Motorcycles - how the dream began

1966 is the year I bought my first motorcycle magazine.
I would have been.....13.
When did I notice bikes???
My first recollection was my school teacher in grade 1. He turned up at our small country school on this blue a chrome british bike, looking back I think it was a Triumph Twin.
I remember it parked behind the school next to the rain water tank. I remember when I poked a MatchBox toy car up one of the exhaust pipes. Luckily I was able to retrieve it with a small stick.

My next memory would have been when our workman Frank turned up on a brand new Honda Benley. This was one of the first Honda's in the district, it was something totally different from the British examples of the day. It was red, modern and shiny and ran like a dream.

Sometime later......maybe when I was 12 my cousin Robert was given an old BSA Bantam by his parents. Robert took me for a spin around their property, I was perched on the hard carrier on the back mudguard. I was hooked.......I started to think I wonder if I could get a bike for Christmas or my Birthday.

Another brush with the world of motorcycles came when a friend of the family used to visit on his Triumph Cub. It was his daily ride to work, and not very well looked after. One day he was visiting Dad and he said I could have a ride if I wanted to. Wow, that was a special moment. Not only did I ride the bike, I got out the tin of petrol and cleaned off all the grease and dust that had collected around the motor and gearbox. I wanted that bike to look clean. Kingsley was impressed.

Well the bike magazines were the next step.
Our newsagent only sold the following bike magazine, which was a British publication. I don't recall any Australian bike magazines in the newsagent. Well I started to collect them and today I still have a stack of them. That was until the Australian magazine Two Wheels started. Naturally I started to buy every one of them and read them from cover to cover, soaking up all the information I could gleen.

One day I was on the bus on the way highschool. The bus went past the Ford dealer in town. Out the front on the lot was sitting this seconhand bike. It looked like a Bantam, but different. It looked like a bike I could love. At lunchtime I walked past the bike and saw that it was a 150cc CZ, single cylinder with twin fishtail exhausts. I was impressed. That night at home I was telling my parents about the bike and that I would love to own it for my first bike. Hint hint hint...
Next day on the way to school that bike was still sitting there.
That afternoon Iarrived home from school.
Dad wasn't home and my sister I walked inside to see Mum. I guess we had the usual after school snack, YoYo biscuits and milk or cordial. I was sitting in my room reading when I heard Dad coming home in his ute. I looked out the window, and.................what was that on the back. It was the CZ all tied down. I raced outside as Dad pulled up and he was smiling at me. Turns out the parents had decided that I should get an early birthday present.
I was over the moon, and that's where my love of bikes was cemented.

Tasmania - random images - Enjoy.

Tasmania in pictures.

Arriving in Devenport we headed west to Stanley.
Beautiful old buildings and small winding roads, a bikers dream.

Cafe in Stanley

The Stanley Hotel

After Stanley we ventured into Cradle Mountain. We spent the night in this cabin and for me it was very claustrophobic, not the cabin, but the incredible tall timbers that towered above your head. I was used to the wide open spaces, with water on the horizon. I was glad to move onto Strahan.

On the way to Queenstown was the lovely little town of Zeehan. Typical of all of Tasmania the architecture was fantastic.

Strahan....reflection accross the bay.
Loved this little man made jetty.

Main Street Strahan

This is the Boat that took us up the mighty Gordon River.
It leaves the town of Strahan and the views are spectacular and the service A class. We visited an Alantic Salmon farm on the trip and stopped at various spots along the river. We were lucky to have a nice calm day and was able to go right out the mouth of the river. The lighthouse near the entrance was a real picture as you can see. Then there was the excellent sunset at the end of the trip. Lovely pink hues and reflections on the flat water.

My favourite shot from the trip.

Near the small lighthouse was this tiny island with the Bonsai like tree.

Lovely green foliage on these trees that lined the Gordon River.

There is Huon Pine somewhere in that forest.

The Sea Sheperd, Steve Irwin in Hobart Harbour.

The Tasman Bridge on the River Derwent at Hobart. This was the site of the dissaster when a bulk ore carrier from Port Pirie, SA crashed into the bridge on the night of 5th January 1975. Twelve people were killed when the pylons came crashing down and sunk the ship. The ship still sits at the bottom of the river today.

This bridge, one of the oldest bridges in Australia is located in Richmond.

Port Arthur

The Ferry was waiting at Port Melbourne

Melbourne......where we met the Ferry to Tassie

We managed to catch up with Tracey and Paul in the city. Wow a country boy is riding in the centre of a major city, no GPS and no idea. I must say that Melbourne has this fantastic rule where you can park your bike on the footpath, just as long it's not blocking the entrance to a business or hindering pedestrian traffic. Other Councils around Australia, take note. A quick call on the phone and we managed to find T and P very easy, naturally the plan was to meet up at the Harley dealership, Peter Stevens.

Great Ocean Road - getting closer to Melbourne

The above shot is of the Peir at Geelong.
When we walked up to the building at the end it was about to open for lunch.
It was an all you can eat affair for a set price.
Food was pretty ordinary but the view over the harbour was pleasant.

Now this is the sort of Art in Public Place that I like.

Great Ocean Road - just a few more images.

Apollo Bay...
Another lovely coastal village.
It was a school day and we spotted some students having surfing lessons.
Only happens in Australia.........perhaps.

Now the last time I saw a boat like this one was...
in my bathtub about a 100 years ago.
Imagine the designers of this boat thinking.....
"rub a dub dub - 3 men in a tub"