Trip Blog
On a fairly cool May morning the Foxes were alert and assembled at the Princes streets shops. After route 66 we were able to park the bikes close together to make it a formidable sight. This was a bitter sweet trip, given we had lost our brother Ash only a few months before and we were determined to remember and rejoice the great time we had with him.
It was a full complement of foxes or a “skulk of foxes” as the collective noun goes. Gibbo had taken point on this trip and organised the route and accommodation. We were looking forward to the gloriously named thunderbolt way followed by the equally regaled Oxley highway the road every Australian motor cyclist has to ride!
We rolled off at 9 and made excellent progress up the freeway and made it to Gloucester just before noon. Boxy was looking longingly at the pub after the taxing ride up the freeway and the light beer and hamburger went down like a treat. We had a debrief on the performance of Mike Grundys switchback and the impact on his prostate and lower back and made soothing noises about the new purchases of 2 Vulcans and a Harley Softail. But we were burning daylight and the weather looked ominous. We refocussed and agreed on where to stop and toast Ash.
On the road up to Dorego we refueled. Thinking we had everyman accounted for we rolled on, not knowing that brother Tone was still using the conveniences at the service station. He caught up two hours later after brother Lewy noticed he was unaccounted for, but understood he couldn’t stop and look like he was providing support.
The weather conditions were rugged and overcast but the road conditions were excellent for this highly tuned group of riders. We arrived at the lookout and Gibbo rolled out his memorial flag and we set it up and had a toast to our great mate.
It should be noted that Gibbo produced 9 antique glasses and a bottle of Rusty Nails which would become his nemesis on future trips (Refer Braidwood 2016).
The foxes then went into overdrive to beat the weather and the fading light and rolled into the town of Walcha at 5pm. The caravan park was found and as usual the paradox of the snorers came in to play. The people that don’t snore are penalised by having to share a room while the thunderous herd of excessive snorers luxuriate in their single cabins No sympathy, not a support group blah blah!
We then had some evening wear issues, with brother Tone having only brought only one pair of trousers which he was wearing and were of a shiny black leather consistency which he didn’t think would wear well in the commercial hotel bar, luckily Russ had brought 3 extra pairs for emergencies like this.
Off through the weird sculpture park to the hotel for a few beverages and laughs before dinner at the Royal Café. Dinner was a lively affair with good food a Swans game on the TV which only brother Singo notices and a French waitress who was looking confused when Russ and Singo used their perfect Parisian French on her. Obviously she was from the South!
After watching Singo finally down his Sticky Date Pudding we hit the hay ready for the next day.
Shit, How cold can a place get! All up for breakfast at the Royal Café trying to warm up. We hit the Oxley at about 9.30 and what a spectacular ride. It felt like riding with a strobe light as the sun flashed through the forest of trees. Morning tea at the famous Ginger Creek and then through to Port Macquarie!
The call from Gibbo was to hit up the Motorcycle museum at Nabiac so we all stopped in. The less mechanically minded (Russ and Singo) took one look and turned around to the pub. Huge mistake ordering the home cooked pie…(clearly it was a literal term as they must have gone home to cook it), so two hours later and pressed for time the foxes braved the blinding western sun and fanged it home just in time for Mike and Tony to return their rentals. Another successful Fox adventure and send off to brother Ash!
Riders
- Gibbo – Navigator and Flag Bearer
- Boxy – Lookout (Pubs, Petrol etc)
- Hydro -Backup Navigator
- Tone – Fashion Consultant
- Russ – Translator
- Mike – Assessor
- Singo – Chief piss taker
- Lewy – Lookout (missing people)
- Richo – Riding Consultant
Silver Foxes Motorcycle Club Australia 