www.Muggaccinos.com  The Bullsheet

Wed, 15 Nov to Sunday 19 Nov '06 - 3rd annual Berry Ball-Tearer in Illawarra & Southern Highlands (previously known as Tour de Bong Bong):

Risk Warning:  The ride schedule between Wed and Sunday entails climbing and descending 11 marvellous KOM Climbs.  The greatest danger of injury is easily during the descents, particularly as most cyclists are unfamiliar with the corners.  So take the descents slowly, even if the cyclist ahead is ripping down the mountain.   One badly taken corner in concert with a motorist coming the other way, could result in a bad accident...............for you.

Muggaccinos and ______ Cycle Club invite you to 3rd Berry Ball-Tearer staying in the quaint, pristine township of Berry, from Wed, 15 Nov to Sunday, 19 Nov 2005 camping in the Berry Showground which adjoins the 20 yards Berry Swimming Pool for $6 p/n with warm shower.

(i)         Attend the annual cult Bong Bong Picnic Races on Wed, 15 Nov, (if you don't want to go to the races, there is a 52km hilly bike ride); and

(ii)        Five 50km / 70km Day Rides (Wed to Sunday inclusive) in the Mecca of scenic cycling country, namely the Southern Highlands, which include all 11 KOM Climbs in the Illawarra Climb Region.  Cyclists are encouraged to log a Climb Time at www.KOMpm.com.  Each day's ride head NW twds Kangaroo Valley / Fitzroy Falls.  Our rides avoid the South Coast which would entail cycling on the Princes Highway.  On three of the five morns' we catch trains from Berry station to nearby -

            *        Bombaderry station to climb Cambewarra Mountain from both sides;
*        Kiama station to climb Saddleback Mountain up Saddleback Mountain Rd and Jamberoo Pass; and

            *        Albion Park Rail station to climb Macquarie Pass and Saddleback Mountain up Fountaindale Rd.

            If you aren't up to serious climbing, shorter / flatter routes are available between Berry and Bomaderry on a recently re-furbished road.

THE 1ST "TOUR DE BONG BONG" ATTRACTED 28 ARDENT HILL CLIMBERS.  LAST YEAR 19 ATTENDED WITH A FEW OTHER COMPETING IN 100KM MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE AT NEARBY BUNDANOON.  THOSE INTERESTED IN  "NATURE 'N FASHION" CAN ATTEND THE ANNUAL BONG BONG PICNIC RACES.

Saturday 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 who can only attend for the w'end can drive from Sydney at Sparrow Fart on Sat for a shorter drive to Albion Park Rail. 
Drive over the Harbour Bridge by 7am so you are ready to roll out of Albion Park Rail station at 9.10am.  This will synchronise trains post-ride to pick up cars and get back to Berry after the rides.
Saturday's ride finishes at Kiama at 2pm enabling those already lodged in Berry to catch the 2:10pm train south 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).  Trains depart 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, veer 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 20 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 they are lush, verdant and soft, and it never rains in the Southern Highlands, and assemble your trusty tent.

2005 Tour de Bong Bong estimated attendance schedule displayed +20 names of cyclists with probability estimates of attendance.  There are still a lot of uncommitted potential participants.  Bank Teller or Brenda 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 the below 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 2005 - 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:

# Day Route Climbs km
Day 1 Wed Start Berry climb Woodhill Mountain to Kangaroo Valley, climb Cambewarra Mtn, descend Berry Mtn to Berry 2 52.0
Day 2 Thurs Train to Kiama - climb Saddleback Mtn Rd, descend Fountaindale Rd, climb Jamberoo Pass to Budderoo Plateau,
to Robertson Pie Shop descend Macq Pass to Albion Pk
 - train to Berry		 4 61.7
Day 3 Fri Train to Bombaderry, climb Cambewarra to Kangaroo Valley, climb Cambewarra from Kangaroo Valley, climb Bellawongara to Berry 3 44.2
Day 4 Sat Train to Albion Park, climb Macquarie Pass to Robertson Pie Shop, descend Jamberoo Pass, climb Fountaindale Rd to Saddleback Mtn, descend Saddleback Mtn Rd to Kiama 3 64.9
Day 5 Sun Start Berry, climb Berry Mountain to Kangaroo Valley, climb Barrengarry Mtn to Fitzroy Falls, climb Berry Mountain to Berry 3 65.4
  15 288.2

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 Rail.  Due to the local train being only 2 carriages, we will drive a few cars with bike racks to Bomaderry , Kiama and Albion Park Rail 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:

If the weather remains fine, camp in the Berry Showground which adjoins the 20m Berry Swimming Pool for $6 p/n with warm shower.  If the weather turns sour, -

 

*        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 we'll '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
 

 

Kiama Bicycle Group (Brenda Baldwin and Noel Watts 'et al' will again join us.  Invitations will be extended to: BiciSport Cycle Club (Mike O'Reilly), Doug Bathersby Hawkesbury Valley BUG, Big Foot (Paul Darvodelsky and David Hatley) and Cyclops (Hoss).

 

Bank Teller expects -

 

(i)        >30 hill climbers will participate at some time over the 5 days from Wed 15 to Sunday 19 Nov; and

 

(ii)       a few cyclists will Climb the 11 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 11 Climbs.  

 

Bank Teller will again provide a $100 cash prize to one of the cyclists who logs a Climb Time during Tour de Bong Bong for each of the 11 KOM Climbs.  A raffle will be drawn on Sunday arvo, 19 Nov from the names of all cyclists who log a Climb Time for all 11 KOM Climbs, with the Winner pocketing $100 from Bank Teller's PiggyBank.  Brian Crawford collected $100 in 2005 T de BB for being the only cyclists to climb all 11 KOM Climbs and log a Climb Time.

 

NB:    The opening Day Ride on Wed, 15 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.

 

If you want to attend the Bong Bong Picnic Race Day, you have to notify Bank Teller ScribePJ@tpg.com.au.

 

It doesn't cost you anything -

 

(i)        to indicate your interest in participating in 3rd annual Berry Ball Tearer; or

(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.  As, no guts, no glory!!!

 

Download below poster for Berry Ball Tearer and invite your bike shop to display it, because more good road cycling product will induce more road cyclists:

 

*        Word version

 

*        HTM version

Bank Teller     
29 Nov '05 - 9513.1075