The Wild GeeseThunderbird Park Trials Sunday 22
Sunday 22nd of August was the date set for the Australian Moto-Trials championships held at the Thunderbird Park complex at Mt. Tamborine. Three of us left Eumundi at 6.30am aboard a Ducati Sports 1000. BMW R1200GS and a BMW R1200RT for a quick squirt down the highway to pick up another R1200GS at Beerwah. The route comprised a pleasant ride down through Kilcoy, turning south along the Somerset Dam road on a very lovely sunny winter’s morning with just enough bite to the air to enforce the wearing of woollies below the jacket.
As we crested the hill overlooking Somerset Dam, we stopped for the obligatory group photo’ session with the magnificent view behind and a few moments stretching and flapping of arms before setting off again along the road that was obviously designed by an old world motorcyclist towards the dam itself. Unfortunately the first part of it was covered with the aid of the vehicle ahead being driven by a blind, nervous man without his white stick or guide dog, but he did, eventually reach the launching ramp and leave the road to us to enjoy for the remainder of the trip through to Somerset Dam where we turned to the eastern side of Lake Wivenhoe and a glorious cruise down to the township of Fernvale for breakfast where we joined Paul Vaupel and his lovely lady Alison on his FJR Yamaha.
Sufficiently rested, fed and warmed again, we set off on the final leg of our journey and wended our way through the horror of new construction at the western end of the motorway leading back into Brisbane with the guidance of huge electric signs saying “Ignore GPS, Follow signs”. (Government signs always make me nervous.) I duly ignored all the screams from my lovely lady trapped in my GPS and behold, we did indeed arrive at the Logan Tollway as predicted! A turn south along the Mt. Lindsay Hwy for a few clicks and then east to the lovely twisties leading up the western side of the Mt. Tamborine range snugly lodged in behind the usual Sunday funeral cortege of day trippers. Nothing like a brisk ride on a perfect bike road like this lodged in 2nd gear for most of the way!
Arriving at the road to Thunderbird Park was easy. Taking the correct entrance was quite another for two of us. (I maintain that we merely went down that road to wave to the long line of small Japanese tourists who were dutifully marching along the road in the bush!). International goodwill tour over and done with, we returned to the correct entrance where the rest of our small party awaited our return and together we rode into the trials venue with our heads held high. Thunderbird Park is worth a visit if you are ever rolling through this part of the world with a large tract of bushland full of tracks, creeks, skywalk, restaurant and accommodation, not to mention the chance to dig up some thunder eggs as well. The car park was filled and so we lodged our bikes in a corner and walked over to the site of the trials sections. My memory of my old days of trials competition were brought back to me afresh as we stood alongside the first section winding through the bed of a VERY rocky creek with a goodly quantity of green slime in place to aid traction loss.
The bikes today are a far cry from my last trials steed (Ossa 250) weighing only about the 65kgs mark wet!! (Sort of places a lump in the throat when I think of the figure on the scales the last time I weighed myself!) The sections were set out so that the C graders & older twin shock bikes took an easier line than the big kids who made the job of traversing the impossible look smooth and easy. The conditions varied from the relatively easy level sections with logs to the damned near impossible with near vertical slopes, 1.5 metre vertical rock faces to the slippery rocks of the main creek bed. A very interesting day for all of us.
At 2pm, we gathered at the bikes again and started off on the trip home retracing our earlier route with a fabulous blast along the Wivenhoe/Somerset road with breathtaking views along the way (with the exception of about five klms of 2nd gear (no exaggeration) behind three car loads of dodderers who were, I am sure, studying the underside of every leaf on the trees beside the road whilst driving.) until we reached Beerwah where we all dispersed for home. For me it was 608klms of smooth travel in great company and worth the time and energy.
Colin Sheehan
