30 December 2010 - Yarram and Tarra Valley

Another fine day and a late decision to take a ride. An old favourite this time - Yarram via Gormandale for a coffee and Apricot Crumble at the Yarram Bakery. Then a leisurely ride over the Strzeleckis via Tarra Valley and Balook. All this with Robert Miles' "Dreamtime" rumbling in the Earmolds. Got home just in time to light the BBQ.

Total Distance 130 km.

29 December - Mirbo Nth and Boolarra Sth

First day with fine weather and no commitments elsewhere. Took a quick run to Mirboo Nth, returning through Boolarra South. A bit windy but still a nice ride.

Total Distance 120 km.

17 December 2010 - Back in the Saddle

Saw the doctor today, had the stitches removed and declared the operation a success. Well, that needed a fairly long and demanding ride to check it out. Weather looked OK and decided to go up the mountain to Licola. Also a good chance to try the Drift camera out. Tried a few mounting positions including on the handlebar looking back. From the results I can see that the major challenge will be finding a mount which damps out engine and road vibration. Captured some good footage though. Anyway the weather held out and the shoulder, while a little tender worked fine.

Total distance 175 km.

6 December 2010 - Taking a break!

Going into hospital today for some repair work to my right shoulder. Expect to be grounded for at least a couple of weeks. No motorbike - bummer.

By the way, a few people have contacted me to say that leaving a comment on my blog is difficult. I've checked and updated the settings to include "Anonymous" comments. So now when you click on "Comment" you can choose Anonymous as an ID. Go ahead and try it!

2 December 2010 - Mirboo Nth

Despite the dire weather predictions at noon today it was both warm and sunny. Decided on a quick ride to Mirboo Nth and back using the scenic road through Thorpdale and Trafalgar. All that went well and it was still sunny sitting outdoors at the Bullock Dray Cafe in Mirboo North. Headed towards Thorpdale to the strains of Pink Floyd in the Earmoulds - it doesn't get much better than this. The weatherman was to have his revenge though. By the time I reached Thorpdale the sky in all directions had turned black and flashes of lightning appeared in the distance. Stopped the bike and donned the wet weather gear, just in time! Within minutes the rain started hammering down and the lightning seemed to come from all directions. I could hear the thunderclaps over the sounds of Dave Gilmour wrenching the intro to Shine On You Crazy Diamond from his Stratocaster. Now this might seem like hell on wheels but it was actually an enjoyable experience although somewhat surreal. Riding through total chaos inside the bubble provided by the gear and the helmet to my own soundtrack was a weird but exciting experience. Coaxing the bike down the winding descent into Trafalgar with sheets of water running over the road required some concentration though and I was glad to return to the straight roads from Traf to Traralgon. Quite a ride!

Total distance 135km.

1 December 2010 - Maffra

Worked a half day today and as it was quite mild I decided to clear the cobwebs with a ride into the countryside. Over the decades I've driven and ridden through Maffra many times and admired this attractive town but have never made a stop. It seemed timely then to ride to Maffra and check out the coffee. Although it was a bit windy it was a very pleasant ride and in no time I was enjoying a coffee at the Maffra Bakery Cafe. Maffra had and has retained a number of substantial and attractive buildings. The Metropolitan Hotel, shown above has been recently renovated and looks absolutely brilliant. The return trip was through Tinamba, Glenmaggie and the back road to Cowwar and Toongabbie. Copped a few minutes of heavy rain but once it stopped it took only a few minutes to dry out again.

Total Distance 140 km.