Another sleep in “NOT”…lol, you’d think I’d get used to it but am just accepting that the sleep in will have to wait until I get home.

Ghosty, Carsten & Lionel (3 FarRiders) asked Anny & I to witness documentation last night for their attempt at a SS1600. So this morning they are up early and packed waiting for the petrol bowsers to open so they can get a docket and get goin’.

Ready, set, go….

The sun is rising and “oh boy” the light show against the rock face is gorgeous. I am also ready to go, so after waving the guys off, it’s back to get the last of my things and get goin’ myself. Anny & I did our own thing today. She went back to Alice and stayed to do the Fishers Run and me well I hit the road in search of Devils Marbles and hopefully some good photos along the way.

my red rock “quest pic”, what a beautiful show it was.

Like most mornings, it cool but by the time I reach Alice, it’s lovely. Fuel up and 2 couples come over to chat to me about the Black Dog I am carrying. Well, 20 minutes later they are most appreciative of what we the BDR Riders are doing and asked for the web details. The word is slowly spreading and when it comes from the heart it’s easy to talk to strangers about these things.

It’s amazing what goes through your head when you’re in your helmet. You have so much time to think and think of cool stuff to write, but by the time I get to the keyboard it’s gone. In saying that though, I was chatting to a fellow last night about life and love and it was then when I spoke with him that I realised how much love I have for Karl and the special people that make up my life. How fortunate am I, when others find it difficult to see the beauty and love, which can be sitting there right in front of them.

Times a wastin’ and I need to get going. You gotta love the speed limit up here 130 kph, so you can speed and not get in trouble….he he he. I stop again at the Tropic of Capricorn for another photo (it’s not crowded this time) and go again.

Man, my bladder is getting smaller on this trip and I have to find a rest stop. Next town Airleron, so I pull in but no way am I stopping too many locals and I don’t fancy leaving the bike unattended. However they do have this really cool statue, check it out

he’s called the Walk-about Man

Next stop is Ti-Tree. It’s here is join up with 6 Harley riders from WA, so I ask can I sit at the back and travel with them for a bit. What a mistake that was, I got so tired, lost focus and started to get real hot. So next rest stop I’m in and stripping off. Back on the road again and within 5 minutes all is good in the world again. I’ve got the camera hanging around my neck now and taking happy snaps while I’m riding along (who knows how they’ll turn out but here’s hoping there are a couple of goodens).

Into Wycliffe Wells and the Harley crew are there. What an unusual place, aliens and space stuff everywhere. The heat is setting in so I decide to have lunch, sit in the shade, enjoy the breeze, before heading out again.

Wycliffe Wells

Onto Devils Marbles for my FarChallenge pic….WOW how many marbles are there and how hot was it. Well I couldn’t find the exact marbles so I took heaps of pics just to make sure. With sweat dripping off me, it’s time to get going. Lucky all the vents in my gear are open as it’s working as a cooling system….thank god for that.

Only 100 kays to Tennant Creek, the last leg for the day. So in for fuel and this bloke comes over to start chatting. Turns out he’s riding around Australia on his Harley raising funds for cancer. Now to find the Outback Caravan Park, check in and have a long deserved shower before catching the courtesy bus to the Memorial Club for dinner. Chicken parma for dinner with some more new friends Paul & Martin. Just about ready to leave and who should walk it but DazzaB and Jack. I say my good nights and board the bus back to the park to wait for Anny.

All relaxed and typing away and I hear Anny arrive, so I go out to greet her and here we are chatting (well she’s doing most of it) while I finish todays blog.

It’s the morning that I wish wouldn’t come. The saying hooroo to all my new friends, and to my new best friends Phil & Kim. So hugs all round and Kimmo & I just put the inevitable off as long as we could.  It was a teary “catchy later”, this woman Kimmo, I swear Darani had in her grand plan for us to meet after she had gone. I thank you for looking after me with such a wonderful person. Kimmo & I laughed so hard and so much for the entire 7 days….good therapy in my books.

Winston thought he could get a few extra minutes before departing..lol

Another huge thanks must go to Phil & Sue (the ride coordinators). They were there when I cracked yesterday and helped me out. Later when we got back to base, Phil made a special point of coming to see me to make sure I was ok. We had a great long chat and this is what all these people that came on this ride are here for, to bring awareness to this terrible illness.

The FarRiders are doing a ride out to Glen Helen Resort but first we do a quick trip up to the Tropic of Capricorn. We turn around and head back into Alice to turn right and head to Glen Helen. Magical, that’s the only way to describe the views….you guys just don’t know what you are missing. This road is like a baby roller coaster, up then down, up then down. Along the way we spot (at separate times) 2x dingo….scrawny things they were too!

FarRider crew & a couple of extras at Tropic of Capricorn

Angel at the Tropic of Capricorn

About 20 odd kays out of GH, Ghosty takes us up to this lookout…..WOW!! The views are breathtaking. Now I thought I’d seen most things but Ghosty pulls out this bottle of Champes, cheese and bikkies off his bike…..you had to see it to believe it….lol. A small celebration to us FarRiders and we head to Glen Helen.

view from the lookout where we had light refreshments…Thanks Ghosty

Nice gathering

Now I thought (and ya know how that story goes) being a “resort”, well ya kinda expect something special. Well, it’s special but more dirt roads and not like I’d imagined, but I tell ya well worth it. The view from our room door is ……you decide for yourself.

Our Resort rooms

So there is no reception so I’m blogging in word for now, while we all congregate outside Annies and my room and shoot the breeze. Long stories, tall stories, jokes and lotsa laughter, beautiful…..what riding mates do best.

view from our room….not bad hey

Anyway, it’s 6:15 and dinner is soon, I’m waiting for the sun to set so I can grab a (hopefully) serene photo and say a little word to Darani.

Sunset…..beautiful

Our day off today, well after the official ride through Alice’s Todd Mall anyway.

What a great nights sleep, but I think I’m just used to waking early that I can’t sleep past 6:15am grrrr. Had been teed up to meet with Phil, Kimmo, Noel & Audrey for breaky down at the Tavern. My first real breaky since I left home, bacon with scrambled eggs, toast and a cuppa tea…..beautiful.

I wander up to see the wallabies and look what I find

Mama Wallaby with her Joey….cute

It’s a relaxed morning chatting to all my new friends. I’m asked to move my bike next to Steve Andrews (the founder) ready for the group photo, prior to heading out under police escort for the Black Dog Ride procession through the Todd Mall.

Angel standing proudly in line for her big moment..

Why is it that organised things seem to take forever….waiting, waiting. So I go to get air in Angels shoes and “what” no air hose at the servo. Lucky John (another new friend) pulled up and kindly got out his compressor and pumped them up for me…..champion John.

Police escort ride, what a blast and thrill. Bikes are two abreast the entire way from our digs, I feel like a celebrity…..waving to people as we ride through, what an absolute feeling of surrealism. Over to the special area where everyone is gathered for some words from the Mayor , Steve and Will Bonney. All of a sudden in the middle of Steve’s speech it hits a chord in me. I’m standing alone in a group of people and start crying, totalling overwhelming. I didn’t know who it was at the time but Betty from Tassie (whom I’d never met before) came and gave me a big hug, followed by Kimmo & Anny. Later that night Brian said to me “he didn’t think he knew me well enough to give me a hug”. I told him “5 days on the road with you for a bloody good cause gives you every entitlement to give me a hug”.

These are only a few of the bikes that participated in the procession, there are many many more.

So, tears dried Anny decides we need retail therapy…..what else. We say to Phil, Kimmo, Noel & Audrey we’ll meet them at Anzac Hill between 3-3:30pm…plan. No particular plan with shopping, saw some great stuff (and some expensive stuff which stayed in the shop this time). But I am searching for clear safety glasses. My eyes are so windblown and my skin so dry that I can’t handle it anymore. Ask a local (as ya do) and we head back to the bikes, but not before stopping to look at canvas art which a couple of local Aboriginal ladies had painted. It is beautiful and Anny & I just had to buy a piece each.

Now I’m on a mission to snag another “Quest” photo, this time of a camel. Where do you ask will I find a camel….where else but at the camel ride place, done.

Quest pic – one camel….his name is Cecil by the way.

Anzac hill here we come to rendezvous with the gang for the scenic views and pic. Totally awesome view and I’m so glad I spent the extra and bought this little camera, the photo’s it takes are spectacular.

Panoramic shot of the MacDonnell Ranges and Alice

This one is for Darani….he favourite native flower and what is the best place to have this shot taken other than the war memorial on Anzac Hill.

Back to digs for a chillax and try to catch up on some blogging. First though, alcohol, well cider and I set up on the table out in the sun (the only place I could get some reception) and away I go. Oh crap, look at the time!! Quick shower and get dollied up for the formal dinner and presentation. Firstly though, the wildlife in the resort I mention previously, well there are wallabies too. They are so friendly and one even had a joey…ahhhh cute you can sit on the logs and they will just come straight up to you and let you pat them, unbelievable.

they are so soft to touch

Dinner is a three course meal tonight, real food….yum, and it was yum. I reckon about 250 people attended for what was going to be an evening to remember. Lots of speeches and thanks were given and then the raffles were drawn. Now blown me down if I didn’t win something, a universal vista cruise control. Then the auctions started. All sorts of people had donated art, grog, vouchers to the Black Dog institute to be auctioned off, the generosity of people for this cause if remarkable. Anyway, it was all a bit x-ey for me but those who won their auction piece, well all that money went to the Institute. I think Steve said the total raised was $4500.00 for the evening. Not a bad effort for a bunch of yobbo bike riders….lol

Now since Angry Anderson has been on the ride with us from Tamworth, he couldn’t very well not do a gig. So Angry let rip and the house rocked!!! CH9 was there again with cameras running and Kimmo and I at first were the only ones rockin’ on, so who knows we could be “the next big thing” in the dance world (in our own lunch boxes anyway…lol).

Everything is starting to catch up with me and decide to head to bed, it’s the latest night I’ve had so far (11:30pm). For the first time since I left home I actually got my book out but only successfully read 2 pages before I couldn’t keep my eyes open…night night.

Karl I am missing you so much xxx

It’s surprising how good I slept last night in our bat cave (3×3 room carved into rock)

the Bat Cave

to wake to only a few bikes this morning as CH9 were doing broadcasts from where we were staying. Martin the manager has got fire pits going all over the grounds for us as it’s a bit brrrrrr. Hundreds of people are about, truly amazing.

A friend sets me quests for each ride trip so here is the first of hopefully 4 Quest photos I’m to achieve…..an Emu

Quest photo – an Emu

Bikes are revved up eager to get on the road and hopefully not have the winds we’ve been plagued with. The sights out here are unbelieveable, mind fields and mountains ranges for as far as the eye can see.

Mine fields out of Coober

The roads are long and the surface is not….not like home with that bumpy crap. The vastness and isolation is soon apparent and I try to look at things from the perspective of my friend. Trying to get how her head or she was feeling. The landscape is what I used to feel how alone (even though she wasn’t) she must’ve been feeling….it’s pretty daunting. I shed a tear for her.

I stop for a splash and dash in Kulgera and then it’s onto Erldunda for lunch and more fuel. Open roads and the throttle……what a beautiful feeling and Angel, well, she just loves it…he he he. My new best friends and the rest of the crowd have to pull in at the border for the manditory shot (as you do). Northern Terrotiry we have arrived YAY!!!! The heat is starting to set in, much different to the heat at home and more layers are coming off….where are you Karl!!

We made it to NT

I’d been a bad mother and had forgotten to feed Winston along the way (but to be honest with you I think he has been feeding off my emotions). So I gave him a muesli bar…YUM thanks Kimmie.

Winston at the Border. He was a bit hungry by then…..bad me forgot to feed him along the way…

The Stuart Highway what a piece of road. Stretches for miles and miles and is like it will never end. We pass the camel farm on the left and then the Memorial to the Cannon Ball Run. I don’t know much about this, but had to stop anyway. I will find out more when I get home.

Memorial of the Cannon Ball run – Stuart Hway

Heaps of dead wildlife on the roadside and the wedgetail eagles are lovin’ it. I could count how many I saw on this stretch (well it’s the only stretch we have actually seen them) but we have been pretty lucky with animals thus far….keep ya fingers crossed.

Alice Spring, what a sight for sore dust blown eyes that sign was. Pull off onto more dirt roads (not afraid of gravel or dirt anymore, I’ve done enough of it this trip to last a while). The obligatory photo for prosperity and get me to my digs I need a shower.

Covered in RED dust we all finally made it to Alice…WOO HOO

I swear, there was red dust where you’d think with all this gear on it couldn’t get….but no. Laundry time before a shower (I had nothing clean left to put on) and twaddling back from the laundry I came across this little guy….aint he cute!! They are everywhere.

Some of the wildlife roaming around the Heavitree Resort where we are staying

Feeling human, Anny, Phil, Kim, Ghosty & I head upto Dreaming for our dinner and light entertainment. They had this guy named Tommy Crow, he’s a didgeridoo player and story telling. Anyways he said some lovely words and played that didgi like he was born with it in his mouth. Another lady from the local tribe welcomed us to Alice (her home) and read this beautiful poem (hopefully I can get a copy of it).

We stay for a bit then head to the tavern. I have dessert and a decent cuppa tea before heading back for bed and hopefully a dead to the world sleep.

Please bear with me, the blogging is a little harder than I thought. But the time we have at the end of the day and reception aint the best. So I’m doing my best for now and will update things a bit better later. I have a feeling I need a bloopers page for all the things I remember later (I think of all the really cool stuff while I’m riding).

xxxxx

Well shit happens,  wrote this great blog and accidentally hit the delete key before it saved, AAARRRGGGHHHHHHH

I did take pics today but the loader still is having problems, so they’ll have to wait.

What a great sleep but was woken at 5:00am by the rumble of eager engines wanting to get their mugs on telly this morning….they fooled them too!!  lol

8:00am and we are on the road. Weather looks great, not windy and we are doing our own thing today. Cruising, stops when WE want and pics. I wish you could see the world where I am through my eyes, it is beautiful, words again just couldn’t do it justice.

We spot 3 emu’s just off the road, dumb creatures they are but dangerous. We stop to get a pic and the damn things run for the hills…..like they think we’re scarey lol. Our beautiful windless day soon turned to rubbish and again we are battling the head & cross winds.

I decide today to hang the camera round my neck and get some shots while I’m riding. Well not as easy as I thought it would be. Gloves & little buttons just don’t go together but eventually I turn it on and click away (some of the shots didn’t come out too bad).

Scenery shot while riding…not bad

My version of an action shot, Phil, the ST1300 , sorry missed Kimmo sitting on the back.

The wind is really riding us today and it’s hard to keep the bike on the road. By the time we get to Woomera, I think everybody is happy to get off and walk around. Imagine being blasted with a fire hose full pelt from the side and try to stay upright, well that’s kinda what it’s like – hard work.

Isn’t Woomera an interesting place. Karl would’ve loved it being the aero fella he is. Instead I just took pics for him and went “oooo” look at that…lol.

Welcome to Woomera

a rocket engine

Kimmie & Kimmo….looking georgous in wind blown Woomera

A very basic lifestyle the folk here live. Anyways, morning tea (well a muesli bar) and my ride buddies open there tajmahal of trailers for their cake & tea.

Time to fill up at Spuds Road house and the local Army blokes with their big tank thingy are there…..photo op naturally. Now we’ve stopped and you can feel the heat of the day setting the tone, so peel of a layer and on we go to Glendambo.

Army blokes and me

Now ;ve tried and tried to get this picture to rotate and it just won’t work, so tip your computer on it’s side and check it out…LOL

Again the winds are sooooo strong, it’s tiring work, especially when you are overtaking road trains….my lord. With the wind and the heat, I am consuming so much water (very essential or you fatigue quickly). Into Glendambo and the red dirt is flying everywhere and is in everything….yuk! Toasted samich for lunch and red dirt…yum, fill the camel bak again and let’s get to Coober Pedy.

Now which way to go…..

we’ve come along way but still got just over 1000 kays to Alice

The winds are pushing us to the wrongs side of the road now it’s so strong and it’s a constant battle to keep the girl upright, but we are strong and determined and push on .

Just over 50 kays down the road and passed the last loo rest stop and yep you guessed it…… It’s ok, I’ll get the next one. Well NO loo…..nooooo. Don’t panic, I say to Phil & Kim pull in at the next one, she’ll be right. The next one came and went too, no loo again bugger and no I’m getting desperate. Phil starts to slow down to below the speed limit…WHAT, I’m busting mate get a move on. I think he’s gone to sleep so out I go and off trying to get to Coober as quick as I can. Angel’s dialled in even with the wind and I’m a woman on a mission. Into Coober & the first servo……PHEW!!!! I apologise to the attendents and then fuel up and head back to get my FarChallenge pic of the truck on a pole. Relax now.

FarChallenge pic

Find our digs, unpack, shower, socialise and off for dinner and the only place in town that must be open. Took over 1 hour just to get a pizza, nevermind, afterall there are 300 extra people in town tonight.

Big day tomorrow just shy of 700 kays, so it’s off to bed now.

Hope you are enjoying the trip so far and I promise I’ll put the pics up as soon as I can.

Dark o’clock, even earlier than a sparrows fart is what CH9 asked for so we can be on the Today Show with Steve Jacobs (my new friend). Anny & I had some confusion with the whole time difference, anyway set the alarm waaaaaay to early needless to say we were the first on site at the Pig & Whistle for braodcasting.

Front & centre Kim & I are with our new friend Steve for a live broadcast of the 9 weather. So I hope you saw my mug on the telly (I’d like copies if anyway recorded it). Our final shot was the group ride out then we had the first of many waits for the day.

Stevie Jacobs & Mwa

9:00am and it’s time to roll. Phil, Kim, Anny & I roll out of town together. The scene for the day is wind and more wind, cross winds and stuff in your helmet. There aren’t many pics today cos it was too damn windy to stop. It was hard enough just keeping the bike upright (well a leaning upright). Your body tenses and you tire easily fighting every metre you ride, so Phil, Kim, Brian (another new friend) & I pull up for a 10min break at Olray and Anny waves at us as she rides on by, all good. The wind is so strong it feel like your hair is gonna blow off your head (not nice).

Here’s a pic of pretty much the entire days road view. Sorry the pics aren’t loading very well, so I’ll post them later.

Road view

Scenery

Peterborough for lunch and we meet with all the other states except for NT & WA. What a massive turnout, the town was chockas. Lions again by the Lions and more sausage sandwiches (over them let me tell you) but they do a wonderful job again and we are thankful that they have come on board to help us with all our meals.

I feel like the leaning tower of Kimmie today cos when you get off the bike, you feel like you have to straighten yourself up after being sideways for so long…..lol.

On call for CH9 again, and they ask can we stop in Orroroo so they can get ahead of us for some footage. Nice little town with some metal workmanship on display.

Orroroo workmanship

It’s still windy and we wait, wait, waiting can we go yet some nearly an hour later (so much for getting into PA early). Again we are asked to regroup at Wilmington for CH9 to get a shot of us coming through Horrocks Pass. Horrocks Pass is a nice stretch of winding road the last of bends we’ll be seeing for a while. I need to grab a pic for the FarChallenge of the Cairn, so say to my ride buddies “if I disappear don’t worry, I’ll catch you up.

FarChallenge pic – Cairn, Horrocks Pass

Well pic taken & I’m ready to head out and bugger, I’m too late. All these bikes come roaring over the hill & I’m stuck. To much traffic to enjoy the last section of the pass and CH9, where the hell is CH9 for this photo. I’ll tell you nowehere in sight, not happy Jan.

Into Port Augusta and following directions from the ride coordinator and we are lost. Lucky the support vehicle spots us and we follow them to our meet point at the West Augusta Footy Club. I meet Steve Andrews (the founder of the Black Dog Ride) and chat away with him and others.

Animal cruelty I tell you – look at this poor Winston.

Poor Winston 🙁

He had a bit of an accident off Ghosty’s bike, so Ghosties now in the dog house…lol.

Catch up with some FarRiders, unpack and off to dinner by the Lions again. Have I mentioned how these guys do a fabulous job.

Early night and no CH9 duties tomorrow…I quit.

Todays map, well when I can get the pics to load up.

Day 4 Map

Sorry for missing yesterday but we had time constraints.

Nyngan, how damn cold does it get, well I’ll give you the guff, man it was -2 deg (and people live there….). I shared a cabin with another lady and took pity on this poor bloke (Steve, one of many Steve’s) who was camping but we had an extra bed so gave it to him.

Waiting to get going, this fella comes over and says “do you know Jeff who works in……”  I say “yeah”, he says “he told me to keep an eye out for you since I was comin on this ride too”……small world. Seems I can’t go anywhere these days without some coming up to me as saying “gooday Kimmie” and I look at some of ’em and think “do I know you”….usually I don’t but they all know see my bike and know exactly who I am somehow. Anyways, making lotsa new friends.

morning meet

First stop today is Cobar for morning tea and of course the must have photo op

While in town I grab a FarChallenge pic

Grand Hotel Cobar

Then onto Emmdale for lunch & fuel. The long and winding road…..like a charcoal ribbon that goes on and on, and on……you get the idea. What I couldn’t get over though was the amount of goats out there. They are everywhere, thought I was going to get whiplash looking at them all…lol. My riding buddies Phil & Kim are great to travel with and funny as. We are cruising along and I’m scanning the roadside (as you do) when all of a sudden, this Emu sticks it’s head up – glup, glup. Holy bejesus batman (or words to that effect) don’t you get up – phew he stayed put. They camoflage into their surroundings and you can’t see the buggers.

Heading for Emmdale for lunch and we are overtaken by this group of riding (from the ride). It’s not the first time they overtook us and then stop and do it all again, well not this time. I pulls out waves to Phil & Kim (they get the message) and with a bit of GST it’s game on boys. Not so clever me though was having a little too much fun and overshot the lunch stop..oops, quick u-ey and all is good.

Emmdale to Broken Hill 300 kays of flat and it’s getting a bit cool. You gotta admire the landscape out here, it’s something spectacular and words I’m afraid just can’t do it justice. It’s peaceful and scenere.

Time for a quick stop or afternoon tea break. So we are having a slight windy break when Simon Bouda & Graham pull in. Chats and laughs and of course the photo op

Simon, me & Kim

CH9 news boys had stopped in and asked us could we give them some footage a bit up the road, well hell yeah. So they plonked themselves in the middle of the road and we flanked then as requested (I saw the footage today and it’s pretty good).

Anyhoos, we arrive in Broken Hill late. I nick up to the Block 10 Lookout for a FarChallenge pic and head for my digs – the caravan park. Am rushing to get ready for the bus to take us to dinner at the Army Barracks but needent have. Anny has arrived as I walk up to the bus (she was playing catchup so was glad she made it). Dinner was great and a massive merger of NSW & QLD riders all with stories to tell.

A fellow long distance rider Ghosty, kindly volunteered me to be the official Lions raffle chocolate wheel girl (my new calling). Became a bit of a celeb that night lots of folks wanting to have a chat.

Tired as and head back to our cabin, hit they hay for an early start for CH9’s weather with Stevie Jacobs in the morning.

I woke this morning at 5:36 to the sound of birds tweeting and the bloke in the tent behind my cabin snoring…LOL

It was a hard morning for me. I’d packed up and was ready to go and wham, the flood gates of emotions took hold. The memory of my best friend on the 1 year to the day that she lost her fight with the Black Dog bit hard. So I was delayed a little….so what.

Off to get fuel and opposite the servo is this beautiful church. I’m not religious but spared a moment, to park out the front of it and said a small prayer. I love you Darani and I know you are travelling with me today.

Tamworth Church

Down to the Bicentennial Park for the Lions breakky meet point and wait and wait. Now being as shy as I am, I’ve managed to meet some new friends and we will travel together today…awesome. We get away ahead of the bunch so we can have morning tea in Coonabarabran.

Phil, Kim, me, Shauna & Peter

Shauna & Peter headed back home today so I am riding with Phil & Kim.

In Coona, Kim spotted this lovely park so that’s where we had morning tea. Chatting away about life and the Black Dog Ride and again I am overwhelmed when I explain why this ride in particluar today is so important to me. I’d never met Kim until yesterday but she came round and gave me the biggest hug and let me grieve – thank you.

view from the park in Coonabarabran

On the road again, just can’t wait to…….sorry a bit side tracked. Ah yeah that’s right we’re heading to Gilgandra for lunch by the wonderful Lions Club. The weather gods have turned on a beautiful day, suns out, NO wind (phew) and the breeze is fresh….noice.

What a cruisey day and the scenery is georgeous. Canola fields & wattle trees are the flavour of the day. Wide open spaces, livestock, road trains (must’ve been more than 20 in 150 kays), cotton fields and locals waving at us as we pass through various towns.

Right on 4:00 we roll into Nyngan and are welcomed “to the great outback”

Phil & Kim are camping so they head to get the best pick of sites and I head for my cabin. Now I had a bit of trouble parking the bike on argh gravel….so went and asked for some help. Instead was asked by Simon Bouda to park my bike in place on the grass ready for the news broadcast we was doing. So keep watching CH9 you might see Angel.

Showered and time to socialise now. Quick cuppa with more new friends Noel, Audrey, Colleen & …..oh damn I’ve forgotten her hubbies name, then off to the BBQ for dinner.

Now during the day the “fun police” have been out fining people for various things. And yep, you guessed it, I’ve been fined. Bet ya can’t guess what for though….thinking, thinking….oh ok I’ll tell you…….I was fined $2 for being too organised LOL. I just don’t know what they’re going on about, can you imagine that.

Dinner done, more pics taken of & with new friends and something Dad asked me to get……an autogragh from Angry Anderson. Speeches from the ride co-ordinator and the Mayor of Nyngan along with a generous donation from the town and I’m ready to settle in for the night.

Nyngan digs

So here I am in bed, with the memory of a loved one for who I am dedicating this ride to.

Todays map

Karl I wish you were here.

You couldn’t have asked for a better morning, the sun out, the skies clear and all is good. A deep breathe and I roll out the drive for our meet point in Castle Hill.

The street is blocked off and so many bikes already there when I arrive. I saw sense and parked close to where I thought we would head out (turned out to be a good choice). Many more soon pull in and I think we totalled 120ish bikes.

Dave, Anny (lady I’ll be riding home with) then Karl arrive and the hype in Castle Hill is in full swing, people everywhere, the Lions Club doing a cracker job with breakfast and 2GB provided the entertainment. My extended family arrive and it’s then that the boiling pot of emotions starts to hit and it’s real, the reason I am doing this ride. Tears are flowing and I can’t describe how I felt…..I just cried.

My extended family

The signals given to get ready. I say my “see you laters” to everyone and extra long hugs for Karl (who I am going to miss terribly). The countdown is on as we wait for the checkered flag and Channel 9 so we can head off. Final waves and thumbs up and we’re off.

Once the pack breaks up and we hit the Putty Rd and the wind picks up. It’s so windy that branches have broken and are scattered on the road as we ride through. We stop for morning tea at The Grey Gums and people are already complaining how cold it is…..not me, I’ve got all the right gear on..phew!

Grey Gums Cafe

Next stop Muswellbrook, where the Lions Club have once again provided a lunch for us. The wind just hasn’t given us a break and think this is just gonna be how the whole day will be. Anyways, fuel then food, a bit of a chat to some people I’ve today and we are off again bound for Tamworth.

I’ve found a couple of bikes that I like sitting with and we cruise our way through the back towns of Quirindi & Werris Crk…I even overtook the Channel 9 crew at one point and sat with Simon Bouda. He was a little to slow for me and off I go.

Just outside of Tamworth we regroup again, Simon does his thing, the Lions Club are there with “hot” tea & coffee and it’s damn freezing. I tell ya it was warmer riding in the wind than standing around in it. Anyways CH9 need footage for the news of us in mass heading into Tamworth. So on mass we give them…..have now idea if I made the telly, hopefully someone can tell me.

Finally check in at my digs for the night and then it’s off to the Bowlo for dinner by….guess who….well that was easy – The Lions Club.  Pretty awesome meal but I’m tired as are most and it’s an early wind blown night.

My digs

And so you know where, I’ve been here’s todays map

Thank you everyone for your “wonderful phrase”, “best wishes” and “good lucks”, they are all much appreciated.

Sleep now……tomorrow is a big one (emotionally)

xx

The emotions are a pot just burbling away at the moment, just waiting to escape. I know they will catch up with me & boil over it’s just a matter of when.

I’m already to go & have received today & tonight so many well wishes that I am truly greatfull for.

Thank you again to everyone that has donated to this cause& to everyone for you support…I couldn’t do this without you all.

So goodnight for now.
Catch up again tomorrow from on the road.