Rotorua Ramblings…. · the best of health at this time, best wishes and speedy recoveries to you...

ULYSSES CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND

ROTORUA BRANCH

EDITORIAL

Hi Everyone, This is my first edition as

editor. Sorry it’s a bit late my laptop was

away for an overhauled by my IT guy.

Never mind better late than never. Have

collected some bits and bobs from

members for the edition but could do with

more so please send in stories, photos,

jokes etc. Talking of jokes there is a bit of

a rude one attached but my subeditor sent

it to me and reckons its fine. So any

complaints to Smokey please. I am pleased

to say I had enough articles not to have to

update you all with my bodily functions as

threaten at the AGM. However I will

update you about some other members.

Christine is home from hospital and

recovering well from her viral infection.

Lynda has a broken big toe & injured knee

and is unable to wear shoes. A result of her

accident at the drag racing. Hope you are

both feeling better soon. See you all at

coffee and Sunday at the meeting.

Andrea

ad.thompson@xtra.co.nz

BOSS’S BALLOON

If you haven’t caught on to the heading of my report yet it

means I am full of hot air. I note Christine is on the road to

recovery, best wishes to you and Bruce, hope you are both

out on the trike soon. To those other members not enjoying

the best of health at this time, best wishes and speedy

recoveries to you too.

Smokey’s run to the coast by way of Old Coach Rd,

Thornton, etc. was great. We had a great lunch at the Red

Barn, and I was happy to be able to read the menu on the

wall, as usual. Back on the Suzuki, helmet on, spectacles

on, visor down, and away we go. Hullo, my left eye is

seeing blurry, blink a few times, is this the precursor to a

heart problem? Keep blinking to clear my vision, and when

we stop for one bike to gas up at Awakeri, take of

spectacles to check. Well, the left lens is perfectly clean,

right one a little smudged, must be me, what am I coming

down with ?

Get to Matahina Dam, helmet off, other riders notice I look

like a pirate. Check, and realise that in getting ready to

leave the Red Barn, I have lost the left lens from the specs!

So, no health problem, except I can’t see my speedo too

well, and need all that extra concentration to keep up!

I hope you are all coping with the onset of winter

temperatures OK, and have your bikes in top condition for

winter riding. Our runs get rather erratic because of the

weather, we have to take good days as we find them. By the

time you get this edition, we will be getting ready for a run

and feed at Te Hoi.

I am using the day made free by the cancellation of

Okataina to do a silver Ride Forever Course. It seemed like

a good alternative to a serious loss of our normal good time

rally. We will be having an overnighter soon, maybe to Te

Kaha, sounds like a good plan, eh!

Thanks again to the volunteers for the swap meet on the 9th

July, you know who you are. This activity keeps our funds

ticking along, and is a duty we can ill afford to miss. The

Saturday after the swap meet is my own birthday

celebration. I hope you can get along at some stage of the

afternoon/evening to have a quiet bevvy and chat. There

will be some finger food to satisfy the inner cravings!

See you all at the Sunday meeting, then at the Lakefront,

then on the road. Long may the wind blow through what is

left of your hair!

FLASH

Rotorua Ramblings….

May 2017

RUNS UPDATE

COFFEE Every Saturday morning, the Rotorua Branch meet at the Lakeside Café at 10.00 am. Some enjoy a “Big Breakfast” while

other a tea or coffee. It is a great time for a catch up and chat and to throw around run ideas. Visiting Ulyssian’s and prospective members are very welcome to join us. (LAKESIDE CAFÉ at the Lakefront, Memorial Drive, Rotorua)

RUNS

Most rides leave from the Rotorua Lakeside Cafe at 10:00 am. Please read each ride with care as the times and leaving

place may be different. If you are not sure if the run may be cancelled because of inclement weather, phone the Rider in

Charge (RIC)

Sunday 28th May - Te Hoi run. $12.00 lunch Depart Lakefront 10.30am sharp RIC Jim Bolten Saturday 24th June - Pro Rider are having Ride Forever Course in Rotorua on Saturday 24 June, 9am to 4pm, cost $50.00, which is subsidized by ACC, and Ulysses will provide a further subsidy after attendance. Sunday 9th July - Swap Meet Parking duties. Saturday 15th July - Gordon's 70th Birthday 4pm to 10.00pm Saturday 7th October - Te Aroha Cruise In 2017.

OTHER

Another function that we will organise is a mid-winter get-together at a restaurant or such like. More details about this later on.

An invitation from Pete Hobdell As we are not having our Okataina do this year the band would like to invite our club Ulysses members to our pre Okataina Rehearsal.

Date: 17th June

Time: 3pm till ?????

Where: Alpha Displays Lock up. Scott St.

BYO. You supply your eats and drinks. We'll supply the music.

We were originally putting this on for our friends and family and are really pleased to include Ulysses members. Would

help to have some idea of numbers attending to assist in setting up enough bar tables, chairs etc.

Bruce McLaren Film (see Bruce Q for further Information) I have been informed that the Rotorua West Rotary Club will be holding a fundraiser showing the new film on Bruce McLaren. It will be a wine & cheese starting at 6.00 pm Tuesday 30 May at the Reading Theatre with the film starting at 6.30 pm. Cost $35 with funds raised to the Rotorua West Rotary Club. With a limited number of tickets they can be purchased at Steiner’s Interiors, 1261 Pukuatua St.

RIDE STORIES

PIRONGIA PARTY – BY FLASH

Such a beautiful autumn day, but only Hartley and I used it to have a great ride. Took off after 10, through Kihikihi, Te Awamutu, to Pirongia for lunch. Not much traffic, one loose dog that Hartley shepherded back up his own driveway for his safety, and warm sunshine. We came back through Okoroire, but didn’t stop, home by 2.30, sun still shining. I know some of you were away, or had other more pressing duties, or discovered your battery was flat (Tony!), but 2 riders in a club of our size on a perfect riding day is a disappointment. Where were you? Hartley and I had a great ride, and would have loved to have shared it. See you out there soon, Flash.

ROUND THE BLOCK RIDE – 21ST MAY – BY SMOKEY

A cold morning greeted us, but at least it was not raining, and the outlook was for a sunny day.

The frost forced me to change the route a bit as I thought that even at 10.00am there would be some ice on the Manawahae

Road and I did not want any accidents.

10.00am and it was departure time from the lakefront with 5 bikes and a trike (Jack) setting of for the ride. It was on to

Paengaroa then a lovely ride in the sun along Old Coach Road and out to SH2.

The temperature according to my bike thermometer was now 14 degrees (very nice).

A right turn at Matata saw us head to Edgecumbe and then a short ride around the town to view the flood recovery works

before heading down East Bank Road and then back onto SH2 before stopping for an excellent Lunch/Late Breakfast at

the Red Barn (see the happy faces in the photo).

Darrell departed to head back to Rotorua while the rest of us headed to Awakeri so that Shaun could fill his bike before we

headed to Matahina Dam, which was part of the Edgecumbe flood problem. After a short stop in was onward to Aniwhenua

Dam which was originally owned by Rotorua Electricity which our very own trike rider had been chairman of.

The temperature was getting a bit cooler in Galatea as we headed to Murupara but then we really noticed it as we left

Murupara and headed up to the Kaingaroa Plateau, my bike thermometer dropped to 7 degrees and luckily for me the

heated grips were working well.

A right turn at Rainbow Mountain to head back to Rotorua with stop at Tumunui Road to say farewell to Shaun and the

others.

Back in Rotorua by 3pm so there was no excuse for not mowing lawns!!!!

Stuart (Smokey) Burns #3703

JOKERS CONTRIBUTIONS

The Police have found a large number of dead crows on the A1081 just outside Harpenden early this

morning, and there was concern that they may have died from Avian Flu.

A Pathologist examined the remains of all the crows, and, to everyone's relief, confirmed the problem was

NOT Avian Flu.

The cause of death appeared to be from vehicular impacts. However, during analysis it was noted that

varying colours of paints appeared on the bird's beaks and claws.

By analysing these paint residues it was found that 98% of the crows had been killed by impact with

motorbikes, while only 2% were killed by cars.

The investigators then hired an Ornithological Behaviourist to determine if there was a cause for the

disproportionate percentages of motorbike kills versus car kills. The Ornithological Behaviourist quickly

concluded that when crows eat road kill, they always have a look-out crow to warn of danger.

They discovered that while all the lookout crows could shout "Cah", not a single one could shout "Bike".

NEXT BRANCH MEETING SUNDAY 29TH MAY 2017 AT 7PM

2017-2018 Rotorua Branch

Co-ordinator: Gordon (Flash) White 027 345 8634 poppagordie@gmail.com

Secretary: Bruce Quedley 021 616 736 bruce@quedley.com

Treasurer: Hartley Gray 021 916 645 hartleyandteri@gmail.com

Newsletter: Andrea Thompson 021 137 1808 ad.thompson@xtra.co.nz

Sheriff: Bruce Roe 027 675 7469 roeswood@xtra.co.nz

Runs Coordinator: Hartley Gray 021 916 645 hartleyandteri@gmail.com

Webmaster: Tony Baker 022 345 7607 tbaker@nowmail.co.nz

Committee: Graeme van Praagh, Darrell Kante

Branch address: P.O. Box 103, Rotorua 3040, New Zealand

Branch website address: www.ulyssesrotorua.org.nz