BMU WEDNESDAY RIDE 7/7/2010 Army Museum

[BMBEN]

A WEDNESDAY RIDE
with Blue Mountains Ulysses
Everyone is welcome to join us for the ride

Meet: Blaxland McDonalds, GWH, BLAXLAND, NSW for a 9.00am Start
Ride Leader: Noel H
Ride Report/Videos: Eric B

7th July, 2010

Destination:
Australian Army Museum of Military Engineering

Approx. 120km round trip

I arose at my usual time of 6:00am. Looked out the window to find no ice on the ground and the temperature was about 7C so I made my lunch after checking the weather report that stated it would be 7-17C with the chance of a shower, so I put on the thermals thinking here we go again, another day of searching for bits and pieces.

I left home and 8:00am and headed up the freeway to Blaxland to find Noel H, Paul S, Alan S, David C already there. When I arrived my question was where would we be going for the ride today. Noel informed me that we would be going to the Australian Army Museum of Military Engineering, thinking to myself well I had never been there before, this would be something new. John McC arrived so say good morning as he was riding to the Central Coast, Paul S also had other commitments looking after grandchildren.

I believe Noel had gone to the trouble to visit the army barracks on Sunday and check out what the situation was so that we could go to the museum which I would like to thank him for personally. Thinking to myself that was really great, going to the trouble so that we could ride there Wednesday.

We left at 9:00am. Noel H would lead to ride followed by Alan S, David E, David C, and I would be tail end Charlie. Heading down the highway onto Mulgoa Road out through Wallacia, around through Bents Basin passing the training area for the police dog squad, there were about a dozen vehicles and handlers there with their dogs, then continuing on through Rossmore onto the M5 Freeway, then turn off and head to Haigh Park for morning tea, it was nice sitting in the sun and the temperature was only about 16C, as we headed around to Holdsworthy Barracks, we had to show our drivers license and they would also take the registration number of our motorcycles.

The Museum was quite interesting, the donation was $1.00 if you were wrinkly, there were quite a lot of heavy earth moving machinery, there was also a video on the removal of mines during the Vietnam War, the damage that the mines did was shocking there is no other word to use, I am very fortunate not to have gone there and I think how lucky I was.

We left the Barracks and headed around to Wattle Grove where there was a nice park that would be able to have lunch at, when we arrived, there are no facilities, we then headed back to Haugh Park where we would have lunch, the temperature had not gotten any higher and there was a cold wind from the south as we sat in the shelter and had lunch.

Going back a different way home on to the Hume Highway than make our way back around on to the Northern Road, the idea was that we would have afternoon tea at Mulgoa but when we got to the Wallacia turnoff I decided I would continue on around the back of St Clair and then on home. Allen S also continued on so now down to two as David E had left and gone home a different way along the Cumberland Highway. It really was a nice ride was only short but we did enjoy the museum, looking at the long range forecast for next week it could be very similar to this week so I look forward to next weeks ride

Stay warm and ride safe, do not forget that the mobile speed cameras will be in force on the 19th of this month.

Regards Eric Baldwin

Map link
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=d&s...,0.617294&z=11