www.Muggaccinos.com  The Bullsheet

Wed, 10 Nov to Sunday 14 Nov - Tour de Bong Bong  Illawarra - Southern Highlands:

To a rap-up and pics of Tour de Bong from 10 to 15 Nov '04

Tornado's pics from Tour de Bong Bong

LATE FINAL EXTRA;  Crew with cell 'phones include Peter Allwork 0428 886.422 and Kaza 0425 266.540

If the weather gets wettie, there are two pubs and a motel listed twds bottom.

STOP PRESS:
Our Sat ride commences from Albion Park Rail at 9:10am which is 30km Nth of Berry and 1hr:40min drive from Harbour Bridge early on Sat morn'.
So those driving from Sydney at Sparrow Fart on Sat morn', have a shorter drive. 
Drive over the Harbour Bridge by 7am so you are ready to roll out of Albion Park Rail station at 9.10am so we synchronise trains post ride to pick up cars and get back to Berry.
That Saturday ride finishes at Kiama at 2pm enabling those already lodged in Berry to catch the 2:10pm Sth to Berry.  Those who drive down on Sat morn' and leave their wheels at Albion Park Rail can catch the train Nth from Kiama station to Albion Park Rail (to collect their cars) departing Kiama at 2:03 and 2:51, arriving at Albion Park 19 mins later, with more trains at 4:03 and 4:51. 
Or we can probably find a driver to drive you the 20km from Kiama to Albion Park Rail.

Directions to Berry:

Take roads to Sydney Airport, thence remain on Princes Highway twds Wollongong.
After descending Mt Ousley, turn right to Nowra, remaining on Princes Highway.  Albion Park Rail is about 10km Nth of Kiama.  Berry is approx. 20km past Kiama.

The Berry Showground and adjoining 25 yard swimming pool are on S/E of township - approx 1 min drive Left of main street. 
Pick a camp site in a hollow 'cause it won't rain, and assemble your trusty tent.

Arrival forecasts:
Kaza and Trevor arrive Tues arvo.  Scribe, Ian aka Flash and dutiful wife, Elfi, by 9am Wed.  Richard aka HillMonster and Mike aka Diplomat  shortly thereafter.  Adam and Ann-Marie arrive Thurs evening.  Others are sprinkling in during Thurs and Friday.  Lots are driving down to from Sydney to Albion Park Rail early on Sat morn' to climb Macquarie Pass and Saddleback Mountain, as set out above.  And party that night.  But not too hard, 'cause there are more hills on Sunday morn'.

Invitation:

Muggaccinos Cycle Group -

(a.)              has conducted a bike ride each Sunday for 7 years, presently attracting fourteen cyclists (ave) each Sunday, peaking at 30 cyclists for +100km day rides mostly NW of Sydney; and

(b.)              has successfully hosted about 15 cycling long w'ends away, incl 3 this years staying at Wiseman's Ferry, Picton and Wyong.

Muggaccinos invites you to the inaugural Tour de Bong Bong staying in the quaint, pristine township of Berry, from Wed, 10 Nov, to Sunday, 14 Nov -

(i.)               to attend the annual cult Bong Bong Picnic Races on Wed, 10 Nov, (if you don't want to go to the races, there is a 52km hilly bike ride) - see Bullsheet with pics from last year where the young lasses from the Southern Highlands strutted their stuff, and attracted the former Miss World, Belinda Green, to adjudicate on the annual Fashion Parade; and

(ii.)             for 50km / 70km, Day Rides in the Mecca of scenic cycling country in NSW, namely the Southern Highlands, which include all of the 13 KOM Climbs in the Illawarra Climb Region.  Cyclists are encouraged to log a Climb Time at www.KOMpm.com.  Day Ride routes head NW twds Kangaroo Valley / Fitzroy Falls and avoid the South Coast which would entail cycling on the busy Princes Highway.  On three of the five morns' we catch trains from Berry station to nearby -

            *        Bombaderry station to climb Cambewarra;
*        Kiama station to climb Saddleback Mountain up both Saddleback Mountain Rd and Fountaindale Rd; and

            *        Albion Park station to climb Macquarie Pass and Jamberoo Pass.

Tour de Bong Bong estimated attendance schedule still has a lot of uncommitted potential participants.  Bank Teller, Brenda or Kaza would welcome any further indications of participation so we can update this schedule.

Cause the train can't hold many bikes, we will likely have to drive some cyclists to those Start points, with drivers catching the train back to Bombaderry, Kiama and Albion Park stations to collect their jalopies post ride.

Detailed Ride Descriptions for the following Day Rides are accessible in "Rides Calendar 2004 - Oct to Dec" at a URL under the distance eg '52.0' in the 'km' column for the particular date, or in the 'km' column below:

In the meantime, you may download Bank Teller's spreadsheet which tabulated the above Ride Schedule.

Inter alia, it contains the following broadsheets:

(i)         Day Rides Calendar

(ii)        Day Rides Summary

(iii)       Above 5 Ride Descriptions

(iv)       Train timetables for South Coast - Central to/from Bombaderry:
             (a)        in case anyone wants to catch a train from Sydney to Berry, and
             (b)       on 3 days we catch a train from Berry to commence from Bombaderry, Kiama and Albion Park.  Due to the local train being short, we will drive a few cars with bike racks to Bomaderry , Kiama and Albion Park stations, and catch the trains back there after the rides to pick-up the cars.

A BYO wine only restaurant will be selected each night from the following 'et al' for those wanting to toff-it:

      B bop's of Berry  4464.3037 ph
      Caffe Guido, Berry  4464.3065 ph
      Pavilion Bar & Brassiere, Berry  4464.2930 ph
      Great Southern Bistro, Berry  4464.1799 ph
      The Postman's Ghost Cafe Restaurant, Berry  4464.3379 ph
      23, Berry  4464.2323 ph

Accommodation:
*        Historic Berry Hotel,  4464.1011ph - Publican Geoff says "10 Rooms - $30 per person, 6 nights a week, and $65 on Sat night which includes breakfast on Sunday morn'."
*        Great Southern Hotel, Berry  4464.1009 ph - Assistant Sky says "8 Double Rooms which include Buffet Continental b'fast -  Single room $44, Double room $80, Triple room $105, Quadruple room $120, and w'ell 'cut an appealing deal' for volume"
*        Berry Village Boutique Motel, Berry  4464.3570 ph - Grant says "double rooms Sunday/Thurs $125, Friday $150, Saturday night $190 incl breakfast for 2.  An additional $45 for 3rd person in a room"; or
*        camp in the Berry Showground which adjoins the 25m Berry Swimming Pool for $7 p/n with warm shower.

Muggs has approached Kiama Bicycle Group (Brenda Baldwin and Greg Warwick) and Pedal Power ACT (Greg Cunningham aka Fitz's Hill), BiciSport Cycle Club (Mike O'Reilly) Big Foot (Paul Darvodelsky and David Hatley) and Cyclops (Hoss) which are all promoting TdeBB.

Bank Teller expects -

(i)        >40 hill climbers will participate at some time over the 5 days from Wed 10 to Sunday 14 Nov; and

(ii)        up to a dozen cyclists will Climb the 13 arduous, spectacular KOM Climbs in the Illawarra Climb Region and log their Climb Times in www.KOMpm.com .

The Climb Reports menu available in www.KOMpm.com include 'Climb Region Reports' for each 'Age Division', so the website displays 'Climber Rankings' for the Illawarra Climb Region.  

Bank Teller is providing a $100 cash prize to one of the cyclists who logs a Climb Time during Tour de Bong Bong for each of the 13 KOM Climbs.  A raffle will be drawn on Sunday arvo, 14 Nov, (or Monday arvo if a Ride Day is washed-out) from the names of all cyclists who log a Climb Time for all 13 KOM Climbs during our inaugural Tour de Bong Bong, with the Winner pocketing $100 from Bank Teller's PiggyBank. 

NB:    The opening Day Ride on Wed, 10 Nov, takes cyclists over Woodhill Mountain, so cyclists who are attending Bong Bong Picnic Races will either have to climb Woodhill Mtn early that morn', or climb it after one of our shorter Ride Days, if they wish to be in the draw for the $100 raffle prize.

The only cost is -

     (i.)        what you force down your throat; and

   (ii.)        your "digs"; and

  (iii.)        $50 per head if you want to attend the Bong Bong Picnic Race Day, where you have to pay notify Bank teller or Brenda by mid-Oct and pay $50 before end-Oct, because Bank Teller has to arrange membership thru the Bong Bong Racing Club, where each member may invite a guest, with 2nd year membership optional (providing admission for 2) only $32, if you want to attend in conjunction with our 2nd Tour de Bong Bong next year.

If you are an 80% chance of attending, e-mail Bank Teller scribepj@tpg.com.au, 'phone Kaza 0432 956.891 or Brenda 4464.1606.  

It doesn't cost you anything -

(i)        to indicate your interest; and

(ii)       if you have to bail-out at the 11th hour. 

We'd like to hear from you early, as it is disappointing when some crew display a penchant for sitting on the fence until others commit.  Particularly as, no guts, no glory!!!

Bank Teller's rap-up of Tour de Pearl Beach - 84km - 9 starters

Notwithstanding it was Gong Ride Day, we attracted 9 starters - Whippet, Bazza, Pacific, Tara, Heineken, Kaza, Koala Bear, Scribe 'n Printer.  After a winter in hibernation, Koala Bear is showing some hill climbing form.  And Bank Teller, after all but snapping his neck last Feb, where the road definitely won, is also displaying some of hill climbing from yester year.  Muggs initial Tour de Bong Bong promises to be memorable for the hills, revelry, and Country Music, as Kaza is bringing her GhettoBlaster, and Scribe his collection of Country Music.  Not to mention a dozen 9½% proof HomeBrew.  And a bottle of sherry for the ladies.

The verdant grassy knoll at Mt White.

Our Sag Stop 3km shy of Shell Garage Kariong where we 'got off the road'.

     Tara is a chocoholic                       The gang at Pearl Beach where the burgers were beaut.

Bank Teller set a new Guinness Book of Records by snaffling 7 blow flies in one fell swoop, and dumped 'em in an emptish beer bottle where Kaza reported 'look they are copulating'.

Heineken took us out to the point for a better look at Lion Island just south.  As we looked out upon the Blue Pacific, we agreed that we'd ride to Pearl Beach again before this Summer is 'all done' and swim from the point into the beach.  Nah!  It is only about 400m.

Bank Teller      11 Oct
9498.3684