Macquarie Towns Rally
2018 Macquarie Towns Rally 29-29 July, 2018 – Pitt Town, NSW
The many months of preparation work for the 2018 Macquarie Towns Restoration and Preservation Club Rally held on July 28 and 29, provided the 134 entrants with a fabulous weekend of riding around the beautiful Hawkesbury Valley area. Starting at the new venue of the Pitt Town Sports Club, where the dinner and presentation evening was also held on the Saturday night, the marshals were all given an impressive run down by one of the rally organizers and stalwart of the club, Kathleen Toovey. Kathleen didn’t miss a name or a corner with no reference to any notes – so impressed! As the marshals all headed off, the rest of the entrants made ready to enjoy what I thought was the best designed rally course I had been on with this club and a credit to Steve McGuire who mapped out the route. The roads were a little bumpy in parts and I felt for some of the pillion passengers at times, as the suspension in old bikes is often not pillion friendly, but the course was flowing, with few slow zones, very interesting scenery including the Sackville ferry ride and a good pace was set by the lead rider. The Hawkesbury area boasts some beautiful small acreage properties and abounds in history. The course saw us travel the Old Stock Route Road, Old Pitt Town Road, The River Road and other roads built by our first settlers to the area. For morning tea on the Saturday, we were all warmly welcomed by the Ebenezer Church Auxiliary with tea and home made scones, jam and cream and a walk around this historic site and graveyard is always quite moving. It was here the entrants were then given the task of judging 11 categories and this is always a tough choice as there are so many immaculately restored and unusual bikes to behold.
For several years now, the rally lunch has been catered for by the Glenorie Primary School P & C and what a spread they always put on for the riders. It’s also a perfect venue to soak up the sun and chat with friends before making our way home. The weather was kind for both the Saturday and the shorter Sunday ride and I’m sure the planning has already started for another successful 2019 rally.