Portland 25^th to 28^th March, 2005

Suzuki Bandit 1200 Ron Johnston (Leader) Yamaha 250 Majesty Peter Philferan

Suzuki GSXR1000 Lyn Duncan Honda VFR800 Bruce Saville

Thursday night after tea I decided to look at my bike. Apart from cleaning it after the Tassie trip, it has just been sitting in the shed collecting dust. I checked the tyre pressures, lubed the chain, and fired it up. It only ran on three cylinders, as usual, so I decided to investigate further. After removing some body work and tank I found one of the spark plug caps was faulty, not staying on the plug. This explained why it ran on three cylinders instead of four. I remember it wasn’t running the best in Tassie. It makes a difference when you want all the power. The part has been ordered.

Lyn Duncan rung me earlier in the week about coming to Portland. She was concerned that she might miss out. I told her not to worry since no-one else apart from Bruce had rung and hence there was plenty of accommodation. She said that she would see me at the Shell Westgate on Friday morning. Julie and I saw Peter Philferan on Tuesday evening at his home to tell him that the Hotel was closed on Friday and that when he gets to Portland, he was to go to the farm and we would collect him up on the way through.

Friday. The weather didn’t look very exciting. I kept looking out the door every 10–15 minutes to see whether it would rain, and to decide what to wear, Dri Rider gear or leathers. I ended up wearing my leathers and put my Dri Rider gear in the car. I would decide at the Shell Westgate whether I would change or not. I felt very lazy and was quite content to just sit in the car and be driven for a change.

I arrived at 9.30 am at Shell Westgate and there were people and cars everywhere. Replenished the fuel and waited for Julie to arrive in the car about 10 minutes later. Lyn arrived about 9.45 am. She filled her bike up and we had a bit of a chat. She asked if anyone else was coming and I said no. Lyn had not been feeling well all week but was looking forward to seeing Cliff, Danny and the farm. Shet didn’t know how far she would go, but would decide when we got to Lorne. We departed about 10 am, Julie in the car and Lyn and I on the bikes.

Princes Freeway, Maltby Bypass. There was a cop car parked with its lights flashing, the traffic banked up for a couple of kilometres. I thought there must have been an accident. We rode between the cars. When we got to Duncans Road everybody was turning off to go to Werribee. I noticed a pointsman manning the intersection after the turn off. He certainly had his hands full directing all that traffic. The traffic sort of thinned out a bit and made it a bit easier.

We turned off at Little River, down to Lara, Lovely Banks, and up Purnell Rd. Where this road runs between Mathews and Anakie road is to be closed shortly, so if any body is going to do a ride down that way, make sure it is still open. It seems crazy to close it, a main thoroughfare like that.

Batesford, Barrabool, Moriac, Wurdiboluc and Deans Marsh where we stopped to let my hands thaw out. They were that cold and white due to poor circulation. I reckon if you had hit them with a hammer they would have shattered. We stopped at the show ground and it was quite pleasant in the sun. I wanted my hands thawed out for the run through to Lorne, not much fun with frozen hands.

The run through to Lorne was okay, the road clean. Last time there was still some chip left on it. Lorne: there were people and cars everywhere. At the servo I even met one of the painters from work. Lyn went for a walk to find something to eat and bringing it back to servo. She said she felt a bit dizzy and would go home. I told her to go; there’s not much point in riding if you are not feeling the best. She said she would follow for a few corners out of Lorne and then head home.

Lyn was amazed at all the back roads we had come along and wondered how I remembered them all. Lyn said she would just ride back down the Great Ocean Road because it was easier and she had no idea how which way we came. We said our goodbyes. Lyn followed for a couple corners and that was that.

I saw my first cop car booking someone, a silver SS Commodore, before Lavers Hills. You come down this hill; it’s long. You go up a rise with a left hander and there is a house on your right for sale. There is a bit of a flat with a sweeping right hander and off into some twisty stuff. So, I’ve come down the hill fast, up the other side and onto the flat…shiiiit…. Let throttle go, coast past at 80 kilometres and get on the gas, putting a few cars between me and them.

My next stop was Lavers Hill. There was a reasonable amount of traffic on the road. While I was having a light lunch several buses went past. I tootled off, passed a few cars and buses. One bus driver indicated, moved left and waved me past. Ten points to that driver. I gave him a wave.

Wattle Hill area, the twisty down hill section and the road is a bit rough in places. I had my work cut out because a bloke driving a Toyota Coaster size bus was giving me a run for my money on this down hill section. I was watching him watching me in his mirror. Near the bottom he let me pass. Maybe he was a motorcycle rider, or maybe he was a smart arse, who knows. He let me pass eventually, no harm done. Port Campbell next stop. I got fuel and noticed my fuel tank overflow pipe was hanging down and lying across the exhaust. That could have been exciting. When I had the tank off the night before, I forgot to reconnect the overflow pipe which consequently fell down, coming to rest on the exhaust pipe.

From Port Campbell to Peterborough was uneventful. Upon entering Peterborough I was flashed by one of three riders going the other way. Caution. I think these bloody speed limits are stupid: 100 then 80 then 60, cursing them. As I ride over the bridge there is a fellow rider on a BMW in uniform booking some poor person in a silver Falcon.

From here to Warrnambool it’s a boring ride, but I just paced myself. With no competition, I pretty much stuck to the speed limit. From Warrnambool to Port Fairy to Tyrendarra I just take it easy and watch out for any law enforcement officers.

I arrived at the farm around 5 pm. Peter P hadn’t arrived as yet. It was a long day and I was feeling tired, this riding at the speed limit takes it out of you. Peter arrived around 5.30 pm. He came to the house, had a cup of tea and spoke to Marjory, Pam and Julie. Cliff wasn’t there because he was helping Danny Hawker with fencing.

About 6pm Peter and I left the farm for Portland. Julie followed soon after in the car because she had some of my gear in the back of the vehicle. We arrived at the Hotel, got the keys and sorted out our rooms. Cliff rung and asked about having tea in town; we decided on Macs Hotel.

At the Hotel everyone was enjoying themselves. There was Cliff and Barb, Peter P, Julie and myself. Cliff has his hand in a partial plaster and he isn’t going to be riding for a while, so I decided I wouldn’t go to Mac Park on Saturday and instead just go out to farm and have a lazy weekend. I suggested we go to Warracknabeal and have a look at the vintage tractors and equipment. They also have a tractor pull on Saturday night. It takes about 5 hours to get there, so the idea was canned. I have ridden my Honda 400/4 twice to Warracknabeal and my Honda 750 once in earlier years. We were last there 4 years ago. It’s worth it if you have the time.

Saturday. Peter P had a get together with the Ulysses Club and I went out to the farm and gave Cliff a hand to feed the sheep. Cliff was on the tractor with the machine for feeding out and I was on the four wheeler opening and closing gates. While we were feeding out, Barb sent a text message to Cliff to say that there was a snake in the back yard. Cliff suggested I go back but changed his mind and jumped on the back of the four wheeler and said to go for it. We arrived at the house and Barb said “It’s over there, it’s over there.” Cliff grabbed a piece of hose and I grabbed the spade. We went looking behind the bamboo, but couldn’t see anything. Then Cliff spots it in the paddock, so we climbed over the fence and Cliff belts it a couple times. It slithered off into the bamboo before I got time to do anything with the spade.

We went poking about the bush. Cliff reminded me to watch myself. He poured some water over the bush but wasn’t enough to do anything. We waited around for about 15 minutes and still nothing so we went back up the paddock. The snake was a Copperhead and was around 4 foot long.

After lunch Julie and I went to Portland to have a look around and visit her Dad at Lewis Court. We picked Peter P. up around 4 pm and took him out to the farm for tea. I gave Peter a guided tour of the farm on the back of the four wheeler. I pointed out to Peter another snake hanging on a fence that Cliff found on the track and killed the week before.

Back at the house, Barb had been busy half the day organising the evening roast. We hadn’t heard from Bruce at this stage, but Cliff said he went past on the bike, slowed down and sped up. I rang the Gordon Hotel to tell them he was on his way and to ask him to ring on the house when he got there, which he did.

The meal Barb cooked was yummy and every body enjoyed it. After the meal, Bruce had every one in fits of laughter with tall tales from his legendary past. Very funny…go Bruce. Jason Peters arrived. Much idle chatter well into the evening. Around midnight, Jason took Peter back to the Hotel and Bruce and I rode the bikes, encountering some rain. Back at the Hotel we went to the lounge and had coffee. Bruce and Pete were out on the balcony having a cigarette. Then we watched an Aussie movie from the seventies, a bit like last yea, which finished about 2 am.

So much for going to bed early, suckers for punishment. The three of us fell asleep and missed the last 15 minutes of the film.

Sunday. Peter went to church and then visited some Ulysses members. Bruce went to Warrnambool to his girlfriend parent’s place. Julie came into town to collect her Dad from Lewis Court and picked me up from the hotel. Then we drove to Bessibelle where Carol and Gavin live. Pam and mum (Marjory), Barb, Cliff, and Jason all went to Carol and Gavin’s for a BBQ lunch along with friends and family, a very nice way to spend the day. Julie and I dropped Ted off at the nursing home and then went back out to the farm. Bruce called in on his way back from Warrnambool.

Later in the evening, Jason and Cliff took me back to the Hotel in the car and Bruce rode his bike. I gave Jason a bag of mine to take back to the farm, saving Julie a trip. Back at the Hotel, Bruce and I went to the Lounge room and there was Peter, fast asleep, on the couch with half a glass of wine in his hand. He hadn’t spilt a drop. We woke him up and talked about the day’s events. We had an early night.

Monday. We had breakfast and loaded up the bikes in readiness for our trip back to Melbourne. We said our good-byes to Pete and wished him a safe trip. Bruce and I left minutes later, got fuel in Portland and called in at the farm. Bruce wanted to go home down the main drag. I agreed and said we would take the back road from Allansford. Julie left the farm sometime after 10.30 am. We left about 11 am.

Bruce and I stopped at Warrnambool for lunch at Hungry Jacks. Then we turned off at Allansford and high tailed it. Cliff says it takes 15 minutes off the trip. Naringal, Glenfyne, Cobden, and turn right onto the Cobden-Stonyford Road to Stonyford, then turn right onto the Princes Highway. Julie had stopped at Maccas for lunch in Colac. We stopped briefly and then carried on stopping at the roadhouse in Winchelsea for fuel and more food. Julie drove in while we were sitting there. Then we all carried on to Melbourne.

I arrived home around 4 pm, Julie half an hour later. A good time was had by few, weather was okay, and no incidents. The round trip was 932 kilometres on the bike. Julie’s car had done a lot more.

I would like to thank Barb and Cliff for the effort put into the meal on Saturday and for the rest of the people for making the weekend such a social occasion.

Ron Johnston (Bandit 1200)