court and picked me up from the hotel.
Then we drove to Bessibelle where Carol and Gavin live. Pam and mum (Marjory), Barb, Cliff, and
Jason all went to Carol and Gavin’s for a BBQ lunch along with friends and
family, a very nice way to spend the day. Julie and I dropped Ted off at the
nursing home and then went back out to the farm. Bruce called in on his way
back from Warrnambool.
Later in the evening, Jason and Cliff took me back to the Hotel in the
car and Bruce rode his bike. I gave Jason a bag of mine to take back to the farm,
saving Julie a trip. Back at the Hotel, Bruce and I went to the Lounge room and
there was Peter, fast asleep, on the couch with half a glass of wine in his
hand. He hadn’t spilt a drop. We woke him up and talked about the day’s events.
We had an early night.
Monday. We had
breakfast and loaded up the bikes in readiness for our trip back to Melbourne.
We said our good-byes to Pete and wished him a safe trip. Bruce and I left
minutes later, got fuel in Portland and called in at the farm. Bruce wanted to go
home down the main drag. I agreed and
said we would take the back road from Allansford. Julie left the farm sometime
after 10.30 am. We left about 11 am.
Bruce and I stopped at Warrnambool for lunch at Hungry Jacks. Then we
turned off at Allansford and high tailed it. Cliff says it takes 15 minutes off
the trip. Naringal, Glenfyne, Cobden, and turn right onto the Cobden-Stonyford
Road to Stonyford, then turn right onto the Princes Highway. Julie had stopped
at Maccas for lunch in Colac. We stopped briefly and then carried on stopping
at the roadhouse in Winchelsea for fuel and more food. Julie drove in while we
were sitting there. Then we all carried on to Melbourne.
I arrived home around 4 pm, Julie half an hour later. A good time was
had by few, weather was okay, and no incidents. The round trip was 932
kilometres on the bike. Julie’s car had done a lot more.
I would like to thank Barb and Cliff for the effort put into the meal on
Saturday and for the rest of the people for making the weekend such a social
occasion.
Ron Johnston (Bandit 1200)