Broadmeadow HOG Anniversary Ride

Pulling in to Fraser's I had the feeling this was going to be a great day.  The sun was shining, with only a slightly ominous front off the southern skyline.

By 12:00pm we had approximately 30 bikes pulled up, so it was shaping up to be a decent number for the ride.  As always, the BBQ was cranking along and just about all the members were hooking into a sausage sandwich.

Due to the large number of bikes and given this was the largest group I have lead to date, I thought it best to plan an easy route with plenty of opportunities for everyone to catch-up if required.  The plan was to head out of Fraser's and onto the F3 Freeway  southbound, then loop around through Morisset, Doyalson, and back up the Swansea bends to arrive at our final destination the Lambton / New Lambton RSL for drinks and canapés.

After a quick riders briefing, we were on our way, me at the front and Wom chasing up the rear making sure everyone is accounted for.  We had an incredible amount of luck leaving Fraser's as no one got held up at the lights on our way toward the freeway.

Fortunately, the luck continued.  We encountered road works on our way up the Newcastle Link Road and a big 4x4 blocked the roundabout — obviously a Harley enthusiast — so the pack could remain altogether.

We were now altogether heading southbound on the F3 Freeway towards Morisset.  It was at this point the ominous front turned into a brief shower, which was actually pretty good as it was bloody hot.

Swinging off at the Morisset exit, I was feeling good and starting to relax a little.  I always enjoy this stretch of road, there's something in the way it gingerly winds along.  Coming over the hills here provided a great opportunity to watch the train of bikes in my mirrors — something I truly love about being a road captain.

It wasn't too long before we were making our way back up the pacific highway and into the Swansea bends.  On any other day of the week, Wom and I would be hitting these bends way over the speed limit, really pushing the Road King's to their limits.

We had an awesome run through Belmont, only pulling over once.  Continuing on up the by-pass and onto our final destination was relatively smooth.  In hindsight, it I should have pulled the group over earlier on the by-pass heading up toward Carnley Avenue as there was far more visibility traffic wise.

We arrived a the RSL around 20 minutes later than scheduled, but I thought that was pretty good all things considered.

Catching up at the RSL and celebrating our chapter anniversary was great.  Plenty of food and cold beers, combined with a few new members to meet and greet, always makes for a great day.