Today I was filling in as ride leader for Dakar who was off riding in the high country for a couple of days. The weather forecast was for showers most of the day, so I wasn’t expecting too many riders to attend.
At Heathcote there were a few other bikes there, not our guys just some young guys on sports bikes with all the regulation gear, sneakers, track pants and a puffer or thin jacket!!!
At the start there were just another two riders, Monkey and Nightrider (Alan Young) so we headed off. The intention was to follow OPH to Picton Road, then down Mount Kembla back on the freeway to Dapto and then the back roads into Albion Park and Jamberoo, up Saddleback then Swamp Road and into Shellharbour Village.
Didn’t quite work out that way because as soon as we hit Maddens Plain, we encountered thick fog all along the escarpment so instead we went down Mt Ousley and onto Fowlers Road and over Marshall Mount and then through Jamberoo. Passing through Jamberoo we went straight to Swamp Rd and then into Shellharbour to our destination, The Sunken Spud. We reached our destination, but it is no longer the Sunken Spud but now known as Darley Street Local. The menu is now a bit more upmarket, and it looks like the old fish and chip fryers have gone.
After our break we decided to stick to the coast so headed home via Warrawong, Warilla etc. and into Wollongong joining Memorial Drive at Towradgi. As usual on a Saturday the traffic through Bulli was slow with one driver nearly clipping us when the car in front of him was turning right and he thought he would change lanes without looking!
From here we followed the coast road to Bald Hill and then got stuck behind a driver who must have been testing their brakes because they didn’t stop pressing them on and off all the way to McKell Ave. With them gone we had a pretty good run through the rest of the park, and we said our goodbyes at Farnell Ave and then headed home.
A little drizzle here and there, some heavy fog and some slow and irritating weekend drivers but we were riding, and it was a great morning. Thanks to Alan and Peter for their company.
Catch you on a ride soon.
Ride Report by: Keith Gorilla Moyle.
