Search for a memory card and RTE at Corryong

On Carl’s return from our summer adventure, just outside of Khancoban his camera had fallen from his tank bag, and he didn’t realise until his return home that his memory card had also fallen out, of course containing all the pictures from our trip.  Mick and Carl were planning to ride to Khancoban on Saturday to try and find it… am I in? YES!  Farriders were also having a ride to eat at Corryong so I planned to ride to Khancoban with the boys then continue on my own over to Corryong to meet up with the Farriders.

The forecast all week had been for rain so I double-bagged everything and made sure my wet weather gear was packed at the top… and awoke Saturday morning to the birds chirping and blue skies! Overnight the weather forecast for Cabramurra had gone from “rain” to “mostly sunny”.  Excellent.

I had not had much fun on the Crim through the tight stuff that we did on our trip and I was curious - was it me, or was it the bike?  I decided to take the 7 for a run, which Gos kindly returned to me on the Friday night.

I was a little later than my estimated leave time of 8am but arrived at Williamsdale on time, I fuelled up and the boys arrived while I was paying.

A beautiful day for a ride - at Williamsdale

Before long we were underway, with Carl guiding us at a sensible pace through Cooma and then onto the road to Adaminaby where I took the lead, pulling into the Ampol covered in bugs - the 7 ain’t clean anymore!  We grabbed some fuel and headed over to the bakery for some breakfast.  We got chatting to three people who had pulled up, from the Phillip Island and Districts Ride Group (or something like that).  There was a lady on a ZX6R and we had a good chat about being a female motorcyclist and all the times that people assume just because we are female, we should be on the back!

The Awesome Road was calling so before long we were underway again - and as soon as I hit the yellow lines I started feeling panicky - OK so it is probably me, not the Crim!  Though the 7 is much nicer to ride at a panicky level… and before long I was rolling through the bends at double the posted limit thinking I could go much harder… the 7 is very confidence inspiring.

A quick break at the sign for my facebook photo album

Kiandra

And Mick had a quick splash in a little river/creek but didn’t bring back any water for me (haha!).  We continued on and very quickly the boys were out of sight and I just cruised through with the 7.  We had decided to stop at Tooma Dam instead of Tumut Ponds for our smoke break so I suspect the boys had been there for quite a while by the time I finally rolled in… oh well lucky they are patient people! I had a really nice ride through there, quite the reminder of just how much I love the 7.

Tooma Dam (the boys and their bikes are behind the rock)

We continued on to Khancoban and Carl pulled up at the appropriate spot.  Very quickly Mick found the memory card - but it was a bit squished and all the inside bits were missing.  We kept looking and found a few more bits of the plastic but none of the internals.  So the photos are all gone - but I am super impressed that we found the memory card at all! (it was just out of town in the grass on the edge of the road).

We grabbed some sandwiches from JJ’s Alpine Cafe (the one at the servo), I had a “pizza toastie” and I highly recommend it - it actually tasted like pizza!  We took our sandwiches out to Khancoban Pondage where we had been swimming the week before and I had a quick swim before lunch and then Mick and I had an awesome swim before it was time for the boys to head back to Canberra and for me to head over to Corryong.

It felt a little bit lonely to be riding on my own (!) but before long I pulled up outside the pub where Ray advised me that I could park on the footpath in the shade but no, I was just checking in… said hi to everyone who was already there then got my room sorted and out of the leather and then settled down to catch up with everyone (and left my camera in my room…!)

Eventually it was dinner time and I had the “Corryong Chicken” which was actually really nice (and no cockroaches!!! haha) and then Russ and Jeltje joined us, it was so great to see them there.  The ‘beer and bullshit’ flowed along quite nicely and all too quickly it was time to head off to bed.

Sunday dawned bright and early… unlike me! haha.  I got out of bed around 8:15am and was ready to roll about an hour later.  I decided to get fuel at Khancoban in case I got hungry and wanted another pizza toastie, but I wasn’t hungry when I got there so just fuel, a smoke and it was time to hit the mountains.

Now, I’m not sure how many people I have told of the sense of “peace” that I get when it is just me, my bike and the open country (usually only places like out on the Nullarbor etc)… but I actually got this… I was having such a great ride, the corners were flowing nicely, the 7 was singing along beautifully, the sun was shining, the trees were pretty and the flowers stunning.

I had planned to stop at Tumut Ponds on my way back as I had noticed how full the dam was when we went over on Saturday - I don’t think I have ever seen it this full!

Tumut Ponds

Last time we were here, that island wasn't an island ;)

And I took a photo of the 7 because he is so pretty too :o)

The 7 at Tumut Ponds

But - ALAS!  I geared up, got on, turned the key and…. nothing.  I jiggled it madly and…. nothing.  I spent a while sitting in the sun in my full gear trying to get something before stripping it all back off and pulling off the bag, and seats to check the fuses, nope they’re all fine.  I moved him to a better spot and kept trying, wiggling all the wires I could reach etc but nothing.  Damn.  Of course there is no phone service at Tumut Ponds and a stack of riders had come past while I was still geared up doing the jiggling thing and then no one for ages.

Eventually I spied a 4WD coming down the hill so I waved them down, and they had been stopping to take some pics of the dam anyway.  I got a ride with them up to Cabramurra, they were a lovely family, on their way to Tathra, so they were going to check out the pub for dinner that night on my recommendation (I can’t recall the food there, but the view from the deck!).  There were a stack of riders at Cabramurra, and I think a few felt a bit bad that they hadn’t stopped when they came past when they realised that I had been broken down, but I assured them I didn’t know I was broken down then!  I got onto the NRMA and finally managed to convey to them where I was.  I spoke to the tow truck driver from Adaminaby and he agreed to pick me up from Cabramurra on his way through so I bought some lunch and settled in to wait.  (I put in the call to NRMA at 11:00am).

I chatted to random riders who came through and eventually the NRMA rescue guy turned up (Darren).  It was a bit of a hairy ride down the hill to collect the 7! But I got to see so much that I usually miss due to being rather focussed on the road.  It is a hell of a long way down to the dam!  We loaded the 7 and as we were loading he says to me “you’ve had ignition problems before” and I said yes, wondering how the hell he knew this… turns out he remembers the time in 2007 that Tess and I had pulled into the Ampol at Adaminaby and Jimmy’s key was stuck in the ignition.  So different bike (I had forgotten about that problem).

The 7 departing Tumut Ponds

So back into Adaminaby where I had to call the NRMA again and they authorised for Darren to drive me and the 7 all the way back to Canberra (hurrah for Premium Care!) and for another tow truck to take the 7 out to Dr Bruce in the morning.  Got home about 5:30pm.

It was a disappointing end to the weekend, but it turns out the starter solenoid had given out, and melted the fuse, as soon as Dr Bruce had replaced the fuse it was all good again, luckily I had a brand new one here, so the 7 is now all ready to be picked up :o)