Those that  stayed at home made the right choice!

We had a great morning by warming the rubber up on the Ebor Rd - any excuse...

Sam, Peter Mac and I made it into the Coonawarra Forest to find the selected road closed - Dave may say, "A Murray moment!". We did find another track and enjoyed a great ride; UNTIL about 3.30, when it began to rain. Turned the track into mud and with plenty of leaf litter and a couple of creek crossings, we were having fun even though some may question our levels of sanity. It did slow us down though! A few gentle 'unscheduled steppings-off 'and even one unaccompanied excurision down the hillside, when rider considerately left his bike on the track and then took a roll (well several actually) down the hillside, just to see what was down there!

We had about 2 hours to go after the sun went down and by that time it was proverbially piddling down. Got to Longflat Pub about 7pm and settled in for a nice dinner and a few rums. We weren't looking forward to going out onto the road in the rain again - just wanted to stay in the pub, rather than head up the mountain to our digs.

With the just the three of us on the trip, we pulled out of the bunkhouse and were given the station owners parent's house to stay in. After a nice warm shower, a dry change of clothes and a brew or two, we didn't stay out of bed too long!!!

We decided on Saturday night to call it quits and go home Sunday morning. Just had to trot up the hill to Ginger's Creek for fuel and brekkie. I got to the bowser with one k left on the countdown clock for the reserve tank. Sam and Peter had an additional 2.5L from the accomm owner and made it with a bit tio spare.

After a great breakfast we headed off back east to Wauchope and then out on the highway at Telegraph Point to head north. Then it really did bucket down and it was hard going just to see. Stopped at Freddo for a pie or two and a good coffee. By this time the wind had begun to come up and it became too cool just to sit around.

Made it to just north of Clybucca Roadhouse and then Sam's bike just went dead - never did figure out why; towed him back to the roadhouse and then doubled him home to Grafton, where I loaned him Honey for his trip home to get his ute. What a cold and wet trip that was, but we persevered! Peter was having too much trouble seeing through the rain and fogged glasses and visor, so he called it quits at Coffs - probably demonstrating the most amount of sensibility.

Monday morning at home waiting for Sam to come and pick me up in his ute to go back south to get his bike, I remember thinking that when we take his bike back to his place in Alstonville, I would then have to ride Honey back to Grafton. The thought of putting all of that wet riding gear back on did not impress! Imagine my gratitude when I see Sam arrive in his ute at home with Honey on the back; yahoo!

An uneventful trip back down to Clybucca (just north of Kempsey) to get Sam's bike, if you don't count the fact that the highway was down to one lane, due to floodwaters just north of Corindi. Sam and I did both note that while travelling in the ute, what a difference a tin-top and sheet of glass can make in the rain - wash my mouth out!

On the return trip we turned off the highway at Coffs and headed up the Glenreagh Rd back to Grafton and made it through.

What a trip, but another occasion to value friendship and yes, perhaps lunacy at some points in time over the weekend, but that what good times are all about!

Keep smiling

Paul Mex