DIARY

Watch this space as the trip progresses for updates on where we are and what we're doing...
Sunday 26th
Arrived in Bendigo to stay with Damon's cousin Andy and his wife Jill who after chatting for a while we realised it was 12 years since we last caught up. Time flies. We stayed at Ngambie last night because all the caravan parks in Shepparton were full of V8 driving P platers who were there for the Summer Nationals. I'm sure there will be some sore heads today.
Saturday 25th Nov
Sad farewells as we left Fritz and Lou's place in Yackandandah and rode through the beautiful Kiewa Valley to Mt Beauty and over to Bright for lunch and bumped into the Hog crowd from Albury Wodonga and also a local Ulysses member enjoying the roads. What an amazing part of the country to ride a bike through.
Friday 24th Nov
Damon needed some urgent work on his back that was stiffening up. Rob at Health Focus did a great job getting rid of all the knots and generously waived the cost of the treatment as a donation to the cause. Thanks Rob. Later that day we went to the Strawberry Winery and did some tastings of a delicious strawberry wine and liqueuer. Purchased a bottle for pre birthday celebrations.
Saturday 18th
Onto Bega for the night via Central Tilba a place that Tracey felt she could retire there and just write forever. Sunday morning we rode along the Snowy Mountain Hwy to cross the Great Dividing Range for the 8th and final time. Meeting up with Ian and Michele again with some fellow Ulysses we rode to Adaminaby to meet up with the rest of the Ulysses crowd for lunch at San Michele. Farewells to the wonderful Canberra bunch and onto Wagga Wagga via the scenic route. A warm welcome by Len and Lindy from the Wagga Ulysses who opened up their house for us and did a terrific job organising the media. Gareth popped in for a quick hello as well. Monday morning was the media rush and lunch with Len and Lindy and we met Harry from the local HOG chapter and Julie from WIMA before hitting the road to Albury Wodonga to Stay with Fritz and Lou at Yackandandah. After doing the media in town we had a couple of rest days to prepare for the Melbourne rush.
Friday 17th
Tracey's birthday Yahoo! After packing our bags in readiness to get started for the day Tracey watched The Matrix on DVD as a good way to start her birthday. Leaving Canberra in sunshine we headed to Braidwood and stopped for lunch at a great little secondhand bookshop and cafe where T stocked up the library that she is creating along the trip. We arrived in Batemans Bay in time to do an interview with the local paper and then off to The YHA for a beautiful birthday dinner where we lashed out and bought two bottles of Passion Pop to celebrate her 34th birthday.
Note: Passion Pop makes you do funny things, especially 2 bottles of it!!!!!!
Wednesday 15th
This update from Ian and Michelle's house in Canberra. Congrats on the move and thanks for having us for the second time on the trip! Since the last update, we had an enormous week in Sydney with the HD Association and Robyn, the Executive Officer as well as the Lottie Stewart Hospital, Huntington's families and the media and gave a talk Tues night to the Sydney Ulysses. Thanks Robyn for looking after us and letting us use the office. Also managed to catch up with friends Louise in Drummoyne, Danielle in Pymble and cousin Brent and Tania who have just moved to Bondi and Damon's sister Dianne and family and his brother Rohan and family who put us up for the week. The week was exhausting but very rewarding and fun as well with radio interviews and papers taking us into and out of the city. I'm amazed I coped so well after the 18000kms of relatively clear traffic. Almost ended inside a double decker bus in the Cross on Saturday though. Bit spooky... Left Sydney on Saturday after hitting the markets with Lou and then had Xmas party with the Sydney Ulysses crew at Sublime Point. Good fun and Damon even won a ratchet set!! Then headed to Woollongong which, despite the rain is a beautiful place with hills and ocean. Sunday found us in Goulburn and damp (very damp) so we piked for the first time and stayed in a caravan. Monday found us just outside Canberra waiting for some Ulysses members to ride us into town. Robyn from Canberra and Damon had been organising things and we were very impressed when a group of around 12 turned up as it was a weekday and raining and then we rode to Red Hill and had coffee and lunch. Len, one of the members, showed us around Parliament House later that afternoon which was a first for both Damon and me. Monday night we all went to the MRA (Motorcycle Riders Assoc) meeting and I gave a talk. Today has been very hectic. Apart from Internet things which had fallen behind, we have been coordinating media for the next leg. Had a tv thing today and an interview with That's Life mag who are doing a Xmas/New year edition which they wanted us to be in it. The bikes could really do with a clean but it's been raining since we arrived and doesnt look like stopping soon so we may have to just put up with the dirt....
Thursday was spent running from one interview to another for the radio stations and then down to the other side of town for another TV interview with Judy at her house. Then a photo shoot for the Canberrra Times later that day and a quick visit to the War Memorial. Then dinner in town with Ian and Michele and Tracey's cousin Darcy and his wife Rebecca.
Monday 6th Nov
A lovely morning this morning although it looked like it was going to tip down - black clouds and all. This update from the Huntington Disease Association offices in West Ryde, NSW. We finished in Newcastle by catching up with a couple of families and then having a family dinner Friday night at Damon's brother's place. Cam and Kym have been marvellous hosts. First thing Saturday it was coffee with another Huntington's family and then off to Gosford for the ride into Sydney. A bit of rain so on with the wet weather gear but turned out we didn't need it after all. Met a couple of Ulysses members in Gosford and we rode with them to the Association where the AGM had been going on and we got clapped in - very impressive! Time for photos on the bikes, a great sausage sizzle lunch and to catch up with a few of the members then off to stay with Lou in Drummoyne for the night. Hi LOU!!
Wednesday 1st November
Greeted by a cold morning, although it was a beautiful place to wake up, we continued the adventure of the Oxley Hwy into Port Macquarie, a beautiful place and we love it even though it rained a bit. We were invited to have dinner with a Huntington's family who did their best to fatten us up and make us feel really welcome. One of the great parts of this trip is we get to meet some really wonderful people. Robyn at the YHA laid out the red carpet and helped orgaise media too... THANKS ROBYN. Monday we caught up with some more people from the Huntington community and experienced a beautiful poetry recital and then a tv shoot and some emailing but no time for updating the