After a DNF at RTM-05, I thought I’d have another crack at a Rally……….what was I letting myself in for this time.
RTM-06 was a purely QLD based scavenger hunt and with no local knowledge, had I bitten off more than I could chew?
Thursday after work I headed out in the pouring rain to Foster for the night. I decided to test out my NEW BMW Schuberth flip face helmet (I know, don’t test farkles or equipment during a FarRide), well by the time I got to Bulehdelah I was over it. This was not a fun run. Arrived in Forster soaking wet and everything went in the dryer. Friday morning and the sun was peeking through the yukky clouds and I just asked “if it wouldn’t rain today”. Guess, when things are left up to the weather gods, it doesn’t matter how nice you are, cos if they want to piss on you, they will…….and they did!!! all the way to Coffs Harbour. Anyway, I had intermittent rain all the way to Kyogle after that.
Had to stop here…
Coffs Harbour – the Big Banana
The ride up the Summerland Way was lovely, hardly any traffic and the scenery is beautiful.
Mt Lindsey
Woodenbong was the next stop for fuel and little did I know that there was 1-2km of freshly graded dirt road to get there…argh! In just after 2pm for a late lunch and to take a layer or 2 off.
Woodenbong
Apparently there are Yowies in this neck of the woods, so I better be on the look out in case one jumps out at me ;p ……lol. Maybe I should watch for Drop Bears and Hoop Snakes too!!
Watch out for the Yowies..
Back out of town and onto Mount Lindsey Highway. This road on Google maps looks pretty good for bikes, but I had no idea how pretty it was going to be. The road just meanders through and around the mountain which is lusciously green with vegetation and that fresh mountain air…hmmm. At the boarder (which is on a crest) there is a speed camera (no warnings are given) it’s in the middle of the fun stuff….lucky I don’t know the road & was only going slow but instinctively grabbed a fist full of brake anyway….he he he.
Into Brisbane and it bucketed down on me til I exited the freeway to head to me mate Diesels. Arrived a bit later than expected and again wet but was glad to be somewhere with great friends. Gear in the dryer again, a hot shower and dinner with Diesel & Miss M and I slowly started to fade. Sleep.
Saturday, Rally day and the sun is out…woo hoo! but I’m wondering if it’s just to lure me into a false sense of security. Huge Thanks to Diesel & Miss M for their wonderful hospitality before following them out & down the freeway heading for Rally HQ.
Up the treacherous drive of Rally HQ and the wait begins. Warm welcomes are passed around as everyone arrives. My nerves are doing pretty good at the moment.
Rally HQ
Everybody seated and we eagerly take delivery of our rally packs at 10:00am……then the nerves kicked into overdrive.
pre-rally packs..everyone relaxed.
Basecamp open and I start to rework the bonus location names into something a little more meaningful and am thankful to OX-34 & ED535 for the hours of assistance to help me use this program. Right, now to plot my cunning route…..ROFL!! Not! Nerves are peaking and I’ve had 61 hot flushes….. Clint asks “how’s it going Kimmie”, well I think I said “hopefully not bad and I have something”…famous last words. With plan 5 shelved, the 20 minute time call came and panic well and truly set in. Look at the dots Kimmie and pick the straightest line…Done, upload that the to GPS, pack up and get on the bike ready to go.
Our Warchild Clint, did his little version of a dance and pointed us out the drive in the wilderness of RTM-06.
Having no local knowledge had me totally relying on the GPS and I have no idea where it was taking me but it wasn’t the most direct route (I’d imagine). There was heaps of road works heading out the GPS way towards Moggill for my first bonus. The storm clouds are rolling in, but I want to make sure I get a couple of pics just to make sure.
QMPS – 250 points
Round the back of Angel and look at her tyre……ah crap – there’s a screw right in the middle of the tread “expletive”! Background here…….while I’ve watched heaps of times and have all the gear, I’ve never fixed a puncture myself…what a way to learn! Ring Karl and have him talk me through it and I say to him, why am I bothering and it’s just the first bonus and it’s already rained on me. Thankfully I total stranger on a Blackbird pulls up and asks if I need a hand – THANK YOU!!! I didn’t have enough muscle to push the plug in and Colin (my new friend) helped me out. Colin took me to the closest servo so I could put air in and as we pulled up the skies opened up (naturally). Couldn’t thank Colin enough……gotta love the motorcycle community.
problem solved with a little help from a new friend.
Back out into unknown territory and getting rained on. My straight line route had me heading ultimately to Goondiwindi but by the time I got to Frazer View I was not happy and took refuge at the KalFresh depot. I didn’t want to go to Goondiwindi, I wanted to explore elsewhere, it was cold and miserable. Rang Karl & Diesel advising that I was going to re-do my plan here at KalFresh and just see how I go. I knew then and there that I would DNF due to not meeting distance (I was ok with that) but I thought “have a crack at the points Kimmie”. So feeling a bit better about things but now nearly 2 hours behind the 8 ball, in my wets, I set out to just go take pictures of pretty things out of the rally book.
Through Warwick (should I get fuel, nah, I’ll get it on the way back) and finally into Leslie Dam for the Leslie Dam Rock Carvings pic. Back out and the skippies are starting to come out. Not knowing where I was going other than following the GPS, it had me up all these back country roads heading away from Warwick (and fuel) to Allora (no fuel) and in the general direction for Toowoomba. So now I wondering am I going to make it to the next town for fuel, calculations in my head aren’t always the best thing and the dark cloud of doubt and pouring rain is upon me again.
Leslie Dam – 121 points
I made it to Toowoomba and thought I’ll get the next bonus at Spring Bluff but then thought “what if it’s gravel road and it’s pitch black – Kimmie disaster” just go get fuel at Highfields then figure what to do. I’m exhausted (mentally) and tired, ring Karl and decide to find somewhere to sleep that I can get a hot shower. Ring Diesel to let him know I’m stopping and he suggests to give Streak a buzz as he’s in Toowoomba and maybe has a bed for me. Streak to the rescue “come on over Kimmie the shed door will be open ready for you” – THANK YOU!! Really, you have no idea how grateful I was to see you, Teela and that shed door! Tucked in safely in a shed and take the “rest bonus” pic and odo reading.
tucked up safely at Streaks
Gear in the dryer again, hot soup for dinner, a comfy couch, great company and I get the laptop out again and start plotting Sundays ride plan a little more relaxed. Don’t forget to make the “call-in bonus” – right better do that now and send the message (this will later rob me of points). Finally I have a plan and the details that I’m happy with and thank Streak & Teela again for opening their home to me and I head off to bed.
3:00am time to get up, more rest bonus pics, thanks Streak again for the hospitality and off I go with a clear mind and a plan in place that should see me at least get the points. First stop Spring Bluff for a pic of the train carriage. Now even at dark o’clock, one would think it wouldn’t be that hard to find and ENTIRE rail carriage – right – wrong! Searched with the torch for a good 20 minutes around the grounds and nothing – WTHA! Plan B – if all else fails – take a pic to prove I was at least at the correct location and hope I am awarded the points.
SBRC – 227 points
Quick “call-in Sunday” for more bonus points, then off to Preservenace Dam for a pic of the Dam Wall & Bridge – done. The sun was just starting to rise while I was here and I took a little moment to bask in it’s beauty.
PDWB – 421 points
Perserverance Dam – beautiful morning sunrise.
Anyway, time to go, had to get to Cooyar for the next bonus. No rain this morning and it’s going to be a wonderful day (I can feel it). It’s amazing how a different outlook on things and a clear mind can totally change your demeanor while riding. I’m feeling good!!
Cooyar for the General Store and Post Office and amazingly, I’m doing pretty good for time (only 10 minutes off my plan).
CSPO – 154 points
Then it’s a lovely run up to Moore where the lady from the Memorial Hall had just arrived and was opening up for the day. By this time it felt like afternoon but it wasn’t but I was having fun.
MSMH – 278 points
Fuel, this played on my mind…miss a fuel stop and be stranded just wasn’t in my plan. The lady at Cooyar said there was a BP just up the road. Well, the BP is a United Limited at Collinton (no town, just the servo). I actually road passed it and 2km up the road did a U-Bolt and came back.
Next bonus Somerset Dam for the Ulysses Memorial Garden. Arrived at the co-ordinates (as per the rally book) and nothing. It’s a recreation area (correct as per rally book) but can’t find no garden. Ask at the reception and the lady kindly advises the correct location is another 15km down the road at a location called “The Spit”. I thanked her kindly and advised there could be more of us turning up…she said there already have been…lol
Back out on the road and mind you this road is lovely! Twist and turns everywhere and the scenery and sunshine and beauties to me eyes! Finally into The Spit recreation area and locate the Memorial garden for another bonus. Note to self “remind the Rally Master to correct the co-ordinates for this location for future reference”.
UMGS – 300 points.
On me bike again…lol and off to Mount Glorious. Now this road was on my bucket list! The surface on that and the Esk-Kilroy Rd probably aren’t the smoothest but the views, the countryside and the twisties factor so make up for it. Meandering up through forest and I can see why it is called Mount Glorious…cos it is so absolutely GLORIOUS!!! You have to do this road if you ever go to QLD. Arriving to the smiling faces of fellow Ralliers and with a bit of time to spare…..awesome!
A couple of small bonuses at Mt Glorious while waiting for 9:00am to tick over so we can get our cuppa tea for the big points here. Thanks TJ for taking the pics for me.
MGAC – 40 points
MGAL – 40 points
Some thought the Mount Glorious Cafe points were going to be sucker points. Sucker or not, I was getting them come hell or high water. The girl in the cafe obliged with details required on the receipt and our cuppa’s for us to gain the ever important points here.
MGC – 8000 points
A few layers removed now and we all start to head off again with our own agendas in play. Now I had to navigate back through the heart of Brisbane, following the GPS and I felt like I was going around in circles. U-turn, u-turn, u-turn….come on surely I have to be close. Eventually I located the Windsor Marble Statue which is located outside a shop front on a “main” arterial in a bus zone (Mr Rally Master doesn’t like to make things easy). Anyway pic taken and points nabbed and I’m on my way.
WMS – 213 points
Almost there, just 2 more pics to go. Out to the airport (not to catch that flight home – although yesterday might’ve been another story) but to get another bonus at the Kingsford Smith Memorial (at least parking was better this time).
498 – points
Now hightail back out and get the last bonus and head to Rally HQ. GPS had me going over the Gateway Bridge to the co-ordinates and what?? stop right here NOW in the middle of the bridge – I don’t think so. I’m sure the bonus was under the bridge, I don’t have the local knowledge to locate it quickly and I don’t want to be late back to the barn…bugger it (125 points lost).
Back at Rally HQ in time for another bonus point of 1 and the early bonus points.
Now to get the ducks in a row and be scored. I know already that I DNF’d but I wanted to be scored regardless. To have that feeling of completing my documentation and handing it to the Rally Master for scoring and anticipation to see how I went for points.
Well, Clint said my rally sheet was “one of the neatest sheets he’s ever seen”… geez thanks 🙂 do I get extra points for that….lol. All up with the additional bonuses for call-in’s, mugs, ride logs etc, I ended up being 57 points of making the required 20,000 points. However, that Saturday call-in bonus bit me in the bum costing me 1000 points…bugger. In my attempt to not forget to make the call-in, I’d broken the rule of sending the call-in within the 2 hour minimum requirement for the sleep bonus. Ah well…lesson learnt.
So, I DNF’d again but to me it wasn’t a fail. I kept going to see if I had a solid plan and could still get the points without going to Goondiwindi (which was worth 1528 points and several kilometers). Turns out if I’d have HTFU on Saturday, I would’ve been a finisher.
Clint & Charleen put on a lovely lunch for us before advising that there was a storm front moving in and if we wanted to get going we should now! Clint kindly led me out to a servo near the freeway, where I bid him farewell.
THANK YOU to the Rally Team – Clint, Charleen, TigerBill & TableDrain for your time and effort in putting this event together. I can only imagine the hours of torture it takes for you guys to think up the cunning plans for us mere simple riders to try and achieve.
THANK YOU to OX-34 & Ed535 for helping me learn how to use Basecamp (which isn’t that hard once you get used to it). The trick is having the waypoints or co-ordinates correct….one little slip of the digit can have you in Timbucktoo…..lol
THANK YOU to Diesel & Miss M, Streak & Teela for the wonderful hospitality and warm welcomes…it’s this sort of thing that makes travelling the countryside easier. Having a riding friend somewhere who understands what you are going through and if required offers assistance without even a second thought – awesome!
HUGE THANK YOU to my Sweety Karl, who supports me 1000% on these crazy adventures I seem to embark on. He also keeps the home fires burning and looks after Ella-Jane for me. Without Karl by my side I doubt I would take on some of these challenges. I love you around the universe and infinity !!! xxx
The trip home was about making it as far south Saturday afternoon (after the rally) as possible and try to stay dry. Well again as I got down the freeway heading out of Brisbane it bucketed down and poured on me all the way to NSW. Needless to say I was soaked again and I do believe this weekend I have single handedly solved Queenslands drought problem 🙂
Into NSW and I needed the Hinterland Highway to head towards Lismore but roads have the exit blocked off and so I headed up this tiny goat track road not knowing where I was going to end up. The view from this road which is the back of Bangalow somewhere is gorgeous. It meanders road through the hills, through tiny towns and the entire road is just over one car wide and very bumpy.
Friday Hutt Rd
Eventually, the GPS has me sit out at the north end of Lismore where I fuel up, ring Karl and advise I going to push on to Grafton (may Coffs Harbour) depending on the weather and how fatigued I end up. All the way I am watching the sky turn this terrible green,grey, yukky colour and just know there is an absolutely shitter of a storm going to hit somewhere (which I have no intention of being in).
I hightail it out and into Casino, put on the wets jacket and neck warmer just in case and race the storm to Grafton down the Summerland Way. Skippes are starting to come out and are slowing sneaking up to the roads edge as I whiz past them at slightly faster than I probably should be but with wide eyes and total focus on the task at hand I make it into Grafton just on dark. Manage to nab a room at The Abbey Motel (who are motorcycle friendly) and settle in for the night after dinner.
The Abbey Motel
I decided not to set the alarm and wake when the body wants (a rarity). But I didn’t get a big sleep in and looking forward to getting home to Karl pack up and hit the road. It’s freeway all the now so not very exciting. Stop at Taree for lunch and meet this interesting young man named Benji. He kept me entertained the entire time and watched my gear for me when I needed a comfort break. He insisted that I take of pic of him to remember him by….funny little man.
Benji
Finally home to Karl around 5ish and while I still had the energy gave Angel a well deserved sudsy bubble bath. Once again she took on the elements with me aboard her and powered through effortlessly, not missing a beat the entire time.
Despite the weather and solving Queenslands drought problem, I did enjoy myself overall. Each time I learn something more about myself, my riding, and the camaraderie of the motorcycle fraternity.
So there is still unfinished business in regards to Rallying……..will I have another crack? I honestly do not know….we’ll have to wait and see!
