After hours of deliberation I decided to register for my very first FarRally RTM-o5….oh my goodness what have I done!
Some many questions are asked and tips, hints and answers are provided. Now what to do with it all. To Basecamp, Google Earth or not – that is the question. I know first world problems…lol
Good Friday comes and as the start location is Cundle Motor Inn, Cundletown it’s only a couple of hours up the road so I left at a decent time and just plodded up the freeway (after getting through a bit of traffic) in the pouring rain. I’m hoping this doesn’t hang around all weekend. Stopped raining at Buladelah. YAY..happy dance. Fuel at the Taree service centre and Fatman, LTP and Philmore pull up behind me……nice! Now it’s on to Rally HQ to wait for 6pm when we receive our briefing and rally packs.
To my surprise the Rally Masters have awarded me “poll” position for the mornings start…totally blown away. In fitting with an for really IBR ride our Warchild/Warlord/Warboy (Cuddles) says “now don’t bring shame to us by stalling, falling over etc on the start. When I point to you, you GO!!” Yes, boss!! Oh shit, don’t bring shame, don’t stall…no pressure at all.
Rally packs are handed out and we all head to our rooms (I was sharing with Ed535) to start strategising (is that a word, well it is now). The files provided and the rally booklet with all our bonuses available is to me just so overwhelming, that I was a bit lost in knowing where to start for a bit. Look at the pictures Kimmie and then decide where to go. And I did and one big points location took my fancy and then the plan began.
Not being kosher on all these technological gismos available, I send out a help desk request (via text msg) for some technical support. Enterprise, Lord and Lady Cuddles soon arrived with video and camera in hand to document the auspicious occasion and with the all important help I required. Thank you!!! A few laughs were had before they graciously departed to knock on the door of another for some rally insight!
Somewhere during all this planning, Karl sent me a text message “So Howsit?” and I thought I was replying. However as it turns out I still had my phone on Cuddles message and this is how it went…..
oh dear!
6:00am came way too early and with little sleep and it was raining…again we get ready for the start. The 5 minutes count down seemed to drag forever. 30 seconds to go….holy crap – start bike and be ready to go Kimmie. My nerves were peaking, my teeth chattering and I was wet, then Warchild points his finger at me and “I’m Off”. Rally RTM05 has begun.
ready to go
Into the dark and the rain, I didn’t stall or fall over – great start! Out of the first roundabout though and Crappy has rounded me up already. Oh well, just do your own thing Kimmie and you’ll be fine. Anyways, I’d also been told that no-one is able to keep pace with the Crappy on a rally…ah ha….well I did all the way to the roundabout at the end of the freeway where I wave him a farewell as he headed to Sydney.
My plan had me going out to Dubbo to grab points at the Gaol, then Narromine, Grong Grong, Narranderra, then onto Urana to get the big points with fellow FarRider Ricecooker (also a dear friend) then heading for Wagga Wagga and Yass. I would decide where to stop for my rest bonus on accessing how I felt when I got to Wagga.
Well, what’s the old saying….the best laid plans – yeah well they all fell apart after I waved farewell to Crappy. I’d entered the freeway roundabout (heading towards Muswellbrook) was nearing the exit and a 4WD with a big boat didn’t give way to me and came barreling through. I said “I love you Karl” cos I thought “this was it”. I somehow managed to stop, 2 inches from his door but he just kept going and didn’t give me a second thought. Shaking now, I had to remove myself from the roundabout out of harms way. Angel was still running and we were upright (good signs) and as I started to move again and another car came barreling through on the inside line (didn’t give way again) and I had to swerve out to the concrete divider and gravel to avoid him and he just kept going too. All I could do was cry!
It’s moments like those where you have to asses and take stock of the important things and way up whether you are having fun or not. I didn’t stop, I’d have not got back on if I had and rode through the sheeting rain to my planned fuel stop. During this time I thought I’ll change my plan, just finish, get the minimum points, you’ll be right……but I wasn’t. That link between my ride brain and the excitement/fun of what I was participating in was broken and my survival brain was in full motion. I filled up at Muswellbrook, rang Karl, cried, rang Clint, cried and explained what had happened and that I was pulling the pin and would head back to Karl at his mum & dads at Forster – DNF’d.
Clint suggested I potter around and see if I can gain any points (if I felt inclined) so dripping wet, I get the rally pack out and see if I can at least get a couple of photos with my Rally Flag in them (that was important to me). Off I toddled to Bulga (still raining) managed to get two pics.
The Bulga Bridge
Bulga Bridge
Cockfighters Tavern Bulga
Cockfighters Tavern
Then thought I can go through Dungog and grab another pic before heading to Karl. The rain was relentless, it was not fun anymore and the roads were terrible, chopped up, gravelly in parts and slippery. In Dungog, I managed to take refuge under cover of a business verandah on the footpath, have something to eat before getting my last pic.
James Theatre Dungog
The GPS doesn’t always get it right and I shudda listened to Karls directions but anyway I took the shittiest road ever – Booral Rd to get back to the freeway at Buladelah. Note to self – “NEVER AGAIN”. I arrived at Forster soaking wet, tired, upset, disappointed but alive and that my friends is the most important thing.
Karl and I drove to Rally HQ on Sunday afternoon to watch the finishers come in. What a sight!! I was so proud of each and every one of them. Just knowing what they all went through to get to the finish, I have the utmost respect for them. Rallyers were scored and relief was evident that they were finishers. Well expect for a couple of us. Malcolm had bike trouble before we even got started and despite the best efforts of Cuddles to get him back on the road, it just wasn’t to be. Me, well you know the story, I DNF’d and didn’t hand in anything to be scored. Finally MildThing planned one of the hardest rides to achieve for this rally and missed it by 1 photo – bugger.
Congrats to our Far King Crappy (for a second time), Derrick 2nd and KiwiMartin 3rd. Congrats to all the other participants for making it back to Rally HQ. Huge thanks to FarRally Team – Clint, Lord and Lady Cuddles, Enterprise, TigerBill, Ox, TableDrain, Charleen & Ricecooker for putting together a rally to be remembered.
Well FarRider #441 is back home and Angel is parked in her own stable after our first attempt at a FarRally.
Back home
While I DNF’d, I am a little disappointed but I am certainly not unhappy or believe for one moment that I failed in my attempt. This was the best experience and one I have learnt some much from not just the event but the FarRider participants and Team FarRally who provided me with so much encouragement and reassurance that it was all a little overwhelming.
I wouldn’t change a single thing that happened.
I’d also like to give my eternal gratitude to Karl. The man that stands beside me and supports me with all the crazy riding adventures I embark on. THANK YOU!!!!
Just one last thing. When I got home on Monday afternoon, I received a phone call from a number I did not recognise. Kimmie, It’s TableDrain!! I nearly dropped the phone. He’s in Sth Africa what’s he doing ringing me. This man is a hero to me, an iconic FarRider who I have so much respect for. Why is he ringing me, I’m not anyone special/important. Well, he rang to say how proud he was of me for making the decision I made and that he has respect for me. He had in me tears at it’s TableDrain. The camaraderie from the FR community is amazing – I love it! Thanks Drain – it meant the world to me!
I’ll be a little better prepared for the next one – fingers crossed 🙂
