Day 11, 7th
March
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This
is today's trip...
They landed in Port Philip at around
6:00am and everyone headed to their bikes and started preparing for the
journeys. Some to their homes, some to Albany in Western Australia
for the Ulysses AGM and some a little adventure on their way home, but the
television evening news on the ferry would have a few people rethinking
some of their plans. With floods happening in Queensland, Melbourne
rocked by a "1 in 100 year storm" and according to the weather
man, the whole of the southern states were in for another day of the
same.
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So
here they all were, standing beside their bikes and would be near the
first to be off the ferry, only the ferry had stopped, and while there was
movement on the lower deck, there was none on their deck. The top ramp
wouldn't line up with the ferry's exit ramp.
After around twenty minutes or more, there was movement at the other end
of the deck... everyone had to turn their bikes around... It sounded like
a recipe for disaster, around 200 bikes on a smooth wet floor all wanting
to get off the ferry at the same time, but it all went smoothly and soon
we were guided to the lower deck and out through the lower ramp and into
fresh air, wet roadways and little spots of rain now and then.
Keith and Kevin headed south east to Keith's relative's house to pick up
his camping equipment that he'd left there before the Safari. The
original plan was to travel the Great Ocean Road together and Keith would
continue to Adelaide and Kevin would turn right somewhere along the way
and make his way home, but at Keith relative's house and having a coffee,
the weather man came on the television and told of the weather that was
due again and they both decided to head to their destinations and do the
Great Ocean Road another day.
Back on the bikes and through the
streets of Melbourne and the visible carnage of the previous day's storms
as well the on going work going on around Albert Park for the Formula One
in the next week or so. Over the Westgate Bridge and soon it was
time Keith and Kevin parted ways, Kevin turning right and heading to the
Hume Highway and Keith continuing through to Geelong... See you Keith and
thanks company along the way. I'm sure Kevin is going to miss seeing
him in his mirrors.
Kevin was now on his way home and
although it was overcast, with the odd sprinkle, looking further up the
road (north) it wasn't looking very nice. He pulled over and
switched to some waterproof gloves and made sure that everything was
sealed and his wet weather gear was all done up. Within twenty
minutes the heavens opened up and that's pretty much how it stayed for
many many hours and by Albury he had to pullover for a little lunch and a
break from the foul weather, but it wasn't going to let up in a hurry, so
on he went. Tarcutta had fast running water running beside the
highway and evidence that it had been over the road at some stage.
So there's nothing much to tell
about the trip home only very foul weather and by Yass he's had enough and
around 3pm he called it a day. His wets being so wet, that it
waterlogged and even his leathers were damp underneath, so it was time to
turn the air conditioning up to 26 degrees and lay all the gear out so it
would be dry for at least the start of the trip the next day.
The next day it looked much the same
and pretty much was until around Campbelltown, where the wets were dry and
taken off, the sunglasses put on and it wouldn't be long until he'd be
home. Day 12, 8th March around 1pm he rolled in home and his journey
was over.
Once again, it was a new place for
Kevin. He'd never been to Tassie before and definitely wants to go back,
but for a little longer and take in some of those places for a little
longer. BMW came through again with another great Safari and
although the last GS Safari was the last Marshal Cutting would be doing,
lets hope the TS remains an ongoing event, as these Safaris are a true
adventure where so many people come together, all with the same interest
and wanting the most out of each day and the organisers, Marshal Cutting
seem to make each day full of great roadways to inspire anyone, awesome
sights along the way and many places to visit as you go.
So there it is, I hope you enjoyed
the journey and like before, maybe it will inspire you to come along to
the next one, and if you do want to be part of the next one, contact Kevin
and let him know and he'll put you on a list so you'll be contacted as
soon as there is news on the next. kevin@brisans.com.au
See you on the next on...
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Aprilia
BMW
Triumph
Victory
Can
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