I spent the morning sending my mum some birthday flowers as a surprise and having a coffee with the neighbours in the campsite before doing some blogging. Kev did not return until midday, the climb had been hard and he agreed it was good I had not attempted it at this stage. His reward a stunning view.

We enjoyed a pleasant lunch where we were always joined by the hopeful birds, we think the first one was a superb fairy wren. There were many around the camp and their colours all differed slightly from vivid blue almost all over to pale streaks on the head and chest. The parrots also patrolled our little camping spot, (we noticed they had their own territory and woe betide any intruder). We decided to relax by going for a snorkel on Norman beach although we didn’t expect to see all that much.

So we changed to our bathers and headed off.

The tide was a way out and there was only one rocky outcrop either side of the beach in which to snorkel in but we donned the masks and were hugely excited when Kev disturbed a huge Manta or Sting ray that glided right underneath the both of us. Lots of enthusiastic pointing smiling etc followed “did you see that, wow!”. The rest of the fish and coral we saw seemed so mundane after that.

After a good swim as we spotted an arrangement of driftwood over the surrounding boulders so we popped back to camp to get our cameras. It was very clever how the artist had balanced the driftwood so it would appear natural. By now the tide was coming in and cutting us off but as we were still in our swimmers it didn’t really matter.

We had a relaxing afternoon, walking back to the bridge over Tidal river for some daylight photos, tomorrow we planned to walk over the headland to the next bay Squeaky beach.

In the dwindling light we walked back up alongside Tidal river.

There were many wombats around the camping areas and we were fortunate to to see this one close up on our way back as they come out at dusk looking for food. It was hard to get a good photo in the low light. We had also been warned they had been known to rip open tents in their searches so we had to ensure we had put away all our food in the panniers.

We had another sunset to look forward to. As the sun set it just got better and better with the reflections of the clouds in the sea. It was apparently a good time to fish as well with the change of tide from the river.

All of our pictures are straight off the camera there is no photoshop tweaking or special effects.

Next Up – Squeaky beach

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Current News (19th May 2013) – As you have probably gathered from the sudden halt in the updates we got the bike out of the warehouse in Vancouver Monday 13th May. We have been busy the last few days putting on new tyres (or tires as they say here), sorting insurance etc. We did take her out for our first ride on Thursday, fittingly to meet up with Grant and Susan of Horizon’s Unlimited fame who now live back here in Canada.
Our blogs are back in March still in Australia and we are at Wilson’s prom which was so good you have a three part installment, enjoy.

Blog 245 Wilson’s Prom (Part A) – March 2013

Our destination was Wilson’s Prom, we had many recommendations to visit this area so it must something pretty special.

We stopped at Loch for lunch and took a stroll over the suspension bridge before continuing on our way.

Traveling in the height of summer the parched grass had been evident all around but as we neared the prom the scenery got greener and the air cooler.

Known locally as “the Prom” or “Wilson’s Prom” it’s full name is Wilson’s Promontory National Park. The promontory has been a National Park to one degree or another since 1898 and contains the largest coastal wilderness area in Victoria. It was closed during world war II when it was used as a commando training ground. It is now full of wildlife and sealife so as the sign suggested we could expect to see Kangaroos, Koalas and Wombats.

We were headed to Tidal River camping ground, the only settlement within the park boundary. It has suffered its fair share of catastrophes, fires and floods over the years, some of which campers had to be evacuated from but the natural beauty of the area was still apparent. We found a good snug camp amongst the surrounding trees for a bit of shade and it was just a short walk to Norman beach.

After setting up camp we ate and went straight to Norman beach to enjoy the first of many spectacular sunsets. The sun setting on the far hills lit the rocks up to an orange glow and the clouds on the hill behind became a fluffy pink.

When we turned to look out to sea it became even more stunning. The ships masts lit up in the dying suns rays.

Next morning we took a gentle stroll through Lilly Pilly gully full of tree ferns and red gums. The photo shows the red resin bleeding from the tree. The last photo is a dead grass tree with its leaves surrounding it on the ground. Lilly Pilly gully is one of the most southern warm temperate rainforests in Australia. It was also a very pleasant walk to do in the heat of the day. On our return to camp I persuaded Kev to join me in a rather bracing but very pleasant swim.

That night we took a sunset walk across the foot bridge over Tidal river. The area was beautiful even at night so we resolved to return in the morning. We also disturbed this wallaby out foraging for food.

As we walked higher we could see where Tidal river met the sea at Norman beach.

Next up – Wilson’s prom (Part B) Tidal River.

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It was also a quarantine centre from 1852 to 1980 and played an important role in the defence of Victoria. It boasts panoramic views of Bass Strait, the Rip and Port Phillip Bay. It was whilst traveling through Port Phillip bay to the Bass Strait on route to Tassie we first saw the fortifications and thought of visiting them. You can see the Spirit of Tasmania ferry in one of the pictures. Martin also suggested Fort Nepean as a day out and pointed us in the right direction.

With the discovery of gold in 1851 a flood of immigrants flocked to the area,  they brought with them cholera, smallpox, typhoid, influenza and measles and many didn’t survive the journey. Port Nepean was opened as a maritime quarantine reserve, any infectious ships had to dock here, luggage was taken ashore to be fumigated with formaldehyde gas. Later after the great war soldiers from overseas duties also had to be quarantined from the Spanish influenza pandemic.

As part of the quarantine station a Cattle jetty was built at Observatory Point in 1879, and while it is no longer complete the remains make an interesting  photograph. 

Fortifications were built on Point Nepean from the late 1870′s the remains of which still stand today. Fort Nepean, Eagles Nest, Fort Pearce and Pearce barracks.

The first Australian shots of both World War I and II were fired from Fort Nepean. These are the two six inch mark VII gun barrels that fired them.

On 5th August 1914, the German ship SS Plalz was trying to escape Port Phillip. Lieutenant C Morris was given orders to “stop her or sink her” and the B1 gun was fired across her bow after the Pfalz had ignored previous signals to halt, she soon turned around and the crew was arrested at Portsea.

The only other occasion the guns were fired in anger was on 4th September 1939 when the A1 gun fired across the bow of a ship which failed to identify itself which turned out to be the Australian freighter SS Woniora.

After the wars the guns were dismantled and sold for scrap. It was only in the 1960′s that the barrels were retrieved from a scrap yard in Brooklyn and an artillery proving ground in Port Wakefield and returned to the fort.

The forts are joined by a maze of underground tunnels and rooms. Kev is sitting in one of the bomb proof rooms.

Some of the guns even disappeared. After firing the guns recoiled down into the concrete shelter to allow them to be swabbed clean and reloaded in relative safety. They also had ones that ran on tracks above ground.

Some of the fortifications are hardly visible considering how large they are. The engine room was sited down on the cliff edge presumably to dull the noise of the thudding engines.

Although the area seems full of unspoilt beauty and nature it is surrounded by contaminated soil and unexploded mines so definitely a no swim zone. In fact Cheviot beach marks the spot where the former Prime minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming in 1967, never to be found and presumed drowned.

It was a good walk in all we must have done 6km or more not bad for my first real day out.
We stopped at the jetty in Rosebud for fish and chips and ice cream before heading to Arthur’s seat to get a night shot across the harbour.

It’s a good job it’s a bike riding day tomorrow before we start walking again in Wilson’s Prom.

 Next up – Wilson’s Prom

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On another of the club runs out we revisited George, those with really good memories will recall we stayed with him just before the accident. The MGCofV (Moto Guzzi Club of Victoria) having learnt that he had been unwell phoned to see if he would be up to visitors and an overnight trip was planned. George is in the centre of the photo on the older Le Mans in classic red. George  has links to the Australian Moto Guzzi fraternity that go far and wide as he used to organise trips to the Moto Guzzi factory for Aussies to pick up their new bikes before a tour around Europe and shipping them home.

George has a long sloping lawn leading down to the river which we could all camp on. George was a little tired from his medications but thoroughly enjoyed his impromptu party guests and said he hoped he would be better next year. Sadly we have heard recently his health has taken a turn for the worse so we wish him all the best, he truly is one of life’s gentlemen with a wicked sense of humour and a cheeky smile. Here are some photos from the weekend.

On the way to George’s we parked up on the central grass strip in Mansfield for a half way coffee stop,  some had just come out for a day ride and this was where they turned around and headed back home.

Mackers (the web master for MGCofV) was unlucky he was looking forward to camping at George’s but as he rode off the kerb at Mansfield he unwittingly scraped and holed his sump. He must have had a sixth sense that day as he pulled over to take some photos and noticed the pool of oil below his bike. A few moments later and he would have been pitching into a series of rather spectacular bends which would have been scary with oil all over the rear tyre. As it was he arranged recovery home and missed the weekend thankful it was nothing more serious.

The route to George’s also gave us the chance to return to Powers lookout. We last visited this on the morning of the accident but sadly all our photos from that day (and the camera) were destroyed in the crash. It was great to have the chance to retake some pictures.

Power’s lookout is named after Harry Power a notorious bushranger (highwayman) in 1870 who used this natural lookout point to keep a eye out for the law. As they were on horseback by the time he spotted them in the valley he had ample time to plot his escape. He more often than not stole his victims horses so as to have a fresh steed to escape on and leaving his victim with a slow ride to look for help. Nowadays instead of bounding over the rocks there are a series of step ladders leading to views further across the plains.

We also passed by Bonnie Doon, the colour of the landscape was in stark contrast to the lush greens the last time we were here. It was a reminder that we were in summer in a high fire risk area. 

Back home Pierre had his own method of preparing for the fire season during the summer months he laid a pipe into his swimming pool. This was hooked up to a petrol powered waterpump ready to fire up when required, all around the perimeter of his house he lay sprinkler hoses. BJ his horse took the opportunity of finding a small patch of the only green grass left available while I was cleaning the pool. Luckily this year our friends escaped bushfire threats although the state had its fair share.

As you may have noticed the last two trips we did were on Craig’s Cali which he kindly loaned us. Our bike had been repaired quite quickly after the accident and had been in regular use ever since. Kev took her off the road for a couple of months to make some improvements and give her a thorough check over before the next stage of our journey which we could both see was not so far away now.. We were also planning a short holiday away exploring the coastal delights of Victoria that we had previously missed. This would be a good shake down run for both me and the bike. Meanwhile we were enjoying towing the trailer on the Cali through the Black Spur region pictured below.

Back at Craig’s we enjoyed some Gar fish smoked on the BBQ which was a new experience and a nice treat.

This bizzare tree was close to Olinda it almost looks like the trees were entwined in a dance.

On route to Wilsons prom and the wilderness coast we got a chance to revisit Martin and Natalie down in Rosebud. We had missed Natalie’s recent big birthday as I was still in the wheelchair so it was an ideal chance to catch up. They were hoping Riccado an Argentian they met on Tasmania would be able to make it at the same time but he was having way too much fun on the island and had extended his stay there (we can relate to that).

Martin organised an impromptu party and we met quite a few new people including Lizzy their friend who was there on her Triumph, we all had a great time. Here are some  shots of the party and Lizzy and Martin showing their moves. The last photo is of Minty’s portable bed she is a traveller too (what a great idea).

Next up – Port Nepean marks the beginning of our holiday (erm from our holiday). Sort of.

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Blog 242 Classic racing at Phillip Island. January 2013.

No visit to Melbourne would be complete without a trip down to Phillip Island.

Phillip Island is steeped in the history of Australian motor racing. A circuit composed of the island’s interior roads (similar to our Isle of Man TT racing) was used for the original Australian Grand Prix in 1928 and continued to be used until 1935.

In 1952 six local business men formed the Phillip Island Auto Racing Club. They commenced construction on the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit which opened in 1956.

The pits

The circuit closed in the late 1970s mainly due to costly repairs from its testing terrain right on the hilly coastline but was redeveloped and re-opened in 1989 to host the first international version of the Australian motorcycle Grand Prix and continues to host the race today.

Ago waving

We were lucky to be around when the classic racing was on. Phillip island is a great circuit that allows you up close to the action and into the pits. Here is Agostini signing some autographs.

Giacomo Agostini strengthens his wrist by signing autographs at the Classic race Phillip island, Victoria, Australia.

Sadly it was all over for this stunning Vincent outfit which spat it gears through the engine casing. Shame we never saw it run as it happened on the Fridays practice day. We were surrounded by many beautiful bikes, some racing, some road bikes.

Sadly this Vincent spat its gears out of the casing so it was shows over.

We were able to ride the perimeter track to view the racing from all corners and found a shady spot for lunch.

Neil and Wayne realise the new scarf is a little too large.

It was only a few hours ride from Melbourne so it was an organised club run. Pierre took us a lovely route down the back roads for a change and the weather ensured a good club turn out.

Everything stops for coffee.

A grand day out.

Next Up – Revisiting old friends

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Meanwhile we will time travel back to the last Blog in January – we are still in Melbourne doing day excursions.

Blog 241 Scoot Around Town January 2013

We borrowed Craig’s scooters for another buzz around the city, they really are great for city traffic light, manoeuvrable, cheap to run and as we found out earlier you can park for free on the pavements.

This time we headed for the hub of Federation square a real tourist spot. Melbourne has an interesting mix of old and modern design buildings sitting side by side and at first glance we thought this wicker building was permanent. In fact it was designed by an American artist Patrick Dougherty inspired by the architect of Flinders street station and commissioned for the 10^th birthday celebrations of Federation square. It took three weeks to complete with the help of 70 volunteers. We loved it and I got an arty shot of St Paul’s cathedral our next destination.

St Paul’s Cathedral is built on the site where the first public Christian services in Melbourne were led by Dr Alexander Thomson in 1836. Soon afterwards a small wooden chapel was built elsewhere and the area became a corn market until 1848, when it was made available for the building of the bluestone St Paul’s Parish Church. Consecrated in 1852, this Church was used until 1885, when it was demolished to make way for the present Cathedral. The decision to build on the site of the existing church was made because of its proximity to the railway and soon to be completed cable tramway service. It has a section of stonework from the reredos from St Paul’s in London  removed in 1951.

Federation square is a thriving hub of Melbourne and they were even screening a film on the side of the buildings whilst we were there. Inside we wandered around the moving image museum. We saw one of the cars used in the Mad Max films. Our bike is often likened to the Mad Max designs luckily we both grew up on Mad Max films so take this as a compliment.

Mad Max car The Road Warrior.

Wandering around the city this time on foot, we again see the quirky mix of modern trams alongside the tourist horse and cart. Heading for China town it’s not hard to realise when you’ve arrived. This fish is about as fresh as it comes, you choose your fish swimming in the tank next time you see it it is ready to eat.

This strange object captured our imaginations and we struggled to work our what it was. It turned out it was more art, called the beacon. It served no practical purpose but brightening up the city.

We found more art in the form of graffiti art, instead of coming down heavily on street artists in some designated streets they were more than welcome. Here is a tiny example of their colourful work. We even encountered some doing their latest design so I “had” a go, well pretended to for the sake of a picture anyway.

Next up.

Going to the classic races at Phillip Island GP circuit

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The Blogs are currently four months behind, we are still writing about Melbourne in Jan 2013.

Choice -
1. ignore the last four months (incl. a holiday testing the bike in various beautiful parts of Victoria. Followed by crating bike, 3 day stop over in Kuala Lumpur etc) BUT get up to date so things are current.
2. Carry on with blogs in order.
Your ideas and input would be gratefully received, it is you lot that we are mainly writing it for.

We are still running around like headless chickens trying to get things sorted for our onward travels.

All the best
Karen and Kev( in now warmer and sunnier Britain).

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Important information for our Posterous subscribers/users. Please note.

Posterous has been bought out by Twitter who are closing the entire service down on April 30^th 2013 Boo hiss !!! Therefore none of our posterous site will be viewable after this date.

We also used a feature of posterous called Autopost to write and distribute our blogs and it’s a real pain that they are closing it. We have had to save all of our content and reload all our blogs back on our own website as our photos were all links from the posterous galleries which will also disappear. For a while you may see double of everything on our website until we establish what we will lose.

We are also having to learn to write and post blogs in a very different format so please excuse any mistakes and delays.

Posterous subscribers in order to keep viewing our blogs please visit our website which is www.guzzioverland.co.uk or www.guzzioverland.com and then click on the blogs tab on the homepage. We are hoping to still forward stuff to our Facebook page although in what format we don’t yet know.

Thank you for your understanding in this matter which is beyond our control.

Current News.

We have just returned from a couple of weeks away in Victoria where we tested everything out including me, all of which will be blogged in due course but our holiday was good fun and I coped very well.

We now have a very busy couple weeks ahead of us as we plan our onward shipment to Canada at the beginning of April 2013 but I will endeavour to try to keep plugging away at the blogs. We are currently still at the beginning of the year.

Blog 240 Puffing Billy Jan 2013

Boxing day saw us out on the bike for a ride near Belgrave to the Monbulk Creek trestle bridge which we passed on a previous ride. This is reported to be 300 feet or 15 spans long and over 42 feet high. See if you can spot me by the trestle leg in the photo. Our luck was in we had only 10mins to wait before the regular steam train Puffing Billy went over.

Can you see me yet.

Puffing Billy is quite well known in these parts and many flock to take a ride, it is the only steam train we know that allows you hang various body parts out of the windows! 

It is a heritage narrow gauge railway initially opened in 1900 to serve the farming and timber community from the end of the Melbourne broad gauge line at Upper Ferntree Gully. A landslide in 1953 which blocked the line saw its demise and it officially closed in 1954. It is now open thanks mainly to the efforts of volunteers of the Puffing Billy Preservation Society who formed in 1955 when Victorian Railways still owned the line. The society have restored many engines to full working order and the line now runs every day except Christmas day as a very popular tourist train.

It’s route takes it through the station Lakeside at Emerald Lake park where it takes on water, it’s also where we rode to meet it again.

Now where did I put my lunch..

We took a wander around the park afterwards which was very relaxing and saw its amphitheatres and lakes

The strange looking object Kev is photoing is a tree fern stump, here is also one in its full glory.

We had to laugh when we saw the ducks only swimming in the shady side of the lakes, so it’s not just us that feels the heat…..

Stick to the shade guys some joker left the hot tap on.

In our ever changing circumstances we moved to Craig and Paula’s to see the new year in, you may remember Kev first stayed there when I was in Epworth rehab. Craig and Paula had taken off on the bike for a week or so and we were dog sitting their two Airdales Molly and the three legged Teddy. They had said to invite a few friends over to celebrate, so it made a change to entertain Rob and Pam and some others. Here is our New Year photos.

Please don’t let the candle burn me, Please don’t let the candle burn me…..
What do you mean it’s fake!

Craig had a couple of scooters as he was intending to run a small business “Scoot Around Town” hiring out the scooters to get around the city. Scooters are the way to go in a big city light, nimble and in Victoria it is legal to park for free on the pavements with motorcycles. What a great idea, it needs to catch on in the rest of world. Now I was fit enough to ride again we took a scoot each into the city a couple of times to do the tourist thing.

We had bought ourselves new protective jackets as a Christmas present and because mine was munted (destroyed). Australia does a mesh airflow jacket designed for excessive heats a it was a pleasure to ride in them.

On this occasion we went to Docklands and as luck would have it so did the local AC Cobra club, here are some of the beautiful cars on display.

One was an original Carroll Shelby a very rare beast.

They were so polished I could get a reflection on the rear fender. Most had their bonnets up so we could gawp at the motors as well and one had a cobra gear shift.

We also wandered along the quayside to view the artwork and boats.

We even got to meet Dame Edna and friends.

Hello possums.

In the heart of the city was a camera museum housed inside the current Michael’s camera shop. We headed there on our return. Michael’s has had five generations of the same family run the shop from the corner of Elizabeth street and Lonsdale street since 1916.

It had just about every make and model there ranging from ones we recognised using in our youth to the rarest of the rare. Ones that went to the moon and some that were gold plated. Kev even spotted his first real camera bought when he was 13, second hand from a camera shop in East street in his home town.

By now I was really flagging, it was the first time I had done any real walking for a length of time and I needed a coffee and a sit down. Michael’s staff recommended a local coffee house down the back streets. It was a fabulous place full of character although it didn’t look much from the street, we had bagels and we even got a face in the coffees.

Melbourne has a great mix of old and new rubbing side by side, here is some more architecture.

Next up – More from the city.

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There is a section of Melbourne called Lygon street in Carlton that houses most of the Italian cafes and restaurants so it seemed apt that this years FOIM (Festival of Italian Motorcycles) was to be held in its spiritual home, Argyle square nestling amongst the Italian culture of Lygon street.

See the full gallery on Posterous

With over 200 bikes on display it was a fairly big event in the MGCoV’s (Moto Guzzi Club of Victoria) calendar and we were keen to support them by attending on our machine. The MGCoV jointly co-host this event and have a stand to sell their merchandise, hats, T shirts etc.

See the full gallery on Posterous

The FOIM is an informal gathering of classic versus modern, stock or modified, rare, big and small, pristine and rough as, Italian machinery.

It was a sea of red with such a wide variety of marques being represented such as Ducati, Aprilia, Vespa, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta, Laverda, Moto Parilla, Motobi, Moto Morini and many more.
This year was also the 65^th anniversary of the Lambretta scooter.

See the full gallery on Posterous

It was a cracking day and the number of visitors and attendees that turned out was great. In the photo Andy and Ferg are having a well earned rest and a chance to view some bikes. The festival has been run by several different bike clubs over the years, internal politics and differences of opinion meant the event was struggling for a while. Andy and Ferg were instrumental in reviving its fortunes even putting in their own money to save it. It was well worth the effort as it brings all the different marques together and gets bikes out and about for people to appreciate.

See the full gallery on Posterous

This tidy Lambretta is harping back to the Mods and Rockers days it looks a bit outnumbered here but there were other scooters there.

That’s me trying out Keir’s Moto Morini I used to have one back in England. My good friend Jan is also on one of Keir’s machines, a very sweet little Ducati Desmo.

See the full gallery on Posterous

On our rides to the pub in town to attend the monthly Guzzi social meets we found some nice routes in. This one around Yarra boulevard offered these lovely sunset shots over the city.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Next up on the Guzzi calendar was the Christmas BBQ, even though this was our second summer Christmas it still felt strange to us. The good thing about being in summer is being able to ride your bike to the BBQ on the sea front. On route we passed under this old trestle bridge which still has a steam train that crosses it. We made a mental note to return.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Like moths to a flame, the bike we are all admiring belongs to Peter, well technically it is actually George’s the 81 year young gentlemen we stayed with in Porepunkah just before our accident. Peter is his son they jointly restored it and he now uses the bike. We caught up on news of George who sadly has been unwell of late and then admired his bike. It is a beautifully restored Falcone and was so polished it lent itself to artful photos.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Mark and I were celebrating the fact we were both off our crutches and back riding bikes again. Rob the club joker was larking about, he is always good for a funny picture and a laugh. We are not the only inventive ones here check out the stubbie holder on Reg’s bike.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Matt showed us a different route home which passed these enthusiastic model aircraft pilots. We paused for a look almost getting decapitated as one went out of control over our heads and crashed onto the road, luckily the car stopped and all was well. Matt invited us back to his place afterward and treated us to some his excellent home brew. He and his wife Denise are getting really good at making beer. The others photos are of his garden.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Christmas was just around the corner and we finally got to have that dinner with Nev and Marg. Since they visited us in Lilydale we had been trying to arrange to meet up again. We first met with Nev and Marg way back on the East coast at Hervey bay where they invited us to stay when we got to Melbourne. We initially contacted them when we were at George’s (Porepunkah) but they were just leaving for a holiday abroad. When they returned and found our sad news (of the accident) they contacted us again and we arranged to meet once more. They only lived round the corner from Pierre’s in Lilydale. A couple of like minded friends were also invited and a very enjoyable evening ensued.

Yet another stunning sunrise at Olinda, time passed oh so quickly, attending hydro, walking Bridie etc. She’s such a clever dog and soon learnt to drive herself to get a walk, here she is trying out the dreadlocks look. In no time at all Christmas was upon us. We were well looked after on Christmas day and went to lunch at Pam’s sister who like Pam was an exceptional cook.

See the full gallery on Posterous

In the evening it was Rob’s family that descended on Olinda. The dogs got in on the Christmas spirit sporting their antlers, Bridie got a new toy which she would not leave and we were introduced to Kris Kringle. Who’s he we asked ? It turns out Krris Kringle is the Aussie version of secret Santa where everyone buys a present and names are drawn out of a hat. This version had a twist where by you were allowed to steal other peoples presents on your turn and a hilarious evening ensued. It was a lovely Christmas and we were made most welcome, thanks guys.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Next Up – Seeing in a new Year and Puffing Billy

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With over 200 bikes on display it was a fairly big event in the MGCoV’s (Moto Guzzi Club of Victoria) calendar and we were keen to support them by attending on our machine. The MGCoV jointly co-host this event and have a stand to sell their merchandise, hats, T shirts etc.

The FOIM is an informal gathering of classic versus modern, stock or modified, rare, big and small, pristine and rough as, Italian machinery.

It was a sea of red with such a wide variety of marques being represented such as Ducati, Aprilia, Vespa, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta, Laverda, Moto Parilla, Motobi, Moto Morini and many more.
This year was also the 65^th anniversary of the Lambretta scooter.

It was a cracking day and the number of visitors and attendees that turned out was great. In the photo Andy and Ferg are having a well earned rest and a chance to view some bikes. The festival has been run by several different bike clubs over the years, internal politics and differences of opinion meant the event was struggling for a while. Andy and Ferg were instrumental in reviving its fortunes even putting in their own money to save it. It was well worth the effort as it brings all the different marques together and gets bikes out and about for people to appreciate.

This tidy Lambretta is harping back to the Mods and Rockers days it looks a bit outnumbered here but there were other scooters there.

That’s me trying out Keir’s Moto Morini I used to have one back in England. My good friend Jan is also on one of Keir’s machines, a very sweet little Ducati Desmo.

On our rides to the pub in town to attend the monthly Guzzi social meets we found some nice routes in. This one around Yarra boulevard offered these lovely sunset shots over the city.

Next up on the Guzzi calendar was the Christmas BBQ, even though this was our second summer Christmas it still felt strange to us. The good thing about being in summer is being able to ride your bike to the BBQ on the sea front. On route we passed under this old trestle bridge which still has a steam train that crosses it. We made a mental note to return.

Like moths to a flame, the bike we are all admiring belongs to Peter, well technically it is actually George’s the 81 year young gentlemen we stayed with in Porepunkah just before our accident. Peter is his son they jointly restored it and he now uses the bike. We caught up on news of George who sadly has been unwell of late and then admired his bike. It is a beautifully restored Falcone and was so polished it lent itself to artful photos.

Mark and I were celebrating the fact we were both off our crutches and back riding bikes again. Rob the club joker was larking about, he is always good for a funny picture and a laugh. We are not the only inventive ones here check out the stubbie holder on Reg’s bike.

Matt showed us a different route home which passed these enthusiastic model aircraft pilots. We paused for a look almost getting decapitated as one went out of control over our heads and crashed onto the road, luckily the car stopped and all was well. Matt invited us back to his place afterward and treated us to some his excellent home brew. He and his wife Denise are getting really good at making beer. The others photos are of his garden.

Christmas was just around the corner and we finally got to have that dinner with Nev and Marg. Since they visited us in Lilydale we had been trying to arrange to meet up again. We first met with Nev and Marg way back on the East coast at Hervey bay where they invited us to stay when we got to Melbourne. We initially contacted them when we were at George’s (Porepunkah) but they were just leaving for a holiday abroad. When they returned and found our sad news (of the accident) they contacted us again and we arranged to meet once more. They only lived round the corner from Pierre’s in Lilydale. A couple of like minded friends were also invited and a very enjoyable evening ensued.

Yet another stunning sunrise at Olinda, time passed oh so quickly, attending hydro, walking Bridie etc. She’s such a clever dog and soon learnt to drive herself to get a walk, here she is trying out the dreadlocks look. In no time at all Christmas was upon us. We were well looked after on Christmas day and went to lunch at Pam’s sister who like Pam was an exceptional cook.

In the evening it was Rob’s family that descended on Olinda. The dogs got in on the Christmas spirit sporting their antlers, Bridie got a new toy which she would not leave and we were introduced to Kris Kringle. Who’s he we asked ? It turns out Krris Kringle is the Aussie version of secret Santa where everyone buys a present and names are drawn out of a hat. This version had a twist where by you were allowed to steal other peoples presents on your turn and a hilarious evening ensued. It was a lovely Christmas and we were made most welcome, thanks guys.

Next Up – Seeing in a new Year and Puffing Billy

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