Castlemaine MK II Sunday 11^th October, 2009

Craig Morley	Honda VTR1000 SP1	Phillip Hotschilt (3^rd ride)	Suzuki GSXR1300
Ron Johnston (leader)	Honda CBF1000	Rob Jones (rear)	Suzuki GSXR1000
Tim Emons	Honda CBR1000	Etienne Gous	Suzuki SV1000
Misho Zrakic/Pina Garasi	Honda CBR1000	James Crabtree (1^st ride)	Suzuki GSXR750
Ha Du	Honda CBR600	Damian Jones	Yamaha R1
Dennis Lindemann	Honda CBR600	Peter Jones	Yamaha R1
Greg Trainor	Triumph 955	Nancy Abdou (1^st ride)	Yamaha R6
Adam Wright (2^nd ride)	Triumph 675	Cameron Stevens	Yamaha FZ6
Marty Thompson & Tatyana Ostapovich	Kawasaki ZRX1200		17 bikes, 19 people

Today I didn’t want to do the ride, ’cos Bathurst was on, and it is one day a year where I just like to stay at home and watch THE RACE and do nothing, including not riding bikes. But I dobbed myself in and I can’t let the team down, even if I want to. So it’s on with your riding gear and get on with it! I had watched the television from 7am till 9am, so, I at least got two hours in before I left home.

Today’s ride is a little different, considering we are heading east from the west. Plus I have thrown in a couple of obscure roads, just to make it interesting. It is good coming across roads that we haven’t travelled on, a bit of variety, new scenery etc.

The day looked promising, warm and sunny, not supposed to rain, good. Time to rock and roll as we head out of Yarra Glen and meander through Christmas Hills till we come to Clintons Road. Right turn to Smiths Gully where they hold the famed Rob Roy Hill Climb for all the old timers. It’s been going on for years.

A bit further on we come across a paddock set out for horses doing jumps. Panton Hill to Hurstbridge. I pulled up before roundabout where the bike stalled. Nancy, on the R6, rode past. I had a bit of trouble starting the bike but fortunately, Nancy stopped on the other side of the roundabout. Ha came through and corner marked. Nancy came back and took off, not realising I was behind her. It took a little while before I could pass her in the twisties.

We had to watch for push bike riders who train around here. I keep riding, looking for Milnes Road. Headed down a sweeping right hander, looked at road on left, then right, realising I have missed the turn. I pull up and try to do a “U” turn so I can go up Milne road. I have to watch because everyone else starts turning up.

Now we are at Nutfield where Peter Brock used to live. On to Arthurs Creek and Whittlesea, then up through Kinglake West where the General Store is nearly finished. The whole area is changing shape dramatically, with many trees felled and new buildings popping up everywhere.

Misho passes me with Pina on the back, and I pass him before we head the down hill for the run to Flowerdale, Strath Creek and Broadford. Great roads.

Arrive in Broadford and parked outside the Bakery. People arrive in dribs and drabs, me thinking we are certainly spread out. Someone said that Adam Wright on the 675 Triumph had been stopped by an Officer of the Law, and supposedly collected a raffle ticket to support our Local Government.

But I have since spoken to Adam and he talked himself out of it. Top effort. Keep the money in your pocket, not theirs. We should have been here about half an hour, but it didn’t work out that way. Some people got fuel. Marty and Tatyana left the ride as did Craig who went back to the track at Broadford to watch some racing. The poor bloke was suffering terribly; he had been motarding all day Saturday at a factory in Broadmeadows with some mates. Today he was as sore as hell.

I was getting hassled about leaving; been here too long, people getting a bit toey. Five minutes! Helmet, gloves, we’re gone. Usual back road out of Broadford taking the High Camp-Seymour road that Ben used a couple of weeks earlier, and on to Pyalong. At Pyalong we headed across to Baynton East picking up the Burke and Wills Track to Mia Mia, Sutton Grange and Chewton where I decided to stop for fuel. I know it was only 6 kms to Castlemaine but I wasn’t taking any chances.

Some stopped for fuel and the rest went to Castlemaine. Tim said he only had a litre left in his tank, so he was sweating on it. In Castlemaine we park opposite the Subway on the foot path. I asked Ha where were Misho, Pina and Nancy. Lost. Not good.

Ha rings Pina and finds out that Nancy has come off her bike. She is not too bad, a bit battered and bruised, but her bike wasn’t too good. Misho and Pina were taking Nancy to the hospital for a check up. It appears that I had forgot that Misho had gone to get fuel along with Nancy. By the time they got back to the shops we were long gone. That’s when Nancy came off the bike. I had told everybody to be back in an hour.

After lunch we go back out to Chewton and go down the Vaughan/Chewton road. It takes you past the old gold diggings, tailings and some old buildings. I love this road; the best bit is halfway down. You come over the rise at speed and the front wheel lifts off the ground, (oh what a feeling, whatever motorbike you ride). Fryerstown to Guildford, then highway to Daylesford. I had to stop and consult the map, suffering from a bit of brain fade. Considering the amount of times we have been in the area, I couldn’t get things to register. Spring Hill to Tylden and Woodend.

From here we took in the loop, which included Straws Lane, Hesket to Romsey, Chintin to Wallan where the ride finished.

The total kilometres travelled was 320. The weather was good. One incident: Nancy came off her bike and Misho and Pina got left behind at Broadford. Sorry. Dave Hives put in an appearance at Yarra Glen but he had other things to do. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. Thanks to Rob Jones for performing the rear rider duties.

Ron Johnston.