The Honda Snowy ride is a charity ride organised by the Steve Walter Foundation. Steve got cancer and died in 2000 (I didn't know him) but one of his last requestes was that his family do something for Kids Cancer charities, so they didn't have to go through what he did. I don't know that Steve was a rider, but somehow this ride grew from it's first in 2000, to this years 2,946 registered bikes....they were everywhere!
The ride consists of groups, ours of which was 16 all amking there way to the NSW alpine resort at Thredbo, up in the Snowy Mountains. Our course was about 2,000 kms through SE Australia over 5 days (Saturday was a free day) through sections of road you just have to ride to experience. An example was someone told me that Brown Mountain was like 10 Arthurs Seats, one after the other. I'd read a lot about it, but this was the first ride up. Scruffygit would know what I'm talking about when I mention Arthurs Seat and that would conjur up lots of images of tight corners, uphill, one after the other for about 10 kms...fookin awesome!
It all started last Wednesday on our way to Toora from home, we shot down through some of our 'local' country roads avoiding highways like the plague. Via the Cape Patterson Road...nice scenery if you were going slow enough to look, with fresh sea air to match. Arrived Toora in the afternoon and set up camp at 'The Dougout'.
Next morning, off to Tathra on the South Coast of NSW with about 500kms to cover we scooted through some inland sections with the temps starting to warm up (no rain during the whole ride
except Friday night, but that don't count). We picked up the rest of the crew at Bairnsdale and Omeo
and continued on our merry way. The constabulary noticed our presence along one section when a couple of our crew tried the other side of the speed limit....but by the time the handbrake took effect, they were four corners up the road. Arriving at Tathra we parked our 'Love Machines' (budgie first on left)
....'Porno' Pete Mitchell's (also known as 'Dirk Diggler') bike came in for some treatment
...we were fortunate enough to have a pub next door...good planning
).
On the way to Thredbo, we fueled up at Berridale with a chance to take a coupla more photos
As a matter of interest, there were three
's on the ride out of 16...most popular bike (of course
). We had the Kawasaki Kids (Allan and Steve)
...gotta wonder when they'll wake up hey
.
Ok, arrived Thredbo mid afternoon, bikes parked (Budgie on right)
...not much snow (whew!)
straight down for refreshments
Porno Pete second left...
Some went for a ride to Charlottes Pass, not this little Black Duck...off to the Pub and Toboggan ride...Suzy on the Toboggan
Some BMW riders think their bikes can defy gravity...
...put a brick under it stoopid!!
Waiting for my winning ticket to come good...
Think the missus will know...?
Popular bikes aren't they..
Stone damage to Cam's radiator....well it is a Suzuki
Knackered after crossing Mount Beauty on Sunday
Last stop for lunch at Alexandra on the way home Monday
Arrived home 4pm Monday absolutely stuffed with a dose of Hayfever. As I said, the only rain we had was Friday night at tHredbo and we were all tucked inside by then. Last year they got a big dose of rain crossing Mt Hotham and the high plains, not a great place to get caught out in the open.
So, all in all...a great 5 days of fun with some mates...memories ofsome great roads....I'll be back.
Cheers,
Budgie