Scenic Ride to Brunswick Heads
Ride Report from Ray & Valerie.
Sunday 18th January, and again we have been blessed with brilliant sunshine and bright blue skies. It goes without saying that Ray had been watching and praying diligently all the week, as Queensland was being drenched with much needed rain, and had even threatened to go out in the Nissan X-Trail to meet anyone who was game enough to arrive in the rain for the ride!
However, all is well and we arrive at the BP Regents Park at 7.35 am where ten bikes duly arrive including some new faces. Peter & Michelle on that lovely champagne colour Wing, and Neville & Jennifer who are the new owners of what was Turbo’s bike, looking very shiny too!
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We depart sharply at 8 o’clock, and head off along the Mt. Lindsay Highway with thankfully very little traffic. We turned off in Beaudesert in the direction of Kyogle, and there we soak-up the beautiful views of our wonderful countryside - looking lovely and lush, and the horses and cows look well content. We have a brief stretch-stop in Rathdowney, just the break we needed for the next winding section around Mount Lindsay into Kyogle.
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We make the rest-area at 10.30 am with the timely arrival of Bill & Mary, who had a delayed start to their ride because of a flat battery, a result of the Wing not being on a ride for a few weeks! A great opportunity for the fellas’ to talk bikes, batteries etc., and us girls to watch ‘with some amusement’ at their antics hovering around the Wings, while we do the girl thing. Enjoying the stretch, cuppa and biscuit!
11 o’clock and we are on the road, this is where it was a bit hazy for Ray, and he kept asking which way was Lismore? I don’t know, so we start cruising at 100 kph outside Kyogle, and I am of course enjoying the splendid views when we just spy the sign for Lismore – Agh that’s it yells Ray as we go sailing by – all of us except our tail-end Charlie (Bevan & Therese) who duly states they are the only ones going the right way! So, we have successfully included our obligatory U-Turn for Bill & Mary, and we all execute it very well, and get onto the right road. Again the roads and views are excellent, and we make a brief fuel stop in Lismore to continue on to Brunswick Heads.
Now, Ray is still pondering our direction, and there was no signage for Brunswick Heads - until we saw Bangalow in print, and Ray yelled ‘that’s it’, so to all those following we hope it really looked as though he really did know where we were going? He claims it is due to the length of time since he did the ride. But the bends and curves were a pleasure and we climbed and had our first glimpse of our ocean, it looked very inviting on the now very warm day.
We made it into Brunswick Heads for 12.30 pm Queensland time/1.30pm NSW time. The lads did the duty of standing in line for lunch orders, us girls picked up some drinks, and Turbo did the table & chairs set-up. Re-arranging the tables, and pinching any available chair he could find – thank you Turbo.
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Raffle tickets were collected and the lucky tickets were picked out of Chantelle’s helmet – and the winners were Bill & Mary and Clint & Charleen. Congratulations and thank-you for your support. It was then 1-30 pm and time to head home. Our new friends Neville & Jennifer said Good-bye as they were going to visit friends staying in Brunswick Heads. Turbo, Wendy & Chantelle also said Good-bye as they had a couple of birthday parties to attend, including Turbo’s Dad’s.
Also said an extra Good-bye to Chantelle, as she is heading back home to Townsville and starting Grade 8. Our good-bye stop has been changed, as Bill & Mary have invited us all around to their new home for a coffee – readily accepted of course.
So, we are off – and with a little confusion as we did not know what happened to Ken? Trust you had a safe ride home, but we will ensure that for future rides the Leader and/or back-marker is advised of any changes to our numbers. The highway is excellent and fast, and Ray enjoys opening the throttle and cruising at the 110 kph.
Bill & Mary take the lead at the Nerang Road, and pilot us in to their new estate. Awesome homes in it, and the Carter’s residence is impressive. We certainly enjoyed the luxury of the air-conditioner, and a cool drink or tea or coffee with the usual friendly banter that we all join in to. From here it is home, and with the remaining bikes we head up the highway. Ray & I wave everyone off the highway at their respective turn-offs, and we pull into our driveway at 4-15 pm – exactly 9 hours on the road.
Another great ride, sensational countryside, brilliant company and another Sunday thoroughly enjoyed – thank you all for making it so!
Ray & Valerie