Australian FJ Rally 19th March 2016.

[Arnie]

Good video, this will help me to review before I make it over for a rally. Getting used to riding on the other side of the road will be very important once there... 

Looks like a good time was had by all. 

Monkey,

I found it much more difficult to drive on the "correct" side than ride on the "correct" side.  Maybe because bike riding encourages full attention, driving slightly less.  Don't worry, you'll be fine and whoever is riding with you will help remind you too.
What was really hard was learning to shift a manual transmission car or truck with my left hand :-/

[ribbert]

Well,  the stars finally aligned and I attended my first FJ Rally last weekend, and what a weekend it was.
The thought of spending as few days and nights with a bunch of people, most of whom I had never met, seemed a little odd but my concerns were entirely unfounded and to a man (and woman) they were a most excellent and interesting bunch.

What are the chances of that with a random bunch of people from all walks of life thrown together for a weekend.

Everybody was doing something interesting with their lives, no couch potatoes here.


The thing I was not looking forward to was the group ride on Saturday. I have never been on a group ride and have avoided them like the plague all my life. My fears were unfounded as everyone chose their own pace either individually or as groups and as the stops were fairly frequent, the arrival times were not too staggered. It worked well.

Richard and Darren did a fantastic job with the raffle, keeping us entertained and laughing.

A circus with all the acts is a great show, but even better with its Ringmaster.

We missed you Doug.

I  arrived on the Thursday and did a partial lap of the rally ride late in the day in magnificent weather with a still clean bike.

The following day, I did a complete lap in terrible weather...




....then did the lap again with the group on the Saturday. If I'd had time, I would have done it again on Sunday.


The summit of Falls Creek on my solo ride Friday was some of the bleakest and most hostile weather I have ridden in. I was just below the cloud base and the rain was blowing across the tundra horizontally in waves,  it was difficult keeping the bike between the edge of the road and the centre line.
When parked, the bike was teetering uncomfortably on the side stand and my helmet, which I had placed of the ground, took off, rolling across the car park.

I was really enjoying this.

I took advantage of the foul weather and late hour, assuming the mountain would be free of hikers and rangers and headed down a walking trail......



.....to a restored pioneers hut...



....complete with that great Aussie convenience, the long drop dunny. While not original, it was sympathetic to the hut's style and did not look out of place.



Any Redback under that toilet seat would need a full set of thermals.


The thought of a non start at that hour of the day, in that location, in that weather (already zero degrees and another 6 or 7 wind chill) and no phone coverage made me a tad nervous. I was also under dressed for the conditions as it was mild mid 20's off the mountain. At least I would have had a hut to stay in.

The never spoken of but inevitable "shine off" between Xray and myself was a fizzer because of the rain, the winner ended up being the guy with the least dirty bike which Ray won hands down due some quick detailing on arrival (the competition must have had him worried  ).

Next time Ray....... next time.


A quick round of attendees suggests everyone had a great time. I have nothing to compare to but I had a ripper time. The riding and the company were outstanding.

Someone asked me how I managed to find such magnificent roads - in this part of the world you can't avoid them.

Australia has a similar land mass to the US but with only 7% of its population.
This turn out, on a per capita basis, is the equivalent of 260
FJ's turning up at an American rally.



Sterling effort chaps.

Folks travelled great distances to get there. Len came with his bike by ship, braving one the roughest regular water crossings in the world from Australia's only island state, Tasmania, to be there. Good one Len.
Darren and Danielle flew in from QL and hired and FJR in Melbourne. Harvy and Peta turned up American style (but were excused due to a knee injury).

Many rode half the length of the country in terrible conditions to get there and not once did I hear anyone say "never again"

A great effort from a great number of people to support the Rally, well done.

What's not to love about a weekend in God's own country, with a bunch of FJ's and a terrific group of people.

Only 360 sleeps until the next one. Whoopee!


A few random shots from the weekend.



The much coveted "Ashes trophy" (and no, it doesn't have a good diaphragm in it)





The Blue Duck Inn - the best motorbike lunch stop in the country.





Some of the group increasing their power to weight ratio (substantially) for the inbound leg of the ride.





Danielle considering her options, rejoin the motorbike/ride talk at the the lunch table or throw herself in the river - tough call.





Troy and Richard find something funny about a single gloved hand.





Pete explaining something to Len, I didn't catch what.




Alf giving Len a different perspective on the same subject back at the Hotel.



I will post up more photos offline with a link shortly for those that are interested.

Noel

[stua1959]

Great report and photos Noel, glad you enjoyed your first rally and it was good to meet you. You are right, they are a fantastic group of people to ride with. No pecking order and leave your egos at the door. Hope to see you next year

[oldktmdude]

   Noel, I can only echo what Stu said. Great to have had you with us. You'd have to go a long way to find a better bunch of people. Put a big RESERVED mark on next years calendar during the second weekend of March. As for the last two photo's, I can't remember what I was explaining to Len but I can assure you that it wasn't what you inferred. Thanks for the laughs.   Hope to catch up with you before the next Rally.
  Regards, Pete.

[Layback]

The 2016 Australian FJ Owners Rally. Three words that come to mind are WOW,WOW,WOW!

Noel.. Your photos and captions had me wetting myself with laughter. Thanks mate!

A huge thank you to the organisers. It was a privilege to be in the company of so many like minded ladies and gentlemen. The first timers like me who had to face their fears and trepidation of whether we would fit in had nothing to worry about at all.

The ride was hours and hours of winding roads with spectacular scenic views.

A special thanks to Alf and Pete who ride around with me for two days after the rally showing me a few moves zig zagging between two states on our way to the NSW coast.

I'm glad I had Darran and Daniel to witness the social experiment I was subjected to on our ride to Harrietville 

The experience I had and the people I met will stay in my memory forever.

Cheers
Len

[oldktmdude]

   Len, glad to see you arrived home safe and sound. No more kangaroo incidents! Thanks for your company during and especially after the Rally. It was an absolute pleasure meeting and riding with you.(even though we had to slow down and wait for you frequently not!) Looking forward to catching up with you in July.
   Cheers mate, regards, Pete.   

[X-Ray]

Nice photos and report Noel! Yes, I was cursing the rain and mud on the way down, my spotless bike was stained badly , that's why I was up at the crack of dawn cleaning and polishing

But, as I said to my Victorian colleague from work, "I'm moving to Victoria!"  . The roads and scenery are just unbelievable. Will have to do my own write up this weekend, ( I have been slack)

[Chromaxe]

I'm glad I had Darran and Daniel to witness the social experiment I was subjected to on our ride to Harrietville 
The experience I had and the people I met will stay in my memory forever.
Cheers
Len

Great to meet you Len and glad you enjoyed the weekend - I hope the rest of your fortnight went as you'd hoped!. Hopefully my outlaws haven't had a lasting effect on you...

Pete and Richard, I can only echo everyone's congratulations on the weekend. Nicolle enjoyed herself again, and I tried my best to "catch up" when I got back from Melbourne (Nic had the fridge well stocked)...

Pete I think you summed it up perfectly "late" on Saturday night, "Once a year with this crowd isn't enough, but its perfect." - The more I think about that, the more sagelike it sounds.... Thanks again.

Take Care All.

[Urban_Legend]

Hi All.

Well it's now less than two weeks to the rally. Feeling excited. My room is booked and got a confirmation call from the pub yesterday. My bike is about as ready as will ever be. Can't wait to catch up with the FJ crew. See you all soon

Mark
Edit

Opps posted in wrong thread. that's what you get when you are in a rush and don't read the title properly.