2014 Alpine Rally

Before leaving, at around 3pm on the Friday of the Queen's Birthday Weekend, we attended a Country Fire Authority (CFA) Graduation at Fiskville near Ballan in Victoria.  This was on the Friday morning so after travelling to Fiskville and back had already done about 250 kms before starting out for the Alpine!

The 45th Alpine Rally was held at Brindabella on the eastern banks of the Goodradigbee River. (Canberra side). It is always held over the New South Wales Queen's Birthday weekend in June. I can remember once or twice in the '70's when Victoria had the holiday a week later or a week earlier but fortunatley I always managed to manage a Rostered Day Off on the Monday. This year I left Bendigo at around 3pm aiming to reach Albury just after nightfall. This year I was travelling with my wife. She was attending her first Alpine. We travelled along smaller country roads, some of them gravel, until hitting the Hume Highway near the Technological area just on the outskirts of Wodonga. We overnighted in Albury and met up with, Nic, another BMW MCC Vic member, the following morning. This year we stayed on the Hume until turning off for Canberra near Yass. We stopped at Gundagai for morning tea and had lunch in Canberra.

Alpine Motorcycle Rally Site History

From Canberra we went via Cotter Dam and Picadilly Circus straight to the rally site. The road in was dry and only a hint of snow (or was it a heavy frost?) was seen around Picadilly Circus.

Minus two on Sunday morning (8th June 2014 at 6:42am) The temperature was still minus 2 at 8am

The badge / medal presentation was, as usual, at around 9am on Sunday morning. The higher than normal temperatures overnight made the trek out a little interesting. Even BMW GS's were having traction problems. One of the riders on a BMW S1000RR said traction control didn't cut in until about 10 kmh so it was pretty much useless at less than walking pace. I think the main problem was the ground was too warm so the mud was slippery rather than being a bit more frozen and solid.

One of the first out before the medal presentation on Sunday morning
Whoever helped push me up the hill - THANK YOU! (I think that goes to a LOT of people - a lot of people needed pushing and a lot of people helped to push)

Nic making toast on Sunday morning

2014 Alpine Rally - Second Page

Alpine Motorcycle Rally Site History

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