Club ride to Ulladulla 25 November 2007 - report by Andrew Campbell

I always look forward to any ride that involves the South Coast. In fact, I have a special affection for a ride (having done it a few times now) that takes in a 'lap' of the South Coast. By lap I mean, down the Kangaroo Valley (twisty with gorgeous scenery) and up the Clyde Mountain (twisty, wide smooth roads, no scenery). In all it's about 500kms which is about right for a full day's riding.

The day started out well. The morning was a bit damp and a bit grey, but that's not unusual. It was decided that rather than drone up the high-way to Marulan, the first stop, we'd head out to Bungendore, past Lake Bathurst and Tarago and meet the high-way at Goulburn. By the time we got to Marulan it was time to peel off all of the layers, as the temp had gone up (not to mention the humidity) and I was regretting the choice of Winter jacket

So, our coffees drunk, it's back on the bike, up the high-way a bit and then peel off towards Exeter and Bundanoon. The skies turn greyer and the air gets colder and a bit damp. Suddenly the choice of winter jacket makes sense again.

The grey and damp stay with us up through the Southern Highlands and it’s pretty much grey and threatening damp all the way to Ulladulla where we pull in for lunch.

Having learned from the master, Trevor McCloud, I realise the secret to the lunchtime stop is to park first, throw the helmet off, grab your bike keys and run to the nearest eating establishment, so you can be first in the queue. While not yet possessing Trevor's skill, I did succeed in being number two in the lunchtime queue. Having eaten our lunches and walked the fifteen minutes it took to get to the toilets (the toilets were nearer Bateman's Bay than Ulladulla). We all suited up ready for the Clyde. Some challenged the rain Gods by donning wet weather gear, others choosing to take their chances.

All went just fine until about a quarter of the way up the Clyde, when we were presented with the thickest fog I have ever ridden in! This fog was so thick I could barely see four or five metres in front me, so needless to say it was a very slow, deliberate trip back up the Clyde! We all stopped at Braidwood to re-gather post fog, with most saying their goodbyes at this point. All in all, a very pleasant day’s ride, very much to the tune of 'Four Seasons in One Day'