Racing the Indian Pacific to the pub.

You never really know when something is going to make a good ride a great ride, but it seems to happen rather regularly. Riding is funny like that and only riders will understand how this can be so often the case.

When you are on a bike, nothing seems to matter: it's just fun!

We took off from Perth on a cool Sunday morning with the simple intention of dodging the Hallmark occasion that is Mother's Day. That might seem a bit harsh, and I will quickly salvage the situation by saying that everyday should be Mother's Day. But you know what I mean. Mother's Day is a day when all of your favorite beverage dispensaries are flogged out with noisy adults and screaming children.

That being the case, we decided to rug up and two-up on the beloved F800GS and ride 155 km east to Cunderdin; JUST to go eat at the Ettamogah Pub. No other reason at all. None.

The road was long, straight and threatening to be very boring indeed. That was until we crossed paths with the Indian Pacific just as we were pulling out of Northam.

We saw it push on through, and as we cracked on down the highway, we had the sudden realisation that the tracks and the highway run virtually parallel! To that end, we could see the old girl coming into view as it slowly built up a full head of steam (figuratively speaking as it is a obviously a diesel locomotive).

And so began the challenge. Could we get to Cunderdin before it did?

As it wound its way through the hills it came in and out of view, but there was no doubt that our lead was being compromised by the minute.

Juvenile yes! Ashamed to admit it? No.

Less than 5 km shy of Cunderdin we snapped left off the highway at a level crossing and pulled up at the boom gates just as it was sailing past.

In a slightly juvenile fashion, I gave the fat controller the full Hawaiian Shaka sign and he returned with an echo of horn work that would leave even the oldest man-child with a grin from ear to ear.

And with that, we rolled into Cunderdin.

A bit like a first date: looks can be deceiving. It's what's inside that counts.

To be honest, the pub is a bit like a bad first date. You're immediately taken by the good looks, but the cracks begin to show the minute you get better acquainted. The Ettamogah Pub is nothing more than a comic book facade built over an old country pub that probably had no actual historic value prior to the makeover. No matter though. We were just there for the comic book vibe. So, out the front we sat, in the cutting wheatbelt winter breeze.

We had heard terrible reviews about the long wait times for a meal and arrogant staff, but we encountered none of that!

The food was better than adequate, came out in quick time and the staff were super friendly. The only complaint was the lack of variety on tap.

Pick of the bunch on our Southwest Silo Tour 2020, a revist was a must.

Happy that we'd made the journey, and still a little chuffed with our race against the Indian Pacific, we headed home via the Northam-Toodyay Road.

I wanted to revisit the painted silos.

The Northam painted silo is, but far and away, the pick of the bunch on the entire southwest silo tour, and I speak with authority having done the full tour on this very same bike. But that is a story for another time!

So often the case on a bike: nothing special about the ride, but the ride itself was very special indeed.