Phil’s Mystery Ride to Maryborough anywhere dry
by Phil
This ride report was originally published in the August 2008 issue of the Motorcycle Tourers club magazine, ‘Chain Lube’.
Mrs Ivy Volestrangler of Tylden Road in Woodend averted her gaze from Songs of Praise and glanced out the window. What a miserable day she thought, endless dreary drizzle and cold grey skies. Through the drizzle she noticed in the distance a man sitting on a motorbike by the side of the road. Ten minutes later she looked out again and noticed he was still sitting there. I wonder if he’s broken down she thought as she turned back to the telly.
The dripping biker sitting on that gorgeous Italian machine (well alright, she had no idea what sort of bike it was), was wondering what had happened to the rest of the group. He’d checked at each turn there was someone corner marking behind, but clearly something had gone wrong.
The initial group consisting of Adam M, Hosko, Tim H, Peter C (Petal) and Fab had left South Yarra punctually at 9.30am for a dry but greyish ride to the second pick up point at Sunbury. At Sunbury four more riders – Nigel H, Adam H, Brett F and John H – were waiting along with a four wheeled BMW (Aitch) which of course went to where BMW’s belong – to the rear. At the last (fateful) minute a new rider turned up –called Rob/Rod? After quickly pointing out the rear rider, the group set off, pretty much on schedule. The skies looked threatening: could it have just been the tint of the visor – or was a portent of rain? Heading out of Sunbury, the group turned left at Dalrymple Road and headed over towards Gisborne South. The drizzle, although not heavy, started. On through the drizzle the group rode into Gisborne. The lead rider missed a left turn which meant a quick few kilometres along the freeway in a cloud of car spray and drizzle to the next exit, down the ramp, right and then left up the old highway.
The group – or so the lead rider thought – headed up the old highway in the unrelenting drizzle, which was now turning to rain, to Woodend. After a left turn at Woodend for the road up to Tylden and Daylesford, the lead rider thought he’d better wait until someone caught up as the last corner marker was the last person behind.
Mrs Volestrangler heard the bike by the road start up and looked up as the bike rider turned around and headed back into Woodend. Strange behaviour she thought; to sit by the road in the rain for ten minutes and then go back from whence one had come.
The lead rider rode back into Woodend and found two of the group at the last corner and two more waiting under the verandah of the Victoria Hotel. After quite a while and many mobile calls, the group finally got back together – minus the rider who had turned up late. He had apparently gone home at some stage of the ride – which may help explain how the group got broken up…..
By this time, it was 11.45am. Reservations in Maryborough having now been cancelled, where to for lunch? The pub, under whose verandah we were waiting said they could fit us in, so the group trooped into their cosy, warm bistro. The bistro was a large room with a cathedral ceiling and not one but two fireplaces – just the thing for thawing out and drying off. A few of the group enjoyed a local red from the extensive wine list which also helped the thawing process.
About 1.30pm, it looked as if the rain had eased and the group ventured outside to mount up again. Then the rain started again.
Slipping on their nicely moist gloves and gear, the group headed off in the drizzle up the road and then right over towards Hanging Rock, through Newham and onto Lancefield where the road was actually dry. From Lancefield a lovely curvy and dry(!) road led the group over to Kilmore and on to Wandong and Wallan. At Wallan some more of that lovely drizzle the group had been missing started again. A left turn at Wallan took the group over some great roads, up hills and down valleys towards Romsey. The beautiful scenery along this road was almost visible through the drizzle too. Up from the valley and over a short flat stretch of the road brought the group into Romsey where it was – no, not drizzling but pissing down! The petrol station’s canopy wasn’t quite big enough and it was difficult to fill up without watering down the petrol. A nice cool wind through wet gloves had hands looking and feeling like raspberry ice blocks.
The leader’s suggestion of heading straight down the Melbourne road to Sunbury and home was accepted with alacrity by the rest of the group. As the group neared Melbourne, the roads appeared perfectly dry although the sopping wet gloves were a reminder that further north the day had been quite different.
Meanwhile, back in Woodend, Mrs Volestrangler had just made herself a nice cup of tea to enjoy while she watched Gardening Australia, with that lovely man, Peter Cundall. She was grateful she hadn’t had to go out on such a terrible day; not knowing the rider she’d seen earlier was wishing he was also at home in front of Gardening Australia with a nice cup of tea (and a nice man) too.
Thanks to everyone who came along, it really wasn’t such a bad day after all thanks to the great company. And being out on the bike is always (well nearly always) fun!
Ride Photos:
