26th January 2024 - GONBUG Ride Report Steamy Weather ride out west to Parramatta for Hot Air Balloons (not)!!!

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It had been a while since I’d had to avoid road-kill, but, at 4:50 am it was a sad fact, passing two little dead critters along Mona Vale Road. 

Shiny-new rider Mark from Collaroy on his “Niner” waited while I filled the Guzzi tank and assured myself I had checked the oil-cap “tight-as”.
Ring Road 3, the standard route for the past twenty-odd years, is an early morning Easy-ride, then we take a right onto Victoria Road at Top Ryde, with the sky lightening. More VERY bright lights announced six stern-faced Officers-in-Blue requesting 1. Count to ten 2. Show Licence. 
Free at last, we tootled into Parramatta (going left at the monstrous Football Stadium, then parking 200m from Parramatta Park entrance gates, and strolling 500m to the Balloons Site. 
Only one mini-balloon was inflated, and many folk very deflated when we were told that the faint breeze prevented safe launch of all the large, full-sized balloons. One fire-brand entertained with his gas-fire pumping out some unnecessary flames and heat.
Mark and I strolled back in the humidity, past first Government House and acres of lush greenery, saddled up and headed for home. I announced I would be going back via Sydney Harbour and, with traffic still pretty light, it was a delightful ride (especially after I had “walked” the Bridges Walk last October) – Gladesville Bridge, Iron Cove Bridge, Anzac Bridge, SydHarb Bridge and then Spit Bridge.
(I was back in time to meet the Bird-Count party of one at the Trip-Trap Bridge at Curl Curl Lagoon, then to watch a white-bellied Sea Eagle cause a kerfuffle in a huge bunch of little water birds just below the Griffin Road Bridge.)
Thanks for the company, Mark – bring the family some time to Parramatta Park - a very interesting place to explore, even without balloons.  MTC

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