Mallacoota & The Canberra Branch

On Saturday morning June 6th, Ferri & Anne, Tom & Sue, Kerren & Jenny, Gipp and Moose joined Pam & me on a ride to Mallacoota to meet up with members of the Canberra Branch. Kerren had been volunteered to be Tail-End-Charlie and Don & Georgie followed in their car. We left at 8.00 on a cool misty morning that promised to be fine once we left the suburbs and headed towards Noojee for morning tea. After turning off at Yarra Junction, the roads were damp so we took it easy on the twisty bits and arrived at Noojee to hot tea & coffee and some munchables from Brian & Narelle at the Red Parrot café. The weather gods were smiling and we had some sunshine as we rode through the twisties to Hill End and bright sunshine as we skirted Blue Rock dam and headed through Yallourn North, Heyfield and Stratford. We had struck very little traffic so far on this Queens Birthday long weekend but there were a few more 4WD & caravans on the stretch of highway to lunch at Lakes Entrance and we arrived a little later that I had planned. Here we refuelled and met up with Henri & Marjorie and Bob & Kath who had travelled separately in their cars and had finished lunch, so they headed off while we endured a very slow service lunch in a café.

Eventually we were set to go and it was off down the highway to Cann River for fuel for some and a comfort stop for all. We turned off at Genoa for the last 23 kms to Mallacoota in fading light so it was a careful trip on a patchy road that had a few very tight corners. We settled in to our accommodation and the 18 Yarra Ranges members met up with over 20 of our Canberra colleagues led by their president Michael Winters and his wife Tracey. We enjoyed a great meal in the pub bistro with a roaring fire in the central fireplace.

After a leisurely brekky on Sunday morning, Michael led a ride to Eden for lunch on the wharf on a beautiful sunny day, and some of us had a look around the Killer Whale Museum.







Others chose to enjoy the day in Mallacoota and it was perfect for strolling (or pushing someone in a wheelchair) around in the sun and enjoying some good food & company. We met for drinks and nibbles back at the pub before heading to the Golf Club for dinner. The food and company was great and the last courtesy bus headed back to the pub a bit after 9.00 so everyone was ready for the ride/drive home the next day.

After an early brekky, we said our goodbyes to the Canberra Branch and headed for the Shell roadhouse at Newmerella for morning tea around the picnic table on the grass in the sun and a fuel top up. Moose had taken the opportunity to call in at Cabbage Tree Creek to see if Chrissy & John-boy (ex Shearwaters members) were home but unfortunately John-boy had gone to work.



On to Stratford for lunch at the Ticklish Turtle Café where Adrienne had prepared some home-made vegetable soup with ingredients straight out of local veggie gardens – yummo! The group said their goodbyes as we left Stratford as we were all heading straight home along the Princes Freeway.

It was a great weekend of riding, sightseeing, dining and enjoying good company with the Canberra branch – we’ll do it again!