Southern Region Midweek Ride report, 5 Nov

It is said that the Melbourne Cup is the horse race that stops a nation, but there was no stopping 15 riders and pillions who met at Officer on the Princes Freeway early on this Tuesday morning. We all reported very quiet roads while making our various ways to the start. The previous few days had been marked by frequent rain, but Mike briefed us for the ride in dry and promising conditions. We welcomed guest rider David Gray who along with his father Hector had been a club member several years ago (Hector used to ride a Norton ES2).

Looking forward to the ride we followed Mike on a short blast east along the freeway soon turning south to head alongside the rail line through Garfield and Bunyip. The landscape became hilly and undulating as we turned north, with green paddocks and herds of black and white dairy cattle all around. Overhead the sky was an interesting patchwork of huge grey and white clouds with glimpses of blue in between. Jindivick is on a ridge and as we passed through we had views to the distance on the left and right.

Now in forested country we turned at Jindivick to Neerim South with occasional logging or milk trucks hurtling past from the opposite direction. We enjoyed the bendy roads and were soon at Noojee where Mike had booked us in to the Little Red Duck Cafe for our morning tea break. A large wood-fired heater warmed us, and while the cafe people produced our drinks and food we chatted – I can recommend the Flourless Orange cake with a dob of cream. Gary and Yolanda joined us at Noojee from where we followed Mike through more excellent motorcycling country to Willow Grove. Huge forest trees were all around and occasional debris on the road was avoided safely.

Riding downhill from Willow Grove we had views of the Latrobe Valley on our way to the Holden Museum at Traralgon, our next visit. We spent an interesting hour at the museum where we were joined by club members Alan and Val Smith. We then moved on to Yarragon for lunch before riding enjoyable back roads to Drouin and Nar Nar Goon from where we later dispersed.

Thank you Mike, it was another enjoyable day of country riding in good company and thanks Tom for riding TEC.

Participants:

John Best.