2020 IBA Australia Memorial Rides & IBA Wilcannia Memorial Ceremony

Tele

Premier Member
#85
It was a pleasure to meet everyone at Netallie Hill. And it was special to spend a few precious minutes in quiet contemplation and reflection. Below the line of the highway, standing near the memorial rock, and looking out over the vista , there certainly was a "spiritual" aspect to the location and the gathering.

The weather on Saturday was much improved over the previous two days. The continuous westerly winds played a havoc with fuel consumption. On latte rides I can get about 550-600 k per tank on the GSA. Lucky to get 450k from the tank en-route west from Nyngen to Netallie on Saturday, but the return run east in the afternoon was much easier and "wind assisted". The Magnum Classic ice-cream with friends at the Emmdale Roadhouse made the trip worthwhile :D:D.

I stayed at Nyngen overnight and the trip from there to Dubbo on Sunday morning was a delight. Cool clear skies, minimal traffic and plenty of overtaking opportunities when needed. From Dubbo to Singleton on the Golden Highway the slow moving traffic was a misery. It was the first Sunday of the NSW school holidays. I made my one stop for the morning in Dunedoo, and the sleepy little town was pulsing with holiday makers. Caravans, kids and dogs everywhere. With the Caltex closed for renovation, the new Shell servo had a line of around 10 vehicles queued for fuel.

The roads were packed with caravans, camper vans, utes packed with boats and bikes. Add-in quite a few semi trailers , and the single lane roads were choked with slow moving objects. Even with the over-taking flexibility of the bike, it was an effort to get around the snaking conga lines of traffic. The Dubbo-Newcastle leg was 45 minutes longer than my projected travel time. Looks like the Tourist recommendations of "See NSW" during Covid is getting considerable support. And for those interested, the big grain silos in the centre of Dunedoo are now displaying a fresh new art work that could be added to the "silo-art trail".

Thanks to all who were able to attend. And thanks to those who upheld our travel with your kind thoughts and good wishes.

And Tiger Bill: so sorry to read of your gravel adventure. Get well soon mate. And a random thought. I think you were in the company of OX-34 when you were "uted" at that Dubbo round-about many years ago. And also with Ox when you and the roo came together in the west. And again with Ox when you hit the gravel drain. Perhaps you need to review your travel companions to improve your personal safety :D:cool:
 

IBA-Tiger

Well-Known Member
#86
Thx Tele,
As mentioned elsewhere, I (and the Min. War & Finance) prefer to ride with a couple of Drs, as well as a First-Aid kit. Bit harsh to blame Ox....
BTW, bypassing Dubbo and turning at Nevertire and via Gilgandra can save a bit of time.
Regards,
(Tiger)Bill
 

HACKLE

Well-Known Member
#87
Bill seems you've joined a very select few, dirt riding members, that come undone whilst "enjoying" that pastime. Cuddles, Knave, now you. I do hope there's no other members keen to join this merry band. I'm sure I've missed a few that have "flown" under the radar.
 

Nico

Well-known Member. Moderator
#90
Thanks Bazz for the report and the photos.
Well done to all who could make it out there this (very different) year!

Sorry to hear of your fall Bill, and glad it's not too serious. Hope you recover quickly and fully.

Thanks Tele for your reflections too. Challenging weather conditions.

Glad you enjoyed the journey as first timers Martin and Rebecca.
I am still hanging out to be a first timer...:(
As I've said elsewhere, I have a plan with Netallie at the centre of it well and truly ready. A couple of mates to ride with
and we are ready to go as soon as the border opens.

Thanks everybody
 

Nico

Well-known Member. Moderator
#92
Finally got to Netallie…
This is not an IBA ride nor an official Memorial Ride, just a short report to follow on, as I managed to finally get there!

As stated in an earlier post, as soon as the border opened we were ready to go.
However… our first plan to depart on the 27th of November came to a screeching halt when the forecasts meant we would be riding in 3 days of temps in the mid-40’s!!
We delayed it by under a week and headed off last Wednesday.

This was not an IBA style ride, more a leisurely trip, as the mates with me were not LD riders, and we covered around 500km average a day.
Temps were mild, with day 2 and 3 in the mid 30’s, and day 4 had howling westerlies as a cross-wind for us all day. Final day windy and wet.
It was a great trip with a couple of close friends, great conversations, and I think we managed to solve most of the world’s problems over dinner and a couple of drinks each night…

It was also very special to finally get to Netallie to see and experience first-hand what had been planned and created over the past few years.
My mates were suitably impressed and also curious about its creation.

Here are a few photos of the highlights.



A few wild Jennies outside the pub. My wife Jenny was suitably impressed!


The obligatory visit to Mundi Mundi lookout at sunset.




Wilcannia. With the Darling almost dry and as good as dead, it is very sad.




Thanks for reading.
 

jeffrey gebler

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#93
Finally got to Netallie…
This is not an IBA ride nor an official Memorial Ride, just a short report to follow on, as I managed to finally get there!

As stated in an earlier post, as soon as the border opened we were ready to go.
However… our first plan to depart on the 27th of November came to a screeching halt when the forecasts meant we would be riding in 3 days of temps in the mid-40’s!!
We delayed it by under a week and headed off last Wednesday.

This was not an IBA style ride, more a leisurely trip, as the mates with me were not LD riders, and we covered around 500km average a day.
Temps were mild, with day 2 and 3 in the mid 30’s, and day 4 had howling westerlies as a cross-wind for us all day. Final day windy and wet.
It was a great trip with a couple of close friends, great conversations, and I think we managed to solve most of the world’s problems over dinner and a couple of drinks each night…

It was also very special to finally get to Netallie to see and experience first-hand what had been planned and created over the past few years.
My mates were suitably impressed and also curious about its creation.

Here are a few photos of the highlights.



A few wild Jennies outside the pub. My wife Jenny was suitably impressed!


The obligatory visit to Mundi Mundi lookout at sunset.




Wilcannia. With the Darling almost dry and as good as dead, it is very sad.




Thanks for reading.
Good to see that you finally made it.
It certainly is a special place for all of us to visit.
Thanks for sharing your ride.