ALBANY VINTAGE & CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE CLUB
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Cuballing Ride
Story by Raelene Blake
A good crowd was assembled by 10.00 am at the Amity, everyone well
and truly dressed for the weather we were expecting to encounter on the
day, but fortunately it remained fine, just cold. Fellow travellers
joined us at Mt Barker, a small delay while Marie’s bike was push
started, the price you have to pay for having “warm hands”.
We all stopped for coffee, very
welcome, at Cranbrook then onto
Katanning for lunch where Don Ball was waiting for us at the “Giants
Playground”. No one wanted to play so we headed off to our weekend
destination & arrived at the Cuballing Hotel late afternoon.
We were soon joined there by Huw & Bronwyn from Perth &
Jeanette & Paul, our newest club members, who had ridden down with
them. What an initiation, they had a very cold, wet, & windy trip -
but were still smiling.
Colleen, our hostess at the hotel, was now madly organizing rooms for
us all & trying to fit 30 people into 25 people into 10 rooms! No
mean feat! But Colleen managed it!
Harley was quickly kicked out of his room & put up in the
“lodgers” room - Jeanette & Paul top & tailed - and 6 of our
“friendlier” members shared a room (see pic) Everyone slept well I’m
told & there wasn’t even a snoring competition. Having managed all
this, Colleen then proceeded to dish up a very tasty dinner of fish
& chips for everyone! What a woman.
This was followed with an hour of
hilarity thanks to Richard
encouraging Clive to tell a few jokes, followed closely by Marilyn,
Murray, Harley & Jan’s written jokes. We all moved back to the bar,
where Colleen joined us for a lively game of darts, with her team
winning.
There a couple of stayers in the bar but the majority then moved off
to see if they were still in their original bedrooms or had been moved
elsewhere in Cuballing to spend the night. Following an enormous
country breakfast Sunday morning, we said our goodbyes & everyone
headed home agreeing it had been a great place to stay.
Some riders going south, headed home via Albany Highway & had to
endure heavy rain & hail. Others went via the scenic route,
Katanning, Gnowangerup & Borden & only endured gale force winds
& rain! It was quite windy when we got to Gnowangerup, the plan was
to continue & have coffee at the new coffee/craft shop in Borden.
The coffee shop has been set up in the old hall & had a lot of
interesting items for sale. The soup & coffee was very nice, but my
mind was on the wind which was picking up rapidly, true to Merv’s
predictions.
Very soon we were off & travelling at a 45 degree angle on our
bikes. The wind whipping around us & dodging falling branches.
Fortunately there was very little traffic, the locals knew better than
to be out in this!
Finally, seeing the friendly sight of bikes & people gathered at
the Bluff Knoll café, I pulled in to rest the weary body &
blow on the icy hands, I had to keep checking my hands as I know there
are ten fingers there but couldn’t actually feel them.
Warwick then tells me this is some of “the worst weather he has ever
ridden in!” Now that makes me feel better! It is definitely the
strongest wind recorded in my short riding career! If I can cope with
this I can manage anything.
By now, Linda is desperately trying to think of someone - anyone in
Albany, she can phone to come & collect her! Enough is enough. But
no good Samaritan springs to mind . . . so its back on the bike with
Colin.
But we’re not home yet and the wind is howling, determined to get us
off the road. Soon we are met by a deluge of rain plus wind and minimal
visibility, that soon passes & on we go.
Albany is a welcome sight, even more so, my driveway. A long hot
shower, warm clothes & . . . 2 days later I’ve recovered.