At a crisp 12 degrees—not bad for a 7:30 winter’s morning—the hardy Ulyssians began to gather at Loftus Oval. I rolled in right on 7:30.
As usual, Perry was the first to arrive, followed by Russel, Doc [Martin], Maestro [Gary], and Andy.
The bikes on deck included:
- Two Harleys
- One Spyder
- One Honda
- One historic BMW
- One BMW
Today’s destination: Picton’s Leaf and Bean Café in the town centre—a favourite spot of our much-missed mate, Grumblebum [Gary Navas].
For those who didn’t know Gary, he was everything a club could ask for: President, Treasurer, Quartermaster, Ride Leader— and probably held every other title at some point. Always at his side was Margaret, who recently caught up with Alan Young [Nightrider].
Alan kindly took her on a run through Royal National Park, which she deeply appreciated—a beautiful moment of reminiscing.
Back to the ride: From Loftus, we took the Old Princes Hwy to Picton Rd, across the causeway, through Douglas Park, and into Picton.
Notably, the old tree in the park has been felled and shredded, allowing the winter sun through— perfect for soaking in warmth while we devoured our bacon and eggs.
We wound our way home via Razorback, Cawdor, Camden, Narellan, then onto the Hume Hwy, Heathcote, and New Illawarra Rd, where goodbyes were shared—most of us home by noon.
A brilliant morning with great company, pot-holed roads, and even better memories.
Cheers, John “Whispers” Warren
