events in story & picture
Annual Dinner 2009
Great rides
South Australia November 2009
24 Whitehorse cyclists and some non-riding partners had a hot but great time in South Australia pitting themselves against nature at a time when "Adelaide experienced its first ever November and Spring heatwave in the whole record, which goes back to 1887". We survived and thrived by getting on the road early, drinking lots of water, stopping for breaks, diving into swimming pools, eating excellent meals, and getting air-conditioned nights of sleep. Beautiful green countryside, fruitful vines and lovely coastlines made the trip wonderful. We stayed in some lovely places: Strathalbyn, Victor Harbour, Goolwa, North Adelaide and Hahndorf were some. The ride was planned by our wonderful leaders Lindsay and Bob and everyone co-operated in the driving and meals. Goodwill abounded from start to end!
Mornington and Bellarine Peninsulas Trip March 2009
More than 20 Whitehorse cyclists had an enjoyable break riding, eating and drinking (coffee, of course) on the Mornington and Bellarine Peninsulas from March 16-19. The group was billeted among the Sorrento and Blairgowrie holiday houses of some generous club members.
There were rides to Point Nepean Park, to see among other things, Cheviot Beach where Harold Holt disappeared and the wonderful views of the Heads; Barwon Heads , via Queenscliff, Point Lonsdale and Ocean Grove, involving two delightful ferry rides; Rosebud and Gunnamatta Beach; and, as a final treat, a ride/walk along the famous Millionaires' strip on the cliff-top at Portsea. In the evenings the group enjoyed fine dining at the residences and the Rye pub. A most enjoyable few days.
Picture by Joyce H
Warburton Trail
Picture by John C
The trip to France - September 2007
The barge section -- Rogny to Plagny aboard Anna Maria 1V.
18 excited members with some partners boarded the good barge with high expectations. Sleeping quarters were somewhat cramped but this was more than adequately made up by the quality of the food and hospitality. Martin the barge captain ran a restaurant in Nigeria for 5 years and is an excellent cook, his wife Marjorie was in charge of the lock handling and general work, including room cleaning and washing. Pooky just looked on and made herself available to all who showed interest.
If any person was hungry then second helpings were available, and in some instances thirds. Beverages were ticked off on an honour system. Martin made comment our group were among the poorest drinkers ever. The good drinkers must have stayed at home.
The barge is 30 metres long and weighs in at 110 tonnes. It is one of the largest vessels to ply the Loire lateral canal. At the locks it has just over 2 cm of room on either side. You need to be good to guide the barge into the locks. You have noticed the word lateral above. The Loire river is too shallow for Navigation so the French overcame this in the 19th century by building a canal system for transport of heavy materials. To this day one can still navigate a boat from the Mediterranean to St Petersburg. The largest lock rose 11.33 metres and took around 25 minutes to fill.
The riders found this week to be very easy, somewhat akin to our Tuesday easy rides. Our ride leader, a Dutchman by the name of Adrian, was not quick on his velo, leading us at a pace of 12kms per hour, sometimes a bit faster if it was downhill. His riding style was something else. Adrian will be remembered for three things:
- His ability to get us lost. This was a daily occurrence. But it did not seem to concern him. He just turned around and tried another direction.
- He was an expert at tyre pressures. Daily he kicked all the tyres to see if they had air in them. Didn't matter of they only held 10 pounds, as long as they were not entirely flat.
- His mechanical ability. Most of our female riders were better than he. He was however a good bloke.
We visited many lovely villages and towns. Most villages appeared deserted. If there were shops they all closed between 12 & 2.30pm for siesta and most towns closed on Mondays. Even Russell had difficulty finding a patisserie. History abounded in the area and the architecture was worth the trip alone. There were many highlights but space does not permit me to describe them all. Perhaps these three will be remembered by all:
- The Lateral canal crossing of the Loire. This bridge is 660 metres long, 30 metres above the river, and was partly designed by Eiffel of tower fame. This was an experience and to the writer worth the trip alone.
- The town of Charite sur Loire. This town has dozens of superb old buildings including a monastery and is on the Pilgrim trail. Well worth a visit.
- The town square in Briare. We all remember this as Adrian had us ride around it about 20 times.