Dr Jurds Jungle Tour – the DanD perspective
I will try and keep my report as brief as possible – so as not to rub it in to much for those that didn’t get to join us (Hey Bollocks)
TB, Kylie, Boulder and myself had done a fair bit of pre-running and organising for this ride. Given that we were expecting a huge group of 30+.
This was a ride that a bit of everything – even a raffle for getting to wear the sweeps vest and the prize pack that was donated by Sutto’s.
Thankyou again to Sutto’s for the great prize pack, which contained a bottle of filter oil, chain lube and bike shine. All good brand stuff too.
I woke up fairly early Sunday morning as I was pretty excited about this ride. (I didn’t get out of bed until 6.00am however) When I did get up, the weather was perfect for riding, looks like part 1 of the organising plan had worked. I did order a little bit of dust suppression for Saturday night but that didn’t arrive.
TB was already up and about, and Kylie eventually got herself out of bed.
Crazy eyes the dog was fed and then it was time to start getting ready. I got TB his brekky ready like a good biarch, his favourite of peanut butter and strawberry jam toast (not cut into little triangles though or on the princess plate).
Boulder arrived shortly after and we had a cup of coffee and a chat before everyone else arrived. Champo and Tracy were next to arrive then the rest of the crew started to roll in.
We done our final preparations and got ready to go. Everyone that was at my place moved done the street to where everyone was parked and were busy getting bikes off trailers and getting ready.
Champo won the first raffle prize of the day by being awarded the sweeps vest for the morning session – Good work at sweeping Champo
Originally we were going to do the riders brief when we hit the bush, but considering everyone was there and we had some time it was done at the start point. With that out of the road it was time to roll. I must thank everyone for being quiet when arriving, etting ready and leaving.
We rolled out at around 7.40am, it would have been something else to see 28 bikes riding through the back streets of Teralba.
We made our way out to Killingworth where we re-grouped after a short tar section from my place. When we re-grouped at Killingworth someone said that Boulders bike had decided not to play and stopped dead at the bottom of the street. Boulder was going to have a look at it and catch up with us when he got it going. That was a bit disappointing considering that Boulder had been with us on the previous weekend for the pre-runs and organising. But in true Boulder fashion he got the problem worked out and was soon riding with us again. Good as gold Boulder.
I was a bit worried how this many on a ride would progress with the amount of turns and technical sections we had put in. But everyone moved through the bush at a decent rate.. There was a few bits throughout the ride were we had factored in easy and hard options to cater for everyone. This system worked well with two people being put on an intersection holding EASY or HARD cards, directing people through for which ever they felt comfortable with. The first easy / hard section seen nearly everyone opting for the hard option, with everyone through this bit we continued on. The next easy / hard section claimed a couple of causalities, that hill is now to be known as Kylie – Eagle hill. But to both of their credit they didn’t throw their hands in the air and give up they got back on their bikes and peddled the rest of the way up.
The next easy / hard option had nearly everyone taking on the hard option again, it was a bit of single line up the side of a hill, which if you got the right amount of speed and picked the right line it wasn’t too bad. I think Eagle stood his bike up going up this one, but I cant talk as I got ¾ of the way up and stalled it – Bugger.
At the top of the hill we re-grouped again and had a drink and a smoke. We moved off and done a bit of open trail which was good to get a bit of air flowing through after the tighter stuff.
Our next turn was down into a bit of single line which had us heading towards Freemans Waterhole.
We re-grouped again at the bottom and a few of the boys had to do a quick trip to the servo for some oil and air. We moved off again and started towards getting into the Watagans where we were going to meet up with Racy Tracy, Novice and Mrs Novice. The track from Freemans Waterhole to Mt Faulk Road (which is in the Watagans) is also where there is a bit of everything, from smooth twin trail, to rocky hills and sloppy clay and mud. We done a little detour from what was originally planned and went up and over a hill back to the original track. I think this is where Boony tried to fly and race his bike to the bottom. I think Old Al had a dirt nap on this hill as well.
We kept on moving with some sections seeing riders spreading out a little bit further than others. When everyone was through we stopped at the bottom of Mount Faulk Road for five minutes for a drink and another smoke.
We kept on moving as Racy Tracy, Novice and Mrs Novice were waiting for us at the Pines. Mount Faulk road was a bit dusty and slippery with some corners feeling like ball bearings. We dropped off the road a few times to do some single line which was fun. At one stage I got a little bit close to TB when he wound it on and got shot with a face full of roost. Lesson to everyone don’t get to close to the fiddy’s rear wheel.
We made our way to the Pines where the rest of the posse was waiting eagerly to go. We stopped for 15 to have a bit of a break and a chat.
With everyone keen to get moving again the next stop was to be Luguna for a splash of fuel. There was another easy / hard section along here with TB taking people down the easy route and me leading down the hard. When we all met up at the bottom off the hill we moved off towards Luguna. The road to Luguna is a nice smooth gravel road with some fun corners in it. Novice had a bit of a moment between the Pines and Luguna due to some of the soft sand and dust that was on the road or was it he wanted some special time with the new 450?
The fuel stop ran like clock work with me pumping fuel and the owner telling everyone how much they had to pay. Thankyou to all that made the fuel stop as quick and easy as possible.
From Luguna we made our way towards Wollembi which was our lunch stop. It was along here that Mrs Novice had a bit of an off, but was OK – please bear in mind this was her first dirt ride in a long while though and the roads were a bit slippery.
Myself and TB were riding along at a good pace and out of the corner of my eye I could see another bike, I looked across and here is Kylie having a run at the front of the pack. Kylie was on fire yesterday – must have been the tuition that she got from TB on Saturday and the fact that she loves riding bikes as well.
When we got to Wollembi we parked the bikes up down on a grassy area and went and ordered lunch. TB had got there earlier than me cause I went back to talk to Kylie who was on the last corner, but by the time me and Kylie got to the pub TB had already gotten us a drink. The VB went down beautiful – thanks mate.
With everyone fed and watered it was time to go again. We made our way back down to the bikes to get ready but before we left we drew the next two raffles. One prize was the sweeps vest for the arvo and the other was the prize pack donated by SUTTO’S. Snake won the sweeps vest, but Big T put his hand up to do it (what a good dad)
Mudboy won the prize pack from SUTTO’S so his bike will have a well oiled air filter, oiled chain and shine for a while now.
The way home was changed a little bit from plan as the Tamworth crew still had a long drive in front of them and we were running a little behind schedule. So we hit the tar for a little while into Millfield for another fuel stop. The tar at least gave us all a chance to get our lunches settled before hitting the dirt again. The Millfield servo was a bit overwhelmed I think with 32 bikes pulling in for a fuel stop. With the fuel stop out of the way Lotsa took the lead for a while knowing the way back into the Watagans. Let me tell you he peddled the Kato along the dirt road to the Watagans, maybe because his clutch had decided to go South earlier in the day he wanted just to keep it in top the whole way?
When we got back into the bush TB took over leading again, we done a climb up into the bush at a good pace. It was a bit of a rough hill but everyone made it up. We re-grouped at the top and moved off again. At the next major intersection we bid farewell to those that joined up with us at the Pines and kept moving.
The main roaded back to the bottom of the Watagans with a few little off tracks to keep everyone on their toes. When we got back to the bottom of Mount Faulk Road it was back into the bush that we had travelled earlier for the final leg to home. A few people opted not to go up Boonys hill as fatigue was starting to set in by this stage.
We all met up again and ran through the mud section and back to the road. At the next re-group Boony, Eagle, Chris and Old Al decided to road it back. The rest of us done the last leg without any mishaps or bails.
At Killingworth TB and Kylie swapped bikes and Kylie rode TB’s fiddy back, bloody hell TB what are you trying to do to me. She rode Chops banana on Saturday and wants one now, what next a 650?
We made it back to my place at around 4.00pm and a few of us enjoyed a beer and a bit of bench racing. The Tamworth crew quickly loaded the bikes and bailed as they had a bit of a trek to get home.
Without sounding like a thanks fest there are a few people that deserve special mention:
TB – for all of the organising and leading
Kylie – for not letting a little off stop her even though her leg was giving her some grief
Boulder – for pre-running the ride with TB and me last weekend
Racy Tracy – you are riding better and better all the time
Champo – For sweeping all morning
BigT – for sweeping the arvo session
Mrs Novice – for not giving up even after your nasty off
The Tamworth crew – for putting in the effort to come and ride our area
Eagle – for putting Boony and Chris up for the night
Chris – our roving photographer
And SUTTO’S – for donating the raffle prize – I am sure Mudboy will put it to good use.
So much for my report being brief but I cant help myself.
Dan
Its hard to organise a ride that is aesthetically pleasing to everyone, we travelled those boring sections for lunch and fuel and then to hurry the ride along for people to get home, personally I didnt need fuel for the whole day and could have taken a sandwich but it was always a mix of social event / riding this ride 
