Keen to avoid heavy peak period traffic in Bell Steet I left home at 7 am, arriving to my surprise at our Mickleham Road meeting place near the airport at around 7.30. A bit early. What to do? Stand in the sun and try and wake up. I went to the nearby fast food outlet and bought the weakest cup of coffee in Melbourne and walked back to the bike just as Ed was arriving. He had left home at 6.15 and travelled 80 km through dense traffic to get to our starting point. The other riders gradually arrived and time passed pleasantly chatting in sun. Right on time Ed called us together for the briefing, then we rugged up again and set off in chilly but sunny conditions, soon clearing local traffic to head out for Diggers Rest. This was a day when we needed to wear the full kit for warmth but also sunglasses. After a brief delay for roadworks at Diggers we met Burger on his gleaming Vincent at Toolern Vale. Ed led us across the open landscape approaching Gisborne – we had these back roads to ourselves sharing them with only the occasional car or truck.
After Gisborne we looped to the south riding to Coimadai with the Lerderderg State Park on our right. Approaching Bacchus Marsh we had to pause for the by-pass roadworks, then rode along the Avenue of Honour to the town centre for a mid morning break at the Ferguson Plarre bakery. Here I enjoyed a very good Apple Danish – cold weather can increase your appetite.
After relaxing at Bacchus Marsh we headed south and west, climbing the narrow winding road to the top of the hill at Glenmore where we paused to enjoy the view and take a group photo. Ed the Navigator then took us through Yaloak Vale, Mt Wallace, Bungal, Rosebank and Meredith - excellent motorcycling country in the wedge shaped area bound by the Western Highway to the north and the Midland Highway to the south, with Ballarat at the NW point of the wedge. Occasional fine gravel on corners was a hazard to be aware of.
Meredith was a fuel stop, then it was onward for more bend-swinging fun past Steiglitz Historic Park. Along the way I glimpsed five large Black Cockatoos, flying with slow majestic wingbeats. We stopped at Anakie for lunch at the General Store, and I don’t want to overdo the food theme, but I enjoyed a very good hamburger with the lot which, at $7, the company around the table said was good value.
Later we left in the Melbourne direction crossing the Westgate Bridge ahead of the peak period congestion.

Thanks for a great motorcycling day Ed and thanks Bill for riding tail end.

John Best.

Participants:
Reg Hammond, Honda TransAlp 2006
Bill Weeden, Honda ST1300 2003
Ed Sleightholm, Triumph T100 2005
Tom Myers, Yamaha FZ6S 2008
Ray Isles, BMW R80 1995
Phil McArdle, Honda Deauville 2007
Mark Hine, BMW R1200 RT 2006
Ian Roddick, Yamaha FJR 2007
Burger Drake, Vincent 1950
John Best, Suzuki Bandit 2008.