BMBEN
Registered user
Meet and greet at McDonalds Blaxland 8.30am for a 9.00 start.
Everybody is welcome.
Wednesday 11th April 2012
Wisemans Ferry
Well Jeff’s away for a few weeks so for the time being the report writing is back to me.
Wednesday morning I rolled around to Maccas on my new Harley Sportster. Yep, I’ve still got the Milwaukee Monster. After all, what’s better than owning a Harley Davidson? Owning two of them of course. By 9.00am there were nine riders present including a welcome return of Tom from the wilds of WA and Big Jim who we hadn’t seen for about five years. Noel suggested we ride to Wisemans Ferry via the River Road. Everyone was happy with that, especially as Noel also volunteered his services as ride leader.
We set off up the highway to Springwood and turned onto the Hawkesbury Road. Thankfully, as it was school holidays we didn’t have to worry about the interminable school speed zones. Past Hawkesbury Lookout and down the winding hill to Yarramundi and on to Agnes Banks where we turned onto Castlereagh Road and headed towards Richmond. The previous day I’d been on a ride to Fitzroy Falls with a freezing cold wind blowing and had received a head cold as a result. So here I was with my nose dripping onto what had previously been a pristine shiny fuel tank. Anyway we bypassed Richmond and rode out past the RAAF base to Windsor. Some of us had become separated in the traffic at Windsor, but I knew we were going to Sackville for morning tea. As I approached the T intersection at the end of Windsor to turn left; there was Mr John Mac, followed by Eric and his penguin preparing to turn right towards McGraths Hill. As I passed them I yelled out “this way!” They obviously got the message as they were soon in my rear-vision mirrors. We rode along to Wilberforce and turned off to head through Ebenezer down to Sackville where we stopped at the servo for smoko. There was a sign there saying the place was under new management. It didn’t make much difference to us. Even though we used their facilities, I don’t think anyone spent any money there.
While sitting there yarning and slurping our coffee a number of the blokes were proclaiming the beauty of a new fence which had been built on the other side of the road. I suppose it must say something about the rest of the scenery there when you admire a fence!
Leaving Sackville we rode towards the ferry then turned onto the Lower Portland Road. This is a nice bike road with sweeping bends through the bushland and it brought us to the Lower Portland Ferry. We had to wait for the ferry to return from the other side and I was amused to see that the only passengers were a mother with two little girls on bicycles. A busy place this! Departing the ferry when we reached the other side, the ferry mistress gave us a cheery wave. The staff of this ferry are always friendly and cheery. We were now on the River Road. This is always a delight to ride when you’re not in a hurry. The road twists its way along the banks of the Hawkesbury River and there are terrific views. Okay it’s narrow and has a couple of short stretches of dirt but I still love it. Eventually we arrived at Wisemans and as we rode into the picnic area my Sportster bottomed out on one of the speed humps. This had also happened the previous day. Obviously the Sportster has very low clearance.
Even though there were only eight of us, (Mr John having left us at Sackville, possibly to visit a female relative) I think we managed to occupy every table in the picnic shed. Just goes to show; when you ride a motorbike you can do whatever you like. We ate a very leisurely lunch as nobody was in a hurry to go anywhere. At least that’s what I thought. Noel and I had been yarning about the van he is restoring when I realised Eric was sitting on his bike with his helmet on and had been doing so for about 15 minutes. We took the hint.
Eric rode up to the corner so could film us leaving. Everybody straggled out with me second last and Bill behind me. Clearing the last speed hump I glanced in my mirrors to see that Bill was having problems. Eric and I both stopped to help him and we were soon mobile again. Reaching the top of the hill above Wisemans it started to rain and the mud soon mixed nicely with my nose drips on the tank. Thankfully the rain stopped after about 5 minutes and we arrived at Pitt Town to find the rest of the group waiting for us. We then rode through Windsor and stopped for afternoon smoko at the park opposite the RAAF base.
After afternoon smoko, it was, as usual, every man for himself. The mountain men headed back up Hawkesbury Hill while the plainsmen made their way towards Penrith. I arrived home about 4.00pm with 183km on the tripmeter. A fairly short ride for us but very enjoyable none the less. Sorry no photos, I didn’t have my camera.
Peter M
Everybody is welcome.
Wednesday 11th April 2012
Wisemans Ferry
Well Jeff’s away for a few weeks so for the time being the report writing is back to me.
Wednesday morning I rolled around to Maccas on my new Harley Sportster. Yep, I’ve still got the Milwaukee Monster. After all, what’s better than owning a Harley Davidson? Owning two of them of course. By 9.00am there were nine riders present including a welcome return of Tom from the wilds of WA and Big Jim who we hadn’t seen for about five years. Noel suggested we ride to Wisemans Ferry via the River Road. Everyone was happy with that, especially as Noel also volunteered his services as ride leader.
We set off up the highway to Springwood and turned onto the Hawkesbury Road. Thankfully, as it was school holidays we didn’t have to worry about the interminable school speed zones. Past Hawkesbury Lookout and down the winding hill to Yarramundi and on to Agnes Banks where we turned onto Castlereagh Road and headed towards Richmond. The previous day I’d been on a ride to Fitzroy Falls with a freezing cold wind blowing and had received a head cold as a result. So here I was with my nose dripping onto what had previously been a pristine shiny fuel tank. Anyway we bypassed Richmond and rode out past the RAAF base to Windsor. Some of us had become separated in the traffic at Windsor, but I knew we were going to Sackville for morning tea. As I approached the T intersection at the end of Windsor to turn left; there was Mr John Mac, followed by Eric and his penguin preparing to turn right towards McGraths Hill. As I passed them I yelled out “this way!” They obviously got the message as they were soon in my rear-vision mirrors. We rode along to Wilberforce and turned off to head through Ebenezer down to Sackville where we stopped at the servo for smoko. There was a sign there saying the place was under new management. It didn’t make much difference to us. Even though we used their facilities, I don’t think anyone spent any money there.
While sitting there yarning and slurping our coffee a number of the blokes were proclaiming the beauty of a new fence which had been built on the other side of the road. I suppose it must say something about the rest of the scenery there when you admire a fence!
Leaving Sackville we rode towards the ferry then turned onto the Lower Portland Road. This is a nice bike road with sweeping bends through the bushland and it brought us to the Lower Portland Ferry. We had to wait for the ferry to return from the other side and I was amused to see that the only passengers were a mother with two little girls on bicycles. A busy place this! Departing the ferry when we reached the other side, the ferry mistress gave us a cheery wave. The staff of this ferry are always friendly and cheery. We were now on the River Road. This is always a delight to ride when you’re not in a hurry. The road twists its way along the banks of the Hawkesbury River and there are terrific views. Okay it’s narrow and has a couple of short stretches of dirt but I still love it. Eventually we arrived at Wisemans and as we rode into the picnic area my Sportster bottomed out on one of the speed humps. This had also happened the previous day. Obviously the Sportster has very low clearance.
Even though there were only eight of us, (Mr John having left us at Sackville, possibly to visit a female relative) I think we managed to occupy every table in the picnic shed. Just goes to show; when you ride a motorbike you can do whatever you like. We ate a very leisurely lunch as nobody was in a hurry to go anywhere. At least that’s what I thought. Noel and I had been yarning about the van he is restoring when I realised Eric was sitting on his bike with his helmet on and had been doing so for about 15 minutes. We took the hint.
Eric rode up to the corner so could film us leaving. Everybody straggled out with me second last and Bill behind me. Clearing the last speed hump I glanced in my mirrors to see that Bill was having problems. Eric and I both stopped to help him and we were soon mobile again. Reaching the top of the hill above Wisemans it started to rain and the mud soon mixed nicely with my nose drips on the tank. Thankfully the rain stopped after about 5 minutes and we arrived at Pitt Town to find the rest of the group waiting for us. We then rode through Windsor and stopped for afternoon smoko at the park opposite the RAAF base.
After afternoon smoko, it was, as usual, every man for himself. The mountain men headed back up Hawkesbury Hill while the plainsmen made their way towards Penrith. I arrived home about 4.00pm with 183km on the tripmeter. A fairly short ride for us but very enjoyable none the less. Sorry no photos, I didn’t have my camera.
Peter M
