A motorcycle ride to Tallowa Dam

A clear sunny winter day saw 11 well “rugged up” riders depart Heathcote at 10:00am and track south down the old Pacific Highway.

With a quick detour through our scenic National Park before jumping back onto the Princess Highway, we then proceeded down Mount Ousley and onto the Albion Park roundabout and then onto Jamberoo for smoko at the sports ground.

After morning tea all riders were anxious to jump back onto their machines to tackle and enjoy the Jamberoo Mountain Road section of today’s ride.

Today the road was closed, something about trees being dropped and last weeks rain washing the road away near the top of the escarpment.

A quick update (re the above) was given to the group and resulted in 11 different best ways to go forward.

The beauty of living in a democracy was again demonstrated when the call was made to “go to the blowhole” in Kiama.

It was wonderful to see the whole group having lunch in Kiama 17 minutes after having morning tea.......in Jamberoo.

Anyway, after lunch, there was a need to arrest the disappointment of not getting to the dam and it came from one of the guys (PW) “let’s go back to Albion Park, via Jamberoo and go up Macquarie Pass, throw a right into Tourist Road and go back home that way”.

With renewed enthusiasm, the bulk of riders scrambled back onto their bikes and enjoyed the twisting challenges on the homeward bound trip.

Many of the riders stopped at Macca’s near the airport and refuelled whilst yours truly hit the M7/M2.

Thanks to Rob and Tony for their TEC/backup duties and trust everyone enjoyed today’s ride.

Cheers,

Peter Richo.

A motorcycle ride to Dungog

Well, there was certainly something in the air yesterday that brought out 30 bikes for our Dungog ride. I don't know whether it was a fantastic weather on the day, or because it was the last ride for this semester, for the financial year, or the effect of the winter solstice, but we haven't seen a group that size for a long ride for a long-time. It was as a pleasant surprise to see so many of our group there for this ride.

The route was going to be a bit complex because we had to go through a couple of residential areas, so in the briefing I highlighted the importance of corner marking, which seemed to have been taken to heart. Rob Toshack agreed to take on the TEC role, thanks Rob. I gave a fairly detailed briefing of the route in the hope of avoiding lost riders, and we almost set off at 10 AM when somebody’s bike laid down for a sleep, and both bike and rider needed to be helped back to their feet/wheels. Short delay but no damage.

Our route was up the old road to Calga, then Peats Ridge Road all the way through to the M1 freeway, up to the turnoff at Tuggerah to go down to the Triangle, then onto Hue Hue Road,  through Cooranbong, onto Freemans Drive to Freemans Waterhole for morning tea at the Oaks. Given that it was going to be a longish ride, some chose to do a "splash and dash" fuel stop there to ensure that they have enough to get through the day. TEC Rob reported that he had to chase a couple of riders who were heading into Wyong, having missed the left turn onto Hue Hue Road, but otherwise no lost sheep.

A couple of riders took off from the triangle to take the short road home via Yarramalong Valley, and a group of four left us at Freemans Waterhole to head across to Wollombi and make their way home from there, and the rest the group saddled up and went North. We continued on to Kurri Kurri, then Maitland (Wow, hasn't the residential development expanded quickly there). Everyone made it through the entrance to Maitland and on to Ken Tubman Drive, which becomes Belmore Road which becomes Patterson Road which becomes Tocal Road up to Patterson. From there we went North on Gresford Road, and turned right onto Dungog Road and made our way to Dungog. The countryside through this region was in lovely condition with full dams, green fields and lots of smiling livestock.

Lunch was had at the park adjacent to the bridge on the north eastern corner of Dungog. Unfortunately the toilets there were closed (we were told due to roadworks happening there???) So various members found various ways to facilitate their biological needs. There were some eyebrows raised when first Stephen, and then Wayne, headed off to a remote location under the road bridge in what some saw as suspicious circumstances.

The party then broke up into several groups, each choosing a route home determined by the time by which they wished to reach there. Only five stayed around to do the designated homeward journey. That route was to go over the bridge and turn right onto Alison Road, then Glen Williams Road and Pine Brush Road to get to Clarencetown. There was some consternation as the three at the front were waiting for the other 3 to catch up, and when after some time no-one appeared, the two Johns who both needed to meet time commitments back at home,  so we headed off, and slowly (in the hope that the others would still catch us), meandered our way along the designated path. From Clarencetown we went through Seaham and on to Raymond Terrace, where two Johns went their own way and I stayed on to fuel up. While I was attending to some phone correspondence at the petrol station, Marty rolled up and explained that he and the others had been delayed because his top box had parted from the bike and spread its contents all over the road. Marty left the top box and most of its contents on the veranda of the adjacent farm to pick up at a later date. My guess is that the beautiful new bike was insulted at being lumbered with a 10-year-old top box jerry-rigged on to its immaculate frame, and decided to spit it off at an inopportune location to teach Marty a lesson. After fuelling up. Marty headed off to the freeway and home.

Now on my own, I decided to continue on the rest of the planned journey which was to be the Pacific Highway down to Hexham, then John Renshaw Drive west towards Kurri Kurri, left onto George Booth Drive down through Buchanan to Stockrington and onto the M1 motorway to get home. In fact, I meandered off onto a few other roads ( around Seahampton and Black Hill) which I don't think we have used before in that area, so I hope to be able to stitch them into future rides that I might lead in that locality for a bit of new interest.

There were several worksites with minor delays where roadworks and resurfacing were being undertaken, so that augurs well for better roads on future rides. The motorists and cyclists ahead of us at one stop waved the whole group through ahead of them, which we appreciated. I get the feeling that motorists are becoming more considerate towards we motorcyclists.


What a great day.

Motorcycle ride out of Sydney

The ride today was destined for St Albans, which is a great destination because it offers some of our better bitumen roads, particularly the one between Webbs Creek ferry and St Albans, and providing a dirt road link between Wiseman's Ferry and St Albans for the dirt riders, for whom there is an added bonus that one can leave St Albans and go up to Buckety on another fun dirt road after lunch.

I was shanghaied into leading the ride, as the designated leader was not available. I understand that he was pursuing family activities to build up his store of brownie points. Hope that worked for you, Ross. The weather forecast was for an ideal day, with a bit of fog at the start, then becoming sunny during the balance of the day and potentially rain late in the afternoon/evening. That's exactly what happened and we had great riding day. Given that the Berowra ferry was out of service, I chose to go over the Wiseman's Ferry, across the Webbs Creek ferry, and out to St Albans. I thought that with the extensive rain that we have had in the previous few days the dirt road might be a bit unattractive, but a few hardy souls choice that alternative.

We had our briefing, at which Stephen Davies (who was sporting his sparkling new Brand Name riding suit) introduced a new virgin rider, David, a friend of his and from Stephen's introduction also an "intimate" associate of Wayne Rees. We had about 20 riders, all keen to follow someone somewhere. John McKeon agreed to be tail-end Charlie, a duty he so frequently takes on. I hope everybody acknowledges their appreciation to him from time to time. Thanks John.

Road conditions for the day were interesting. It had been wet the night before, and with the sun so low in the sky, in many sections the road had not had the opportunity to dry before we were there, so we were going from dry road to wet road, and frequently from sunlight into shade where the sun was below the hills. This created an added challenge for the day, particularly on the section between Webbs Creek and St Albans.

Morning tea was at Spencer, and there was immediately a mad rush for the toilets as the toilets at the 7 Eleven are still out of service and many bladders were stretched even to get to Spencer. Those who did buy coffee there commented that the proprietor was much more friendly than usual. We'll see how long that lasts. We then headed to Wiseman's Ferry, crossed there and got to the Webbs Creek ferry just as it was ready to load. Everybody got on (or so we thought) and off we went to St Albans. Four off-roaders went directly from Wiseman's Ferry to St Albans, and they were comfortably ensconced at the main table in the park there when we arrived. We knew that Ronnie and John McK were going directly from Wiseman's back to their respective homes, so we knew the numbers would be depleted, but all of a sudden we realise that David, our virgin, had not arrived either. Well that was a bit embarrassing for Stephen, having introduced his friend and then leaving him to his own devices out in the boondocks. Stephen and Wayne backtracked to Wisemans, where they found that David ‘s Harley had failed to start on trying to get off the ferry, and was still sitting there failed to start. I’m told that in the end the bike was transported away by the NRMA, so obviously not just a loose plug lead.

Lunch was under an immense liquid amber tree that was losing its autumn coloured foliage, providing a very attractive ambience.

When lunch was done, Ron, Peter and Scotty took the dirt road north to Buckety to test their slippery road skills, while the rest of us set off to Webbs Creek ferry with a view of going through to either Galston  Gorge and the Pie, or directly home via Dural. I had a dream run down the Old Northern Road, as whenever I caught up to a slower vehicle it was at the start of a legal passing zone, so no hold-ups, but those behind me weren’t so lucky and the group broke up a bit. I hadn’t been through Galston Gorge for a couple of years, so that was fun too. Because I was heading back to the Central Coast, I was heading up the old Road to the Pie, where I caught a glimpse of Wayne and Stephen riding South. They had stopped at the Pie for a coffee and when no-one else turned up they headed home. By the time I got to the Pie, Suitcase followed me in, and then Peter and Ron arrived from their dirt exploits, so we all had a drink together and then we headed home.

It really was a great riding day. Not hot, but sunny with interesting roads and the added challenge of being careful in the wet spots. I had a great day, and I hope everyone else enjoyed it too.

Enjoy a motorcycle ride

Today three of us went on a ride to explore some roads to maybe include in future rides. The target was to check out the gravel road between Webbs Creek Ferry and Lower Portland on the northern side of the river, through the Leets Vale region.  We met at Road Warriors for a morning coffee, and then set off up the Old Road, Peats Ridge Road (Gee there are a lot of sand trucks on Peats Ridge Road and the bottom end of Wollombi Road) and turned left onto Wiseman's Ferry Road. We stopped at Spencer and humoured the store owner there by buying coffees, and then headed on to Wiseman's Ferry. We crossed on that ferry, and then Peter and I went across on the Webbs Creek Ferry while Kim stayed on the south side, with a plan that we would meet on the western side of the Lower Portland Ferry to find somewhere to go for lunch.

The road to Lower Portland from Webbs Creek is a left turn just after you leave the Ferry, which in  couple of kilometres reaches a Y junction, with a sealed road to the left fork (which we took but it was the wrong one) and a gravel road as the right fork. The road takes us through the very large rural suburb of Leets Vale, on a well-made gravel road which winds up and down into valleys and through very attractive properties along the riverside. It was a little bit corrugated in places, so would be bone-jarring on a road bike, but for those on chook-chasers, it  is a good trip. It takes about the same time to go from Webbs Creek to Lower Portland on either road, as the southern side is longer but all sealed, whereas the northern side is unsealed with some quite technical hairpin bends in and out of a couple of the ravines.

Given that the Sackville Ferry was out of service for the afternoon, we went down to Sackville Road and turned right towards Wilberforce. We stopped at the Tractor 828 Cafe on the left to see what their lunch was like, and we are happy to report that at least be steak  wrap and the BLT's were excellent. Worth considering for those wanting to have a lunch out on the road once the restrictions lift fully. It looks like a very attractive cafe, and it was buzzing this morning.

We then set off down to Windsor, then turned left towards Wiseman's Ferry, then turned right onto Saunders Road, Left onto Old Stock Route Road then right onto Scheyville Road past  National Park and up to Cattai  Ridge Road. Very little traffic and a good fast spin along there. We then went through Arcadia to the Berowra Ferry, and stopped for (another) coffee at the cafe just on the eastern side of the Ferry ramp. Again, a very pleasant coffee to say goodbye, and then two went south and one went north.

The riding was great, because while it was a little fresh in the first half of the day, it warmed up a very comfortable temperature for us to ride, stop, chat. A great day out.

- Frosty

For the chocolate lover in all of us

BAR100 will be taking part in the inaugural smooth Festival of Chocolate this weekend at The Rocks.

A sweet lover, chocolate connoisseur and foodie's delight, this free festival will be running from 10am – 5pm daily.

Visit BAR100 throughout the festival to indulge in a one of three specialty chocolate cocktails, the Chocolate Sazerac, Chilli-Chocolate Martini or Chocolate Indulgence.

BAR100 will also be offering a one-off venison burger with beetroot,  rocket, chocolate & chilli aioli served with sweet potato wedges.

All special BAR100 smooth Festival of Chocolate cocktails and its venison burger will be available to patrons throughout the month of October.

Interested in how to incorporate chocolate into savoury meals? Chef Tim Fisher from BAR100 will be demonstrating his succulent venison burgers with chocolate and chilli aioli at 4pm on Sunday at the smooth Festival of Chocolate's Callebaut Test Kitchen*.

The smooth Festival of Chocolate is a celebration of sweet, indulgent desserts, where Sydney's best boutique chocolatiers, pastry chefs and ice cream makers will come together to tempt you with their creations.

With hundreds of marquees filled with sweet treats and the Callebaut Test Kitchen featuring cooking demonstrations from your favourite chefs, and goodie bags to purchase this festival of chocolate experience will leave you wanting for nothing.

There will be lots of live performance throughout the weekend including the McClymont Sisters who will play on the smooth Music Stage on Sunday at 1.30pm and Hot Chocolate who will play at 4pm.

Situated in the heritage listed Mariners Church (est.1856) BAR100 is a stylish three level venue that offers various event spaces, bar and dining options with catering for events up to 800 guests.

*The smooth Festival of Chocolate's Callebaut Test Kitchen is located at The Rocks Square, Playfair Street, The Rocks.  

www.bar100.com.au

Cultural Charm of Yunnan Province

The "Eastern In-Flight Food Culture Year Ethnic Yunnan Cuisine Culture Week", themed on "Trek Tarantino Paths of the World and Experience the Yunnan Cuisine Culture", has recently allowed the vast majority of passen gers to experience the ethnio cultural charm of Yunnan cuisine.

Photo by Chantal Lim on Unsplash

During this special event, China Eastern Airlines is offering Yunnan gourmet dishes such as the spicy meat and sour Dali papaya chicken, the cnspy Dai-flavored dried beans, and the unforgettable Yunnan ham, on the Kunming to Shanghai and Beijing, and Shanghai to Beijing, Shanghai to Hong Kong, and Shanghai to Shenzhen routes. Available to first-class passengers on the Kunming to Beijing and Shanghai, Shanghai to Beijing, Hong Kong and Shenzhen routes are full-course meals based on the seven regional themes of Kunming, Lijiang, Dali, Xishuangbanna, Shangri la, Pu'er and Wenshan. Gourmet dishes such as the Xuanwei coin" ham, mixed mushrooms. stuffed greenhead mushroom, rice with peas, and banana flower with threaded chicken, are all on the menu. In addition, the activity theme "In Search of Flavor in Spring City" brings passengers to the streets of Kunming and let them "search for gourmet dishes. The activity themed "Lotus Scene at Medicine Mountain" showcases the ethnic Wenshan customs and culture. The activity themed "Passion for the Fragrance of Tea" encourages passengers to taste the smoothness of Yunnan Pu'er tea. Finally, the activity themed "In Search of Dongba" shares with passengers the distinct, thousand-year-old flavor of Dongba culture.

Characterized by sour and spicy flavors. Yunnan dishes are tender and fresh, fragrant and flavorful. They aim to retain the original juices and flavors of the ingredients and are world-famous for their ecological, environmentally friendly and healthy mushrooms.

CEAH Staff Representative Conference

The First Staff  Representative Conference and the Second Labor Union Representative Conference of China Eastern Air Holding Company (CEAH) was held in Shanghai on September 2, 2008. Members from top management, including Li Fenghua, Li Jun, Luo Zhigang. Cao Jianxiong, Liu Jlangbo, Chen Haju, Xu Znao, and senior executives trom China Eastern Airlines, including Zhang Jianzhong. Yang Ming and Fan Ru, joined by 201 staff representatives of CEAH, were present U Xuedong, Head of Bureau of Mass Work, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC under the State Council, Xiao Kuntao, vice chairman and deputy CPC secretary of Shanghai General labor Union, Se Llama, vice chairman of the Labor Union of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Du Nager deputy inspector and head of department of organization, Shanghai General Labor Union were invited as special guests to the conference.

In the work report of the first CEAH labor union committee delivered by Lo Changing, vice president of CEAH, he underscored the important role of the labor union in publicity, organizing, educating and serving the staff and protecting their legal rights and interests in various work ranging from safe production, operation and management to the building of a harmonious enterprise and the implementation of steady reform and development. The labor union should focus on the central tasks and serve the general situation from a strategic perspective pursue the dialectical mindset of a scientific outlook on development, accurately Identify the new situation at home and abroad and the environment China Eastern Airlines is facing, thrash out new work methods and refresh the outlook of the labor union.

Li Jun, OPG secretary of CEAH, concluded the conference with a closing speech, in which he raised six requirements to labor unions of all levels and labor union leaders: To organize and mobilize the staff to make contribution to the mission of revitalizing Eastern Airlines, to endeavor to perfect the staff representative system and actively push for democratic corporate governance, to buid up harmonious employment relations to achieve a solid foundation for harmonious development to vigorously improve the overall quality of the staff and let the employees share the growth with the enterprise: to make robust progress with reform and innovation to enhance construction of the labor union, and to persist in leadership of CPC and give extra priority and support to work of the labour union.