MSR Porepunkah Christmas Camp, Mt Buffalo Caravan Park

26th December 2009 to 1st January 2010

 

Who went: 

·         Danny Hawker, Katrina, Jared and Noah Hollis - car, trailer ZX-10R, GSXR1000, bicycles.

  • Cameron, Andrea, William, Laura and Hamish Stevens – car and FZ600.

·         Ben and Julie Warden – car, trailer, bicycle and CBR954RR.                      

·         Ron and Julie Johnston – car, trailer, bicycles and CBF1000.

·         Cliff and Barbara Peters - car, trailer, bicycles and ZX10R.

  • Dave Ward and Bronwyn Manifold – ute, CBR1000RR and bicycles.
  • Chris Pointon and Suzie Pollard – van, GSXR1000 and bicycles.
  • John Rousseaux and  Kate Stewart – 4WD, trailer, CBR100RR and bicycles.
  • Kurn Bridgeman – ute, CBR600RR and bicycle.
  • Rob Langer – van, KTM950SE and bicycle.
  • Misho Zrakic and  Pina Garasi – ute, R6 and CBR1000RR.
  • Ian Payne – van, CBR1000RR and bicycle.
  • Craig Morley – van and WR426 Motard.
  • Tom Saville and Andi Sirninger – KTM950 and DR650.
  • Peter Feistl – van and GSXR750.

·         Carol and Gavan Dyson – car and bicycles.

  • Jo Southwell – car and bicycle.
  • Ern Reeders – CBR954RR.
  • Tony Stegmar – GSXR1000.
  • Ivan Radywonik – KTM990.
  • Damian and Renee Jones– R1.
  • Ha Du – CBR600.
  • Lloyd Griffith – BMW650 Dakar. *
  • Steve Brown – BMW650. *
  • Geoff Dicks – DR650. *                                           

(*Rob Langer’s friends)                                                       42 people, 26 members, 22 bikes

 

 

Saturday 26th

  • Ben, Julie, Misho, Pina, Kurn, Peter, Ron, Julie, Cliff, Barbara, Danny, Katrina, Jared, Noah, Carol, Gavan, Chris, Suzie, Ian, Ha and Rob all arrived today. Dave, Bron and Jo were staying in a house up the Buckland Valley. Cameron and his family were also here staying in a unit in Bright, as were Damian and Renee.
  • The nightly run up Mt Buffalo began. Participants were Cliff, Ben, Dave Ward, Kurn, Misho and Pina and Ron Johnston. 6 bikes, 7 people, 50 km

 

Sunday 27th

·         Today the group would ‘do’ the Bright, Hotham, Omeo, Falls Creek loop, initially via the Tawonga Gap Lookout and back. With two pillions this was a good ride to start with as we took quite a few breaks to keep the group together. The ‘new’ Anglers Rest to Falls road felt easier to ride in this direction and was in better condition than when we first rode it in November. Participants were: Chris and Suzie, Ben, Dave Ward, Ha Du, Peter Feistl, Damian and Renee Jones, Cliff Peters, Ron Johnston, Danny Hawker, Kurn Bridgeman, Ian Payne, Misho and Pina. 13 bikes, 15 people, 295 km     See front cover centre photo.

·         Bron and Jo ‘cycled’ up Mount Hotham!

·         Ben and Cliff replaced the air filter and spark plugs on Ha’s bike. The air filter was clogged with mud after at least 30,000 km and the plugs were well worn. The bike idled much smoother after the work

·         Ern arrived.

  • The nightly run up Mt Buffalo and to the end of the bitumen towards The Horn included Cliff, Ben, Dave Ward, Danny, Misho and Pina.  6 bikes, 6 people, 70 km

 

Monday 28th

·         Today’s ride would be to Mitta Mitta and Dartmouth Dam picking up the Tawonga Gap, Happy Valley Road and the Myrtleford Bakery. Participants were: Pina, Ben, Cliff, Misho, Cameron, Danny, Ern, Peter F., Kurn, and Ron. 10 bikes, 10 people, 385 km

·         Some people went cycling and others headed to Beechworth. 

·         Ivan arrived today having met up with Lloyd and Steve after becoming lost near Lake Cobbler!

·         Craig also arrived having spent some time at Dargo visiting Lyn Duncan.

·         Dave, Bron and Jo headed home after the girls cycled up Mount Buffalo!

·         Ha and Ian tried a microflight in the evening but it was too windy and was postponed till Wednesday morning.

·         For tonight’s entertainment, Kurn organised a taxi van to take 7 of us to the Bright Brewery. Pina, Misho, Cameron and later Peter joined us for a great night out. The trip back to camp sitting on Peter’s bed in the back of the Vito was interesting! 

·         Mt Buffalo evening riders were: Miso and Pina, Cliff and Katrina, Ron, Ben, Peter F., Chris Pointon, Ivan and Craig. Chris and Ivan ended up at The Horn, mistakenly.

 

Tuesday 29th

·         Due to the predicted high temperatures today, we would only do the Falls Creek, Omeo, Hotham, Bright loop (reverse direction from Sunday).  Cameron joined us but Ern did his own thing! Participants were Peter F., Danny, Ron, Cliff, Cameron, Pina, Misho, Kurn, Ben, Chris Pointon, Ian Payne and Ha Du. 12 bikes, 12 people, 265 km

·         We stopped at Falls where a reporter from the Border Mail newspaper interviewed us about the reason we came here. They were doing an article on tourism in the area. Feisty even had a picture taken of himself and his bike for the paper. Our ‘Media Star’ could hardly get his helmet on after that!

·         Ben supplied a replacement bolt for Tony’s Hallmark rack flapping in the breeze.

·         We continued on to Omeo where we were surprised to see Ern. He had crashed on the new section of road. Bike was rideable but with a broken wrist Ern was bound for Bairnsdale Hospital. See front cover photo.

·         Back at camp, Peter and Cliff took the van to bring back Ern’s bike.

·         Ben and Julie headed for Dargo to visit Lyn Duncan (MSR member) over Mt Hotham in the 36 degree heat. 125 km of twisty roads of which 50 km were tight and twisty dirt roads.  Two hours each way. Lyn was house sitting a farm overlooking Dargo Valley. The dinner party included Dan and Maggie (owners of Dargo General Store), son Kevin, Paul Walkley (ex MSR member), Chris McArdle (MSR member back in the 60’s and 70’s, side car aficionado) and Katie (student from Sale earning pocket money at the Store over Xmas).

·         Craig left for home just as John and Kate arrived.

·         Rob, Lloyd and Steve left for a ride to Wonnangatta where they camped overnight. Ivan accompanied them part of the way.

 

Wednesday 30th

·         Today Ian and Ha would do their half hour microflight over Mount Buffalo at 8am. See front cover.

·         The rest of the group headed for Falls Creek and decided where to go from there! They eventually went to Omeo and then back to Anglers Rest for a swim, Falls Creek, Mount Beauty, Tawonga Gap, Bright and back to camp. Participants were Peter F., Misho, Pina, John, and Kurn. 38 degrees and energy sapping 5 bikes, 5 people, 275 km

·         The flight over Buffalo was sensational; more so for Ha who suffers a little from vertigo! But cruising at an altitude of 5,500 feet at 80km/h was no problem for her! The microlight is fitted with a digital wing camera and a record of your flight is burned to a disc as a souvenir.

·         Kurn, Chris and Suzie packed up and left today.

·         Tom and Andi arrived today after exploring the Errinundra Plateau via Eden for the past few days. Rob also returned later having come back via Dargo. Geoff, a friend also arrived from Shepparton.

·         The Mt Buffalo run happened twice today, with firstly the bikes: Ben, Misho and Pina, Ha, Ian, Danny and Cliff (50 km) and then later with the cars (and Ben on his bike) to watch sunset over The Horn. At sunset were, Ben, Danny, Jared, Noah, Katrina, Cliff, Ron and Julie, Gavin and Carol, and Tony Stegmar.  70 km

 

Thursday 31st New Year’s Eve

·         With a predicted late change, today’s ride would be to Old Tallangatta via Tawonga Gap, Esk, Granya Gap, Bethanga Bridge, Lake Road, Old Tallangatta, Tallangatta, Happy Valley Road, Rosewhite Road and Myrtleford Bakery. Participants were: Peter, Ha, Ben, Danny, Pina, Cameron, Misho, John, Cliff, Tony S, and Ron. 11 bikes, 11 people, 330 km.

·         Ian cycled to Myrtleford for lunch with the rest of the group doing ‘other’ things. On my return he stopped at the Berry Farm for some ‘treats’ just as the sky over Mt Buffalo erupted with rain and thunder. Quite spectacular sitting in bone dry conditions only a few kilometres away! Apparently the riders weren’t so lucky.

Back at camp, Ha had returned after getting separated from the group. Eventually everyone returned and as nothing had been organised for New Year’s Eve, Ha and Ian travelled to the Ovens Pub for a meal where they won a bottle of sparkling in the music trivia quiz.

Another torrential downpour put a bit of a damper on the night for some, and certainly made it difficult to get back to the car dry! Returned to camp to find it slightly ‘waterlogged’ but the majority still saw-in the New Year. Unfortunately for Ben, Ron, Cliff and Gavin, the New Year bought an almost sleepless night as the consistent heavy rain proceeded to pool huge volumes of water on the roofs of their respective tents before pulling out tent pegs and collapsing poles. Luckily everything stayed dry apart from the clothes worn while retying the tarpaulins. The rain was accompanied by a fierce electrical storm with bolts of lightning flashing continuously and thunder claps scaring everyone including all the camp dogs.

 

Friday 1st

·         Most headed home today leaving only Ben, Julie, Cliff, Barbara, Ron, Julie, Carol and Gavan at Porepunkah. Apparently another fierce electrical storm at 2am with a deluge of rain caused more inconvenience with the rivers rising well over a metre!

Notes:

·         Julie Warden rode into Bright every day for a latte and cake, leading various groups.

·         Swimming at the junction of the two rivers every day

·         Most well supported Xmas Camp in modern history

 

Ian Payne and Ben Warden