The much anticipated Port Macquarie HOG long weekend kicked off today in perfect riding weather, very unseasonal for early June. My son and I arrived at the scheduled meeting point on time and saw the biggest gathering of the local HOG chapter we'd seen to date. Another two HOG chapters were heading north to meet us.
While we were exchanging greetings with the local members the other chapters arrived. I don't have the final numbers at the time of writing, but I'm guessing we totalled over 100 bikes. After the southerners had time for a break it was time to form up in chapter groups and head off. Thumbs down to the desperate motorcycle police pointing radar guns at us as we all left the service station, I hope you came up empty and managed to make it to lunch without requiring retraining. I never have surface spray when I need it.
It was exhilarating being in the middle of such a large group of Harleys. You could hear the unique Harley growls from in from in front and around you but you could also "feel it", which gave me my first inclination of what "Thunder Run" meant. The trip to Buledelah was reasonably slow and relaxed, not too many lunatic drivers and the many k's of roadworks meant that snaking along in a single lane, while not providing scintillating riding, also made it quite safe and relaxing.
Lunch was taken at Buledelah for an hour and we were on our way grouping up outside of town to head towards the next village where one of the three chapters had stopped for lunch.
More roadwork made it slow going, but the huge group remained mostly in tact all the way north. We turned towards Port Macquarie on Hastings River Drive and it was nice to see people coming out of their houses and businesses, gawking and waving at the large and loud group of bikes heading towards town. We all stopped at the weekend's designated gathering spot and agreed that we should all check in to our various hotels and meet back there for a mini Thunder Run to Lake Cathie (via the coast) about 40 minutes later.
It was my first "named" Thunder Run and it was fun. It involved riding through the main town centre of Port Macquarie and then heading around the coast through Flynns beach and further south. It was clear that people could hear the group coming and a surprising the number of people came out to see what was going on. Lots of waving, cheering etc all the way to a Park at Lake Cathie but I'm sure the people picnicking at the park weren't initially very comfortable seeing 60 odd Harleys pull in.
Refreshments were on the agenda at the park, unfortunately that's the only place they were so after some socialising and discussion of the day we headed back to town and to our hotel. A room was booked at the Bowling Club where a large number of the group chowed down on an all you can eat buffet and celebrated the day.
My wife and other children followed us up in her car to spend the weekend so an early night was on the cards with a 10am start organised for a trip north in the morning.
See the Ride Map for the whole weekend.
K's travelled: 297
Fuel: $24.51 (18.34 litres)