My first HOG weekend ride with just the local chapter saw us meet at 8am sharp at a designated location. Dust was on everyone's mind and everywhere else, the wind was lifting but there was no talk of going home.
So with the sky a dusty red hue off we went, 10 bikes, 16 people (I think.. must learn to count) with the first stop Muswellbrook for 10 minutes. Quirindi was the next stop for fuel and a snack for some at Yogis.
While the wind didn't abate we rode through patches of dust storm and the occasional small clearish patch but overall it wasn't bad enough to complain about. The pace was at the speed limit and the slowest part of the day was getting food out of the kitchen at the Commercial Hotel (Boggabri) at lunch.
Fortunately my son and I had already opted opted for a quicker bite across the road at the takeaway, so a drink at the pub was all we needed and that came fast. After lunch we rode to Narrabri where one of our number needed to stop for fuel. Three bikes stopped, including yours truly, while the rest of the group continued to Wee Waa.
Freshly fuelled with 98 Octane the three of us took off with not enough k's left to catch up but I can say it was fun trying. We arrived at the Wee Waa Motel while the others were unloading their bikes. While booking in the guy at the desk apologised for the look of the room "But it's good inside, just been refurbished". Fortunately the room was fine given the rate so we unloaded the bike and joined the others for a pre-happy hour chat.
Jatz, olives, pickled onions, cheese cubes, sun dried tomatoes, smoked oysters, gherkins, cabanossi and of course chips were available during happy hour and it was very nice to chat and wash some of the dust down with a nice gin or two or... while we compared irritated eyes that resulted from the dusty condition of the day. Not often you see eyes that red before the night out!
We shared dinner as a group. Chapter tradition apparently dictates I don't recount the details of the evening however I'll risk mentioning the pride I felt and the general outrage and calls for a redraw when my son drew my raffle ticket out as the winner of the "door/ride/what would one call it?" prize. The only downside for me is that he kept half the prize.
As some settled in Zanderhar and I went back to the room for an early night. We plan to head back early in the morning and not travel with the main group because of social commitments at home in the early afternoon.
Despite the dust and the wind, it was a great ride with a good group. K's travelled 453.
Fuel: Beresfield 19.4l @ $27.64, $15.10 @ Quirindi, 10.98l @ $16.24 -Narrabri.