Ride to Wombat by Rosalie Lovell
2 March 2008
 

The Riders:
Garry McCurley VFR800
Gordon White Tiger 1050
Trevor McLeod FJR1300A
Mick and Kyla Harvey FJR1300A
Pete and Berit Virago 1100S
Nick and Terese M109R
Mark Walker VN1500
David Robinson FGR1300A
Chas and Jen Towie GTR1000
Trevor and Emily Backhouse
Peter Arday Ventura
Jim and Rosalie Lovell R1200RT
Bruce Black CBR100
Manfred Halton ZZR600
Colin Carter 800
Jen Woods XVS650
Ian Paterson Honda ST1300

I must say you haven't lived unless you have been to the Wombat pub for lunch and come home via the Moppity Road! All on a gorgeous autumn day - temperature just right and not a cloud in the sky. 

About 20 bikes assembled at the Watson servo and after the usual spiel from Peter, and welcome to new members, we were ready to set off to Boorowa for morning coffee. Slight delay as the servo attendant had to chase Ross, who had forgotten to pay for his petrol, much to his embarrassment. I can hear the younger members of the club sniggering about old fogies who forget things, well, let me tell you, your time will come!

Arrived in Boorowa without any drama and after passing the parrot retreat, cattle insemination office and some SES bods playing at the wheat silo, we stopped at the Court House for coffee. Jen x 2 decided we should have our photos taken in the Court House, especially after Ross' attempt to rob the servo. We all trooped in, Chas and Trevor in the dock, (where was Ross?), and about twenty Ulysses members in the jury box, (thought it was supposed to be twelve upright and honest citizens!). After this we went outside, finished out coffee and assembled for the ride to Wombat. Slight delay, again, as one of the bikes had to be pushed to start. No names, no pack drill.  Peter and Dave left us and returned to Canberra as they had obviously had a better offer. 

Perhaps a future ride could be to Boorowa for the Woolfest 'Running of the Sheep', on the October long weekend. Just a thought.

Off to Wombat, over a single lane bridge, even more decrepit than the old Tharwa bridge, around the corner and into a herd of cows. Now I am not remotely worried about cows when I am on foot, but I hate running into them, so to speak, when on an unstable two wheeled vehicle. Not to worry, I thought, there is sure to be someone keeping an eye on them. There sure was - two small fluffy white dogs! Forget the keen eyed kelpies and red or blue heelers who seem to be so efficient at this sort of thing, the 'in' cattle dog in Boorowa is an overgrown Maltese terrier.  

We descended on the Wombat pub and had a great lunch. We apologised for so many of us dropping in for lunch without warning, however the publican wasn't fazed. He said he often had Ulysses clubs from Wagga and Goulburn coming for lunch. Most of us had lamb roast for $10, Garry would have liked another needless to say. Some very brave people had a Wombat Burger. The mind boggles as to what it had been in a previous life. 

Anyway, a good place for lunch, with lots of long tables on an outside verandah, with a slow combustion heater for winter. Not much to see in Wombat after you have seen the pub and a large bronze wombat so we headed off to Young. Didn't stop in Young but headed down the Moppity Road to Binalong where we stopped for ice creams. The owner of the shop obviously knew us as she came out to say good bye, or get rid of us, I am not sure which.

We then all made our own way home to Canberra. Jim and I stopped in the Murrumbateman car park and had a chat with someone from Bateman's Bay, who, despite having spent a fortune on a new, enormous 4WD, really wanted a motorbike. Don't think his partner was too impressed with that idea.

Another great day and thanks to Peter and Trevor for herding us successfully to Wombat and back. If at some stage on this ride you saw Trevor bashing his helmet with his hand, he had not lost the plot, he had ants in his helmet. Lesson for the day - do not leave your bike helmet on an ants' nest.