XMAS 2013

It was pleasing to see a great turn up for our Xmas tea at the Pepper Mill Inn and I hope you all had a good time. From Me and Mine we'd like to take this chance to wish You and Yours all the best for the coming Xmas and that 2014 be a year of good luck and the making of happy memories for you, your family and your friends. God Bless.

DECEMBER 1 &2 COD OPENING

Some people don't get what it is about looking forward to this weekend but I do and so do the others who were able to get away. "The Webster" had gone up to the river early to find a good spot to camp and lucky he did because things were pretty crowded due to most of the tracks being closed "go figure". The luckiest angler amongst us was Tim who got a beauty that measured 850 ml, a great fish, while all others managed to catch cod sadly they were under size and had to be released . Apart from the bloody wind not letting up it was a good weekend.

NOVEMBER RIDE TO EILDON

The November ride was the first time the girls have been invited along for one our overnight rides and by all reports the girls made the best of it and had a great time. I was absent from this ride so can only go on what I have heard but evidently they had a bit of rain along the way mixed with some lovely sunshine some great scenery and very good riding roads.

OCTOBER RIDE TO MITTA MITTA ON THE 19th-20th

 After a phone call to the Mitta Hotel it was discovered that the hotel was under renovations so a ring around other pubs discovered the Cudgewa Hotel could provide the accommodation and beverages required and having never been there that was a good reason to give it a try. The Cudgewa Hotel is in the same sort of area as Mitta but in a different valley. We met at the usual place and all 7 set off for what turned out to be a very good weekend. The publican was very welcoming, the meals were good, the locals were a lot of fun with one standing out from the rest and that was our little mate Joe who only lives 20 mins away. All in all a great trip.

DAY RIDE OCTOBER 6th TO BUNDALONG TAVERN

It was a pretty good roll up for this ride with 12 people coming along. Something that was very pleasing to see was the return of Haggis's bike to the ranks this time it had the new very proud owners on board in Tim and his wife Laurell, well done guys and may you enjoy riding it for many years. Organising the ride was left up to Boots and he did a fine job taking us first to the Big Strawberry at Koonamooo where we had a coffee and tucked into a few strawberry tarts etc. Yarrawonga via Tocumawal was the next  stop and then the short trip to the Tavern for Lunch. Heading back took in the Warby Ranges, Dookie and from there we said our goodbyes' and went our own way home. Bird

SEPTEMBER 21st&22nd RIDE TO JAMIESON

I know it doesn't seem like a big ride to Jamieson but if you take in a bit extra country as we did you can find some very good roads to travel. Six of us left Mooroopna on the Saturday morning and headed for Seymour for our first stop it was just far enough to blow the cobwebs out. Flowerdale was the next stop and there to greet us was "The Brothers Gedye", Allan and Mark who had ridden up from Melbourne. Picturesque scenery and good roads was there to see on our way to Molesworth where we sat down for a hearty meal most of us chose the home made meatballs for lunch and payed the consequences for the rest of the night as the garlic kept repeating... often. After lunch it was back on the road again making our way across to Eildon and then on the back road to Jamieson Hotel where we locked the bikes away and relaxed by the bar for the rest of the night with a bit of finals footy on the telly. We all woke the next morning to the sound of rain on the roof but by the time we had our breakfast and got ready to leave it had all but stopped just leaving us with wet roads to deal with. Getting home early was a bit different but good in a way. Hope all who went had a good time . Bird

HAGGIS. R. I. P.

DAVID ALLAN NIEHUS A member of Mad Mob and known to all as" HAGGIS" sadly on the 24-07-2013 passed away as the result of a heart attack. Haggis was 57 years old. We miss you. We will never forget you.

WALWA RIDE AUGUST 17TH & 18TH 2013

Good  ol'  Walwa in August might have been a bit chilly and overcast but no rain on the way there or on the way home made it a very enjoyable run. This trip was just a tad different with the main group of 6 riders leaving Mooroopna at 10am and Boots and I riding up later, we would have gone all together except for my work interfering so Boots stayed back to wait for me. Walwa is a great ride no matter which way you go so every one enjoyed the run--- like always and no doubt we will do it again.

BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR MAD MOB

 With a gracious offer from Gundy and Denise to have this years birthday party at their place it was decided , with heartfelt thanks, to accept  the offer. Saturday the 6th was the chosen night and it turned out to be a very good event. The venue is a credit to Gundy and Denise as it has everything that a man or woman could desire. From fire pots outside to an open fire on a hearth inside and long tables and chairs with plenty of seating under the covered area to cozy lounge chairs around the open fire. A very large screen TV with the footy on and  ample stereo pumping good music.  Also  a fully operational kitchen and  spit roast and of course the wood top bar with the complementary bottle of Chivas Regal for guests to sample. Gundy and Denise, on behalf of everyone who attended I thank you very much for your hospitality. Also a big thank you to Grover and Bonni ( the new girl in his life) for your hard work  for and on the night. Also  thank you to all who brought along deserts, salads, casseroles, nibblies,  etc and  to those who attended the night.. Tom Groves was popular with the girls after winning the chocolate hamper. The  bottle of Jim Beam was won by Finny for tossing his gold coin closest to the bottle and  the rest of the night was just good fun. It was with pleasure that I got to announce that Brett and Tim were both nominated for membership and also that on this night we get to welcome a new member to the club in Tony " Boots" Gardner. Welcome Brother.  Here we are entering our 5th year and although we have grown slowly to 9 members and 2 noms the bonds are strong and the Mad Mob will only get stronger with time. Thank you for your continued support. Bird

TRENTHAM RIDE 18th &19th MAY 2013

Yep it was pretty damn cool when we set off on our annual May ride to Trentham, but if you were rugged correctly in all the right places it was still quite comfy.Our leader for the day was Webby, so with 8 with bikes in close persuit we headed of to Nagambie for a coffee and a warm up, then across to Heathcote for a very nice lunch. Webby had planned to take us on a bit of a scenic route to Trentham but as we got closer the clouds seemed to turn a bit darker and the air became very chilly so a very wise decicion was made to go straight to the Trentham Hotel where we got got settled in. We walked into the bar and  Boots said "Bloody hell it is not quite 3 o'clock, I'll be pissed by 8 and in bed" and to the letter ... you guessed it.... he was both. The rest of us had a good nights fun with a lot of laughs and a lot of stirring and not that late of a bed time, but it was in the morning when things changed . It seems after 10 hours of beauty sleep someone woke up full of beans and mischief, first it was up and down the hallway banging on bedroom doors wanting everyone to get up , then while across the road in a bakery having breakfast  Boots managed to bribe a very young and pretty waitress to give him a cuddle in front of all the boys, and she did. It was just as the sun was finally breaking through the fog that we decide to leave but the kwaka wouldn't start...again.. so up and down and up and down and up and down the street we pushed this bitch of a thing until finally it went, once it was going it caused no more problems for the day and I believe that it is getting a rebuild in the next couple of months.From this point the ride home was all good with everyone making it home nice and early probably a good thing in May weather. Bird

MAY 4TH 2013 DAY RIDE TO TOLMIE

Grover had brought along a guest for this ride, some of us had met Ronny before but those who hadn't quickly made him welcome. Ronny has a story and I hope he doesn't mind me sharing it with you , Ronny had a stroke not long ago which left him with some weakness in one side and some loss of vision in one eye, the vision loss is more peripheral than straight ahead but he has learnt to adjust for it, I say " power to him for still riding his Harley" and riding it very well too. Just quickly, I don't think she minds too much but Jodie was the only girl to attend the ride again. Well we were all ready to leave when a phone call informed us that Tim wasn't going to be able to come because his bike wouldn't start ... again.. so it was decided that we drop by his place on the way... which is not on the way by the way.. to see if we could help get it going. " Let's push start it "some one said, so Pugs and Bird started to push it down the street and the fucking thing wouldn't start, clutched it at 5 metres.. nothing,.. then again at 10 metres... nothing.... again at 15 metres... a small pop .... Bird ran out of puff at 16 metres.. Pugs dug deep for 2 metres more... and bloody came to life, you were so lucky Tim, ' cause if it didn't fire then you would have had to push it back yourself  as I am sure neither Pugs or me had any energy left to push it again. Fit aren't we? So off we all went  to Euroa where we bumped into some more Shepp  riders and after a chat we headed off to Tolmie for lunch and a terrific feed it is too, from there we headed to Glenrowan then home to Mooroopna. On reflection on the ride it is a damn good one , form Euroa then up thru the hills and down again to Glenrowan is all good riding country. We will do it again one day. Hope those who went enjoyed it too. Bird.

APRIL RIDE TO DEDERANG

Only the night  before we were about to leave for Omeo a phone call was made to the hotel we were going to stay at and Bird was informed that snow had been reported to have fallen on Dinner Plain on  Mt Hotham and also at Falls Creeek on Mt Bogong. Further investigations on the compatibility of motor cycles with ice or snow had revealed high incidents of roadside medical attention  and repairs to damaged bikes so it was thought to be wise to change our destination to a less dangerous one. After a ring around of other options Dederang Hotel came through with all our needs and it was in the same general area, so that's where we ended up going. A good roll up of 10 bikes left Mooroopna for a pretty good ride in what turned out to be nice weather and we did the trip thru Dookie toWangaratta to Bright for lunch, up and over Tawonga Gap to Dederang. Next morning after push starting the Jappa... again.. we had a casual ride home and all arrived safely, some heading straight for the couch for a lay down so I was told.  Bird

Day Ride to Healsville on April 6th

  7 bikes turned up at the Mooroopna Bp in perfect riding weather for a day ride  to Healsville. Spoofy had put his hand up to lead this one and had it organised to the finest detail, well almost.
We all set off for the first leg of the trip which was to the bakery in Euroa, from there we next stopped at Alexandera for drinks and then on to Healsville for lunch. Through the Tollangi Forest, King Lake and stopping at Flowerdale Hotel was the first part of the way home and to that point, although we had not been lost , our leader for the day had tried to take us on 2 wrong turns and nearly went past the Flowerdale Hotel  even with the 2metre high sign, but we got there that's the main thing. After our drinks break we then went on to Nagambie, this was when we heard the first rumblings of "my sore bum" from one of the lady pillions, later on it is believed to have got to "Take me home first my bum is so sore" LOL. It turned out to be a fairly big ride but through some very pretty country and forests so it was all worth while and very enjoyable. Thanks go to Spoofy for taking the ride and good to see Jenny and Jodie were able to come along too. Bird

KHANCOBAN, MARCH 2013

What a cracker of a weekend we just had , The Khancoban Bike Festival was our destination and everything turned out to be just what I had hoped it would be..... with one exception and that was the the Tallangatta Bike show... turns out it was a Ulysees club event and didn't look very interesting. Our ride there though was great, we got to hang a bit on the only jap bike that came along  for breaking down, we had some terrific riding weather, the roads to Khancoban were a lot of fun, the Koetong Pub was interesting with many women's bras hanging from the ceiling and when we finally got to the caravan park our cabin was just what we wanted. Three bedrooms, lounge area, kitchen,bathroom, wood fire if needed, airconditioner and full size fridge and a concrete area to park our bikes on and only $25 each.The Festival was a short walk up the road with a very convenient pub stop about half way and once we got into the festival area everything you could need was there, the food was good, the booze tent was adjacent to where we stood to listen to the 3 bands that played on the night, there was plenty of chairs , we had a couple of ladies have a bit of a wrestle , that looked ok , we had lots of laughs and at the end of the night the short walk back was like watching sailers walk on a rolling deck but all good fun. Next morning was a bit unusual with everyone sleeping in til 9am but as I looked into the eyes of some of my comrades I could see why, they reminded me of broken jafas looking back at me. The park owner had orgnised a cooked breakfast of bacon and egg rolls and coffee which hit the spot, so once we were all done it was time to head home via Walwa then onto the Bundalong Tavern for lunch from there we made our way home. As I said earlier this was a cracker of a trip and I am very sure that if it is on again next year ( the Festival) we will be making our way back there again. Thanks to Big John from Strathmerton, Brett from Cobram, Webby ,(Pugsley ) Fairless and Tim for making it such a good time. Bird

2013 UP TO JANUARY 12

I trust that the Xmas and New Year break was kind to you all and the best of luck to you and all you friends and family in the coming year. The past couple of months we had some good times , first one was when we have the Cod Fishing weekend at Bearii on the Murray river. There were 7 fishermen who went and 5 lovely size cod were caught, all fish taken were around the 620cm with the largest being 660cm. A terrific camping and fishing weekend.The Xmas Party was held at the Shepparton R.S.L. and it was pleasing to see everyone could make it. We had a excellent meal there and some stayed on and had a bit of a dance, a few drinks and a few giggles. All in all a good night.
On the 12th of January we are going for a day ride to Merryjig near Mt Buller. The weather report says it will be a cool day of 23 so if you want to come along , be at the Mooroopna BP at 9ish ready to leave at 9.30, should be an alright day. Bird