Twenty-one motorcycles rendezvoused at Waurn Ponds Maccas for a ride to Meredith for lunch. The birthday boy, John G, led us on a convoluted route for morning tea at Foxy’s in Meredith, then on a 120km loop around the district followed by a very pleasant lunch at the Meredith Hotel.

Birthday greetings for John 

Branch Quartermaster and Welfare Officer. Digital technology has managed to alter them somehow in this pic!

Don (and Jan) rolled in for lunch

Everyone enjoying the lunch and get-together.(Pic courtesy of Gentle)

We were invited to a four day ride last weekend, staying in Mirboo North for three nights. The weather forecast was for excellent riding conditions for Friday and Saturday, a wet change with significant rain for Sunday and possible showers on Monday.

Well we made the best of the first two days completing 385kms (from our home) on Friday and about 370 kms on Saturday. Mrs T did really well riding pillion over these distances on a bike that is not very well suited for a pillion. Sunday dawned with drizzle that turned to showers and set in for the day. So Sunday was spent with some walking in the morning, including a visit to the famous ‘Inline-Four Café’, and an afternoon and evening by the open fire at the Mirboo North Golf Club – which they kindly opened for our use. Monday we headed for home on greasy roads and the threat of rain. When we pulled up for morning tea and consulted the rain radar the decision was made to cancel the ride home via the hills and take the highway home. As we hit the Monash it started to rain a little and just prior to the tunnel we were pummelled by a cold change, with pelting rain, gusty winds and generally treacherous conditions out over the Westgate Bridge and on the freeway back to Geelong.

All up it was a brilliant long weekend of just on a neat 1000kms door to door for us. Thanks to Ron (AKA Gentle) for all his work in planning the ride routes, organising the accommodation and generally ‘herding cats’ with good humour.

The girls were ready at BP servo in Geelong prior to the start

A diverse range of motorcycles

A great bunch of people, pictured here at Port Albert

Attack of the seagulls – aided by a handful of chips lofted into the air!

Coal Creek at Korumburra

Ride leader ‘Gentle’

Do you remember when there were railway gates on suburban streets?

Mural at Mirboo North servo

Inside the Inline 4 Cafe

Chilling at the Golf Club while it’s raining outside

April 13 was the old bike ride to the Warrion Ti Tree Hotel. I couldn’t make it for the ride but did drop in to Maccas to take a few shots at the start. Not many ‘old bikes’ unfortunately. Geoff had his BSA Super Rocket and there was a nice Triumph Trident.

A few of the regulars

A ride report from John T and some more pics in the next edition of Exhaust Notes.