Motoguzzimackers' Moto Guzzi Diaries

Pleasant 5 hours or so running up to Shepparton and back on the Cali.    Came across this windmill, now used as a tourist attraction.  I’ve erected and serviced many windmills in the south-west of W.A with my father, mainly Mettars windmills, but none as big as this  25 foot Southern Cross.  The stand would have been much higher originally.

I’ve been involved in the Guzzi club’s A to Z competition  where we have to photograph our bikes and ourselves at a  location starting with each letter of the alphabet, while holding a “secret thingy” ( so you can’t use an old photo).  I needed an “I” so fanged up to Inglewood, a cruisey cruise up the freeway before turning off towards Mildura.

Then I ran down to through Rheola (the Berlin goldfield) and Moliagul where I stopped at the John Flynn memorial and the Welcome Stranger memorial:

…before dropping into Dunolly for a cup-of-chino and a biscotti.

Cut across to bendigo and then a pleasant cruise down the freeway again to home.  An easy 350 kays!

I’d heard that there was a memorial to 3 VC winners at Longwood, in central Victoria, so set out to find it.  It wasn’t sign-posted but after a couple of u-ies I found it at Old Longwood.

Presidents of the Returned and Services League

Our small township of Euroa in the North Central district of Victoria has a unique position in the
British Commonwealth in that it is the only district that has fathered three Victoria Cross recipients
and our intention is to honour these men with the erection of three life sized bronze statues.

LtCol Leslie Cecil Maygar VC, DSO, VD, MD (4 times).

Maj Frederick Harold Tubb VC

Cpl Alexander Stewart Burton VC

LtCol Maygar received his VC as a young Lt during the Boer War in 1901 in an action at
Grelhoutboom when one of his troopers was unhorsed on an open plain under heavy Boer fire from
only 200 metres away. Maygar dismounted and placed the man on his own horse, himself running the
gauntlet on foot until he reached cover.
Maygar went on to serve in WW1 in command of the 4th and 8th LH Regiments and later the 3rd LH
Brigade at Beersheba where he was killed. Leslie Maygar is buried at Beersheba.

Maj Tubb received his VC as a Lt Platoon Commander at Lone Pine on 9th August 1915 displaying 
exceptional bravery in repelling a Turkish advance.  Advancing up a sap, the enemy blew up the sand bag barricade leaving only one foot of it standing. Lt. Tubb lead his men back, cleared the sap, and rebuilt the barricade. Supported by a strong bomb attack the enemy again succeeded in blowing in the barricade wounding Lt. Tubb on the head. After the sand bags had been replaced a second time and again blown up by the enemy, Lt. Tubb for the third time rebuilt the barricade, and succeeded in maintaining his position under heavy bomb fire. Throughout the action Lt. Tubb distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry exposing himself freely in order to inflict losses on the enemy and to encourage his men at a very critical period of the defence.  Maj Tubb was wounded and later died after leading a company of the 7th
Battalion in an action in France at Polygon Wood on 27th September 1917. Frederick Tubb is buried in Belgium.

Cpl Burton received his VC in the same action as Lt Tubb “For most conspicuous bravery at Lone
Pine trenches in the Gallipoli Peninsula on the 9th Aug., 1915”. Side by side with Lt Tubb and Cpl
Dunstan (another VC recipient) he rebuilt the barricades time and again until he was killed by a bomb.
Alex Burton was awarded his VC posthumously. There is no known grave for Alexander Burton.
This proposal of national significance is to honour these men and have their deeds recognized in the
form of three life sized bronze statues and explanatory plaquing. Planned completion of the project is
the ANZAC Centenary, 25th April 2015.

As you probably realize, a project of this size and importance will require significant funding if it is to 
be done right and we ask that you support us through the attached Subscription Form.
Our business plan is available to those seeking to make a significant contribution as are our committee
members to make a presentation to your Branch or Sub-Branch if you see that this would be an
advantage.
Yours sincerely,
Fred Wawrzik
Secretary and Treasurer
Euroa RSL

Met up with Club at Mansfield where we parked on the central plantation.

I decided to set off early and take some footage of the Guzzis. Up through the twisties, through Tolmie, more twisties through the power-lines and onto the straight section just before the descent into Whitfield where I pulled over and set up the Drift HD camera. The bikes came cracking through shortly afterwards. When I turned back to my bike, I saw this:

Closer examination showed the shocker, CARC and rear wheel slick with oil. Oil had even splattered on the number plate and the rear of the panniers.

My first thought was that the oil filter had come loose, but no, it was dripping from a crack in the sump. When I’d ridden over the curb at Mansfield, I’d felt a slight thump. Presumably that’s when the crack occurred. There was a smudge of cement on the sump fins. It’s hard for me to believe that I could have ridden all the way to the top of the descent into Whitfield with the tyres in that condition. Perhaps the heat finally tripped the crack, closer to where I stopped.

Kev and Karen stopped by and commiserated with their tale of cracking their sump in Mongolia.

I tried Motorcycling Australia – a waste of time. I didn’t have a GPS or property number, so they were more at a loss than I was. Totally useless and frustrating.

Then I remembered my RACV Total Cover! An hour or so later I was in the truck back to Mansfield and then approved for the return of me and the bike to Lancefield.

Very professional response from the RACV and they returned phone calls! And very good service from Mansfield Towing and Salvage, too. Broke down at 2pm, in Mansfield at 6pm and home by 9pm.

The Club stopped in Mansfield on the way home and spotted this:

Run to Guildford:

Decided to make a surprise visit to Canberra to visit the daughter.  Up through Moyhu and Happy Valley to Corryong and overnight at Tumbarrumba.  Both pubs here have lock garages for bikers – I stayed at the Tumbarrumba Hotel.  Food and room were OK but the bar/lounge left a bit to be desired – nowhere comfortable to sit.

Then through Batlow (6C) to Tumut and into the Kosciusko National Park.  Stopped at Talbingo to see the hydro generator:

Over the high plains to Adminaby.  Had an excellent run with very little traffic.

Then on to Cooma, which was chokkas with bikes for the Snowy Ride.  Passed hundreds more bikes as I headed to Canberra and surprise!:

Had to have a famous Brodburger!

Home the quick way down the freeway, which I pretty-well had to myself until Albury.  Canberra to Lancefield in 6 hours 34 minutes – 2 fuel stops and a coffee.

Unable to watch the Moto GP, we consoled ourselves with a run to Healesville.  Stopped for a brew at the biker-friendly “AJs Moto Cafe“:

Tracked out via Toolangi to Yea – we’d forgotten what a scenic route this is.  A bit of a break for the Ducati rider!

Home to find that Casey Stoner had won the Moto GP for the 6th time, Ant West second in the Moto 2, and new boy, Arthur Sissis, third in Moto 3.

Attended the Moto Guzzi Club of Victoria’s annual Spaghetti Rally at Edi in the King River valley.  Went up Friday arvo to help set up.  Tracked via Lake Nillahcootie and Swanpool, then in on roads that I was unfamiliar with via Tatong and Myrrhee to Moyhu.

Had about 30 bikes roll up for Friday night.  The Moyhu Hotel put on a bus, so we had tea and drinks at the pub beer garden on a very mild night.

Saturday dawned fine and was fairly quiet until about 3 pm when hoards of bikes started arriving.  I worked in the tent with registrations and selling beer.  The $25 registration fee included a badge and spaghetti for tea.  The sauce had been prepared earlier by the club president, Mish, and Steve cooked the spaghetti in large boilers.  A lot of prizes were then raffled off, including various helmets  heated grips and vouches.  Afterwards everyone was in high spirits, so the beer tent was kept busy.

Sunday, too, was fine and beaut.  I took a self-portrait in the Stones chrome tank.

The club handed out prizes for the longest distance, best Guzzi, peoples bike choice, etc.

After cleaning up the site and packing up, I returned via Yea, meeting up with Jane, on her Ducati, for lunch.

A beautiful spring day, cloudless and windless, so we mosied our way around on the bikes, stopping wherever.  Eventually found ourselves at the Guildford Banjo Jamboree.  The town was packed so we parked on the shoulder:

We were entertained by the locals (start of the school holidays):

and encountered the Feral Sports Car Club (who only restore their vehicles to meet road registration):

Then on to Maldon for lunch and a smooch in the sun:

Top day!