Wing Notes

Mt Tamborine Breakfast Ride.

Sunday 21^st December dawned beautifully but with the potential to be a hot day. Took a while to fire up as we'd been at Turbo's the night before celebrating his 41^st birthday. Again! Come on Turbo, even Ulysses members don't stay 41 for ever. They just feel that way.

Off to the BP at Stapylton for coffee and wait for everyone to get there. Too late, most are already there. Coffees downed and 11 bikes and 21 participants. Big ride. It's planned to take in Tamborine Mountain, Redland Bay, Cleveland markets and Wellington Point. Should be a good day.

Phoned Unas Restaurant on Mt Tamborine to let them know how many reprobates are on the way, and away we go. The trip up the mountain is uneventful, if you call the shouts of glee, enjoyment and terror over the CB uneventful. Obviously everyone was enjoying the sports bike performance of the wing up the mountain.

The restaurant is located and Bill and Mary have come direct from the coast. We take over the verandah and enjoy a terrific breakfast compliments of the very attentive hosts. Everyone agrees that breakfast was excellent and worth a return visit. 23 people will recommend this restaurant to their friends. The raffle was run and drawn and for the first time ever I won a prize. As it was our raffle, Therese made me donate it back again. I suspect that was because she new what it was and didn't want it. Talk over breakfast reveals we have members that have not previously ventured up Mt Tamborine and are enjoying the ride. A quick discussion on possible options sees the route changed and a venture to O'Reilly's and the Lamington National Park begins.

It's over and down Tamborine to Canungra, then left and on up to O'Reilly's. Oops, lost some in Canungra. The wonder of CBs again overcomes the lack of attention and delays caused by obeying road rules. Back under way again we wind our way up the mountain to O'Reilly's. The real sports bikes pass us but they don't look as comfortable as ours. The adventurous in the group take the tree top walk and admire the available views. Not all the views were of mountains and foliage. Back to the facilities for a play with the bird feeding and associated territory marking on the shirts. Eventually two groups form and each stands around wondering where the rest of the group is. Reorganisation and a decision to head for Nerang and home. Down the mountain with queuing behind cars and buses until most do the right thing and pull over. One hero in a Corvette thinks he's better, but eventually he too succumbs. Shame the old guy in the Falcon ute doing 80 in a highway 100 zone littered with double lines could not do the same.

We arrive at Nerang and boy is it hot. Into the shopping village at 12 noon and would you believe it, everything is closing. Sunday, Gold Coast, the supposed tourism capital of Queensland and we struggle to get a drink and the obligatory ice cream. One thing about AWRA members, they are resourceful. Into the local supermarket, it's air-conditioned and us in sweat soaked shirts. It's a wonder we came out at all, let alone without pneumonia. Ice creams are shared around and farewells said to the Gold Coasters. Someone suggests the Strawberry farm at Pomona for more ice creams, so that becomes the next stop and the temperature is still rising. What great ice creams. Might stop here more often. Didn't even know it was there, hidden off the new motorway.

With ice creams eaten, Sunday papers purchased, Merry Christmas's and Happy New Year's wished and farewells said it back on the bikes and head for the various points home. Although it was hot it was a great ride. It didn't go where planned and I apologise to anyone who may have been unhappy with that. I will plan another ride to do the Redland area in the future.

Thanks to all who came along and we all felt sorry for Ray and Val who were unable to make it.

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Australian Wing Riders Association (Qld) Inc

A club for riders of Honda GoldWing and Valkyrie motorcycles