Mid-Week Ride to Castlemaine 11th October 2023

Ride Leader: Sheryl Townsend
Ride Report: Sheryl Townsend
Pics: Jules Pearce

Ride report Wednesday 11^th Oct 2023 Waurn Ponds to Castlemaine (circa 310 Km)
 
Any takers to write up the ride report? … Silence … So, you’ve got my version of the Ride report again!
Seventeen riders assembled at the Waurn Ponds meeting place. Briefing done and just as we were ready to leave, Peter (aka The Lens) rode in, no ‘official’ pic this time as I was riding to a strict timeline to meet the Grampians guys at Castlemaine and wanted to head off! Thanks, Jules for the official photo.



 


We set off via the Ring Road to take us onto the Ballan Road, turning off at the Steiglitz Road to make our way to Meredith. A road oft travelled on our rides, but a much nicer way of getting to Meredith than the Midland Highway. Morning tea at the General Store with other MAMILS (Middle Aged Men in Lycra as opposed to Middle Aged Men in Leather) who had ridden here – doing it a bit harder than us!

From there we made our way along what I call, The Don Quixote Road – a book I studied yonks ago at school, but still have the image of Don Quixote haplessly charging the windmill on his trusty steed!

We wound our way through the narrow, bumpy, pot-holey road, flanked by a multitude of windmills on all sides of us. We re-joined the Geelong-Ballan Road just south of Ballan.

With the new way of fixing roads nowadays - leave the pothole there and just drop the speed limit - we made our way through 60 kms/hr to 40 kms/hr to STOP to 100 km/h to 80 kms/hr speed zones all the way to Daylesford.

I took us through the main street, as I usually miss, and did again on this occasion, the turn off to go around the township – anyhow, always good to look at the beautiful people of Daylesford.

Now, this is where we had our first mishap! Getting to the roundabout to turn right, I was glad to see an empty parking spot for our corner marker – Peter Townsend stopped there and guided the riders. TEC rode past Peter, as did a subsequent 10 or more cars before Peter could pull out and join the group. TEC saw a bike just like Peter’s passing him and so thought all was good.

The group continued onto the Castlemaine Mills – a very pleasant venue suggested by John Harkin.  TEC came up to me to tell me that Peter Townsend was missing! He thought Peter has left the group perhaps to go home. Unusual but OK – I said I would call Peter to ensure he had got home alright.

After wandering around the Mills looking for the Grampians group – finally calling John to say –         “where are you come and find us” – we all joined up for lunch at “Das Kaffeehaus”. There was also a bakery, and some had lunch from the bakery.
 
To continue the tale of the mishap here – Peter Townsend joined us a few minutes later! What had happened was that the bike that passed TEC was not Peter and by the time Peter was able to rejoin the traffic flow, corner markers and TEC had all moved on. Well done Peter to find us and join us and a huge apology to Peter.
 

 

 Pic above courtesy of Harko from the Grampians Branch

Moving on – the weather had warmed up as we left after lunch to go to Guildford, via a fuel top up, for a combined photoshoot at the Big Tree – sadly we blotted out the tree in the picture with the group, but it is a big tree believe me! And yes, that’s me – the makeshift Geelong Ulysses banner – just so we wouldn’t be outdone by the Grampians Ulysses banner!
 











Raff decided to trial being TEC using a big VOLVO grader instead of his motorbike.
 


 
That’s us watching Raff climb aboard the Grader and disappear down the road!




That’s Raff coming back to us with this new toy!




This is Raff saying goodbye to the Grader and deciding to stick with his motorbike as TEC.



Raff and his new toy.



From Guildford we rode the short distance together with the Grampians group to Newstead where we said our goodbyes – Grampians heading north via Maryborough and us south via Creswick.

This was the 2^nd (minor) mishap for the day – I had no idea how to get back via Creswick, so Mark jumped in to help out and led us back to Meredith where we said our final goodbyes and headed home, after what turned out to be quite a long day’s riding and socialising.

Thanks John Harkin of the Grampians club for the venue suggestion and ride leader from Guildford to Newstead, Mark for ride leader from Newstead back to Meredith and Raff as TEC all the way… and everybody from both Ulysses groups for making it a lovely day.

What a glorious day for a ride!

Sheryl Townsend
Member # 67406

Thanks Sheryl for a good day out.
It was a long one, but the socialising was good all day!