President’s Message – November 2018
Members who attended the Ride and Ruffit Rally hosted by the Bendigo Historic Motorcycle Club over the weekend of 13 & 14 of October will I’m sure echo my sentiments when I declare the event a great success. The event was well attended by our members & we were joined by a small group from the Iron Indian Riders Club. Our thanks go to Pam & Rex Jones and their fellow Club members who treated our Club once more to the wonderful country hospitality that many of us have enjoyed on past occasions. If you haven’t been on a Ride & Ruffit Rally, you’ve missed a great Club event. As long as we are welcome back in two years’ time we will do it all over again, so if you haven’t been you have two years notice. As a bonus this year we were spoiled with beautiful balmy weather.
Recently I joined a small group for a 5-day, 4 night ride roughly anti clockwise around Victoria’s central north west. Our group opted to seek accommodation in small town country hotels rather than motels or cabins. This decision proved to be a real winner and I’m sure in future we will continue to put our heads down in this style of accommodation again.
For those of you that haven’t experienced this type of accommodation I would recommend it. Each of the 4 nights we were away, the rooms although basic were all that was required for a few hours shut eye. Shared bathroom facilities are the norm, that wasn’t an issue. Having a beer at the bar with the locals and sampling great country cooking also heightens the experience. Price wise the most expensive night was $35 pp that included a continental breakfast – the best value and most memorable night being our last night at the Logan Bush Pub where we paid $30 pp for a room each and a cooked breakfast the following morning that kept us going all day. This is the quirkiest most delightful country pub and although maybe not to everyone’s liking due to said quirkiness and relatively remote location I would thoroughly recommend it and personally will be staying there again as soon as I can.
Our country hotel leaning was undoubtedly spurred on by Club Member Paul Clayton who for many years has waxed lyrical about the joys of overnighting in small town country pubs.
So, the point to my story is that Paul & Richard Mason are planning a Club ride to a country town pub for overnight accommodation, perhaps a lemon squash or two, a great meal and a ride back home via a different route the following day. Watch out for that one on the Club Calendar in the not too distant future. It will be a ripper!
Now winter is behind us, join us on a Club ride and enjoy not only the ride but the fellowship that I believe is a key attribute of our great Club.
Ian Snadden
President CMCCV