ULYSSES CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND ROTORUA BRANCH MAY 2015 ISSUE 23

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1 ULYSSES CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND ROTORUA BRANCH MAY 2015 ISSUE 23 AN INTRODUCTION TO YOUR NEW EDITOR SCOOP Hi everyone, as most of you might already know I have taken on the task of Editor for the Rotorua Branch. I ask that you all have some patience with me as this is my first appointment as a roving or is that riding reporter. I also have the ominous task of replacing the legendary Tony B, so I have much to live up to. So warning until I get the hang of scooping the news and also brush up on my typing skills things may be a little thin at first. I want to remind you that this newsletter is for you the members and so you need to send me your items, gossip, tall tales, photos and stories. If you are not confident to write up a full story send me the facts and/or fiction and I can help you to put something together for everyone s enjoyment. So here goes with my first Newsletter fingers crossed ops very hard to type with crossed fingers. Andrea ad.thompson@xtra.co.nz CO ORDINATOR S COMMENTS I was going to put a few words of wisdom here from our Co-ordinator but I can t find him, my spy s tell me he is away on holiday. so you guys are out of luck..or maybe not anyway hope he is being disgraceful wherever he is. ITEMS OF INTEREST Swap Meet This is coming up on 12 th July 2015 Smokey is organising this and needs helpers. For those of you that don t know what this involves we provide people to direct car parking at the Classic Car Swap Meet at Paradise Valley Raceway. Smokey needs 4 helpers for each of the 2 time slots, 6am to 9am and then 9am to 12pm. The club is paid for this so it s a good fundraiser. Please let Smokey know if you can help at the next club meeting. Okataina Rally The Rally is being held on the weekend of 19 June 2015 and we need helpers, raffle prises etc. Further on in the newsletter you will find a Helper Slip and a bit more information on the Rally for those new members who have not been before. Tony Baker s Big 80 There has been a rumour going around for a while now that Tony is turning 80 on his next birthday. Well I can confirm this is true and that the club is going to celebrate with a ride and then a meal at Tony s. This is happening on 7 th June (See later in the newsletter for details). For THOSE ADVENTURERS AMONGST US A SUGGESTION FROM Hartley this is a link to a ride some people are doing across Russia that might be of interest to some club members NEXT BRANCH MEETING SUNDAY 24 TH MAY 2015 AT 7PM

2 POKER RUN RESULTS Tony B s Poker Run had a good turn out with 10 Bikes and 3 Pillions attending. Prizes were provided by Lakeside Café, Patterson s and Drivers Directions. After a bit of lively debate over which hand beats which, the winners were: First Place: Murray Second Place: Sean Third Place: Mal I have been informed that there was only a little innocent cheating going on so results are final. Well done everyone who came along and sounds like there was lots of fun and great riding. NOAH THINGERTOO SAYS :- Cold weather is arriving! You hardy souls now need the padded linings back in your riding gear you softies should be winter-ising your bikes. I see Flash is the RIC for the Okataina Rally how did that happen? I hear the other half of Flash n the Pam left her phone at the coffee morning. It was apparently returned with no overseas calls!! Poor old Westport, scene of next year s A.G.M. I hope there are still residents living and working there next year. Have Bruce and Christine been catching many fish lately? Many happy returns to Geminians Tony Baker, Shelley Butterworth, Dave Hutchison and Lynne Sands, and Cancerians Bruce Quedley and Rex Bunn. Long may they grace us with their presence. How come the Branch meeting and the Branch A.G.M had the same time? Don t you have one after the other? A new kind of speed meeting perhaps, like speed dating! My spies will be in the bush around Okataina but don t let that stop you being disgraceful! Think this must be what Noah looks like Scoop So what do you call a group of rabbits walking backwards? (A receding hair line)

3 OKATAINA RALLY Every year the Rotorua Club hold a rally at the Okataina Outdoor Education Camp. The Camp is located on the road to Lake Okataina which is reached off State High 30 just past Ruato Bay on Lake Rotoiti. We try to have the camp around the shortest day of the year, as a result this is winter adventure for all those who attend. The camp is made up of different blocks containing Dining Hall/ Kitchen/ Lounge/Laundry, Bunkroom s, teacher s accommodation, toilets & showers. The main dining hall has a wood stove so it is naturally the hub of the venue. The camp has been home to many school trips over the years but is soon to be returned to the land owners and so this will be our last Rally here. We start setting up on the Friday around lunch time and there is a lot to be done. There is food and other supplies to unload, the hall floor is covered with heavy paper, tables and chairs set up. Dinner is to be prepared, the fire lit, bar, raffles, registration all to get organised. Our guest start arriving from 1pm onwards and get themselves set up in the bunkrooms. Friday night is casual with a hot & hearty dinner followed by time spent catching up with old friends and making new ones. Saturday dawns with a chill in the air but a hot shower and piping hot breakfast awaits. Guest are welcome to hang out at the venue, go on an organised ride or have a walk through the forest to the lake. There is plenty to do or they can just kick back and relax by the fire. Dinner on Saturday Night is a wonderful Roast Meal and dessert, the bar is open of course and we have a band for entertainment. This year the theme is So Long Cowboy so I think we will see a few lone rangers about the place. Sunday is once again a hot breakfast and then pack up time. The Rotorua club has managed to make a small profit each year and these funds are donated to St Johns Ambulance. This is a great weekend and we are reliant on the Rotorua Club member s to help out. As Rotorua Members we don t pay the registration fee in light of the fact we help. Hartley is organising some shirts for us as well seeing this is the last year at this venue. Accommodation is available to us with the use of the Teachers accommodation block and also the lounge & bird room. I have listed below some jobs so please indicate what you can help and also if you are staying overnight. You can return the slip to me at the next club meeting. NAME: NIGHTS STAYING OVER: PACK IN & SET UP KITCHEN HELPER BAR SERVICE & STOCKING DRINK TICKET SALES RAFFLE TICKET SALES PACK UP & CLEANING FRIDAY AFTERNOON FRIDAY EVENING SATURDAY MORNING (BREAKFAST) SATURDAY AFTERNNON SATURDAY EVENING SUNDAY MORNING N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A And: Nearly forgot can you do some home baking to go with the cuppas?

4 TIHOI RIDE FROM TONY BAKER Tihoi Ride Sunday 3 May 2015 Once again this Ulysses ride organised by Rotorua member Jim Bolton was a great ride. It was pretty obvious it was going to be a great ride from the number of outsiders who were turning up at the Lakeside Café to ride with the Rotorua members to Tihoi. Jim gave a briefing on the riding rules that he expected from us during the ride there would be no speeding and we would have several regrouping stops during the ride. Jim was definitely going to be RIC and Jack B, Tail-end Charlie!. The route Jim had planned was the same as last year Rotorua, Atiamuri, left onto S/H1, right onto Tirohanga Rd, past Mokai Marae on the left, right onto Poihipi Rd, immediate left onto Marotiri Rd, left onto Tihoi Rd (S/H32), past Baker Rd on the right - named after my father, and a further 11kms to the Tihoi Tavern. By being up the front we had no trouble finding a place to park our bike in fact, right outside the front door! After joining the queue to the toilets, we washed our hands, paid our money, and once again joined the queue this time for the food! And what a feed it was: pork and lamb spit-roasted to perfection, salads, potatoes and coleslaw. 150 meals were served and eaten while Jim s brother and his Old Spice Band played for us while we ate our very tasty meal. All told, there were about 140 bikes of all shapes and sizes in attendance. Most of us rode home in our own time at our own pace enjoying the scenery and letting our meal settle. Thank you Jim for your effort you again put in for a great Sunday of fellowship and riding enjoyment. Tony & Marlene Baker INVITATION A month ago, Smokey said to me, Tony, your 80 th birthday, IS JUST NOT ANOTHER DAY! His next words were, And we are going to have an 80klm ride on 7 June and I m going to organise it! So there you are, you are being invited to join us on an 80klm ride on Sunday 7 June leaving Lakeside Café at 10am. After the ride, you are all invited to Marlene and my home at 5.00pm for a celebration and general get-together social. We will provide some drink and the meat etc for a BBQ, if you would be kind enough to bring a salad, or dessert or nibbles please. Tony & Marlene

5 RUNS UPDATE FROM MAL May 31 st Sunday Queens Birthday Weekend Ride to Raglan for Fish n Chips or Raglan Fish Restaurant, Wallis Road. Via Cambridge, Hamilton, Raglan, return Hamilton, Matamata back to Rotorua. Meet Lakeside Café 10.00am Leave 10.30am RIC: Mal Axle Weather permitting Monday is a holiday for some! June 7 th Sunday Tony s Birthday Ride Lakeside Café 9.30am Leaving the Lakeside Café at 10am arriving back at the café around noon after a nostalgic 80km ride. The Baker s will then put on a BBQ at their home (6 Forest Place) from 5pm, please see Tony s Invitation above. The Baker s will supply some drinks, plus the BBQ meat (sausages etc). Only presents permitted is YOUR presence! If the day is wet, the BBQ will still be on at 5.00pm. RIC: Smokey Phone June 19th-21st Friday, Saturday & Sunday Final Okataina Rally Ever. This will be a good one, because it s the last one! All hands on deck for this one no excuses! RIC: Flash LAKESIDE CAFÉ & CRAFTS On the Lakefront, Memorial Drive, Rotorua. Where we meet every Saturday morning at 10:30am Our hosts: Colin & Norma Craig Rotorua Branch Co-ordinator: Peter van der Maat pemaint@xtra.co.nz Secretary: Bruce Quedley bruce@quedley.com Treasurer: Hartley Gray hartleyandteri@gmail.com Newsletter: Andrea Thompson ad.thompson@xtra.co.nz Committee: Graeme van Praagh, Tony Baker, Mal Bain, Jan Matthews, plus the above. Sherriff: Lynda Bain Runs: Mal Bain axlenlc@xtra.co.nz

6 TIHOI RUN PHOTOS FROM MAL