 |
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| (Note: the kilometer /
mileage figures given are from van's odometer. Due to the rounding
of the conversion from kilometers to miles, the total miles given may be
off by several miles.) |
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THE FIRST DAY OUT - THURSDAY MAY 1
Brisbane to Port Macquarie
590km / 366mi (total
590km / 366mi )
|
| The morning started out with Bob still needing to
register his motorcycle. We packed the caravan (Australian for a
camper) and went next door for a quick breakfast. At 8:05 Bob, Jon
and Bill in the caravan and Walter on his BMW motorcycle pulled
out of the hotel and headed directly to Morgan & Wacker, arriving just
as they were opening. Tracy was there to meet us. Bob brought
his BMW on to the street from the Morgan & Wacker shop for a photo
with Walter's BMW and the caravan. (Bill's rented BMW motorcycle
is being picked up in Melbourne.) After the photos were taken, Bob and
Walter, with Tracy leading, headed out to have Bob's motorcycle
registered at the Division of of They got about 20 feet when Bob ran out of gas.
Bill and Jon (with Jon driving) took the caravan to get gas.
No problem, other than getting lost and taking 30 minutes for what
should have been a 10 minute gas run. Jon and Bill, in the caravan
started out of Brisbane while the others went to finish the last detail
of bringing Bob's motorcycle into Australia from California.
The drive was uneventful for all. Highway 1 runs north/south
and hugs the coast as much as possible. Lush green
vegetation ranging from new forests to farm land to low grasses.
The landscape is similar to northern California, and to upper New York
State. Bill and Jon were first into Port Macquarie, by 10 minutes,
and found a nice motel for the night. The owner of the motel, a
member of the Port Macquarie Lions club directed us to a wonderful pizza
parlor, good prices, and plenty of food. In fact, Bill and Jon had
pizza for lunch. |
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FRIDAY MAY 2
Port Macquarie to Sydney
405km / 251mi (total 995mk / 617mi)
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| We left Port Macquarie around 7:00am and headed south
towards Sydney. The roads, as yesterday, are either two lane or
freeway, two lanes in each direction. Unfortunately for those of
us that are accustomed to the American freeways, the speeds are limited
to a maximum of 110kp) (68 mph). The trip was the type we like,
and expect for the rest of the Australia Ride - enjoyable roads,
enjoyable scenery, and great riding weather.
Bob and Jon have been in email contact with Australian Rotarian Tony
Moyle the founder of the International Federation of Motorcycling
Rotarians (IFMR). Tony has been working on arranging home
stays for us. Sydney was the first home stay he arranged.
Before leaving Port Macquarie Bill/Jon and Bob/Walter made plans on
where to meet in Sydney. After meeting up we called our hosts,
Chris and June Curtis, and got our directions. And as Murphy's Law
would have it, we had a fun time getting lost, before arriving at the
Curtis house.
Chris and June have been delightful hosts. Chris is a member of
the Rotary Club of Lane Cove, a member of IFMR, and a member of the
Fellowship of Hosting Rotarians. They have opened their home to us
as if we were family members. |
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SATURDAY MAY 3
Sydney Rest Day |
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|
Hosts Chris and June fed us an excellent breakfast.
It was nice not to have a restaurant meal. We then, following
Chris's directions set off for the train station for the local to Sydney
Harbour. Sydney has a very efficient mass transit system
consisting of busses, trains, and ferries. At the station we
purchased day passes for the train, and busses, and ferries. At
the Harbour we walked around the Sydney Opera House. We then took
a ferry to Manly, about 30 minute trip across the Harbour. The
Sydney Harbour is one of the most picturesque harbors that any of have
seen.
One of the nice parts of home hosting is talking about
Rotary. Chris and all of us have spent several hours comparing
Rotary in Australia and Rotary in the United States. This exchange of
Rotary ideas is giving us all some new things to bring back to our
respective Rotary clubs and districts. |
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SUNDAY MAY 4
Sydney Rest Day
|
| Once again our hosts took us under their wings.
After a filling breakfast Chris put bird seed on the deck railing.
With in a minute a flock of small parrots descended for their breakfast.
What a sight, all of the varied colors. We then headed
off to the train for the train ride down to the Harbour to get the ferry
to the Taronga Zoo. The zoo moved to its current location in 1915,
and is undergoing a major upgrading. Because we are in Australia,
we spent out time looking at Australian wild life including kangaroos,
platypuses, wombats, and others. The weather was cloudy with
occasional wind and light showers. The zoo is across the harbour
from downtown Sydney, and on a hill. The view of the city from the
zoo is breath talking. After returning to the train station,
Chris drove us around downtown and Lane Cove for about an hour.
Because of the hospitality of Chris and June, our stay in Sydney has
been very enjoyable.
We have had a slight change in plans. Bill and Jon are unable
to get a booking on the ferry from Melbourne to Tasmania. So, Bob
and Walter will go on that leg of the journey while Bill and Jon remain
in Melbourne. |
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MONDAY MAY 5
Sydney to Canberra
284km / 176mi (total 1,279km / 793mi)
|
At 9:15 we said good by to June, and started
the journey to Canberra, with Chris in the lead. We headed out
into Sydney rush hour traffic, in the rain. Chris guided us on to
the freeway, through several tunnels under the harbor and under the
airport and out of the city. Chris rode with us for about 2 1/2
hours to Mittagong. After stopping for a cappuccino, we thanked
Chris for his and June's wonderful hospitality and Chris headed back to
Sydney and we headed south to Canberra to meet with local Rotarians .
At a rest stop just out side of Canberra we met up with DG Ian
(D96xx) and two motorcycle riding Rotarians, and the wife of one of the
Rotarians. All had their Harleys, and along with DG Ian escorted
us to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Parliament Square where be
had a brief, but enjoyable meeting the Chief Minister (similar to
the speaker of an American state assembly), Jon Stanhope.
Bob, DG Ian, and Chief Minister Jon Stanhope
We then
proceeded to a meeting of the Rotary Club of Canberra-Weston Creek.
Bob gave a short presentation about our PolioPlus Ride. |
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TUESDAY MAY 6
Canberra to Melbourne
793km / 492mi (total 2,072km / 1,285mi)
|
| Canberra Sunrise Rotarian Lou Rando met us at the hotel
for a 7:00am escort out of town. We had good roads for most of the
trip and were able to maintain a speed of about 110 km most of the time.
90 minutes out of Canberra we arrived in Cooma and met with several
Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Cooma. Unfortunately, due to our
tight schedule, we did not have as much time with them as we would have
liked. We then headed off for Boombala and met with several
Rotarians there for about 15 minutes, gassed up, and headed down to Cann River. A short rest stop for coffee, and we were off for
Melbourne. We had made contact with Melbourne Rotarian Margaret
Weyle-Willett who has been very helpful setting up our visit to
Melbourne. She along with another rider that Bob knows from rides
in the USA met us at Pekenham and led us to the Tasmania Ferry in
Melbourne. Being in rush hour commute traffic, it made quite a
difference following a local motorbike (as they call motorcycles in
Australia) rider. Walter came down with the flu and thus he decided
not to go to Tasmania. Bob and Bill drove their BMWs into the
Ferry for the overnight trip to Tasmania. Walter and Jon
headed to the B&B, Haven by the Sea, which is owned by Rotarian Margaret.
After unloading the van, Margaret and Jon headed off for a Rotary Board
Meeting of the Rotary Club of Williamson, and dinner following the Board
Meeting. President Pat asked Jon to say a few words at the end of
the meeting about the "strategic planning" board meeting that Jon
conducted for his club, Reno Sunrise. |
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WEDNESDAY MAY 7 |
|
On Tasmania
Devonport to Hobart
260km / 161mi (total2,332km / 1,446mi)
Bob and Bill were met at the ferry in Devonport by
DG Robert Sydes and PDG Tony Hennessy, both of whom were on their
motorcycles. From the harbor they rode to the home of PDG
Maurice Hill. It was then on to Launceston for an interview by
ABC TV (Australian Broadcasting Company). This was followed by
two newspaper interviews. Robert and Tony then escorted Bob
and Bill out of Launceston and parted company once they had Bob and
Bill on the road to Hobart.
85 kilometers out of Hobart the axle on Bob's side
car broke and went in one direction, while the wheel went in another
direction, and the Bob, with a wheel less side care skidded to a
stop. Bill found the axle on the road, and the wheel in a
tree. Using the cell phone Bob called Margaret and in
her usual efficiency with in 20 minutes arranged for a tow for Bob,
and contacted Wonderwerks Motorcycles (the Parilla dealer in
Hobart). Just after Bob finished talking to Margaret, Rotarian
Tim Ritchie drove by and stopped to help. Margaret called Bob
and told him that the tow was on the way, and that Wonderwerks would
remain open until Bob arrived (they remained open for 2 hours past
the normal closing time).
Meanwhile, Bob and his BMW were delivered to
Motorwerks, and then the tow driver took Bob to the Claremont Rotary
Club. A big thinks is in order to Ward Automotive, the towing
company. Their driver offered to donate the towing. Once
again, we felt the warm hospitality of Australia.
Once the Bob's motorcycle was loaded on the tow rig, Tim lead Bill
in to Hobart for the meeting of the Claremont Rotary Club. Bob
arrived at the meeting just as Bill was starting to talk to the club
about journey and about PolioPlus. Bob jumped in and finished
the presentation. Bob and Bill were home hosted by
Lynn and Joan Dimmick of the Claremont Rotary Club. |
|
In Melbourne
Jon left the B&B around 10:00am and walked to the
M>Train. An all day pass for M>Train and M>Tram cost AU$5.20
(US$ 3.12) The ride into the Melbourne Central Business
District took 30 minutes. Like Brisbane, Melbourne has done a
wonderful job of blending old and new architecture. Jon went
to the Windsor Hotel for the Rotary Club of Melbourne meeting.
This is the oldest club in Australia with about 350 members.
To foster fellowship, each member belongs to one of 13 Fellowship
Groups which meet monthly. When Jon met club president Tony
Kosky and explained why he was in Australia, and was given 3 minutes
to talk with out even asking for the time.
In the evening Jon attended the dinner meeting of
the Rotary Club of Essendon North. It is a small club with
about 30 members. Because the meeting was partners night,
there were about 40 members and partners at the meeting. At
this meeting Jon talked about PolioPlus and the Polio Eradication
Campaign for 5 minutes. |
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THURSDAY MAY 8 |
|
Hobart to Devenport
260km / 161mi (2,592km / 1,607mi)
|
|
In Melbourne |
| Bob and Bill's main concern was getting
Bob back on the road. While Motorwerks was starting the work
need to fix the bike, host Lynn was off to purchase a charger for
the cell phone and fiberglass repair materials to patch the side
car. At the same time a local machine shop was machining a new axle.
Never to sit still, Bob and Bill were taken to ABC radio for a live
talk show interview. After lunch they picked up the new axle
from the machine shop and delivered it to Motorwerks for the final
step in repairing the motorcycle. By 2:45 Bob and Bill were on
the road up to Devonport for the dinner meeting of the Rotary Club
of Devonport North.
Since the ferry wanted all vehicles to be loaded starting at
6:30, PDG Tony Hennessy called the ferry and made arrangements for a
later loading for Bob and Bill, Thus, they were able to the
Devonport North meeting where Bob made a 15 minute presentation.
PDG Tony then escorted Bob and Bill to the Ferry, and to a over
night "cruise" back to Melbourne. Because of the
radio and television interviews with Bob and Bill, they were
approached by several ferry passengers who had heard/seen the
interviews. |
|
Today was a quit day for Jon and Walter.
Walter wanted another day to recover from the flu. Jon spent
the morning doing some computer and paper work and then headed off
to the Rotary Club of Footscray, a nice 20 minute drive from
Margaret's B&B. Jon was able to make a short presentation
about the PolioPlus Ride.
In the evening Jon and Walter took the train into
central Melbourne for dinner and a little window shopping. |
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FRIDAY MAY 9
In Melbourne
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| Bob and Bill arrived back from Tasmania on
schedule at 7:00am. Margaret and Jon met them at the ferry
terminal and they all returned to Margaret's. The body of
Bob's side car was damaged when it scrapped along the asphalt. Bob
spent several hours patching the damage with fiberglass.
We then went off for the meeting of the Rotary Club of Melbourne
South. DG Des Hosking and his wife Judy were at the meeting so
they could meet us. President David Finney gave Bob 5 minutes for
a presentation.
After the meeting we picked up a rented BMW RT1100 and retuned to
Margaret's. Now all three riders have their rides.
And the day ended with Bill getting lost. Margaret needed to
retrieve one of her BMW motorcycles at Southbank BMW. She drove
Bill to Southbank, and then he followed her home. Except, they get
separated. Around 5:30 Margaret come back without Bill.
Since we had not heard from him, the assumption was that he did not have
her phone number, and probably did not even know Margaret's last name.
Walter and Margaret, in Margaret's car went looking for Bill, no luck.
By the time they returned, Derek, an Australian friend of Bob's
was at the house. He then took off on his motorcycle looking for
Bill. And Margaret called the police. We had the mental
picture of Bill lost in a city of over 1 million, with no phone numbers
or Margaret's address. As Margaret was talking to the police, Bill
drove up. He had the address. He had stopped at the bank to cash
some traveler's checks, and they needed a local address, so Margaret
gave them her address. Bill had the transaction slip in his
pocket.
After all of the excitement, dinner was Chinese take-away |
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SATURDAY MAY 10
Melbourne to Port Pirie
995km / 618mi (3,587km / 2,227mi)
|
| Margaret fixed one of her usual fine
breakfasts for us. We pulled out of Haven by the Sea at 7:15am,
And we were joined by Margaret and Derek. The motorcyclists
decided to take the scenic road, and Jon took the freeway. All
heading towards Adelaide, with a meeting point at the BP Gas Station in
Tailem Bend. Although Jon's route was nice freeway and two lane
highway, he encountered fog, visibility down to 500 feet, and this was
followed by rain. Jon pulled into Tailem Bend at 2:30 and was met
by Tony, a motorcycling Rotarian, and with him were several other Rotary
friends including Ian and his daughter Jen, David, and Ron. Tony
was expecting a phone call from Bob with an estimated arrival time in
Tailem Bend. We waited, and we waited. and we waited. Tony
decided to head down to road and look for them. And it was
raining. Finally, at 5:15, Tony guided Bob, Bill and Walter
into the BP. The had a wonderful ride, along a winding coastal
road. However, they had the wrong direction to Tailem Bend, and
thus lost some time. After gasing up, and some quick "fellowship"
we were on the Road again. When Bob lost his axle on Tasmania, the
side car received some fiberglass damage. Although Bob did a
temporary repair, it was not what he wanted. Margaret had arranged
for a Rotarian who is in fiberglass business to repair the side car.
Thus, we decided to skip Adelaide and go directly to Port Pirie,
arriving about 9:00pm. We were met at the first round about in
town by Bryant Chivell who took us to our "cabin" for the evening.
The cabin being a three bedroom, self contained vacation house.
Bryant then led Bob and Jon to his shop so he could work on the side car
repair. Bob left the motorcycle and while we slept, Bryant fixed
the side car. |
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TAKE ME TO WEEK 2 |
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