Return to riding #2 May 2020
Weekend wanderings are fabulous – there are a lot of places you can go within 50km but there will be even more next weekend. For now, we content ourselves with a run from the east side of Brisbane to the Bearded Dragon at Tamborine, then to Kholo through some pretty amazing country with fairy floss clouds, fibres and strands decorating the sky, then to Mt Crosby, passing the Mounted Police stables as we motored to the Moggill Ferry, which we arrived in time to simply board and ride across the river for $1. Worth it for the experience.
We motored home via Mt Coot-tha, Cannon Hill for some lovely steak then home for a refreshing beverage or 2.
Days like today are an absolute gift. The weather was amazing, the temperature a little warmer but still pretty good. It meant I could again test some Thomas Cook jeans (bought at the bonus price of about $30) which are designed for wind resistance – not really for motorbiking but I have to say they stacked up okay. I started out with a t-shirt, long sleeved t-shirt, jacket with liner and scarf. The scarf and long sleeve shirt came off about one-third of the way through the day. The liner of the jacket spent most of the rest of the day playing sticky mates with perspiration (because ladies don’t sweat) acting as glue.
Days like this are not without minor mishaps – kind of amusing in any event. We started by heading to check air pressure and found that, using the right angle thingamajig, air was not going into the front tyre so it was off the Slacks Creek bike shops to see what could be sorted. Bike shop 1 couldn’t help but they have some great riding pants so will be returning there, BMW had no one in their service section (BMW adventurer); a lovely lady suggested we go to MMM up Moss Street a bit – and worthwhile it was for old fashioned service – getting us through and no charge. They checked the air pressure and sorted that aspect so we could ride. Their service means we will go back to them for tyres. Whilst there, as I went to go astride, I tapped pannier left and right simply fell off. Good thing it was in the car park and not on the road….the poor service guy we spoke to had lost everything out of his top box on one occasion when he hadn’t locked it down. Thankfully, it was more embarrassment and quizzical looks than anything else on this occasion – we won’t let the master installer loose with a drill any time soon 😉 .
What did we learn today? I am reminded of the beauty of our country, the sensation of smell that is direct to your nasal passages because you miss nothing in a helmet. This sensation can be absolutely amazing as the smells of nature are truly fantastic. I am also reminded that we have some lovely forestry, lakes/dams and pretty good roads. However, I am also sadly reminded that there are a lot of impatient people – I am a little over car horns and I heard about 3 of them. Really, are you that rushed on a Saturday afternoon that a whole 2 or 3 seconds is going to make so much difference. There are also some absolute twats revving engines and screaming along making a huge racquet. Clearly someone has a little one.
We covered a little over 200km whilst staying within the 50km radius. We supported the food truck at Bearded Dragon. We supported a fabulous butcher at Cannon Hill, we didn’t spend a lot otherwise – which was simply the way the day went. Tonight we enjoy a Guiness and a glass or two of vino. We shall enjoy the steaks purchased at Cannon Hill and look forward to the 150km radius to be traveled next weekend. It does not take a lot to “travel” – whether physically, by photos, by memory or by imagination. Tonight, we are travelling to Ireland and King Island for a short time, who knows where the rest of the week will take us. Safe travels.
