ABFC Meeting - Part 3

I woke up about 5.00am after a good night in the tent in spite of the overnight storm.  I wriggled out of my sleeping bag and pulled on some shorts so I could walk to the amenities block.  After unzipping the the internal sleeping compartment  door and then the external fly door I wiggled out on my backside into the vestibule to exit the tent.  Now remember in Part 1 the picture of my tent with the little bit of groundsheet sticking out, well this had channelled the rain into a puddle in the vestibule and I was now sitting in about 10mm of water.  When I stood up I had a wet patch right across the back of my shorts much like little boys get when they wet themselves in bed.  I was in a quandary as my clean clothes were in the Jazz.  Fortunately the only campers up were some way away so I gave them a wave and backed to the Jazz, grabbed my cycling shorts, a towel and shaving gear and beat a hasty retreat to the amenities block. Here in the privacy of a little room I substituted my wet shorts and underwear with my nice dry cycling shorts and went out to shave as if nothing had happened.

I then decided to bypass the oats for breakfast and have Weet-Bix, the Australian version of Weetabix, instead.  No cooking and no mess!  Wrong as I poured milk over them thin green lines of fluid spread out from underneath them.  My little bottle of washing up detergent had leaked into  the dish and I hadn't noticed.  So I threw away another breakfast, washed the dish and started again.  I sat with my neighbours from the next tent in the covered in barbecue area and ate my breakfast with them. 

We had time to kill as we were schedule to meet at 9.00am for a photoshoot by a local journalist so after clearing up I went back to the tent and dried out the vestibule  and reposition the groundsheet so that it didn't stick out.  I also removed all my belonging from the tent except for my sleeping gear and put them in the Jazz.  My little bike had been kept dry in the Jazz's boot over night so I pulled it out and reassembled it.  It takes all of 25 seconds.

About 8.45am I went to meeting point and as the group assembled I took several photos of the gathering.

The tandems started to arrive and the guide dogs and our youngest member A, weren't far behind.

We all posed for the journalist's photo.

 

I am second from the left in the second row.

The full article can be found at http://www.dailyexaminer.com.au/story/2011/04/02/bike-to-suit-all-types-australia-bike-friday/

Then it was off for our ride.  Again I chose the medium ride.  Today there was no lunch stop  unless you did the full ride.  We rode north of Grafton to day swung back south over the Clarence river over a bridge where we stopped for refreshments then back to South Grafton we stopped for a drinks.  I had a milkshake and a massive piece of chocolate cake which after I had my leg pulled about my diet I noticed several slices of cake arriving at the table.  I think the cafe owners in South Grafton thought that it was Christmas with 90 hungry cyclists turning up.  I took some photos on the ride.

The ride started along lovely quiet roads.

But soon a section of dirt road and the overnight rain delayed our progress.

We crossed this bridge and stopped by the Clarence River for refreshments.

It had been another great ride with more of the tough rolling hills.  I covered just over 50Km today.

Back at the camp site a took a few photos of the camping area.

My neighbours to the west.  They rode a recumbent tandem and were accused by all for lying down on the job.

After a shower and changing into normal clothes - yes I had another pair of street shorts with me I drove into Grafton and picked up a half roast chicken and some salad for dinner.  I took my table and chair to the barbecue area and sat and chatted with  the other members until really late. I was in bed by 9.00pm :)

A terrific day after a damp start.

End of Part 3