I got a call from Pete at 10:00 Friday morning, asking what time i was heading to the yard. I said I planned to leave the factory at midday, go home, pack up and leave about 1:00. i asked him where he was and he advised that he was already at Glenrowan Maccas! So he'd gotten away early!
I got to Abbeyard about 6:00, found Pete and set-up camp with him. I walked around the block, saying hello to those who had already arrived and then settled into dinner and some adult fizzies for the evening. People came and went from each other's camp-site, chatting (and drinking), until we finally called it a night around 1:00.
Shangri-Territory, at your service!
We woke to a bright, sunny and warm morning. Pete and I organized ourselves a hearty breakfast and discussed our options for the day's riding.
Yum!
Pete seemed to think it was necessary to photograph me!
Some were planning a scoot over to Bright, while Pete and I were keen to head into Wonnangatta. We put the call out and Young Tim and even younger Jacob decided to join us. It was a relatively uneventful ride in, with just a bit of dust (and the odd 4WD) to contend with. The ride back saw Pete and Tim giving it a bit-of-a-poke, until Pete laid the Berg down in a corner, suggesting to him that maybe he should take it a bit easy! We took Razor Track on the way back, and although it has recently been graded, it hasn't lost any of it's charm. Jacob had a little moment on one of the climbs, but all in all, handled it well. We got back to the Yard around 2:00, had lunch, got lazy and sat around for the rest of the day. After dinner it was more camp hopping until we called it a night.
The Three Amigos!
Sunday morning was another cracker and we decided to go to Lake Cobbler. We'd spoken to Laura and Gerry (new members)earlier and asked them if they wanted to join us. They jumped at the chance, so off we went...her on her new KTM250, him on his new KTM500, Pete on his Berg and me on the PE! The run to the lake was great, although a little taxing on the PE's limited suspension, still it was good to hear the hills ringing with the sound of a REAL 2-stroke! We stopped now and then to let the KTMs catch up, and had a nice break once at the Lake. On the way back, we decided to take Williams Logging Track and Pete waved me on so I could have a dust free run for a while. I got to the intersection of Cobbler Lake track and waited......and waited.....and waited! After what seemed like an hour, Pete arrived to inform me that Gerry's Kato had died! So we high-tailed it back to base to raise some assistance. The run back was a little quicker (due to a sense of urgency), but the PE didn't let me down. Back at the Yard, Wille Denis and Irene loaded up the truck and headed out to collect the broken bike, while Pete and I had a bit of lunch and then went out to check out the mini-bike loop. Upon our return, beers were calling and that's where it ended. Willie and co returned around 5:00.
The mighty PE at Lake Cobbler
While we had been out, Big Tim had enlisted some help to do a few things around the block, like draining, moving and refilling one of the large water tanks. After dinner, Tim then set about engaging the masses in a trivia night. He had his work cut out as the participants were already half-cut, and this only got worse as the night progressed. Still, he held it all together and a good night was had by all. Rod W's table were the eventual victors.
Back at our camp, we had a few more sherbets with Laura and Gerry, before turning to a cuppa and kicking them out so we could hit the hay.
We woke to another great morning, but this time after breakfast, Pete and I packed up and prepared to head home. I said my good-bye's and drove out of Abbeyard around 11:00, having had a good, fun and relaxing weekend. thanks to all those who went and made it fun and especially thanks to Tim (and others) for his tireless work, keeping the block
lock in tip-top condition.
