The Beavertown News MAY / JUNE 2020

Monthly newsletter of the MARLBOROUGH BRANCH, Ulysses Club of NZ Inc. The Beavertown News MAY / JUNE 2020

BRANCH COORDINATOR Kelvin Watson Ph; 577 6822 143B Maxwell Road, Blenheim 7201 Email; [email protected]

VICE COORDINATOR Tim Wills Ph, 579 2363

SECRETARY Melissa Wills Ph. 579 2363 94 Howick Road, Blenheim 7201 Email: [email protected]

TREASURER John Laing Ph; 021 0828 8713

COMMITTEE MEMBERS Jock Woodley Ph, 573 9139 Jane Laing Ph. 022 450 7042 John Sinclair Ph, 578 7110 Carol Spaulding Ph, 021 872 443

RIDES COORDINATOR (Sunday rides) Position vacant– volunteer needed

CLUB NIGHT ORGANISER Tim Wills Ph, 579 2363 ABOVE; Tasmanian adventures with Sawbones, page 11

WELFARE OFFICER; BELOW; Life after Lockdown, bucket list with JBL, page 7 Chris Donaldson Ph; 027 8533670 Email; [email protected]

RETREADS RIDES (Thursday rides) John Sinclair Ph; 578 7110 Grant Johnson Ph; 578 0901

BRANCH SHERIFF Jock Woodley Ph; 573 9139 Email; [email protected]

BRANCH QUARTERMASTER (Ulysses Gear Orders) Evan Teale Ph. 03 972 0481

BRANCH HISTORIAN Jane Laing Ph. 577 6663

COMMUNITY NOTICES ORGANISER Evan Teale Ph. 03 972 0481

WEBMASTER Bob Marks Ph, 574 1177 Email; [email protected]

Branch Web Page: www.ulysses.org.nz/marlborough

BRANCH RIDER MENTORS Chris de Wagt Ph. 577 7238

NEWSLETTER EDITOR Jane Laing Ph.577 6663 Email; [email protected] Post; 75A Weld Street, Blenheim 7201

Refer all membership enquiries to the Coordinator or a Committee member

Ulysses Members Trades Directory

Do you know someone who would like to adverse their business card here?

Only $75 for 12 issues

Email the card to me and I’ll organise it from there Janes email; [email protected]

You can advertise your business in this publication for $75 per year (12 Adverts - Business Card Size) Contact: Jane; Ph. 577 6663 OR Kelvin, Ph. 577 6822 for further information

Refresher rides, check for bad habits.

Coordinators word...

It seems ages since I wrote a Coordinators Word for you all. This month we will be doing a May/June newsletter. If we can get a printed version we will, otherwise it will be an electronic version. One way or another you will be able to read it. Our Branch committee had a Zoom meeting last week to see how we will move forward again after all the different levels of lockdown. Our Zoom coffee chat organized by Carol Spaulding on Saturday 9th May was a little bit disappointing membership wise. Only five of us hooked up. You are not going to catch Covid 19 off a Zoom chat. This is only the second time I have been on Zoom, & it’s very good & exceptionally easy to use. Next time you get a link to join up just double click on that link at the appropriate time & follow the instructions & you should be able to join in. We are starting to talk about our Rides etc starting up under Level 2. Thursday & Sunday rides will get going again at the end of May but our monthly Club nights might have to wait a little bit longer. Saturday Coffee mornings will start up at The Runway Café at the end of May (hopefully at this stage) For those of you who don’t know where this Café is it’s by the Argosy on SH6 @ Woodbourne. It has just reopened with new own- ers & they are looking forward to us attending that day. Currently for any members who don’t know The Vines Village Café is closed & for sale. We could return there if a new owner is found & it reopens in the future. Our Ambulance Day ride was cancelled this year due to Covid 19 lockdown and we were to raise funds for the Picton St John. Our committee decided to donate $1000.00 to them from some of the money our National Rally raffles raised back in March & we have transferred that money into their acct. Our Back 2 Basics Rally is back on stream, February 26th-28th 2021 out at the same venue as before. Paul & Muff Newton’s Kaituna Ridges Farm, Readers Road Havelock. The registration form is in this magazine, on our website or in the Ulyssian. It’s always a lot of fun. We had some great local support for our National Rally raffle prizes. I hope you all saw our Thank You advert in the Blenheim Sun on Wed 6 May. I encourage you to support these businesses in return, - some of them will be struggling to get back on their feet after the lockdown. Remember to mention ‘Ulysses’ when you’re dealing with them. As I said last month keep safe everyone, wash your hands regularly & if you are in the over 70’s group, be more careful. You do get preferential treatment at some Supermarkets. “I know”. “Till Next Month, Ride Safe & Keep Yourselves Safe”. Kelvin #3602. P.S. Jane would like to hear from you about your antics during & after Lockdown so she can share them in the newsletter. Photos to go with it would be great too. Email or phone your thoughts to her before 20 June.—Editor.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!…. May & June 2020

MAY Colin Simpson Kelvin Watson Allan de Reeper Vic Wooton Pauline Bird Dave Jackson Jacqueline French Pete Jackson JUNE Barry Hope Grant Johnson Sue Machon Marilyn Kavanagh Wally Allen Mark Newman Mike McCann Jim Barrett John Sinclair Cherie Newman Peter Beckett Evan Teale Tom Percy Craig Bird

DISCLAIMER; While contributions and adverts are welcome, no responsibility can be accepted regarding claims or statements made by members or advertisers in respect of products or services offered. The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Editor or of the Committee, but are those of the writer/s. The Editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or decline some contributions.

MINUTES of the last Committee meeting...

Meeting: 2nd May. Via Zoom. Blenheim. Kelvin has had an inquiry about our back to basics rally for next year, the meal cost has risen to $25 per person. Meeting start: 10am He will lock in a date late in Feb with the Newtons at Kai- Attendees: Kelvin Watson, Melissa Wills, Jane Laing, tuna. No need to change the rego fee because we in- Carol Spaulding, John Laing, Tim Wills. creased it last time. Kelvin will try for 27th-28th Feb 2021. Jane has a standard entry form made up for the rally. The Apologies: Jock Woodley, John Sinclair rally will cost $35 per member.

Minutes of previous meeting: True & Accurate Kelvin said he was sad to hear of the vines village cafe Matters arising: None Tim/Carol closing re coffee mornings but hopefully they will get a new owner soon. John L said if it doesn’t sell, we may Inwards correspondence: Musterers Accomodation have to look at a new venue for Sat coffee mornings, Fairlie 10% discount till 31/3/2021, Zoom hookup meeting Carol said what about having a coffee cart and riding to apology and enquiry into mid winter gathering this year?- that location. Carol said what about riding to Ward for a Jock Woodley, Remembrance Service 2020-Steve Parr, coffee, John L said Seddon, Picton, Canvastown. Carol Saturday Quiz night link-Kelvin, Marl Ulysses Meeting informed us at level 2 we could have a maximum of 50 this Sat-Jane & John Laing, Covid 19 level 3-Nat Presi- for a gathering. Jane said it may change and we should dent, Newsletters: Auckland, Canterbury, North Harbour, check out a coffee cart. Marlborough, Tauranga, Nelson plus Anzac extra, Arti- cles needed for Ulyssian- Nat President, 20% discount at Rescue Ride: Jane had to cancel the badges as we Greymouth accomodation-goldfield suites, White Ribbon couldn't have our ride due to covid-19. Jane suggested house rules/ April update-Rob Mccann, bike exchange the club might still like to make a donation to our chosen with Australian members- Nat President, Deposits re- charity for this year, - St Johns Ambulance in Picton. ceived no applications- Debbie Morgan, Nat Rally shirts John L said we could use some of the raffle money from for sale-Kelvin, advice for branch AGMs- Pete Graham, the National rally. Kelvin moved that we will donate April newsletter printed- Jane & John Laing, Corona Virus $1000. to St John in Picton/Carol. club guidelines-Kelvin, Our Funds-Kelvin, Corona Virus update rides cancelled-Kelvin, Rescue Ride cancelled- Jane has got a newsletter ready to go, Kelvin will do a Kelvin, Corona virus outbreak clubs position-Kelvin, Apex report, the copier company is not open at the moment, Trophies order Ambulance run badges cancelled, branch Jane will ring them in the next week to see if they can magazine close off 20 March-Jane & John Laing. print it for us. Jane suggested we could use the cancelled rides calender that we made up for next month, everyone Outwards correspondence: I Responded to email from agreed. goldfield suites on 20% discount on accomodation in Greymouth said that I would let members know, I sent Chris Donaldson has been ringing our Ulysses members our branch AGM minutes to Pete Graham. to see how they are - Thanks Chris.

Treasurers Report & Accounts for Payment: 2 a/c for Carol asked about a thankyou going out to business that payment: Natcom gear $64 and Brendon Price comput- supported the Nat rally, Kelvin asked Jane to put a ers $138.00. thankyou in the Sun Newspaper and the Ulyssian mag. John said bal of our operating a/c is currently $ 4090.90. John passed a/cs for payment/Tim. Jane said we will try to sell the National Rally shirts, it There was 2 transfers out of our operating acct to the would be good to see more of our members wearing National Rally acct (people had paid their rego fees into them. x37 excess shirts will be put into Branch stock held the wrong account). by Evan.

National Rally: John L has sent Rally financial report to Carol asked about mid-year dinner, maybe later in the Kelvin, it has been approved by the National Treasurer year, we might need to think outside the square for an Stuart Burns. Kelvin will email details to committee mem- event that could work for a larger gathering. bers. Natcom owes us money that has been paid on their behalf, John will invoice them. Raffles raised $3,354. Carol said why don't we use zoom for our Sat coffee Sunday breakfast: Natcom was going to subsidise this morning get togethers, Carol will pay for 2 months and John L moved that we cover the cost out of our raffle in- send John L invoice and we will reimburse her out of club come/Kelvin. Jane didn't vote as conflict of interest. funds, they will start at 9.30am-12 pm on a Sat morning Carol asked about a thank you for the members that via zoom. BYO coffee! helped at the National rally, John L said we will hold an Great idea Carol! event once we can to thank them. Kelvin said we would definitely have a dinner or something like that. Meeting closed 11am.

General Business: Next Meeting 7pm Thurs 4th June either at A & P park or via Zoom.

Remember…. The DEADLINE for the next newsletter is 20th June

FOR SALE

Marlborough Branch 2020 National Rally Polo Shirts Sizes Small—5xl (most sizes still available)

$30 each (+ $5 p&p if you’re out of town) comes with a free eco-friendly Rally shopping bag. THIS IS REALLY GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY, very nice shirts . Contact Jane; Phone, 022 4507042

LEFT; After covid 19. In particular, lets remember the businesses who have (and some still do) lent support our Branch of Ulysses Club over the years. Please remember to support them whenever you can.—And don’t forget to mention Ulysses Club!

Whatcha been up to Jock?

Hi everyone, it’s been a while! 07/05/2020 Well, with the situation throughout the world being the sort of thing only a few people have seen in their lifetime, the world held to ransom and the result being many physical and economical catastrophes. I hope my email finds you all in good spirits and positive that ‘we’ will make it out the other side hopefully not so bad for wear. My thoughts are with any of you where the effects have been harmful in any way to you, your family, or friends. I consider myself so lucky that the company I am fortunate to be working for has a contract which has seen the company keep working, although in a rather different way, due to such things as shift work, extra care, health and safety and ‘social distancing’ etc but, even while at home while in a ‘stand-by’ situation, my employer has been generous enough to pay me. I feel valued. A bonus has been to have Cath at home and we managed to get many of those nagging jobs done from the list that can be hard to accomplish while running…… Anyway enough of that, it’s been great to be back at work for many reasons, one of course that I so like getting the little Suzuki RGV250 out of the shed in the morning and that 35k ride to work is refreshing to start the day, and shar- ing the good morale with workmates. We haven’t been completely idle with regards to the racing, after Lester and I had long discussions, and the ad- vantage of some very special simulation software we have a couple of exhaust and engine modifications in the pipe- line for our fantastic little Yamaha TZ350. The simulations suggest, as we had suspected, that we could expect power delivery earlier in the rev range, in- creased torque and that the power curve (max RPM) would drop off a little earlier hence encouraging me to stop rev- ving the bike so hard…..sorry Lester! After the understanding and results we achieved with the suspension at Pukekohe we are even more excited as to when we can race again. The modifications we plan should make the bike easier to ride fast and yes, I’m smiling at the thought. Our friend Peter Pinion has a ‘Flow Bench’ and we are going to do some carburettor testing soon. We tried two of the carb types at Pukekohe and my fastest lap times were within 0.1 of a second so not much there, but I did note different behaviour from the engine. The flow bench is an air pressure/vacuum device which measures pressure and vacuum at various points through a component. By comparing the three different styles of carburettor we have and Pete’s experience we may learn something valuable. Here’s hoping. At this point everything depends on the state of play politically as to when the clubs can look at organising meetings, but we hope during the next racing season to race at the; Greymouth Street-races, Labour week-end Sunday 2020 Southern Classic at Levels, end of November 2020 The NZCMRR road-race series, 1) Manfield Spring Classic 2) Pukekohe Classic 3) Taupo Autumn Classic, October 2020 through to March 2021 NZ superbike and Motofest Classic at Hampton Downs, March 2021

As you can imagine we are chaffing at the bit to get started, I have ordered the tubing for the exhausts and Lester has made special spacers to fit to the carburettors. I say thanks to each and every one of you for your support and encouragement. It makes the difference for us. As to Lester supporting me with his bike, awesome mate can’t thank-you enough, and Cath, your never ending support and understanding is simply amazing! Take care everyone and hopefully we will return to some sort of ‘Normal’ soon. Sincere regards Jock, Cath, Lester.

LAST OF THE SUMMER WINE

It seems that way as I look at the weather on Sunday 22nd March. We’re not in lock down yet, we’re still at Level 2 but it seems that 3 & 4 are inevitable. I’m going riding. I start heading west but the view up the Wairau Valley confirms what the rain radar was telling me an hour ago. So I head towards Havelock instead. The cloud dissipates and the sun brings some warmth. Spirits are high. Through the Whangamoa the road has a few wet patches but the visor stays dry. From the Gentle Annie I can see that the road to Golden Bay is not getting any rain. Great!

Today the traffic is lighter than usual so I make it from Atawhai to Three Brothers corner in just 26 minutes. (This can take an hour when the traffic clogs up). I head to Upper Moutere then down the river for a while before cutting across to Ngatamoti where I head down the Motueka River. The sun is shining. To avoid Motueka I cross over the river to the West Bank at the last bridge and make my way via Brooklyn to the foot of the Takaka Hill. The lights here are red and the sign says expect 14 – 18 minutes delay. This is the first stop so I get off the bike and clean my visor. There are only four cars ahead of me so I’m not surprised to be waiting ages. The lights go green and we’re off passing the four cars before the first corner as the front one has stalled. Don’t know about you but I LOVE the Takaka Hill. It’s a great surface on both sides but there’s a few wet patches today so care is exercised. The thing that annoys me is that I am unable to match the time I used to take crossing this hill on my then DR650 trail bike. Pushing the 100 HP Vstrom as hard as I can I’m still two minutes slower than that old 46 HP DR! Weird. Part way down the other side I start catching up with traffic that saw the previous green but they are well spread out and there’s lots of passing opportunities on this road. It is 1200 and I’m peckish so I follow a sign that says Picnic Ground but am unable to find it. Instead I find a sports ground with a brand new and elaborate pavilion. Boy Golden Bay must have done some lobbying and fund raising to get this. There’s not a soul in sight so I use their toilets then park up and eat my sandwich and take coffee from my thermos. That done, it’s off to Collingwood where I can see more rain ahead. I backtrack to Takaka where I fill up the tank then go back over the Takaka Hill. Once again, I just miss getting the green so have another long wait. Then it’s up the Motueka River on the West Bank, crossing the river at Woodstock before heading through Tapawera. The debate now is, do I ride via Kawatiri Junction or Tophouse? It is looking black as towards the Hope Saddle so Tophouse wins. We stop at the original Golden Downs site and put on some more clothes then head south into the southwester and start climbing. It is light rain and 7°C at Tophouse so the appeal of a St Arnaud ice cream diminishes to the point I simply turn left and head down the valley where it quickly warms up. In Blenheim it is a comfy 25°. It was a great day out and a fun filled 555 km. Little did I know that that was to be my last ride for quite some time. There were some folk who didn’t think I should have done this ride but remember we were at only Level 2 at the time. But before going I looked at the ride from a Coronavirus risk point of view. Consider this:  I did not go to a café.  I did not get close to anybody  I did not talk to anybody  I did not spread any germs because I touched nothing with the exception of the petrol pump hose and the Eftpos machine at the Takaka servo where I used hand sanitizer before and after.  At lunch I used soap and hot water before and after eating - just in case something was lurking in my gloves.  And I wore my face mask all the time……… (Mine’s yellow and black and has a new visor)

As you can see with the controls applied, the risk of spreading anything or getting anything, was virtually impossible. I thought this might be the future for Club rides but Level 4 put paid to that.

My bike languishes in the garage. It is over-maintained and polished within an inch of its life. When I feel a ‘mental health day’ coming on I am reminded of Doug Jackson’s words when he said that one risk the authorities are trying to eliminate by keeping us all at home, is the risk of an accident and taking up a hospital bed that might be urgently needed by somebody else. I’m afraid that makes sense.

See you on the other side. JG Photo Caption Ulyssian Face Mask

LIFE AFTER LOCKDOWN

Like every other Biker in the country, the PMS (parked motorcycle syndrome) struggle has been real. The bike has been cleaned and polished, maintenance has been done, and I’ve apologised to it after every supermarket run that we haven’t been further than taking the ’long’ way home around Blenheim. I’ve also spent much time thinking about where I’ll go following this period of lockdown.

I’ll be heading away for a few days to clear my head and put a few k’s on my bike. I wouldn’t mind if it’s wet or cold, - that’s just a matter of wearing more clothes and having the right gear on, although that reminds me, I’ll have to zip the thermal liner back into my jacket because it was still quite warm last time I went any distance.

It will probably be short rides first until the restrictions are fully lifted; Pelorus Bridge for a pie, Rai Valley for an ice cream then a ride up to St Arnud for a picnic on the lake shore? But then, maybe my first ride should be to Kaikoura because it’s such a great road and without all the usual tourist traffic it should be a clear run especially if I do an early morning ride with the sun rising over the hills and hitting the water with sea mist rising in the distance. Brilliant.

When we are completely free of the restrictions and have free range to travel again, a trip around the South Island will definitely be on the cards. I’ve been thinking probably at Queen’s Birthday weekend. I usually go to the Brass Monkey Rally and since it’s been postponed till next year, I think a trip away at that time might help to fill the void. First day I’ll head towards Christchurch and stay with our Daughter at Little River, then the next day I might head over the hill to have lunch at Akaroa, it would be rude not to ride over that road when I’m that close to it, I’ve heard it referred to as the Akaroa GP on Sundays due to the number of bikes having a scratch. Fish and chips on the water front sounds good to me.

That would mean another night at Little River before I would head on to Dunedin where I’ll catch up with my mate Rob who’s always on for a ride somewhere. We often go to the Brass Monkey together so it would have to be a blast over the Pig Route through Ranfurly. A salute to the BM rally site at Oturehura on our way past then on to Alexandra and lunch with my brother. If we stay the night at Cromwell, the following morning we can decide what direction to travel depending on the weather conditions. We could head up over the Lindis Pass into the McKenzie country and ride up the centre of the island or head towards Wanaka and over the Haast Pass to ride those West Coast roads, with a night at Harihari or on to Hokitika, - there are good pubs to stay in at both these towns and you can have a great night out.

There are plenty of options for a few days riding anywhere in NZ. It can be cold at this time of the year making it challenging riding especially if there’s some snow around, but by wearing the right gear and choosing the route to suit the conditions, it can be brilliant riding.

So that’s what I’m thinking about tonight.

When we’re free again we might see each other out on the road and we’ll wave as we pass.

What are you planning? John #5083

POWDDERY—article borrowed from IAM THOUGHT this would be an appropriate Safety Corner for this month

 Petrol. Make sure you fill your tank and top up regularly. If your bike has been standing for a long period of time, old petrol can cause starting problems as it may clog up the fuel system. The best thing to do is drain your old petrol if there is a lot and fill up with new petrol.

 Oil. You can check you have the right amount of oil by using a dipstick or sight glass in the side of the engine casing. Remember to keep the bike vertical when checking this by getting someone to sit on the bike whilst you check the oil. Bear in mind that overfilling will also cause damage, so top up slowly and check your fuel level regularly.

 Water. This needs to be checked if you have a water-cooled engine. Again, the bike needs to be vertical. If you find that you’re low on water, remember never to use tap water as you’ll need a mix of water and anti- freeze.

 Damage. Check for any damage – this could be on your bike, helmets or even your protective clothing.

 Drive Chain. Check for damage to Chain and Sprockets. Chain is adjusted correctly and is lightly oiled. Check for oil leaks on shaft drive motorcycles.

 Electrics. If you’re taking your bike out for the first time in a while, it is always a good idea to check your lights and both the foot and hand brake light switches.

 Rubber. Remember to check your tyre pressure as well as the condition and tread depth. Bear in mind this could change depending on the amount of weight your bike is carrying. Remember to test this when your tyres are cold, as the reading will be higher when they’re hot. The legal limit is 1mm across three-quarters of tyre and visible tread on the rest.

 You. If you’ve been out of practice for a few months, then you may have lost that ‘bike fitness’. Make sure you are fit to ride your bike and remember to take it slow and steady until you’ve got to grips with it.

At this time of Covid 19 and subsequent lockdown we have all missed the chance to ride our bikes, but going out on the first day after lockdown without some planning is not a good idea. Get your bike and yourself prepared. Jumping on your bike for the first time and heading out on a 1000km round trip is not wise or safe, limit rides to short distances and slowly build up your bike fitness, hopefully you have been out walking. We have had the time to go over our bikes in preparation for the day we can ride again.

Maintenance & Safety Checklist.  Lights, Indictors & Brakes – Test to ensure they are working correctly.  Check and clean all riding gear, including your helmet & boots.  Check and top up if required all fluids, ie oils, coolant, clutch and brake fluids.  Oil, air & fuel filters change if required  Front & rear brakes, check and adjust, inspect for wear on pads.  Re-oil cables, they may have dried out and become stiff to operate smoothly.  Rear Chain, adjust, clean and oil.  Lubricate any other moving parts.  If you can, get your bike up off the ground so you can check wheels are moving freely and there is no issue with wheel bearings.  Look for cuts and excessive wear on front and rear tyres. Make sure rims are in good order and tyre pres- sures are correct.  The legal minimum tread depth is 1.5mm in all the ‘principal grooves’ around the entire circumference of the tyre.  Cleaning your bike is always a great time to go over it and check for any thing which may have come loose.  If you don’t feel competent at doing some of these, no worries do what you feel comfortable with and get your mechanic/service person to have a quick look at what’s left before heading out.

CREDIT to IAM for the above, I didn’t ask their permission to reproduce it here but I think (hope) they wouldn’t mind. NEXT Month; a return to Safety Corner from John JG Sinclair.

BITS AND BOBS

Picton Tools and Tyres. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This local Business very generously supported our Ulysses National Rally with donations of brilliant Raffle prizes (Thanks to Jock Woodley) So when we needed new batteries for our training bikes recently, we made a quick phone call to Julian at Picton Tools and Tyres. ’We don’t want any of those rubbish Chinese ones’ we told him, - ‘No worries’ he said, ‘I can sort you’ and before we knew it John was enjoying an ’essential’ ride to Picton to pick up two new batteries. Great friendly service and very helpful. Next time you need some tyres for your bike, a battery or anything else tool wise, give Julian a call, he’s your man. We highly recommend this business. John #5083 and Jane #6361 Laing

PICTON TOOLS AND TYRES, 6A Kent Street, Picton. Phone; (03) 573 5413

ULYSSES GEAR

If you would like to purchase any item of Ulysses Gear, MOTORCYCLE CLOTHING, check out the Gear on the Ulysses NZ website, HELMETS, ACCESSORIES, PARTS, www.ulysses.org.nz BRAKES, CHAINS & SPROCKETS and make a note of what you want. TYRES –(supply ﬁt and balance), Then get in touch with Branch Quartermaster, - Evan Teale, to place your order. AND LIGHT SERVICING - (Road Bikes) Phone Evan; 03 9720481 Evan is regularly at our Branch coffee mornings with the gear folder , look out for Rear Bay; 5 Freswick Street, him and while you’re at it, thank him for doing this job on your behalf! Blenheim 7201

IF UNATTENDED…

Ulysses Phone Wayne, 021 370 745 Lanyard EMAIL: [email protected] Keeps your badges in one place, clip on Did you see our lovely Thankyou advert in the Blenheim your bike key Sun newspaper on Wednesday 6 May? when you There was someone missed off the list and I must dismount. apologise for that. I’m so sorry. $5.00 each Jock Woodley did a lot of work canvassing for brilliant raffle prizes, this was much appreciated. THANK YOU JOCK! Jane

REPORT ROAD HAZARDS… (in Marlborough)

Phone Marlborough Roads on (03) 520 8330

**This is a 24hour service linked to Contractors for emergency situations.

MOTORCYCLE TRIP AROUND TASMANIA – APRIL 2012

We were unsure of what time of the year to visit Tasmania but felt that autumn was the best bet as summer in Aussie was too hot for us. We decided on April. As we had already travelled round Turkey on a Suzuki V Strom with no problems in any way, we thought that was the best choice. We felt that a small island would have variable surface, tortuous roads, and so it proved! We flew into Hobart, as we had heard that Bass Straight could be an experience to be missed in bad weather. We thought 2 weeks would be a bit long, so planned to ride most places in 10 days. In hindsight I think there was a lot more to see and do if you allowed 2 ½ weeks. The route we chose was the road taken by the cars on the Rally of Tasmania. We felt that offered the best chance of good motorcycle roads. It was almost completely sealed road, except for the second day. Hobart is a quaint overgrown old fishing port, with hills and narrow streets. Mount Victoria overlooks the port and clouds are often shrouding its upper slopes. We checked out the market the first afternoon. The walk down the hill from the Hotel stretched the legs.

We walked down to the docks and collected the V Strom the next morning, and then headed south east to see Port Arthur. On the way we were shocked to see a sign proudly identifying where the last native Aboriginal was shot dead! We travelled on to Port Arthur with the distinct feeling that genocide was an ugly result of colonisation. This area was the site of the first Aussie penal colony. The book “The Potato Factory” was based on life here at Port Arthur. Men, women and children were sent there, and a child was treated as an adult from 8 years of age! Child mortality was terrible. The children were separated from their parents once they were weened. They were placed on an island off shore. Many drowned trying to raft back to see their parents. Several groups of convicts tried to escape, but none were successful in the long term. Most attempts resulted in the deaths of the escapees. The area looks warm and idyllic but there are terrible dangers for the unwary, with sharks in the sea and other nasties in the bush.

Next day we rode inland over the hills to Ross. We thought that Australia was a flat, dry country. We had not counted on the mountainous terrain, or the sleet, snow, wind and rain. Fortunately we Kiwis always carry layers of extra clothing to mix and match the weather. On the descent into Ross the weather cleared and the sun came out. Ross is very pretty and provided a great café lunch stop.

We were told that the Huron Pines that filled the Macquarie Valley had been milled for their excellent boat building timber. The wood is oily and resists borer and rot. We rode back the way we had come, with more layers on.

Continued next page….

TASMANIA – APRIL 2012 continued

From Hobart we headed up the East Coast. It was like the Australian mainland. There was a predominance of gums, and it was dry and hot. Beautiful sea views round every corner.

We called in to a sanctuary for the Tasmanian Devils. As you may know they are endangered, as they have a viral infection spread by biting each other .The bites become cancerous and they snuff it. They are stroppy little devils and bite a lot. Apparently they expect that the only survivors will be those in the sanctuaries, as the feral ones will all die out. Once the virus is eliminated from the island they will let them out of their safety ‘’bubble’’. Sounds a bit familiar, so cut out the biting!

On up to Saint Helens where we turned inland towards Launceston were there was green pasture and dairying, and the bush began to change to look more dense. There were more conifers and ferns rather than gums. However what gums there were –WERE HUGE. They were reputed to be taller than the Californian Redwood when mature. We didn’t stay in Launceston even though my cousin has a dairy farm there. He was not there –but working down in Queenstown in the copper mine! He had made enough to buy a farm but left the mud, poos and wees for his long suffering wife! We rode on to Burnie and our northern most point. We sped on to Queenstown to see my cousin. This Queenstown is nothing remotely like our Queenstown. They have mined a mountain of copper and in processing the ore, have wrecked the environment. They now send the ore direct to India and they wreck their environment. The waste is so toxic that it will be 1000 years at least before the toxins leach out enough to support vegetation. There is a train that crawls up to the remaining vantage point so you can survey the destruction. The only fun was seeing my cousin, and his beaut FULL COOKED BREAKFAST. I understand which part of the family are the serious foodies!

We needed to see beauty and not the beast, so thank goodness for Strahan. It is an absolutely stunning fishing port with beautiful sheltered anchorage. Great seafood for that evening meal washed the sour taste of Queenstown away.

From here we went on to Derwent Bridge and very rugged countryside.

Continued next page...

TASMANIA – APRIL 2012 continues

The best gorge road was here. My mate, Dave Conroy, crashed his Norton Commando down a hillside here and had warned us not to get over enthusiastic! He described blind decreasing radius corners, wet leaves spread across the road, poor light, and lunatics coming the other way at the same speed you might be travelling! The V Strom was having none of that and harried a bunch of much bigger machines though the twisties. They looked a lot more colour coordinated than us but pulled over when they realised that they were not able to keep with the pace. Thank goodness the wee beast handled it with aplomb.

We sped down the Derwent valley and into Hobart. The motorcycle riding adventure was complete.

Took the bike back that evening and the owner commented that we must have had fun, after he checked the hero knobs and the tires! It may sound as though we were totally irresponsible but a well set up V Strom can make riding seem easy, especially on good tyres. This was our first experience of Michelin Anakees. They really were exceptional all round tyres. I’ve used them ever since on my bikes. Next day we visited some crazy museum out in the harbour by boat – Mona, Tasmania’s eccentric Museum. It had all manner of interesting exhibits – but you are not reading this to learn about that!

This island is full of good roads, great people, varying scenes. More like NZ than Aussie. We saw lots of it in 10 days. If you hoped to see as much in mainland Aussie you would need months! The V Strom never missed a beat. It really is the little bike that can do it all. I’m writing this 8 years later and it was that good I remembered it like yesterday. To be honest I have compressed the trip to highlight some of the different aspects we encountered, but it was all great fun. Sawbones and Lis

MARLBOROUGH RIDES & EVENTS CALENDAR

SUNDAY RIDES; Unless otherwise stated, all Sunday Rides leave from the south end of Blenheim Railway Station car-park—check the rides calendar. MID WEEK RIDES; Thursdays, depart Brayshaw Park car-park 11am—check with John or Grant if in doubt. Come on your bike or in your car, it doesn’t matter, just come along and join in. If you have an idea for a ride, get in touch with the Branch Coordinator.

LOOKING ON DOWN THE ROAD...

DATE DAY TIME DETAILS RIC

Every Thursdays 11am Thursday Group rides . Meet at Brayshaw Park carpark, all Grant Johnson week Restart members and visitors Welcome John Sinclair 28 May

Every Saturdays 10am Come along to our Branch Coffee morning at the Kelvin Watson week Starting Runway Café, - (formally Argosy Café) at Woodbourne.— 30 May Resuming Saturday 30 May.

31 May Sunday 1pm QUEENS BIRTHDAY WEEKEND; No official organised ride but meet up at the Railway Station carpark and decide on the day.

4 June Thursday 7pm Branch committee meeting. Either via Zoom or Kelvin to advise Kelvin Watson where.

7 June Sunday 10am First official Branch Ride. Join in our Branch Poker Run, great Tim Wills prizes, very social, lots of fun, lunch somewhere—wait and see!

14 June Sunday 1pm Ride to Linkwater Queen Charlotte hotel for coffee, riding via Kelvin Watson Havelock and return through the twistys to Picton

21 June Sunday 11am SHORTEST DAY; Ride to Lake Rotoiti at St Arnud for a picnic John Laing lunch at the shelter. BYO food and drink.

28 June Sunday 11am Decide destination on the day—depends on the weather. John Sinclair

5 July Sunday 1pm Ride to Pelorus Bridge for afternoon tea. Kelvin Watson

12 July Sunday 10am Picnic Ride to Okiwi Bay, BYO food and drink. A toilet stop at John Laing Rai Valley before we head out to the bay, opportunity to purchase lunch at Rai Valley if needed, (if too wet, we will go to Forresters café just past Rai Valley).

FURTHER ON DOWN THE ROAD... 26 September 2020; Annual Remembrance Service at Kaikoura. see notice in May/June newsletter. 31 Oct—2 Nov 2020; Marlborough Anniversary weekend, Branch double overnighter at Pohara Beach Top 10 Holi- day Park. Book your accommodation now. 20 –22 November 2020; Taranaki Branch Energy Rally. Further info contact Blair Campbell phone 027 4490202. Email; [email protected] 26-28 February 2021; Marlborough Branch ‘Back to Basics Rally’ at Kaituna near Havelock. Rego and info form on our Branch website. 9-11 April 2021; National Rally & AGM, Waikato Branch at Lake Karapiro. Further info in your Ulyssian magazine.

OUR BRANCH WEB-SITE

Check out our very own web-site at www.ulysses.org.nz/marlborough Then contact Bob and tell him what you think all and any comment would be appreciated Ph; 03 574 1177 Email; [email protected]

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SENDER; Ulysses Club of New Zealand Inc, MARLBOROUGH Branch. If undelivered please return to The Secretary, 94 Howick Road Blenheim 7201