Apples and Oranges

I'm in Orange, NSW this week for work and actually, it's almost time I head off site and drive over to the airport. I can fit a quick blog in I guess...

I've been at the Cadia mine working underground checking out some automated drilling, working 12+ hour days, drinking lots of Bacardi and Cola, eating creamy garlic prawns and beer battered fries and driving a Landcruiser ute at Mach 10. I can't say its all been bad. I've enjoyed the time on site, and I've learnt a lot. It's just been hard work doing it all yourself, being alone for a week, especially with so much going on back home in Perth.

Cadia mine is set in a nice part of the countryside

Flying out of Perth was pretty good, I managed to down a mini bottle of red wine at record pace which took the edge off just nicely. The rest of the way I was drifting it and out of sleep, which is something I usually can't do; sleep on a plane. Met up with a workmate in Sydney who got me into the Qantas Club where I drank Bluetounge Lager from the Hunter Valley. What a top beer, went down so well... a few beers later I pushed down a Bacardi and Cola and it was almost time to board my connecting flight to Orange. Walking up to the boarding gate, my name was called to make the gate "as your plane is awaiting you for immediate departure". Woops. I was famous for 30 seconds. Got frowned upon though. I wonder if I actually looked pissed...

Once in Orange, it was a matter of checking in and hitting the restaurant, I was starving. And I was thirsty again. I do believe the beverage cost on the Monday night was quite substantial!

Looking out of the front window of the drill rig

The view from the boxcut (entry to the decline)

I'm flying back to Perth this afternoon, what's another 6 hours on a plane? Hopefully I'll make it back and not be completely exhausted for the FNR (Friday night ride). I've been missing my bikes too, and my family and friends. Jeez, I hate travelling sometimes. Looking forward to being home.

On the way to the Orange airport, I went past this little gem...

"want to touch the hiney"

What Hiney Rd looks like

The mine from the plane

Now With Extra MAYO!

Yes, you can never have too much of a good thing, just like extra mayo on a continental roll. With four meats, cheese, semi-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts on a crispy bread roll - you can't go wrong.

So I went out yesterday and picked up a 2003 Yamaha R1 from my mate Vickers (cheers bro) with all the fruit and heaps of shit on the side.

Here's the deal. A week and a half ago, I was out to lunch with some old uni mates, namely Vickers and Gunns. We had dodgy Chinese food at the "usual" (Singapore Hawkers) and Vickers is telling me that it's all official, he's got a one-way ticket to Canada (-eh) and that he needs to sell the bike. So I'm like, "oh yeh, the R1, how's that going?". So he explains that he's taken it to a dealer to get an offer and that he doesn't really have time to sell it properly as he's off in a couple of weeks.

As he's telling me about the bike I'm thinking "that's a fucken sweet bike, kept in great nick, low kays and a crazy price"... After lunch, standing in the carpark I tell Vickers, "I need to make some calls". Two days later I was at the bank! Another nine days later its in my driveway. Look see...

So the question I've been getting asked is, "what are you doing with the 400?". The answer is obvious. I'm keeping it :) Two bikes are better than one.

St Patties

HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY!
Eat, drink and be merry.

Right, I'm going off for a ride....!

Labour Day Long Weekend - Cervantes

Last weekend, a few of us headed out to Cervantes for a short road trip, much like the Australia Day Weekender to Dunsborough.

We met up at the local petrol station and headed North via Old Yanchep Road, where we were able to blow some cobwebs out of our bikes; taking extra care on the last right hander. Heading further North, we travelled along some excellent, quiet roads which were open and very flat.

We stayed for a few days, rode up through Jurien Bay, Green Head and to Leeman. There was thought about heading out to Dongara, but noone could really be assed in the extreme heat. Thank god for the Camelbak, if not for that cool fresh water, I would have been cooking with gas in my leathers.

We stopped into the Cervantes Tavern to eat most days; with fresh fish, crays, hot chips, cold beer and Fox Sports. The rest of our time on the bike was chilling in the courtyard of the backpackers ripping into Bacardi and Cola, slagging on the random Canadian (-eh) dude that apparently worked there.

Straye and Rhino

Seandre

Seandre and Straye in Jurien Bay

Good to see the Camelbak on

Standing around in Leeman

No glove, no love

The crew at the lodge with the dodgy Canadian eh?

Another successful (but more low key) trip away. Thanks to all that came along and made it a great weekend. So, when's the next one Seandre?

EOM Drags - February Edition

Ok, so I got the fever for dragging again. The weather was dirt. It was cloudy, winding and was threatening to piss down for the best part of the day. But, I went anyway.

I organised the end-of-month drags on the 28th of February for people to come down and have a go. Unfortunately with the weather, and EOI of about 20 people became a turnout of about 8. Which was no drama, as there were almost no cars present, so I ended up with 13 passes down the quarter mile.

I heart teh dragz

Luckily for me, I ran many more low 13 second passes, and ran another personal best:

12.840 seconds

Out of ALL the pages they could have fed through the printer incorrectly... it HAD to be my pb.
Spewin'

It turned out to be a great night, the track was prepped, it was cool and a small turnout. Due to the weather being shoddy there was also a minimal appearance of spectators; meaning I was finally game enough to try doing a burnout!

Do these leathers make my bum look big?

Do a fkn burnout!

Photos above by Troy Coulthard - www.circlework.com.au
I'll have to buy the one of me backing it into the water for the novelty!