You could not have asked for a more perfect autumn day to be out riding, with bugger all traffic on the road, hardly any bugs meeting a sudden demise on the sunnies, and, with the last of the stinking hot summer rides well and truly over, shit, you would have to be clinically dead not to appreciate that on days like these, it doesn’t get much better being a biker in Australia.

With most people turning up for the muster at Wingen and the promise of a varied route taking in plenty of watering holes and picking up more riders along the way to the finish at Walcha, it had all the earmarks of being a bloody good day out right from the very start. The Slopes and Plains Chapter had dragged the sock out from under the mattress and raided the piggy bank to ensure that, not only were there going to winners for the highest and lowest scores with the dice, but there were also a heap of prizes available for the raffle draws at each stop.  And so it was, that, by the time we ended up in Walcha most people had picked up something extra along the way, and, even if a few missed out on prizes, given the great days riding with like minded bikers there was no way anyone turned out a loser on this run.

Walcha’s entire accommodation had been booked out for the overnight stay of the bulk of the riders, however, there were plenty of spare floors to throw a swag on, or, if you wanted to, heaps of places to pitch a tent.

The nights entertainment was at the Apsley Hotel and having a courtesy bus available meant that having a couple of extra drinks was never going to be a problem when it came to getting around the town to wherever your bed for the night was.  Its also worth noting, that, even with the current media hype and political agenda regarding bikers, the businesses and pubs in Walcha and all the stops we made en-route have obviously sifted the facts out from the bullshit and welcomed us for what we are, that is, just a bunch of people out to have a good time riding our bikes.  

All up, I have to say it was a top way to spend a weekend, thanks to the AMC Slopes & Plains Chapter, see you there next year.