MSR Itinerary                     December 2010

Sunday 5^th Mt Baw Baw Ron Johnston leading
10 am Yarra Glen

Lots of tight twisty roads today – almost unrelenting, so not suitable for first time or inexperienced riders. The route is out through Powelltown to Noojee for morning tea and fuel if you can’t go another 160 km. Next we’ll climb 50 km to the Mt Baw Baw summit on a narrow, tight and twisty road with no centre line and the occasional oncoming road-owning 4WD. It is hard on the arms with all the direction changes.  On the return trip we’ll turn at Icy Creek and head out to Hill End before turning right and right again to pick up the Old Sale Road back to Neerim South for late lunch. Sensational roads all the way. After the break it’s back to Powelltown to break-up after 320 km of hard riding.  Good tyres essential.

Ride will not suit inexperienced riders; not recommended for first time Club riders.

Sat. 11^th Free (for members) Club Xmas Party, BYO drink

12-4 pm Fairfield Park, Melway's Reference 30 J 12

Sunday 12^th Simpson via the Great Ocean Road Cliff Peters leading

9.30 am West Gate Shell Servo

Note early start. Leg 1: West Gate Freeway, Little River, Lara skirting Geelong by the usual back roads to Batesford and Moriac for morning tea after 115 km to meet the local MSR contingent. Leg 2: Moriac, Deans Marsh, Forest, Apollo Bay, Lavers Hill for fuel at the 118 km mark. After a short spell, we'll continue on to Princetown and Simpson for lunch after a further 64 kms. Leg 3: Homeward bound via Carlisle River (1.5 km of dirt), Barongarook, Deans Marsh and Moriac after another 140 km. About half way we will stop at the Shoe Tree for a regroup and photo opportunity. Leg 4: Retrace the morning's route from Moriac back to break up at Lara after another 50 kms, with another 50 km to Melbourne. Expect around 537 km for the day. Ride will not suit inexperienced riders; not recommended for first time Club riders.

Sunday 19^th Thomsons Dam via Noojee Dennis Lindemann leading
10am Berwick

We'll start in Berwick and ride on back roads through Gembrook with a few nice sweepers. To avoid the highway, we'll cut through Powelltown to Noojee for morning tea after 115 km. After the break, we'll head out through Neerim South to pick up the Crossover sweepers and the Old Sale Road, Yallourn North and Tyers for fuel after a further 87 km. Then we'll head for Thomsons Dam via Rawson for the best roads of the day. We'll stop at Melbourne's largest water storage for a group picture before heading back out to Erica for a late lunch. From Erica it is back to Moe for fuel and then we'll head north to Hill End, Icy Creek and Noojee to break up at Powelltown. Expect 390 km for the day on some of Victoria's best roads. Ride will not suit inexperienced riders; not recommended for first time Club riders.

Sun 26^th Porepunkah Christmas Camp

to Sun 2^nd See elsewhere for more details

January 2011

Thursday 6^th Social Sip

7 pm Mark's Place, corner Grattan and Swanston Streets, Carlton

Sunday 2^nd Reefton and Black Spurs Leader required

10 am Berwick

Proposed route: Berwick, Harkaway, Cockatoo, Upper Pakenham, Gembrook, Yarra Junction, Old Warburton Rd, Warburton (first break), Reefton, Lake Mountain, Marysville, Black Spur, Healesville, Kinglake. Expect around 220 km for the day.

Porepunkah Christmas Camp Sun. 26^th Dec. 2010 to Sun. 2^nd January 2011

Over the past 10 years the Club has camped for about a week at the Mt Buffalo Caravan Park. Situated on the fork of the Ovens and Buckland Rivers it offers a fantastic range of activities including swimming, fishing and bush walking. Close by is the Smoko Trout Farm, the "Wandi Pub", the Hedge Maze, various berry, deer and nut farms, and an alpaca ranch. The famous Milawa wineries and cheese factory are close by. Supermarket shopping is available at Bright, 6 km away.

Great road and dirt riding country abounds. Mt Buffalo offers a sensational 25 km climb to the scenic Chalet and lookouts. Nearby are good half-day rides to Falls Creek, Mt Hotham and Dartmouth Dam or full day rides into the Snowy Mountains and some of the best roads in the world. Who can forget Tawonga and Granya Gaps? On the flip side there are lots of fire trails and mountain tracks offering spectacular views of the surrounding alps, most of which can only be reached by 4WD or dirt bike. So, bring your road and dirt bikes, the missus and kids, the 4WD, pushbikes and swim shoes, ready for a great holiday.

The Club usually has secured two unpowered sites "under The Willows" for the members who notified Ian. This opportunity has closed. Another good option is to rent self contained cabins for the week. Ring 03-5756-2235 to secure a cabin or a powered site. Alternatively, there are also budget motels and hotels nearby.

Australia Day Weekend, Jindabyne Wed. 26^th to Sun. 30^th January

The Committee has booked accommodation at the NSW Sport and Recreation Centre in Jindabyne. This is lodge style accommodation with 2 beds per room (7 rooms) with shared bathroom facilities, and a large kitchen/living area with a big screen TV. We have stayed four times before and are so impressed with the cost, quality and food, we thought we had better come back, and back, and ...!

The Australia Day holiday falls on Wednesday 26th of January. Given the distances involved (700 km on the first day and last days), a five day weekend allows us to take full advantage of the great location. The plan is to ride up on Wednesday, ride around the Snowy Mountains Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and return to Melbourne on Sunday. This means four nights accommodation. You'll need to take annual leave for the Thursday and Friday.

Typically temperatures are in the high 30's at this time of year, but at this altitude the temperatures will be around 10 degrees cooler making for ideal riding conditions.

As usual, this special event is offered on a strictly first come, first served basis. Preference will be given to members. Full payment of $210 is required, payable to the Club bank account. This buys four nights accommodation and three evening meals; if you wish to stay less than four nights then you may choose to organise others to use the nights you are not using. It costs $210 no matter how many nights you stay.

First and third nights we will eat at the on-site restaurant and a BBQ pack is being offered for the second night. The pub $15 steak night (self cook) should do another night meal.

All you need is your toothbrush, a change of clothes and near new tyres. Street legal, race replica tyres will not last much more than two days so regular road tyres are a more sensible option, unless you are prepared to change them.

Ride will not suit inexperienced riders; not recommended for first time Club riders.

Tasmania Friday 4^th to Monday 14^th March

· Restricted to Members and partners only

· Night sail to Devonport Fri 4^th leave 9pm, disembark 7.30 am

· Return day sail to Melbourne Monday 14^th, depart 9 am (Labour Day Public Holiday)

· First three nights Tullah (West Coast)

· Second three nights Giants' Table Maydena (towards Hobart)

· Third two nights - St Helens (East coast)

· Last night - Devonportish - for day sail on Monday

· Costs: night sail ($146 each for 4 person cabin), day return $65, bike $108 return, car $158 return. So:

o rider plus bike $319

o driver plus car $369

o couple with car and bike $688

If you are going, please pay a $100 deposit into the Club Bank account as soon as possible to facilitate a possible group discount. The remaining Spirit of Tasmania ferry charges will be required in January or thereabouts - to be advised. Initial booking will be for 12 persons.