Zilzie couple off on Australian pub crawl adventure
Adventures come in many forms and for Zilzie couple Doug and Susi Blair it could arguably be one of Australia's longest pub crawls.
They will soon set off on a 10,000km seven week, road trip taking in as many country pubs and micro-breweries as they can find between central Queensland and Geelong in Victoria.
Dubbed the "No Bar Too Far Tour", Doug and his wife Susi, both 67, have been planning the trip for the past two years. Doug has even gone as far as to have both ankles fused to help him manage the long ride on his Russian built Ural motorcycle.
"You are never too old for adventure," the couple said. "Too many older Australians limit themselves.
"We hope to encourage other people our age to get off their backsides and follow their passions."
They plan to crisscross Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria checking out as many old country pubs and micro-breweries as they can find. But it's not just about the pubs. Meeting locals and having a bit of yarn is something both are looking forward to and taking in Australia's unique landscapes.
Their journey will take them along the roads less travelled.
"The back roads are far more scenic than the main roads," Doug said.
"There is some lovely country we will be going through."
On leaving Zilzie next weekend, their first overnight stop will be Mulgilde and its charming old pub before heading to Maidenwell and slowly making their way south ultimately to Geelong in Victoria before turning around and meandering north again. The itinerary sees them take in some 35 overnight destinations over 50 days.
Their choice of transport for the adventure is their Ural motorcycle complete with sidecar. The bike is Russian-built modelled on a 1940 BMW and continues in production to this day.
Doug has a passion for old-school classic motorcycles and his Ural, which he bought eight months ago, is the perfect machine for the trip, he said.
"It is the only motorcycle in the world that comes out of the factory standard with a sidecar attached," he said.
"They have plenty of horsepower and can carry a pretty heavy load."
Despite being only a few years old, the bike is as old school mechanically as it looks according to Doug. One of the few concessions to modern mechanics is front disk brakes. Other than that, little has changed since the Ural first rolled off the production line 75 years ago.
When not staying with friends Doug and Susi will be living under canvas along the way.
Doug's local, the Pine Beach Hotel, has come on board as a sponsor which Doug says is great. As the departure date approaches Doug and Susi admit their excitement is tinged with a little apprehension but that's what makes for an adventure.
Source : The Morning Bulletin Chris Ison February 2nd 2015
