FLINDERS RANGERS BALL TEARER RIDE 2019

DAY 1 Everyone arrived at Bendleby Ranges safely by about 3.30 on Sat 27/7/19 Newcomers Linton and Matt met all the guys and everyone set up camp. Good night having a nice BBQ, chicken, salad, beers and nice wines. Thanks for the nice wines, Mark for the Kangarilla Hill and Rob for the Bethany Wines. Menu was discussed and a cooking roster was sorted by names from a hat. Let’s just say from the start to the end the food was great and plenty of it. Thanks to Chivo, Stony and Smithy for getting into cooking tea for the boys.
Tool of the day = Linton for nearly choking himself on a chicken bone even before getting on a bike.

DAY 2 Smithy’s GPS was set to take us to Willow Springs via Minburra, Hallaweena, Willipa, Uppalina and most likely something else in between. It was a good mixed bag ride. Unfortunately the first suck of the day was Mike Ritzau who came off 3 kms into the first day and broke his arm. Hope you mend up buddy. Thanks to Stony and Rob for organising and helping out Mike. Chivo continued with another SOD. He did a stunt trick of a rock and bruised himself big time and hurt his shoulder. He soldiered on and finished the 200km day.
Tool of the Day = Smithy showing us how to throw a new KTM on the ground in front of all at the mine. (for team entertainment purposes only)
Tea = Hamburgers and Sara Lee cheesecakes. Linton and Langy cooks. Well done.

DAY 3 Pancakes for breakfast. Yum. Ready for the revised reverse ride around Wlliow springs sky trek. Light rain in the morning just enough to keep the dust down. Chivo didn’t ride went to get sore shoulder checked out. Not broken but some tissue damage. Sky Trek ride was good and had a few challenges especially for Linton trying to get up some slippery sections. Ended up getting a little hot and frustrated. All good. Chris’s bike was playing up a tad. Easy fix loose battery connection. After sky trek Smithy took the lads for a reverse direction ride around the widow maker in the afternoon. Good day was had by all.
Tea = Yiros and Aunt Betty puddings. Oh yea baby. Nice one Mark, Coatsey and Stony.

DAY 4 Breakfast = more food. Eggs and bacon, toast, cereal, coffee etc. Plenty of food for the Smithy led ride of approx. 200km. Ride day today was as follows. Willow springs to Bunyaroo Gorge then to Blinmam for a bakery visit. Good bakery. Team funds shout – nice one. Onto Artimore Ruins, where we learnt about the Dildas Doius tree of the past. Next was Patawarta Gap (Its all about the Gap) , Narina Station, then, through Waraweena ending up at Puttupa.
Suck of the day = Matt’s bike haemorrhaged a countershaft seal on the way to Blinman and ended up in the trailer. Lintons clutch wasn’t working and both his and Ricey’s front tyres cracked up
Tool of the day = Stony doing a couple of silly lay downs.
Tea = Tacos and chocolates for desert. Thanks Jarrod and Ricey they tasted great. I had three and we fed the station owner too!

DAY 5 Big start to the day. Everyone doing work on bikes. Oil changes, filters. Changing tyres. Breakfast = Scrambled eggs and bacon plus the other stuff. Food and more food
Suck of the day= Smithy’s motor was leaking motor parts out of its sump anus, when he did his oil change. No more riding his new orange baby. Another bike in the trailer.
Linton led the ride for the day through Puttupa to Puttupa Springs, The Gap, up the range to Telstra Tower, onto Aroona Dam for lunch. After lunch we rode along the train track, then cross country into Beltana Station creek riding to Deception Hut. Pinnacle ride and return via Afghan track. We then rode through Old Beltana township and onto Waraweena Station. Hey Stoney who was the tail rider? Did we have one? (Yes we did – Ricey ate the dust that day) Good ride day about 100km
Suck of the day = Smithy again with a flatty on rear tyre of his ute. Fixed it at Waraweena.
Tea = Beef Stroganoff and fruit salad for desert. Matty cooked with the help from some of the other guys. Well done lads another good nosh up.
Good time again around the fire at night.
Coatsey was in fine farting form as usual.

DAY 6 Smithy returned as lead rider on a Chivo’s donated WR450. Yes Chivo was still with us riding shotgun in the mighty Hi Lux with Rob nursing massive bruises etc. Smithy took us on a loop ride combo around Waraweena, to a lookout, Dunbar hut, then up a snotty hill that Linton held most people up. We then worked our way up to Mt Gill, at over a 1000mtrs magnificent views were in all directions. Rocks rocks and more rocks Via cockatoo hut. Linton continued to show his skill by doing a 180 turn on a single rock. Crunch. All planned of course. We then made our way back to Waraweena Station for lunch. Good gnarly ride. Not sure on kms maybe 60. After lunch Ricey and Jarrod headed off for some more exploration on nearby tracks and mines as did Becky and Mike who went to check out the old mines.
Lunch = 15 kg of meat mixed grill. Followed by some snoozing, riding, walking and Matt went for a run.
Tool of the day = guess who!
Tea = Curried sausages and swiss roll with cream. Oh yes. Thanks to Becky and Rigsy. Good effort.

DAY 7 Oh pancakes for breakfast again. Lite and easy here we come. Bigger approx. 200 km ride today but an easier mix. Waraweena copper track, lots of creek crossing /riding. Then down through glass gorge plenty of bends onto Parachillna for lunch. Ride south on train track service road to Brachina Gorge, awesome views through the Gorge. Went back through Bunyaroo Gorge onto Willow Springs. Nice ride easier day. I heard Smithy was cleaning a few cobwebs out of Chivos WR. Maxing out at 130ks?
Tool of the day = Chivo after a few wines couldn’t understand why wine doesn’t come out bottles when you don’t take the lid off. Much to the amusement of the onlookers.
Tea = Spag bog. Yes and what a bog it was. Bill and Mike mastered the flavours. It was good. Got used three time over.

Day 8 Did I mention we had breakfast. Have whatever was left. Can’t remember what people ate, I have food blur. I’m sure it was alright no one complained. Smithy was to take the boys back to Bendleby back a similar route but he added in what is termed the Grand Canyon Stonemaniacs section. Coatsey screamed like a little bitch when he had an off on a rocky little hill. Popped his knee. Outcome of that one still unknown. Jarrod rode his bike up for him. Good on ya buddy. By the way Jarrod, what did happen to the two riders you left behind as the tail rider? Bill rides Stoney’s bike through the Canyon. Stoney must have had enough. Stony did well all week, solid effort. Mike had an off down a hill but all good. SMITHY WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THOSE BOYS.
Tool of the day = Smithy for dropping his new KTM after taking it out of the trailer & confusion looking for the toilet tent.
Tea = Steaks, snags and leftovers. Cooks = every man for himself.
Awards given for tools of the week to Linton, Chivo and Coatsey. Prize was a very special Coopers beer Griswold type jumper.

SPECIAL THANKS = Rob and Greg, for their back up vehicle driving and support, getting fuel, packing up, unpacking, finding rendezvous points and ferrying injured. Great Effort. Thankyou
Smithy and Stony, for all the organising, coordinating, purchasing, stacking ,packing, ringing and everything else that goes into bringing it together, there was more than enough food and drink, it was quite amazing that all food & drink was on board for the entire week, Smithy’s Ranger was like the Tardis – it just kept coming out.
Chivo, for helping out with the food menus, support at meal times for the cooks and the mega ice boxes.
Bill, for the delicious Earth eggs
GIFTS = Carton of beer, 2 bottles of wine, chocolates, box of tea bags and maple syrup was set aside to give to Minburra station, the remaining left overs were earmarked to be donated to charity.
Thanks all for coming and helping to make it a good week. To those who got hurt hope you get better!

Location

Fliders Ranges South Australia