Frazer Beach Ride 15th Feb 2024

I woke up this morning. I thought “that’s a good start”.

 

I stumbled to the window and looked out over the lake. It was overcast. It was not raining. I thought “ummmm”. I dressed, walked outside, looked at the sky and again thought “ummmm”. It was that sort of day.

 

There was a WhatsApp message from Rod M. You know Rod, aka “You can take the boy out of the country…” Rod. He’s riding. There was commitment in his message. I had to turn up; never mind the weather.  This was the first sensible use of our WhatsApp site I have seen.

 

So astride the trusty GS, I dawdled down the M1 under the dank grey skies. It was dry. It was overcast. I turned off the M1 toward Peats Ridge, so that I could ride in and out of the trees and to be out of freeway traffic. The grey skies turned to a gentle wet mist…a drizzle not dissimilar to that around a large waterfall. But you’re not really interested in all that because we’re not even on the ride yet!

 

At Berowra, 12 good souls turned up. The drizzle remained. We spoke of our options: The Pie, perhaps a slow ride up to The Road Warriors for coffee. Or do we continue with the adventure?

 

The consensus became clear. We’ll continue with the adventure. A wet ride to Frazer Beach. Off we went, down the good ol’ Pacific highway, swinging, smooth and steady. 11 of us – Tony having questioned the sense of being wet all day.

 

It was very pleasant in this slow drizzle. Everything is a few shades darker. The trees seem closer to the road and a deep green. The tarmac is shimmering and bible-black. The atmosphere is somewhat like in a cathedral. You are enveloped in nature. A rhythm develops that is quite stimulating. 

 

Morning tea was at Jerry’s, at Kulnara. This gave everyone a chance to reconsider their options. Only Paul M decided to abandon the ride, not because he wasn’t enjoying it but because of a leg injury incurred some time earlier during a study of physics and the environment.

 

Those that remained, the 10 Invincibles, gathered over coffee for our important work. We put the finishing touches to our 3-state solution for the middle east. You will hear of it being rubber stamped in the Security Council very shortly. A clue: it includes a significant lease on the north-west of Tasmania. Collectively, we expect to receive the Nobel Peace Prize when next on offer.

 

We also dealt with the Biden v Trump matter, something we regard as of significant geopolitical importance. Again, we arrived at an excellent solution. A youth elixir for Joe Biden. A clue: this elixir is composed mostly of aspirin, 100ml of quality Jamaican rum, two lumps of ice and a secret ingredient which will only be made public when the election is resolved in Biden’s favour. At that point, our group will rake in the money and we will all be able to afford new GS’s!

 

Our important work done, the 10 Invincibles re-entered the drizzle and popped off down Bumble Hill and into the beautiful Yarramalong Valley, then through the semi-rural peace of the Dooralong Valley. The hills of The Watagans were shrouded in a peaceful mist. Eventually, having put the last of the twisty roads behind us, we skirted Morisset and found ourselves, well most of us, at Frazer Beach. The couple that missed the one missable corner mark soon turned up. The clouds lifted as we arrived, and we could see Jesus waving to us as he rose on the cloud over the sea. 

 

After lunch, the adventure continued. Jim C led us up to Snapper Rocks, another lovely and interesting part of the coast with about 1km of hard-packed gravel road. There were a couple of GS riders who hadn’t seen this sort of stuff before, and who became quite puffed up and felt they had put their GS’s to the test. Peter, on the Harley, felt much the same.

 

Rod, aka “You can take the boy out of the country…” continued to show his baseness by pointing out how different parts of the coastal landform resembled the female human anatomy. The rest of us just quietly admired nature and reflected on 13 billion years of evolution.

 

I suppose it’s stupid when you think about it. 10 silly old men spending a wet-arsed and dangerous day in the rain on treacherous roads, just for the sake of the adventure. I suppose you could say it’s about building skills and confidence. I say “let the romance long continue”, and then take another swig of the youth elixir.

 

Thanks to Rod for taking on the job of Tail-end Charlie.

 

See youse on the next ride!

Stephen Davies