Monday 2nd June

Queens Birthday 2008. After a heavy night on Saturday due to the Crusaders fantastic win against the Warratahs we knew that a Sunday ride was not on. Monday being a holiday we decided to go and do the Wharfdale Track near Oxford. We awoke to a bit of rain but decided to go anyway. Rubberjaws, Geez, and Mellonfarmer rode or drove to Fatmans by 8. We loaded the bikes on the ford and headed off to find the Silverfox who was late due to a flat on his way. For Geez and Silverfox this was the first attempt at the Wharfdale and it is one that will go down in PFMTBC folklore. We had a pleasant drive and got onto the shingle road heading to the track. The first ford appeared a bit dirty and a little higher than normal, but in we went and that was the last thought about a ride. The bow wave came over the bonnet, the car stopped and Fatman said F...! We leaped out allowing litres of water to come in and tried to push all to no avail. The water was bloody cold. We stood on the bank looking at the Ford in the Ford. Decided to laugh. What else was there. Mellonfarmer waded in and got his bike off the rack and headed back to the closest farm. Turns out the woman was meant to put the Ford Closed sign up but was running late. Good on her. She pointed Mellonfarmer in the direction of a local farmer to pull us out with his 4wd. In the meantime phone calls had got Twopot to jump in his car. He was gonna give us a tow. 30 minutes later the Ford finally leaves the water. Had to bail it out. Lucky for Debs egg and bacon pie. It gave us a container to bail with. Finally we got the car emptied of most water and turned around ready for Twopot. Even attempted to start it but that was not a happening thing. We decided that Rubberjaws would sit in the car with Fatman on the way home. Twopot arrives and starts the tow back to town, but Fatman decides wet brakes and no power assist is not a good thing and we stopped to chat. Fatman jumps in a tries to start it again. 3 gallons of water flew from the exhaust and the car started. Clouds of steam continued as the exhaust dried out but we decided to drive under our own power. The drive home was wet and we were just a bit worried about all the warning lights but they slowly went out as the car dried a bit. A beer at OSheas and then home. An eventful day.