RIDE TO RIVERLANDS

It seems everyone is now back from the Riverlands AGM, and hopefully without accident or incident.
Rob Mac scored well with a blow out - very hairy front tyre puncture and running out of fuel.

Ann and I had a great ride, travelling via Swan Hill and Broken Hill. It's so dry up north that they are running a pipeline from Wentworth to Broken Hill. Lots of machines and dust parallel to the road through that section.

Coming down from Broken Hill to Peterborough SA has the highest density of roos, goats and emus dead and alive that we have seen in the Eastern States.
As Peterborough looked dull and dusty we continued on and had great riding through Burra and Morgan.
The pub at Morgan was closed for renovation so no accommodation.

Our final leg from Morgan to Renmark was therefore in the dark and I had a chance to see how brilliant the Beemer's headlights were.
Unfortunately they only shone ahead and a good-sized roo attacked on the starboard bow striking hard in that area. The poor fellow is now deceased and the bike extensively damaged.
Luckily both Ann and myself were not injured and managed to stay upright, limping the next 40 kms into Renmark where we were welcomed by our Yarra Ranges friends at the Ventura motel.
N.B. Anne, who runs the motel, was extremely kind and helpful to us during our stay and we can highly recommend this motel.

We are fully comprehensively insured with the RACV, have Aussie Assist and Total Care.
However, as we were not injured and got the bike to the motel, the RACV left us for some days without any action by them. It was extremely difficult to contact them and then get put through the right department.
Be aware that without a major stir, we feel nothing would have happened.
Finally, on the Thursday of the AGM, the bike had been
picked up and we then headed home by hire car at our own expense.

Although we missed a lot of the fun at the AGM and were very envious of the interesting roads home that so many that so many of the crew rode, we are now home safe and pleased that everyone else is also.
Our bike is now at BM Motors Ringwood awaiting the Assessor.

Just a final note to followers of Peter Ross' post on Facebook. Perhaps it's as well he isn't a match scorekeeper, as he scored:
Kangaroo (1), Ann and Bernie (0)! We are very much alive.........