I think my last blog was in November last year, and here we are at the end of April.
I guess I have been pretty busy in that time, December saw me sell the ZX9R and even though my heart was set upon a brand spanker ZX6R, to appease Bruce I rode a GSXR750 which I ultimately bought. I went to the KSRC Xmas party, went on a snowies ride and got an epic puncture (bit of wood about as big as my thumb punched through a brand new Corsa III), first time any of my bikes had to come home on the back of a trailer :(.
Over the xmas break I went riding of course, 29th went to Dargo for a Skuffy ride then made my way up north, seeing in the new year with Robyn, Yedi & Jules at Blayney. Spent a couple of nights up at the goldie with Jen and the rest of the family up there before heading back south and past Canberra to Corryong for the swim ride.
Later in January, seeing as I had a bit of cash, I decided that I would look at getting a ZX7R to have as a second bike, to be used as a commuter and if I wanted to put something on the track. Well I was told the 7 would be a shit commuter and the GSXR would be much better on the track, but when have I ever listened to anyone? LOL. I had my usual problem with ZX7R’s - getting to look at one before it was sold. Eventually I found one - in QLD! Not too far up the road from where Jen is now living so I arranged to have the Monday off work as Tuesday was Australia Day and set off after work on Friday just hoping that it wouldn’t have sold before I got there. It didn’t! I think the reason for this is the high kays on it - 92,xxx. My uncle had driven me out to look at the bike and I rode it back to their place. The plan was to leave the 7 there and come back for it in a couple of weeks, but new bike fever took over and the suzuki was parked up next to the XT for a bit. I fell in love with the 7 on the way home. Awesome bike. When I flew back and rode the gixxer home the next week the decision was made - the 7 was going to be my number 1 bike!
In February I again celebrated my birthday in Tintaldra with the addition of a canoe trip which was nice. The 7 loves the snowies! Also attended Wetbucca on the 7, which again lived up to it’s name.
End of February saw the various KSRC crews heading down to Phillip Island for the CDT - the day before we left - disaster! The 7 wouldn’t start!!! He would bump start OK but the starter button wouldn’t do anything. I was very tempted to take the 7 and just get the boys to take turns giving me a push 
but in the end I ended up taking the gixxer and had an awful ride, I just couldn’t get into a good rythym pretty much the whole trip. And then the gixxer got it’s second epic puncture, and ended up spending a week on a farm down near Tooma (thank you so much to Farmer George for babysitting him!) and I ended up being dinked back to Canberra on the back of a Crim… which actually wasn’t as bad as it sounds, only my feet really got sore on the trip back and I actually quite enjoyed the run up the Elliot Way from the back, it was quite a different perspective. Cath had kindly ‘gotten bored’ of riding so I got to have a turn of her ZX6R as well - it was very nice and so so so so similar to my Jimmy! But I think if I was to choose between the two I would go the 03/04 over the 05/06 - I could notice the extra heat from the underseat exhaust.
but in the end I ended up taking the gixxer and had an awful ride, I just couldn’t get into a good rythym pretty much the whole trip. And then the gixxer got it’s second epic puncture, and ended up spending a week on a farm down near Tooma (thank you so much to Farmer George for babysitting him!) and I ended up being dinked back to Canberra on the back of a Crim… which actually wasn’t as bad as it sounds, only my feet really got sore on the trip back and I actually quite enjoyed the run up the Elliot Way from the back, it was quite a different perspective. Cath had kindly ‘gotten bored’ of riding so I got to have a turn of her ZX6R as well - it was very nice and so so so so similar to my Jimmy! But I think if I was to choose between the two I would go the 03/04 over the 05/06 - I could notice the extra heat from the underseat exhaust.
The Tintaldra/Bright ride was on again at the end of March - much smaller crowd this year, which made for much quieter party nights and much better riding! There was only one person there that I hadn’t met multiple times before which made it a lot more relaxing I think. It was also the first time ever I think where I haven’t woken up hungover at Tintaldra. Which actually made for some really awesome riding 
I guess it must have been around mid-March that planning seriously got underway for The Adventure of a Lifetime (or at least the adventure for this year!)
Today I leave Canberra and will not be back for seven weeks, Robyn and I are riding around Australia. A lot of planning has gone into this and we are raising funds for MARI (motorcycle accident rehabilitation initiative through ST Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney). It is currently 5:30 am and I have slept very poorly, but told myself I am not allowed to get up before 6am. Not sure if I’ll stick to that or not.
I am very excited of course and a little bit nervous. I have never ridden the 7 really loaded up before (seeing as I only just got my ventura rack a couple of weeks ago, I put it on myself and it’s a bit ummm crooked/uneven/bent. ) I have also realised that it has only been in the last couple of months that I have really gotten over my 2008 trip. I wonder how long it will take for me to get over this one? I’m not sure, now that I think about it, whether it is a good thing or not… in a way I feel like a part of me that I found on that trip is again lost… anyway, I bet I’m about to find it again. Wonder if some out of the way Roadhouse will offer me a job again… :D I think Ksenia would hunt me down and do foul murder upon me if I didn’t return.
Well it’s 5:30am and I am done with this blog… I think stuff my rules, it might be coffee time.
Mel.
