Newsletter. May. Alice Springs AGM, here we come! Adventure is not outside man; it is within. Printed by Kwik Kopy 1

Transcription

1 May Newsletter 2014 Alice Springs AGM, here we come! Adventure is not outside man; it is within. Printed by Kwik Kopy 1

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3 Nepean Branch Committee Name Phone: Mobile: President Trevor Harding Vice President TBA Secretary Dennis King Treasurer David Pearson Quartermaster Chris Vineburg Newsletter Editor Aaron Hayes Webmaster Steven Neville Run Co-Ordinator Jim Linos Social Secretary Peter (PK) Kurczewski Ride Leaders Name Phone: Mobile: Run Co-Ordinator Jim Linos Ride Leaders. Greg Cracknell Pat Coleman Ross Menzies Trevor Harding Ocker (Armando) Mig Alan Gill Steve Collins Peter (PK) Kurczewski Bob McCook Michael Rose Paul Hughes Chris O Neill Aaron Hayes Addresses Name Address: Webmaster Steve Neville nepean.webmaster@ulysses-nepean.org.au Newsletter Editor Aaron Hayes nepean.news-editor@ulysses-nepean.org.au Nepean Branch Website: Ulysses main Website: Also this newsletter is available from the Nepean Branch Website in glorious colour! 3

4 President Trev s No Tall Tales Report Hi everyone this is the second year with this committee, everyone is doing a great job, and I am looking forward to another great year. In a couple of weeks we are leaving for the Alice Springs AGM, can`t wait! Dave is doing a great job getting money for UCARF, we had an Auction for a Honda Jacket donated by Westerns when Lyn Leslie brought some bike gear and they collected donations from them, all money was donated to UCARF. Dennis is getting a list for Age badges, one is for the number of years being in the club. The club will pay for these badges, great job Dennis! Raffles are going great, we even have more people looking to buy the tickets. A Big thankyou to Battery World for giving us jumper lead sets to be raffled. The numbers are coming back to the meetings and there is a good atmosphere in the room. It was great news about Chris Vineburg taking over the quarter master gear, their 1st night was very successful. PK is getting some great nights on the social scene with more to come. Aaron is getting organised for his 1st newsletter. Steve is keeping the web site up to scratch and everything is running smoothly. Another big thankyou to the ride leaders, if it was not for them there would not be any rides. It was another successful Penrith Festival Parade and I was lucky to have a Spider from Westerns to ride, it certainly was different. For the April meeting Kelen Kawasaki had an 800 road bike on show, I got a chance to ride it, it was a fun bike to ride. Pat Colman is leaving soon to work in Brunei for 4 years, I will certainly miss him on our rides I would like to wish everyone a safe trip travelling to the AGM, and I will see you at the June meeting. From President Trev & the First lady Shaz. If you re lucky enough to be old, you re lucky enough. 4

5 Happy Mailman: It was George the Mailman's last day on the job after 35 years of carrying the mail through all kinds of weather to the same neighbourhood. When he arrived at the first house on his route, he was greeted by the whole family who congratulated him and sent him on his way with a tidy gift envelope. At the second house, they presented him with a box of fine cigars. The folks at the third house handed him a selection of terrific fishing lures. At the fourth house, he was met at the door by a strikingly beautiful woman in a revealing negligee. She took him by the hand, gently led him through the door, which she closed behind him, and took him up the stairs to the bedroom where she blew his mind with the most passionate love he had ever experienced. When he had enough, they went downstairs and she fixed him a giant breakfast: eggs, potatoes, ham, sausage, blueberry waffles, and fresh-squeezed orange juice. When he was truly satisfied, she poured him a cup of steaming coffee. As she was pouring, he noticed a dollar bill sticking out from under the cup's bottom edge. "All this was just too wonderful for words," he said, "But what's the dollar for?" "Well," she said, "Last night, I told my husband that today would be your last day, and that we should do something special for you. I asked him what to give you. He said, 'Screw him! Give him a dollar. Let us Pray. Give me a sense of humour, Lord, Give me the grace to see a joke, To get some humour out of life, And pass it on to other folk One night, Mrs McMillan answers the door to see her husband s best friend, Paddy, standing on the doorstep. Hello Paddy, but where is my husband? He went with you to the beer factory. Paddy shook his head. Ah Mrs McMillan, there was a terrible accident at the beer factory, your husband fell into a vat of Guinness stout and drowned. Mrs McMillan starts crying. Oh don t tell me that, did he at least go quickly? Paddy shakes his head. Not really he got out 3 times to pee! Questions - can you answer? Can you cry under water? How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered? Why do you have to put your two cents in? But it's only a penny for your thoughts? Where's that extra penny going to? Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were buried in for eternity? Why does a round pizza come in a square box? What disease did cured ham actually have? 5

6 New (Nepean Branch) Ulyssians Grant Sutcliffe Suzuki Boulevard Stephen Chapman - Goldwing Cathy Brown GV250 soon to upgrade to a HD Superglide Peter Rides a BMW? (soz no pic) Annette Honda Shadow 750 Richard Burns BMW 1100 & 04 Harley Davidson Fatboy Cathy Burns BMW 1200 & Yamaha Cruiser 950 Bob Everitt Suzuki Boulevard C90T Dean Good Yamaha R1 At My Age: I ve seen it all, Done it all, Heard it all. I just can t remember IT ALL! Paddy is planning to marry, and asks his family doctor how he could tell if his bride-to-be is still a virgin. His doctor says, Aye, Paddy, all Irish use three things for what we call a Do-It-Yourself. Virginity Test Kit. A small can of red paint, a small can of blue paint and a shovel. Paddy asks, Aye, and what do I do with these things doctor? The doctor replies, Before ye climb into bed on your wedding night, you paint one of your balls red and the other ball blue. If she says, That s the strangest pair of balls I ever did see you hit her with the shovel. 6

7 MICK DYER MOTORCYCLES 8\121 COREEN AVENUE PENRITH 2750 PHONE\FAX 02~ Mick Dyer Motorcycles have been servicing the people of Penrith with an exceptionally high standard of quality workmanship for the past 18 years. Come into our immaculately presented, air-conditioned workshop for your next service by people who actually care for you motorcycle. With all our work guaranteed and a huge emphasis on customer service we ll look after your baby. Latest BMW diagnostic tool available Specialising in BMW service and repairs All Japanese service and repairs Engine rebuilds Same day servicing On the spot roadworthy\registration inspections Full range of METZELER tyres available with free fitting and balancing Most serviceable items kept in stock to assure quick and reliable service Whether it be a service, leaking fork seal, bald tyre or just some advice to get you going, come on in and see our friendly staff where we can fix just about anything. An old man and woman were married for many years... Whenever there was a confrontation, yelling could be heard deep into the night. The old man would shout: "When I die, I will dig my way up and out of the grave and come back and haunt you for the rest of your life!" Neighbors feared him. The old man liked the fact that he was feared. To everyone's relief, he died of a heart attack when he was 98. His wife had a closed casket at the funeral. After the burial, her neighbors, concerned for her safety, asked: "Aren't you afraid that he may indeed be able to dig his way out of the grave and haunt you for the rest of your life?" The wife said, "Let him dig. I had him buried upside down, and I know he won't ask for directions." 7

8 Picton Night Ride Twas the 22 nd February one of those summer nights when it s nice to be outside enjoying the cool breezes and the millions of flickering stars that all compete for your attention. There were about 8 bikes at McPanthers, and as the sun moved lower in the western sky, we moved off in a southerly direction along the long and winding road that takes the traveller through the low hills and green paddocks where the Nepean River originates. We passed through Mulgoa, Wallacia, The Oaks and Thirlmere, and after an hour or so we arrived at the Imperial Hotel on the outskirts of Picton. I was hoping to avoid the Saturday evening rush at the bistro but when we entered the bar I was surprised to see only a couple of locals, slumped on their bar stools giving us the once over. We were quickly served by the sweet young thing behind the bar and we settled down at a long table enjoying a long drink and expecting a long wait for our meals. Their fast food cook must have been a sprinter, because our meals came out in record time. And they were good - one of the best selections of pub food that we had enjoyed in a long time. After an hour of the usual chatter about bikes and the state of world affairs, we mounted up and I led the group to the top of Razorback where we turned left and took the back road through Cawdor. We headed through Camden, passed the airport, then onto Bringelly and turned left down Greendale Road. By this time the last glimmer of light from the setting sun had vanished, and we road into the darkness. In time, we arrived back at McPanthers and we were all keen for a little supper of sorts. Most of us enjoyed a 30 cent cone or a Beveridge of some kind, and the earlier conversation continued. After another hour, we mounted up and headed off to where ever we each called home. Another enjoyable outing completed something different this time. Ross Menzies Ride Leader l knew this road well, so I was anticipating the corners as they loomed in front of us. We must have made an interesting sight as the line of headlights wound its way through the countryside. I was getting an eyeful of all the headlights through my mirrors and the glare was hard to take, so I positioned myself well forward on the bike, so that I wasn t being blinded. Greendale Road is a great motorcycling route in the daylight, so the evening run made it even more of an enjoyable challenge. 8

9 CAVES BEACHSIDE HOTEL Sun 23rd February, 2014 Originally Pk's ride but due to an injury, he was unable to make it so I volunteered for the job. With a slightly overcast morning, it was nice to see 10 bikes turning up. We started by going through Windsor, Pit town, Wisemans Ferry stopping for our morning tea at the Mangrove Mountain general store. From there, we travelled through Yarramalong Valley turning left into Hue Hue Rd just before the F3 overpass and continued to Wyee. From there we turned right for Doyalson, where we made a left on the Old Pacific Hwy to Swansea. After topping up the fuel for the return trip, Caves beach was only a few minutes away. The Caves Beach Hotel is relatively new with very impressive views, food and facilities, including undercover parking. Nice choice PK!!! The return trip was decided over lunch, to come back via the Putty however, on route to Cessnock I realized it will take a lot longer than originally thought, so I decided to double back and come home the same as the way up. Unfortunately my CB decided to go on strike at that time confusing of those following. After having afternoon break at Spencer, we said our goodbyes then headed for home. Thanks to everyone (including the two Spiders who thought it was a 9am start but managed to catch up to us at the hotel).for a very good day. Thanks again to all, Jim Linos 9

10 It had rained most of Saturday and I was hoping for a dry Sunday morning ride. I checked the weather for Lithgow cloudy, patchy rain, chance of showers in the afternoon and a max of 20 degrees, didn t sound too bad for a Lithgow summer. As I head to Macca s to see if anyone is going to show I notice the top of the mountains is shrouded in mist. On arrival Leo was already there with his shiny new Goldwing. By 8:45 there were 6 starters by 9am we were down to 5. We headed out to north Richmond and Grose Vale Rd for a change in scenery, up The Bells Line of road and into light rain and fog across the top of Bell. We had a quick regroup across from the weight station and put on some warmer gear before heading across The Darling Causeway it had dropped to 13 degrees. On the way across I picked up a suicidal mountain parrot who didn t give way to his right, it lodged up in the front suspension and radiator no damage to the bike can t say the same for the parrot. We stopped at the Hartley Vale truck stop for morning tea and to remove the remains of the parrot. I initially intended to do a 130K loop through Sunny Corner and Portland before lunch but with the weather anything but sunny we decided to head straight to the club. We travelled into Lithgow via Browns Gap Rd to the workers for a nice hot Sunday roast. Sitting there warm and dry watching the rain contemplating which way to head home. We finally made the move, put on wet weather gear and prepared to brave the elements, Steve & Leo decided to go down the Great Western Hwy. Arron, Paul & myself headed back down Browns Gap Rd dodging and weaving the pot holes so much fun in the wet, at least there was no dust on the stretch of dirt which is smoother than most of the tar through Hartley Vale. We head back across Bell in similar conditions to the run up fog and misty rain mixed with a bit more traffic. As we head back into Penrith we see Steve & Leo heading home in the opposite direction on Castlereagh Rd back home before 3pm and 220Km for the day. Until we ride again Bob 10

11 The Loaded Dog Pub Ride 9 TH March 2014 We headed off with 9 bikes at 0800 for a day of riding headed up to kurrajong then over the darling causeway down Victoria pass and stopping at the lolly shop for coffee. Left there at around 930 for Oberon what a road, love it, stopped at Oberon for fuel this is where my intercom decided to go at full volume what a pain it would not turn off or down, any way off to Goulburn stopping again for fuel so everybody could make it to Marulan, left the service station at Goulburn headed to Tarago for lunch at the loaded dog we arrived with filthy bikes yes we hit road works which had just been watered not happy Jan. We left the Dog at about 1 o clock and headed to Marulan through Bungonia after nearly Missing a few turns we made it to Marulan to fill up turning off the freeway at Hilltop we arrived at Thirlmere at around 430 for ice cream we said our good buys and went home the ride was about 550km. Good ride with great people. Thanks for coming, Steve & Mandy Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a window! 11

12 Muswellbrook Workers Club 16 th March 2014 Nine riders and 3 pillions turned up on a clear morning, eager for some serious riding. After the usual pep talk, we proceeded for Windsor, Wisemans Ferry and Central Mangrove For our morning stop at the General store/cafe where, Greg Anderson was waiting for us. With now 10 bikes, we travelled to Wollombi and Broke where we stopped for a leg stretch and goodbyes to Allan as he was only coming this far. From there, we travelled via wallaby Bush Road, to Jerry s Plains, along Lemington Rd to New England H/way at Liddell, and then to the Workers Club for our lunch. Along the last bit we encountered a couple half minute showers with the weather again clearing. At the end of a very enjoyable lunch, and as soon as I told everyone to start getting ready for the return journey, all hell broke loose with a severe storm over the town, delaying our return by about 40 minutes. The return trip was via Bulga and the Putty with everyone riding with caution due to the wet patches on parts of the road, stopping at the Grey Gums Cafe for afternoon tea and goodbyes. Total Kms for the day 560, with most of us home by 5.30pm. Thanks to everyone a good day and it was great to catch up with Greg Anderson again. Cheers Jim and Jenny Billy stops Paddy in Dublin and asks for the quickest way to Cork. Paddy says, "Are you on foot or on the bike?" Billy says, "On the bike." Paddy says, "That s the quickest way." 12

13 Burrawang Hotel Wednesday 19 th March 14 I headed down to Panthers nice and early by 8:30am already had 3 bikes by 9 there was still only 3. While we were having a coffee I d asked if anyone had been to Burrawang Pub - bad move dedicated ride leader. I knew what direction it was but not 100% on the exact location. So with some advice we headed out through Silverdale, The Oaks, Thirlmere, Mittagong and Berrima for morning tea. We then travelled through Moss Vale and found our way into the back of Burrawang Village and the pub for lunch. By the end of lunch there was massive black clouds to the south so we headed for home. Into Robertson took Kangaloon Road then Old South Road. I was going to come home via Razorback but at Tahmoor we hit road works speed was down to 60ks for next 5kms, then it started to sprinkle and the school zones had started so I turned down Bargo River Road didn t avoid the road works or the rain. The school zone had started at Thirlmere but the rain had stopped, it was a bit chaotic so we travelled through to Silverdale for a much needed leg stretch and to say our goodbyes. We clocked up 280K s and had a great day out. Until we ride again Bob 13

14 Saturday 22 nd March Nepean Festival Ride 50 s and 60 s theme 14

15 received by the crowd, they just seem to love the bikes. Steve Karen and myself had wigs on and it felt funny with hair. After a slow crawl up high St waving to the crowd, another parade was over. At the end we all went to the Peach tree for lunch. The Penrith Festival Parade was on again this year. It was short notice but we managed to pull together and made it happen.i needed to get all the paper work done and could only just wait to see how many people would turn up.ray from WESTERNS lent me a CAM AM 3 wheeler for the parade, and " no it is not my new bike". I was really happy with the sixteen bikes that turned up and 3 spiders. Mandy and Jennifer carried the banner and it was well I would like to thank everyone who put in the effect and made the day a success. Trev & Shaz Ummm???..Has our fearless presedente moved over to the dark side???? Genius-Motorcycle-GPS_11 (Worth checking out if you are looking for a Motorcycle GPS system) 15

16 Wisemans Ferry Luncheon Sunday 23rd March 2014 A special thanks to Heinz for the pics 16

17 This was my last planned ride as a ride leader. Other interests, often with little notice have made it difficult to be available. Now there is such a wonderful number of ride leaders available it seemed the right time to back out. Now on with the ride report... A beautiful day arrived ensuring our ride would be both scenic and enjoyable. The plan was for a very scenic route to Wisemans Ferry for lunch. I had advertised this as a slow ride in an effort to encourage riders who wanted this type of outing. Twelve bikes and no pillions departed Panthers. We headed out towards Agnes Banks turning onto the Bells Line via the usual shortcut and headed west. A right turn onto Freemans Reach Rd took us on a circuitous route to Wilberforce where we rode over the Putty Rd then a loop road onto Sackville Rd which took us to the Sackville ferry. At this point my "Tail end Laraine" had lost the ability to herd several riders our way and were stopped at the Wilberforce butchers shop. A quick phone call sorted this out and we waited for them at the River road intersection. The next section of the trip (River Rd) is extremely narrow with blind corners overhanging trees and cliffs but lovely views of the Hawkesbury River. We all made it safely albeit slowly to the pub arriving just after 11:00am. No queues for food and plenty of time to enjoy the company. We were fortunate to have two very new members who have yet to attend our meetings but wanted to be on this ride. Richard and Cathy both ride bikes which meant that with Aaron's wife Ann, Laraine and Cathy we had THREE!! Lady riders with us. Not sure if this is a first for the branch but it is a first on my rides. 12:30 and we were ready to say our goodbyes and make our own way home. A great ride with great people... thanks for coming. Allan Gilks 17

18 ROBERTSON 30 th March, 2014 Originally Greg s ride, but unfortunately he could not take it so he asked me to lead it. On the morning of the ride, 8 bikes with 2 pillions showed up. Weather reports were not so good for us, so we decided to keep the same destination but shorten the ride to a B. Left McDonalds at 8.20am as we waited for Dennis who was running a little late and travelled along to Wallacia, Silverdale, Werombi, Cawdor, through Douglas Park Gorge, and across Broughton Pass for Appin. Turning right into Appin Road for Bulli Pass and then to the Bulli Beach Cafe (Sea Salt), for a nice long breakfast/morning tea. How wrong can the weather people be!?. By the time we hit the coast the sky was clear and stayed that way for the rest of the day. From there, we travelled south along Princes Hwy before taking the Picton Rd exit, left into Mt.Keira Rd, followed by a right into Mt. Kembla Rd, taking us back down to the Hwy. After a short stint of Hwy, we took the Albion Park exit and on to Macquarie Pass. Just before Robertson, we turned right into Tourist Rd, then taking a left into Kirkland Rd for Robertson via East Kangaloon. break to say goodbye to Ocker. After a long and very enjoyable lunch at the Robertson Inn, the return trip was via, Hill Top and Thirlmere where we had a short From there we continued on via Silverdale, stopping at the Peppercorn Cafe at Mulgoa for ice cream and goodbyes with most of us home before 4m.TOTAL KMS 330 Great Company as usual, with as many back roads as I could think of and brilliant weather. FANTASTIC DAY Thanks everyone Jim & Jenny 18

19 The weather was getting very dark and spitting rain, by the time we got to the Great Western highway it was raining. I turned into a garage and ask if anyone wanted to put there wet weather gear on but they all wanted to keep going.. We decided to make a run for it and luckily it cleared up a bit, the rain chased us all the way down the mountain. Peachtree Loop Sat night 5:30pm 5 th April 2014 We arrived at Maccas at five Thirty with the weather looking grim. I told everyone that turned up there was two choices, 5:30 at Maccas, or 6:30 at Peach tree Pub. Everyone decided to do the run, there were five bikes so we headed along Castlereagh road and turned left to go up the Hawkesbury lookout to Springwood, hoping to get a clean run through the corners, but not today. When we got to the pub it looked like it had been raining heavy. After a good meal and great company we all headed home. Another good night out with good friends. Trev & Shaz Q. What s the difference between an Irish Wedding and an Irish Funeral? A. There s one less drunk at the funeral. Q. Why wasn t Jesus born in Ireland? A. He couldn t find 3 wise men or a virgin. Q. Why can t you borrow money from a leprechaun? A. Cos they re always a little short. 19

20 Jamberoo Bowling club Ride 13/4/14 It was a clear day cool but not cold, going by all the forecast during the week it should have been raining, but thanks to the weather gods it was not so. 16 Bikes turn up to brave the uncertain elements, at 9.00 am we depart Macdonald s heading for our first stop Thirlmere for a comfort break, we had a couple rain drops but nothing to deter these intrepid riders. 20 minutes later we left heading towards Hill Top, crossed over the freeway making our way down Old South road all good so far, it wasn t until I got the end of Old South that I had a brain drain, I made a wrong turn and went off riding around the outer suburbs of Bowral. Anyway after two u turns and much confusion on my part and irritation of the riders following I managed with help from members of the group to get us back on track, Heading towards Fitzroy Falls. Turning Left at Myra Vale road which took us to Robertson going through to the Pie Shop and the down Jamberoo Mountain Road ( which was very slippery ) into Jamberoo and the Bowling club. Lunch was had (some ribbing about the wrong turns much to my discomfort and rightly so) 45 minutes later a return trip was mapped out, up Macquarie pass through Robertson turn off to Kangaloon the scenic route, back up Old South road (no wrong turn this time thank God and all his Angles in heaven) to Thirlmere where the Ride Ended. Thanks to All the rider who come along for their patients and sense of humour, I hope you had a good time I certainly had my moments!!! Thank you all again. Ocker Man lost in a hot air balloon over Ireland. He looks down and sees a farmer and shouts to him, "Where am I?" The Irish farmer looks up and shouts back "You can't kid me, ya b*stard, you're in that feckin' basket!" 20

21 U.C.A.R.F: The Story THE UCARF STORY Ulyssians have always been generous people and right from the start have opened their hearts to worthy causes. At the Wagga AGM in 1997 it was decided that in the absence of a specific alternative, the Ulysses Club would designate research into arthritis as its own preferred charity. The impetus for the choice came from the death at only 72 the previous year of Jo Dearnley who finally lost a 20-year battle against rheumatoid arthritis. Because arthritis is so slow, insidious, painful and debilitating it does not attract the same publicity as the more obvious and dramatic diseases, yet not only is it by far the most common cause of painful and severe handicap in this country, it can also be deadly. In its various forms it affects nearly five million Australians and accounts for more deaths than AIDS or MS, yet because the disease is so diffuse it does not attract a lot of media attention. In the beginning with funds were passed to the Arthritis Foundation but after some internal problems and the discovery that only a minute portion was directed to research, it was decided that the Ulysses Club would channel donations directly to the front line. Consequently the club has given significant support to a number of post-graduate students in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and supplied their laboratories with expensive items of equipment. As the Ulysses Club Arthritis Fund we have had progress reports from the researchers themselves and direct evidence of where our contributions are being applied. For 2011 NatCom has agreed to take this a step further by offering a full fellowship to a brilliant research scientist, Kelly McKelvie, from Otago University in Dunedin. This calls for UCARF to commit $80,000 over the next twelve months and in return Kelly will be providing the Club with regular progress reports and updates. I hope members will have the opportunity meeting her personally at the Newcastle AGM in March. With research now moving to the forefront of genetic and molecular biology I would like to feel that the Ulysses Club was taking a lead in unlocking the secret of auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis; in looking for a cure, not just another palliative measure. Stephen #1 ~At Monthly meetings, please donate generously and/or purchase raffle tickets. If you have any ideas for charity events to support U.C.A.R.F. don t hesitate to let the committee know. ~ 21

22 Imperial Hotel Ride via Burragorang Lookout Easter Monday 21 st April

23 We continued on to Picton to arrive at the Imperial Hotel just after 12pm. The food and atmosphere was great and given the large number of people that came along the service was pretty darn good. We only had to wait about ½ hour to get our food and we were the last group to order I would happily go there again. What more can I say! An awesome day out! We arrived at Maccas Panthers to find all up 34 bikes and 42 people! Our destination was now the Imperial Hotel at Picton as the Tahmoor Inn wasn t open. We travelled through Wallacia to Cobbitty then out to Burragorang Lookout. The view was beautiful and thanks to all the crew with CB s we didn t lose anyone along the way (for too long). With Bellies full and some of the riders going their own way home, Jim suggested we travel via Menangle Rd heading towards Campbelltown then cutting back towards Camden, out to Northern Rd to stop at the Servo/coffee shop near Elizabeth drive. In theory this was a good idea, in practice I ended up overshooting both turnoffs to get to Camden and had to do a U turn to then catch up with the rest of the riders. Arriving at the Servo we had refreshments and said our last goodbyes. Distance travelled was just shy of 200kms and was a great way to spend an Easter Monday with friends and family. Thanks to everybody for coming out, see you on the next run, Mr Plod was more than happy to flash as I overtook some bikes in the 100kms zone of the Old Hume Hwy but didn t turn around to follow. With road works and more police the speed limit was strictly adhered to. Aaron and Ann 23

24 Grey Gum Café 27 th April 2014 Hi guys, Starting out on a nice sunny morning 18 members came along for an Easy ride to the Grey Gums Cafe. Round trip just over 200kms. Once we passed Colo the weather started to cloud over and we rode to the Cafe in some light rain. The manager of the Cafe reserved a table for us and we enjoyed warm coffee and food. After our lunch we all put on our wet weather gear as it had rained and it did not look good. Now saying that we rode home in the dry. We stopped at Colo Heights to say good bye. Great day was had by all. Cheers, Chris Paddy and Mick were walking along a street in London. Paddy looked in one of the shop windows and saw a sign that caught his eye. The sign read, Suits 5.00 each, Shirts 2.00 each, Trousers 2.50 per pair. Paddy said to his pal, Mick look at the prices! We could buy a whole lot of those and when we get back to Ireland we could make a fortune. Now when we go in you stay quiet, okay? Let me do all da talking cause if they hear our accents, they might think we re thicko s from Ireland and try to screw us. I ll put on me best English accent. Roight y are Paddy, I ll keep me mouth shut, so I will. You do all da business said Mick. They go in and Paddy said in a posh voice, Hello my good man. I ll take 50 suits at 5.00 each, 100 shirts at 2.00 each, and 50 pairs of trousers at 2.50 each. I ll back up me truck ready to load em on, so I will. The owner of the shop said quietly, You re from Ireland, aren t you? Well yes, said a surprised Paddy. What gave it away? The owner replied, This is a dry-cleaners. 24

25 Sofala Loop 4 th May 2014 The day started well with 9 riders, 8 bikes and a Can-Am Spyder with the day tipped to be bleeping cold! 4 riders from various parts of Sydney turned up to come on the ride, (David, Sill, Keith and Bill), with a link to the Ulysses Club via the Nth Sydney branch. We rode over the mountain via Bells Line of Rd and stopped for a warm up at the Servo near Lake Lyall. Everybody was enjoying the run so far. After warming up we left off with what I thought was everybody continuing down through Tarana out to O Connell Rd, then with Bill having grown up in Orange we had agreed to travel from O Connell via some back roads he knew to a Pub on the other side of Bathurst. Well this is where it went a bit pair shaped, we had lost 2 riders so a couple of us waited for them to arrive, when this didn t occur and we couldn t contact them we travelled along Bill s spoken route, must have made a wrong turn and ended up near Oberon. Then travelled into Bathurst when we still couldn t get hold of the other riders. A quick phone call from Ocker and we were back on track, we met at the Bridges Hotel in Perthville (12kms out of Bathurst) and had a great lunch inside with heating as it was only 6 degrees outside. Bill then took us out some more back roads around the Bathurst area, we ended up about 30kms South West of Bathurst then rode back, filling up at Bathurst before returning via Lithgow - Bells Line of Rd. Ocker and I pulled up for a last coffee at Bilpin Apple Pie shop and said our goodbyes. Overall we travelled approx. 515kms, met some really interesting people and travelled some fantastic roads. Average temps for the day were under 10 degrees. Thanks to Bill and the crew for showing us the local back roads, except for it being so cold and missing a couple of riders, it was a great day. Aaron Three dead bodies turn up at the mortuary, all with very big smiles on their faces. The coroner calls in the police to tell them what has happened. First body: Frenchman, 60, died of heart failure while drinking vintage champagne and eating foie gras. Hence the enormous smile, Inspector, says the coroner. Second body: Scotsman, 25, won 1,000 on the lottery, spent it all on whisky. Died of alcohol poisoning, hence the smile. The inspector asks, What of the third body? Ah, says the coroner. This is the most unusual one: Big Seamus Quinn from Donegal, 30, struck by lightning. Why is he smiling then? enquires the inspector. He thought he was having his photo taken. 25

26 A bit of history.. A Pic of members #1, #2, #3 The No Bull Committee Can you name them and where this was taken? Does anyone know this Ulyssian and why he is important to the history of the club? Q. After Australia, who was the next country to have a Ulysses branch? Q. How many people attended the first official Annual General meeting of the Ulysses Club Inc.? Answers next newsletter Ride Safe and send all those funnies and Pics to Myself and Steve for publishing in the newsletter and on the website. 26

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