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Rotorua Ramblings… November 2016

To open Branch website, click: www.ulyssesrotorua.org.nz

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR’S CLAPTRAP

COORDINATOR’S CLAPTRAP Hi, fellow Rotoruians! I hope your lead up to Xmas is not proving too stressful, remember it is the season to be jolly ! Before I go any further I must thank those responsible for attending to the raising of the banner at the Lakefront Café on Saturday mornings. This keeps our image in front of the public (it doesn’t mean we still can’t be disgraceful!). As explained at our October meeting, it looks as though the hireage of the Okataina facilities will rise. We have already given our word to other branches that we would hold our costs to last year’s level, so there may be a small deficit. We can work to minimise any shortfall by all helping with the event (as well as increasing the bar takings as much as we can !). I hope your thinking caps are on for the dressing of our wee gnome. We will need an artistic type person to actually do the painting of his clothing, I think the suggestion of our Maori heritage to be reflected in his ( her ? ) garb is a good one, but lets develop it and paint him up. Who is up for the pleasure of that task? Let me know at our meeting this Sunday. Elsewhere in this magnificent issue is an advert for Pam’s Xmas Show at the SHMPAC too much to type in full !). Those of you who have been to her past performances will know that it is the highest quality you will see in this town. Called “ Eat. Sleep. Dance, Repeat”, it will have you spellbound and in another world for a couple of hours, and we all need that. The Xmas wind-up is at my place on Saturday 17th December. The next day is the F & C ride to Ohope, this will be a recovery run! I have a new system worked out for Santa, and need you each to buy a gift, no more than $5 - $10 max. It won’t be a secret Santa, a bit different to that, and you won’t know what to expect until the giving starts. To those of you going to the beach for your holiday, don’t burn. To those of you staying home, don’t work too hard. To those of you visiting relatives, stay calm and collected. To those of you sneaking off on your own, just the 2 of you, enjoy. Traditionally, we don’t have an official December meeting, so I will see you next on the road, at the beach, at your place, with your relatives, or dropping in on your private time together. Take care, think of those less fortunate and help if you can. Cheers,

Flash #1272

Picked this up from a motorcycle magazine the other day:

I believe you have a better chance of avoiding an accident on a motorcycle rather than a car and I’ve had far more accidents in cars than motorcycles.

For a goal oriented person, riding is constantly a challenge. Every time I leave my house I learn something new and push myself harder. Not necessarily faster, but better. Every day it brings something out of me that nothing else can.

Fearing a motorcycle or not respecting one can get you hurt. No helmet, drinking and careless behaviour loses your respect for a bike, but riding sensibly and smart can keep you alive, better than anything on four wheels

ROTORUA BRANCH MEETING

Sunday 27 November 7pm at St John Rooms

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2016-2017 Rotorua Ulysses Branch Committee Coordinator: Gordon (“Flash”) White 027 345 8634 poppagordie@gmail.com

Secretary: Bruce Quedley 021 616 736 bruce@quedley.com

Treasurer: Hartley Gray 021 916645 hartleyandteri@gmail.com

Newsletter: Tony Baker 022 345 7607 tbaker@nowmail.co.nz

Sheriff: Bruce Roe 027 675 7469 roeswood@xtra.co.nz

Runs Coordinator: Hartley Gray 021 916645 hartleyandteri@gmail.com

Webmaster Tony Baker 022 345 7607 tbaker@nowmail.co.nz

Committee: Graeme van Praagh, Bob McKenzie

Branch address: P.O. Box 103, Rotorua 3040, New Zealand

Branch website address: www.ulyssesrotorua.org.nz

Well, as we enter the festive season, I am away overseas on an extended cruise holiday. I did hear that the Thursday venison lunch at the Butterworth farm was a beauty – three BBQ’s going for a couple of hours to feed the masses that turned up. As I will be too far away for any gossip, my friendly column must go into hiatus for a while. Hubby and I will be having too much fun of our own to be thinking of you lot. Hope all is well for your festive season, take care. You never know when I will be back and spying again. Keep up the disgraceful activities, always act as if no one is watching,

Snippets from the Branch meeting dated

Sunday 30 October, 2016

15 members attended, 5 apologies. Reminder to organize accommodation for 2017 National AGM at Masterton 14-16 April, 2017. Ulysses membership drive with a reduced sign-up cost of $10 for November, 2016. Rotorua Branch AGM – Sunday 30 April, 2016. Meeting closed at 7:50pm.

AGENDA FOR BRANCH MEETING

Sunday 27 November, 2016 At 7pm, St John Rooms,

Pererika St, Rotorua

Present Apologies Previous Minutes Matters Arising Correspondence In / Out Finance Report General Business Sheriff Supper

Paddy takes his new wife to bed on their wedding night. She undresses, lies on the bed spread-eagled, and says: “You know what I want, don’t you?” “Yeah”, says Paddy. “The whole bloody bed by the look of it”!

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This motorcyclist stopped to help an old lady over the crossing.

Sunday 4th December Ride to Waihi. Depart Lakefront 10am sharp. RIC: Hartley 021 916645 Wednesday 14 December Picnic Ride to Lake Rerewhakaaitu Depart Lakefront 5:30pm RIC: Hartley 021 916645 Saturday 17 December Christmas Function at Gordon & Pam’s home, 10 Moke Road, Ngapuna. Bring salad or dessert – or both. Meat supplied. Bring your own tipple. Please bring a present of no more than $10 each person. A few assorted bottles left over from last Okataina to finish off. Phone Gordon if you want more information. Sunday 18 December Ride to Ohope. Depart Lakefront 10am sharp. RIC: To be advised

Up “n” Coming Rides

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A great day was had by all on Dave Coy’s Thursday Ride @ Jack & Shelley Butterworth’s home at Forest Gate Farm in Mamaku. Jack, Bruce & Christine Rowe, Bruce Bryenton & Mal “manned” the three BBQ’s cooking tasty venison patties & sausages, all complemented with various salads and buns laid out by Shelley. At ten bucks a head there were no complaints from the fifty odd Ulyssians in attendance. Fine weather, awesome food as always, shared by great people, what more could a biker want?

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Meremere Dragway

Lynda’s first nervous rides down Meremere Dragway were soon over-shadowed by, how fast can I go, she was hooked. Running a best of 15.834@84.50mph for the quarter mile dash was pretty impressive for a woman, who, even on the Saturday Test & Tune, didn’t really want to be there. “Good on ya girl, I’ll have to watch myself when running against her!” Your loving husband, “Axle”

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Team Work There are four people named

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody There was an important job to be done, and

Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it.

Anybody could have done it, But Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job.

But Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody

when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Some pics found in the archives, pre-mid 1990’s

FOR SALE One only cherished black 2008 Harley Davidson Custom Sportster

She's an XLC Custom Sportster, (with the big tank that's so much better on club runs). She's got 16,000k up on the clock and has been regularly serviced since Rex bought her new. She's in excellent order, both mechanically and appearance-wise. She has no corrosion, always been garaged and never been dropped. Factory extras from new include crashbars, helmet lock, headlite extension, cowbell horn, mudflap. She has a windscreen. Interested members should email Ulysses member Rex Bunn on rexbunn2015@gmail.com Heia Safari, Rex Bunn

Ride Report Sunday 20th October to Kaiawa

Jack, Bruce and Christine and Bruce Bryenton from Whakatane and myself set off at 10 o'clock from the Lakefront. All was well until we found the southern end of the Old Te Aroha Rd was closed so we went on a wee detour into Matamata and down Tower Rd. It was at this stage another 2-wheeler joined us - Eugene Berryman-Kemp on his BMW. We continued on to Old Te Aroha Rd and on to Te Aroha and then through to Ngatea past Miranda and on to Kaiawa arriving at 12 o'clock on the dot. 206km. We sampled some famous Kaiawa fish and chips which was great. The return ride was via Kopu for fuel and on to Paeroa where Bruce from Whakatane left us and rest of us carried on to Te Aroha and went through some back roads to Matamata and back over the Mamaku's to home. Over 400kms for the day so a longer than usual day out for us with the only issue being the strong blustery wind that was constant all day.

Hartley

ACC Levies Update

For those members who are interested in the ACC Levies Update, go to: www.acc.co.nz The ACC levies debacle has been thrashed out in earlier correspondence with even a breakdown of the income received and the outgoings – and the figures are not a pretty sight. You can join in the levies conversation by jumping online to: shapeyouracc.co.nz

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“Mountain to Sea” – 6 November, 2016

Whakatane Branch Whakatane’s annual ride from Kawerau to Thornton Park was down on numbers this year, probably due to inclement weather in the morning. But, for those forty bikes, transporting fifty people who turned up, the day & ride turned out to be a cracker. This year Glenn & Louise of Thornton Beach Motor Camp allowed Ulyssians to use their establishment as a base for lunch & presentations. Bob McKenzie’s trusty Kawasaki let him down with a fuel leak, but Bruce Bryenton picked up the slack, taking Bob as pillion on his Spyder while Michael Mexted kindly transported the Kwaker on a trailer back to Ngongotaha. Great to have mates that go the extra mile for you.

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DOWN

1 Street repairs (4,5) 2 & 1 across. Old racing class 4 Ulysses motto, “Grow …..Disgracefully” (3) 5 Holds the tyres on (3) 7 Melbourne racing track (6,6) 8 Rally in central North Island in winter (4,4) 9 & 16 Italian brand, Nevada & California (4 & 5) 11 Our club (7) 15 One or two piece riding suit material (8) 16 See 9 down 19 Full-face or open face head protection (6) 21 Official Ulysses insurance broker (5) 22 Opposite of stop (2) 24 Ex Super-bike champ, Aaron …...(6) 26 Petrol or hot air (3) 29 Tighten them between the wheel hub and the rim (5) 31 See 39 down 33 Valentino, moto GP champ (5) 36 German bike, ridden by James Bond (1,1,1) 37 Ex-President, Peter …..Intosh (3) 39 & 31 6-cylinder Honda (4,4) 40 Spokes from the ……....to the rim (3) 43 Tint or colour (3)

ACROSS

1. See 2 down

3 Naked sports bike, models 1000 & 1000S (7) 6 Brand of petrol (1.1) 10 …………..Fireblade (5) 12 Action, do a good………..(4) 13,27 & 42 Rider at the back of the bunch (4,3,7) 14 Ulysses medal for meritorious Branch service (7) 17 …………not drum brakes (4) 18 Drive to rear wheel, not by chain (5) 20 V-Strom (6) 23 Great Britain racing circuit around streets and houses (4,2,3) 25 Chance, danger (4) 27 See 13 across 28 & 35 Group that run the Southern Cross rally (5,4) 30 Bag of goodies for burglar or hobo (4) 32 Undressed (5) 34 &41 Container behind the pillion (3,3) 35 See 28 across 38 Gordon’s nickname (5) 41 See 34 across 42 See 13 across 44 Brand of tyre (11)

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FLASH’S CROSSWORD

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Two Birthday Boys Hartley and Mal

Good company, good food & humour made for a great night at the Bain residence with a shared

60th for Hartley & Mal 65th bash.

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Below is a flyer advertising Pam’s Christmas Show. Again this year at the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Art Centre.

This is a “Must see” show