With only one day to go before the inaugural Lambretta Club of Australia ‘Jamboree’, I knew it was going to be tough to prepare my Series 3 Li (Casa 185) in time. The ride to Canberra from Sydney via back roads would be around 350 km, and would take around 5 to 6 hours including mandatory scooter faffing delays. The forecast for Canberra was hot with heavy rain, and with reasonably high average speeds in the plan the scooter would need to be rock solid.
I pushed it off the stand and rolled it down my yard towards the back gate. I picked up my tool kit… then put it back down again. No time for that. I glanced at the nuts on my rims. They were still on the studs. Good. Safety check = done.
Off came the side panels. On went a plastic bag over my remote air filter. Squirt! Half a can of degreaser sprayed over the engine, tank and glove box. I made a coffee, then came back armed with the garden hose. 30 seconds later, most of my prep was done but the bodywork still needed to be shinier. A kitchen sponge, some laundry detergent and a bucket of warm water were acquired. Sorted. Prep over, and it only took half an hour!
There were six of us riding down together and it was agreed that we’d meet at 10:30am at a cafe near Siobhan’s house. The next morning, I arrived to find the team waiting: Morris (DL 200), Sean (GP 200 Currymaster), Siobhan (Jet 250 – Targa Twin) and the legendary Tony Tessier (Li S3 Mugimola 186 – borrowed from Siobhan). Terry was missing, but would meet us at Siobhan’s shortly.
Once Terry arrived (Jet 200 – SX lookie-likie) we packed the van and left Sydney. It was about 11:00am, so we were only 30 minutes behind schedule. I had done the ‘honourable’ thing by offering to drive the first stint. Yes, this stretch would be full of snarling, peak hour traffic, including lots of heavy freight, all queued up in long tunnels. Strangely, no one else offered.
I pushed it off the stand and rolled it down my yard towards the back gate. I picked up my tool kit… then put it back down again. No time for that. I glanced at the nuts on my rims. They were still on the studs. Good. Safety check = done.
Off came the side panels. On went a plastic bag over my remote air filter. Squirt! Half a can of degreaser sprayed over the engine, tank and glove box. I made a coffee, then came back armed with the garden hose. 30 seconds later, most of my prep was done but the bodywork still needed to be shinier. A kitchen sponge, some laundry detergent and a bucket of warm water were acquired. Sorted. Prep over, and it only took half an hour!
There were six of us riding down together and it was agreed that we’d meet at 10:30am at a cafe near Siobhan’s house. The next morning, I arrived to find the team waiting: Morris (DL 200), Sean (GP 200 Currymaster), Siobhan (Jet 250 – Targa Twin) and the legendary Tony Tessier (Li S3 Mugimola 186 – borrowed from Siobhan). Terry was missing, but would meet us at Siobhan’s shortly.
Once Terry arrived (Jet 200 – SX lookie-likie) we packed the van and left Sydney. It was about 11:00am, so we were only 30 minutes behind schedule. I had done the ‘honourable’ thing by offering to drive the first stint. Yes, this stretch would be full of snarling, peak hour traffic, including lots of heavy freight, all queued up in long tunnels. Strangely, no one else offered.
We made it to our first stop in Campbelltown and refuelled. Sean had experienced some vapour lock a few kms back (our first minor issue), so we pulled my Li out of the van and popped Sean’s GP in. Easy. Now, the real fun could start! The Li fired up and felt lovely. Heading south-west on back roads, with gentle undulations and sweeping corners, things were just about perfect.
Before long, we had our second minor issue. Siobhan pulled over just past a roundabout with a broken clutch cable. We were now somewhere near Picton, and although a warm day, thunder clouds had formed overhead. We watched the lightning strikes in the distance and felt a couple of drops of rain fall from the sky. A quick cable change was made, and with our wet weather gear now on we hit the road again. It was about 2:00pm, so we were still on track to be in Canberra by late afternoon. However, things were soon to change.
Before long, we had our second minor issue. Siobhan pulled over just past a roundabout with a broken clutch cable. We were now somewhere near Picton, and although a warm day, thunder clouds had formed overhead. We watched the lightning strikes in the distance and felt a couple of drops of rain fall from the sky. A quick cable change was made, and with our wet weather gear now on we hit the road again. It was about 2:00pm, so we were still on track to be in Canberra by late afternoon. However, things were soon to change.
The rain started to pelt down, and I noticed Siobhan hesitate once or twice as she watched her GPS unit. We turned right, and had a fantastic, long run on some quiet, winding country roads. After a while, we pulled over at a service station but something didn’t seem right. It was now 3:30pm, and the sign above the servo said we were in Silverdale. Where the hell was Silverdale?! I grabbed my phone and checked our GPS location on the map. I zoomed out. Hmmmmm. I zoomed out further. WTF?! We’d travelled due north, heading back up towards the outer west of Sydney! Siobhan checked the GPS unit again. If we stuck to the back roads, we still had 400kms to travel and would probably arrive at 10:30pm. F*ck! We agreed that the only thing to do was to take the direct route via the Hume Highway, which was still about 245 kms to Canberra. At that distance, we were effectively just as far from Canberra as if we were starting from Siobhan’s house again!
Travelling south along the same back roads, we reached the Hume Highway turn off at about 4:30pm. The scooters all performed faultlessly, and I was surprised by the speed we were maintaining. The rain also stopped at this point, so making up time was the objective and we had a great fast run all the way through to Goulburn. Only 90 kms to Canberra! It was now 5:30pm, and the sun would soon begin to set.
We joined the smaller Federal Hwy, and fanged our way towards Australia’s Capital Territory. The ride was fast and uneventful but with the road hugging the edge of the famous Lake George it was something I’ll never forget. Siobhan pulled over into the look-out carpark so we could stretch our legs and take in the view. It was now dusk and the sun had almost set. The view in front of us was absolutely stunning, with the half-light making it perfect for photos. After a short but memorable break, we continued on. It was now 7:20pm, and we all just wanted to get to the campsite and grab a beer. Only 30kms to go…
We joined the smaller Federal Hwy, and fanged our way towards Australia’s Capital Territory. The ride was fast and uneventful but with the road hugging the edge of the famous Lake George it was something I’ll never forget. Siobhan pulled over into the look-out carpark so we could stretch our legs and take in the view. It was now dusk and the sun had almost set. The view in front of us was absolutely stunning, with the half-light making it perfect for photos. After a short but memorable break, we continued on. It was now 7:20pm, and we all just wanted to get to the campsite and grab a beer. Only 30kms to go…
Not long after 8:00pm, darkness fell and we finally arrived at the Carotel campsite. Wooooooo hoooo! The sense of relief and achievement was huge, as we’d been on the road for around eight hours by that point. After a quick check in, we bought our beers and dragged ourselves up the hill to the camp shed, where the rally organisers had saved some BBQ treats for us. Thank you!
The first night’s event was a very casual get together, with a mostly Lambretta-themed quiz organised and compèred by Siobhan. This was a small rally, with only around 40 or so tickets sold. Us Sydneysiders (and Tony Tessier) sat down, taking a world of ‘abuse’ from our fellow, interstate Lambrettisti… how could the almost-locals have gotten lost? As ever the pisstaking was relentless but was all in good fun, and everyone took the opportunity to ease into things; reacquainting themselves with old friends and making some new ones. Chris Von Scooterhead’s quiz strategy was to answer most questions with ‘framebreather’, which seemed quite reasonable. After many beers, a relatively early night was had and some well-earned zzzzzzzz’s were taken.
The first night’s event was a very casual get together, with a mostly Lambretta-themed quiz organised and compèred by Siobhan. This was a small rally, with only around 40 or so tickets sold. Us Sydneysiders (and Tony Tessier) sat down, taking a world of ‘abuse’ from our fellow, interstate Lambrettisti… how could the almost-locals have gotten lost? As ever the pisstaking was relentless but was all in good fun, and everyone took the opportunity to ease into things; reacquainting themselves with old friends and making some new ones. Chris Von Scooterhead’s quiz strategy was to answer most questions with ‘framebreather’, which seemed quite reasonable. After many beers, a relatively early night was had and some well-earned zzzzzzzz’s were taken.
Quiz Results:
Wooden Spoon – Steve Diffey, Andy Jackson and Tim Batman Swane.
Winners – Janine McGinness, Daniel Superina, Sean Heffernan, Tony Tessier and Bob McClelland.
Wooden Spoon – Steve Diffey, Andy Jackson and Tim Batman Swane.
Winners – Janine McGinness, Daniel Superina, Sean Heffernan, Tony Tessier and Bob McClelland.
As I entered the campsite the next morning, the sun was shining brightly. Andy and Sean were about to drive into Watson, a nearby suburb, for some breaky. I jumped into the back of Andy’s van and sat amongst old copies of Jet Set, Scootering and other scooter related bits and pieces, which would all be for sale when the camp stalls were set up later in the day. At Watson we met up with Terry and grabbed some badly needed coffees. Discussion was focused, not surprisingly, on the trials and tribulations of Lambretta ownership. After heaps of laughs and shaken heads, we headed back to the campsite for the first event of the day – the treasure hunt!
The process for the treasure hunt was as follows – register yourself or team, then wait for Steve Ramsden to send the first clue via text message. Each item of ‘treasure’ would be a Canberra landmark. Once you found the landmark, you needed to send a photo back to Steve and await the next clue. Sean, Andy, James, Tim, Terry and I formed team ‘Barry’, and after checking my phone for the first clue, we headed off.
The first clue was easy, and we soon arrived at the Australian War Memorial. After sending our first pic, we received the second clue. Now, standing in the baking heat of the carpark for twenty minutes trying to work out the answer was not our idea of fun. We were losing motivation, fast.
Based on a hunch, we headed off to Old Parliament House, hoping we were at the right place. We were not, and were pretty much ready to give up and head to the pub. Luckily, Steven gave us the third clue and we soon realised that the answer was Old Parliament House! We worked out the location of the fourth clue quickly and headed off for a blast up to Red Hill lookout for a cool drink, taking in the spectacular view of Canberra and surrounds.
The process for the treasure hunt was as follows – register yourself or team, then wait for Steve Ramsden to send the first clue via text message. Each item of ‘treasure’ would be a Canberra landmark. Once you found the landmark, you needed to send a photo back to Steve and await the next clue. Sean, Andy, James, Tim, Terry and I formed team ‘Barry’, and after checking my phone for the first clue, we headed off.
The first clue was easy, and we soon arrived at the Australian War Memorial. After sending our first pic, we received the second clue. Now, standing in the baking heat of the carpark for twenty minutes trying to work out the answer was not our idea of fun. We were losing motivation, fast.
Based on a hunch, we headed off to Old Parliament House, hoping we were at the right place. We were not, and were pretty much ready to give up and head to the pub. Luckily, Steven gave us the third clue and we soon realised that the answer was Old Parliament House! We worked out the location of the fourth clue quickly and headed off for a blast up to Red Hill lookout for a cool drink, taking in the spectacular view of Canberra and surrounds.
The fifth clue took us to Yarralumla, official residence of the Governor General. Surrounded by beautiful gardens, we kicked back for a bit and chatted to some of the other treasure hunters. As usual, Terry took the opportunity to lie down in the cool grass, and was soon attacked by marauding bull ants! I wish I took a photo, but at least he didn’t get bitten.
Clue six didn’t take too long to work out, and we were soon at Scrivener Dam, taking in the views and the requisite photo.
Clue six didn’t take too long to work out, and we were soon at Scrivener Dam, taking in the views and the requisite photo.
Clue seven took us to the spectacular, brutalist Telstra Tower, with many of us enjoying a fast ride up the twisty access road. By now it was really hot, and we were all hungry and thirsty. We made our way into the city for a bite and a drink, and then it was back to the campsite for the much anticipated gymkhana.
Bill Guthrie, one of Australia’s scootering living legends (and all round nice guy) had set up a fun looking ‘khana in the paddock at the top of the campsite (watch out for the sheep poo!). The crowd started milling around the start line and the first few tentative runs were made. A slow riding sequence, a see-saw ramp and limbo sticks were all part of the action and provided a brilliant challenge for the competitors. As a side note, several weeks earlier I’d announced on Facebook that I was going to win the gymkhana (I know, what a cocky git). I now absolutely had to deliver. With a quick and desperate motocross style trip around the circuit I easily topped the timesheet. Yeah baby! Then James casually hopped onto his SX and put it around the circuit two seconds faster, barely even trying… Grrr! I knew I was in trouble at that point, and the next two hours were spent in vain trying to catch him, all the while battling for second place with Dr Chris Happypaddock (usually wearing his oversized love heart sunglasses). In the meantime, James just relaxed with his beers! Sure enough, the final results were: James 1st, me 2nd and Dr Happypaddock in 3rd.
I cannot describe how much fun we had, with Bill even offering people a go on his ultra-rare 1940s Lambretta racers. Best of all was seeing two year old Ryder getting around the circuit with Bill at the helm of a model B sidecar outfit! Fantastic stuff.
Whilst the ‘khana was happening, the camp shed was stocked with stalls from Lambretta Concessionaires (Australia), Lambretta Obsessions and the Lambretta Club of Australia. Unfortunately, with the heat of the day and the gymkhana action happening just outside, the stalls were probably somewhat overlooked. Then, late in the afternoon, a very relaxed show and shine was held with around 24 machines lined up on display. We strolled amongst the little beasts, ranging from Bill’s late 1940s Italian racers to 1970s Indian and Spanish variants. It was very cool to see them all together, and quite a few people wandered amongst the machines with their voting sheets. The shed stalls and gymkhana course had now been packed up and with more thunder clouds rolling in, many of us wheeled our rides into the shed to keep them out of the rain.
I was knackered by that point and wanted to recover for the main festivities of the evening – dinner and drinks at the Old Canberra Inn. It was time to head back to the cabin to freshen up. An hour later I walked out the door and saw the shuttle bus coming down the hill. It was full of dubious looking Lambrettisti but I decided to get on anyway. Somehow managing to ignore the ‘automatic door’ sign on the door (and everyone on the bus yelling ‘IT’S AUTOMATIC!’), I attempted to wrench it off its hinges. It didn’t break, thankfully, and we were off to the pub!
The do at the Inn was very casual, and we all sat around several tables getting progressively ‘happier’ as the night went on. It was a great chance to really catch up with our mates, and we did our utmost to ignore the local band playing in the room next door. After a long wait for our meals (for some of us), it was time to head outside into the open air for more bevvies and the prize giving ceremony. Chris Johnson ran through the proceedings as briefly as he’d promised, with the proud winners being announced as follows:
Treasure Hunt:
Wooden Spoon (slowest time to complete the course): Trong Ý Nguyen and Stephen Spicer
Winner (random pick of those that completed the course): Fleur James and Quiet Mark
Gymkhana:
Third – Chris Merrifield 1:38
Second – Daniel Superina – 1:35
First – James Grygiel – 1:33.
Custom Show:
Best Slimstyle: Nevil Cope
Best Early Series: Bill Guthrie
Best Patina/Rat: Andy Jackson
Best Customised: Chris Von Scooterhead
Best in Show: Bill Guthrie
Furthest Ridden: Tony Tessier. Flew from France and then rode from Sydney.
Team Barry was chuffed to have three winners out of the six of us!
Treasure Hunt:
Wooden Spoon (slowest time to complete the course): Trong Ý Nguyen and Stephen Spicer
Winner (random pick of those that completed the course): Fleur James and Quiet Mark
Gymkhana:
Third – Chris Merrifield 1:38
Second – Daniel Superina – 1:35
First – James Grygiel – 1:33.
Custom Show:
Best Slimstyle: Nevil Cope
Best Early Series: Bill Guthrie
Best Patina/Rat: Andy Jackson
Best Customised: Chris Von Scooterhead
Best in Show: Bill Guthrie
Furthest Ridden: Tony Tessier. Flew from France and then rode from Sydney.
Team Barry was chuffed to have three winners out of the six of us!
 | The bus was running two shuttle trips back to the Carotel, so I hopped on board after a great night. When we arrived, most of us headed up to the camp shed to put some tunes on the stereo and to talk more scooter rubbish. There was also an element of Lambretta molestation, mostly involving mirrors… but we won’t go there. At some point we noticed that James had disappeared into the dark (with his SX!) so we made our way down to the camping area to check that he was still alive. He was. I then shuffled off to bed, not too long before the second busload arrived at the camp and more silliness in the shed commenced. |
In the morning, I forced myself out of bed and quickly packed up. I had that unique feeling, a combination of wanting to get back home to the family and normality, and yet also starting to miss the camaraderie and scooter shenanigans I’d just experienced. We all said our goodbyes, having packed Sean’s GP into the van for the start of the ride home. There was nothing wrong with the scooter, but the same couldn’t be said of Sean.
Thank you so much to the organising committee (Chris Johnson, Bill Guthrie, John Hunter and Nicky Hussey) for their tireless dedication in making this rally, the first Australian Lambretta Jamboree, a roaring success.Thanks also to Bill Guthrie for making his wonderful machines available to everybody at the event, and for setting up and scoring the gymkhana (with Chris Johnson and Nick Townsend looking after the stopwatch).
Finally, thanks to Team Barry for such an awesome time with good friends.
Dan
Finally, thanks to Team Barry for such an awesome time with good friends.
Dan
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