Return to the Stories Page   Flying with the BM Club By Peter Stanfield from April 2001 Ross Hayward, Tom "Cruiser" and I had travelled down on the Friday in company with Greg and Claire. The weather got worser as we headed to Cooma with light rain and low fog so we decided to head on to Jindabyne for lunch. After that it fined up and we had beautiful sunny but occasionally hot riding day. We travelled via Thredbo, and after some delay with the road works, Khancoban, Corryong, Tintaldra (for lunch). We had a look at Alf the publicans bike collection – a two stroke? Harley for the Italian market, an old R27, a very old Motor Guzzi, an even older Honda and some other strange device. We then headed on through Walwa and down that fantastic road beside the Murray, up over the Granya Gap to Tallanbloodygatta, Keiwa, Dederang, Tawonga and Bright. We arrived at about 7ish after a leisurely day's ride interspersed with a bit of fanging here and there. The first beers went down very easily (Tom was getting special treatment from the barmaid and she hadn't even seen his bike!). So having got down there a day early what do you do on a sunny Saturday in Bright mingling with all the Victorians enjoying their long weekend as well and dozens of Subaru owners out parading their expensive little boxers? Well after you go to the dry cleaners to see if he can get a few nasty brown stains out of your riding pants after a few incidents with gravel on the Alpine Way and Granya Gap, you have a good breakfast and then you wander up the left side of the street and then you wander down the right. We had to get a couple of LOUD shirts to welcome Bruce back from the Paradiso lost and we tried to talk Rosco into a beaut old brown leather coat. There are a lovely range of shops in Bright from old second hand goods, books, antiques plus all that arty farty stuff the tourists like to look at. We thought that there was a good opportunity to open a few "blokes" shops next to the craft shops to give all those bored looking blokes hanging around out the front something to look at while their partners were in sniffing the incense and listening to that ethereal music they always having playing in "those shops". Is the combination of those two a licensing or franchise requirement? Well finally Tom leads us into some place called Alpine Parasailing - just for a look we thought! Anyhow he's getting the spiel from the owner while Ross and I are joking about the strange looking wheel chair device near the counter. We figured that this is what you needed after you crashed. Anyhow the instructor, as he turned out to be, hangs this harness seat thingy from the roof to give Tom a feel for what it is all about and they start talking about the price for having a go. It was only $130 for one but a special discount ($10 off) for two! Tom was going to have a go and starts talking Ross into it. Ross thought that the discount sounded like a good deal! Not to be left out I thought bugger, I'm not going to let them have all the fun, and besides, you're dead a long time - and to save $10! So we all signed up then went and sat down to have a coffee and reflect on what we had just done. We asked Greg to come along to film the crash, and after drawing straws to see which pair would go first with the two instructors, off we go for the 15 minute drive up the top of this bloody big mountain for our flights. Wind readings are coming in all the time just to help put you at ease. They don't fly if the wind gets above 16 knots (reduces their safety margin we are told - what safety margin?) The readings are coming in at 12 - 14 knots as we head on up along a narrow fire trail in their old 4 wheel drive. Up the top they've given the mountain a #1 and laid out some nice soft material to make it look soft and safe? You then get strapped into the harness with your instructor, told to stand facing across the slope while he gets organised and waits for the right wind to fill the sail, when he will tell you to turn and just run off the edge. You're standing there trussed up like a chicken, this bloke is telling me about all the crashes and that when I want to be throw up to lean left. It was a little like sneaking up on the high diving tower to have a bit of a look, and then having about 10 blokes come up behind you. Too late to turn back! Bright was just a little collection of houses way down there! The wind was gusting and not just in the sail - and then GO! So you turn and run off the edge and instantly you are on the way up - fanbloodytastic - up to 1100 meters with lots of turns, a few big bumps and views all the way into the next valley and across to Mt Hotham. You sit back in the harness and look at the ground with only yours boots in view. After about 20 minutes we head on down and make a relatively easy landing next to where we parked the bikes. Of course now it feels like a piece of cake, and after packing up (a small bundle of fabric and harness), we head back up for Ross to have his go. Unfortunately by this time, the wind has picked up to about 18 knots and Ross is not going to get his ride today. So we leave our mobile number to come back if the wind drops. We were very disappointed for Ross, and as it turned out, we were on the bus heading for the winery tour when they called on the Sunday to go again. The club has to buy a Parasail! They're only about $4,000 - just a few chook raffles! What terrific fun. Who says motorbikes are dangerous. After our little adventure we toured up to Mt Buffalo - great road, fantastic views at 1300 meters, and had a beer with Tony and Fay on the verandah. It poured on Sunday morning but fined up for the bus trip out to the wineries and for our ride home on the Monday. Bright is a great venue with lots to see and some beaut roads. We should make it an annual event! Top of Page © ACTBMWMCC 2001 - not to be reproduced in whole or part without permission. Write to the Editor