Why not ride twice?

When you have a riding weekend lined up so you hit the pillow early Friday night 😴

Saturday Spence and I planned to see The Big Motorbike at Mooball. This did used to sit at the motorcycle museum out near Haigslea but moved to Mooball when the museum closed.

Besides my obsession with Big Things Australia … it’s motorcycle related AND a decent day trip. Life is good!

Set off just after 10am, out to Waterford instead of Beaudesert way as I heard the police were having a safety blitz or something at Jimboomba. My exhaust is possibly non-compliant due to decibels and I don’t want to risk a ticket even though a Harley can blop blop blop as loud as it wants 🤷🏻‍♀️

Cruised up and over Tamborine Mountain – a pain when you get stuck behind slow cars but a nice shady ride up the mountain on what was shaping up to be a rather warm day. Brief stop at the North Tamborine lookout (no paragliders or hang gliders today).

This is the first time we have not headed down the Main Western Road towards Canungra, instead heading directly for Clagiraba via Alpine Tce and Henri Robert Dr. What a genuinely sweet run! Pretty views and less hairpinny than the other way down.

From Clagiraba to Advancetown and onto Numinbah Valley, stopped for a pie at Chillingham before continuing to Murwillumbah and Mooball itself. Can I just say, the overtaking lane up the hill goes on for nearly infinity and you can get *some speed* on the soft bends 😬😬😬. There is a speed camera up the top (signposted so you can just putt putt through this bit) but we were with a few hoon cars so had fun racing them up the hill. One of them left us for dead, Spence might have made a good go of it but when riding with someone it’s kinda shit to ditch them and play silly buggers.

The Big Motorbike is in need of a Big Freshen Up, very faded, still fun to see. You are not allowed to climb on it. See my fake “I’m getting on it but too stumpy” photo below haha. A neat day out with some stunning mountain scenery and multiple sections to give it the berries. Total time: 6 hours at a leisurely pace and including stops at North Tambo, Chillingham, Mooball then Coomera and a fuel stop on the way home.

If I had more time we would have made the schlep to the Natural Bridge as the turn off was just after Numinbah Valley. Another day trip required to do this one me thinks!

Sunday I was invited out with Motorcycle Newbies & Seasoned Riders FB group. Kicked off at Fitzy’s Waterford and took a scenic route out to Harrigan’s Drift Inn out at Jacobs Well approx 2.25 hours at medium speed. What a lovely hidden gem Harrigans is, never would have known it was there if not pottering around with this crew.

Keeping in mind this particular motorcycle group is about seasoned riders helping newbies get their riding hours up where I’m no longer a learner per se but also not yet seasoned. I am part of the FB group however had not been on any rides with them yet #FirstTime.

Lovely bunch of folks, very happy to chat and share stories or discuss bike related news. I did get 2 comments on whether I have issues with my foot pega or ankles as I tend to ‘dance’ while rocking out to my music 🤟🏼as I ride. A combination of pivoting on the ball of my foot, heel and toe taps, a version of the crip walk and various hand/arm flicking 🤣🤣🤣.

The menu at Harrigans was pretty good and very reasonably priced, I was pleasantly surprised. Stunning venue to sit and idle away a Sunday afternoon with plenty of parking. Live music on Sundays from 1pm and various other events throughout the year (I did see Suzi Quattro was playing in March).

I split off from the bunch on the way home as I wanted to shoot up the M1 to Northside. Quick sprint up highway … road side camera trailer between Yatala South & North off ramps heading North. The offical website states these are ‘highly visible’ but I personally feel like they are setup to look like the variable message signs as below 🤔

Sunday I was a bit sore from a longish ride on Saturday however I enjoyed going out, meeting new motorcycle people and seeing more of the local area that is quietly tucked away and I wouldn’t realise is even there. Thankfully the MN&SR was a cruisey meander to the other side of town. Just what I needed after an epic Saturday jaunt.

There are so many fantastic day rides and longer around Brisbane and we have the amazing weather to take full advantage. Wherever you go, even when you do the same ride more than once, there is always a fellow motorcyclist to chat with.