Since returning from the US things have got pretty busy at Chez Hall. You see, just before we left San Diego, my daughter announced that the family was planning to return to Australia after 18 months in the States working with a church in the city. A lot of promises of support and opportunity were made but, sadly many were not kept and it has become financially impossible for her to continue her career in the USA. While we are, of course, disappointed with that, we are obviously delighted that they will be living a lot closer to us fairly soon. She has accepted a call to work with a church in Adelaide working with a group of people she already knows very well and we are hopeful that the move will bring some stability for them, the last 18 months have been pretty rugged.
What has prompted the busyness is that the time frame for the move constantly changed during the last week and a half of the visit. At first it was going to be next June, then it came back to the end of November (home for Christmas, yay) and then, just before we left, it became the end of September. While they get settled, organise a car, accommodation in Adelaide, etc, the family will be staying with us, hence the rush and bustle on our return. Rejigging the house for two extra adults and three boys is quite a challenge even though our house is large. Busy, busy, busy.
Here in Wollongong the weather has already started warming up and the number of bikes out on the road is increasing dramatically. Despite six weeks laying idle in the garage, the VFR started first hit and I have been out and about putting some kilometres on my new front tyre (very nice, it is, too). However, while my time in the saddle is being enjoyable, watching the antics of some of my fellow riders has been most disquieting.
I ride with Illawarra Riders and have been doing so since the group was formed about 10 years ago (indeed, I am member #30 so I was an early starter). I think I have made it very plain over the years, both here and in other media, that my preference is to ride alone. I like the independence and I like not having to be “watching out” for others. If I DO ride with a group, I am very selective about the groups I choose. And riding with the IR gang takes that question out of the equation. Nearly all of them I know well and have ridden with before and even the new riders seem to naturally fall into the IR way of doing things. We pretty much know what each other is going to do on the road and rides are hassle-free and fun. As an example, in 2006 (which is the reason for the photo above) we took a group of 27 riders from Wollongong to the MotoGp at Phillip Island and accomplished the feat without any drama at all. Because of the way that we use corner marking, nobody got lost, the group stayed together and we had a great time.
Yesterday my wife was at an art course all day so I dusted the bike off and took off up the mountain. I am, as I have often said, very blessed that I have some amazing riding roads virtually in my back yard and I do feel very sorry for many Sydney riders who have to ride for a couple of hours just to be able to enjoy them. However, the frustration of being buried in the suburbs of a big city should not be seen as an excuse for “cutting loose” when the escape is made. On any given weekend, my favourite gathering place is The Famous Robertson Pie Shop and on any weekend, 90% of the bikes in the carpark will be Sydney bikes. Unfortunately, while I am more than happy to share our lovely roads with the visitors, I do wish that many of them hadn’t left their brains in the tool box back home. Yesterday I (and the two cars in front of me) was passed while going up Macquarie Pass. It’s double unbroken line from top to bottom so no passing is allowed, but most riders seem to gleefully ignore this “technicality.” The rider was on a black R1 and he passed me and the two cars in front of me, on the back wheel and heading into a blind right-hander. The term “temporary Australian” was coined for bozos like him.
Well before I left to go to the US I started watching the progress of a new bike shop that was being built just a couple of k’s down the road from me. The shop was being prepared for the Carr brothers, Mitchell and Brayden, local racing identities of note. Both have competed in road racing very successfully at the local level and Mitch did a year in WSS on a Truimph a couple of years ago so they are no mugs. Right from the outset I was very impressed with the businesslike way that they were going about the creation of their new venture and so it was very pleasing to be invited to the cocktail party before the official opening to celebrate the achievement and to thank all those who had made it possible. Like the shop and the business setup, the party was slick and classy and representative of the way the “boys” intend going about their business. Carr Brother Motorcycles will have a web site up and running soon but, in the mean time, they have cleverly used the social media to promote the store and it seems to be paying off well. They are licensed Yamaha, Aprilia and Moto Guzzi dealers and offer full servicing, spares and accessory options as well. If you are in the Illawarra area, check out the store, you won’t be sorry.
With the arrival of the warmer months come the big rides. As noted above, I am pretty selective about the rides that I do, not only from a financial point of view but also in terms of the company with which I ride. I have never done the Steve Walter ride though I am greatly in sympathy with the cause that it supports. Too many riders, too many bikes, too many fools and too many accidents for me, I’m afraid. MotoGp is out for this year, its close proximity to our (IR) own Snowy Ride at the end of November making it impractical. Nevertheless I am greatly looking forward to seeing some countryside and the calendar is looking good.
Better get back to “work”. Retirement has great hours but lousy pay. 🙂
dunc says
fuel prices in the pic is about what we get today
glad the family will be closer for you and the wife
and as for the riders well
enough said i say
Phil Hall says
Slowly getting back into the routine, mate. Good to be back on two wheels after 6 weeks of not riding.