2008 - ride mate (Martin) and I ride into Narrandera NSW after a day on the saddle, stop outside the Murrumbidgee Hotel, ask the three guys having a drink and a smoke out the front,
which way to the camping ground? (We were going to pitch our tents.)
One guy points north, another points south (apparently there are two camping grounds), the middle guy says
why pay $20 for a camp site, you can stay here for $20 each and get breakfast. Sounds like a good idea.
Bikes parked undercover around the back, check into our upstairs room, two single beds, showers and toilets down the corridor, I freshen up, Martin says
I'll go down, set-up some beers. I join him a few minutes later, a couple of icy cold schooners of draught beer waiting on the bar. Martin says
I bought $20 of tickets in the meat raffle - this is a Friday afternoon tradition in country pubs, a platter of about $200 of fresh meat.
What are we gunna
do with that if we win?
We win! Martin yells,
re-draw, so they do. A local guys wins, and buys us beers for the rest of the night, we must've downed another $50 or $60 of schooners.
Middle guy come over to talk to us,
I'm Wazza (a common Aussie nickname for guys named Wayne or Warren)
I'm the goffa, barman, cook & cleaner, W
e're Marty and Mick, a bit of chit-chat and he comes out with
are you guys gay? NO! Brothers? NO! What are you sharing a room for then? We're just mates and one of the other guys said it was cheaper if we shared. Okay then.
Next morning after we packed our bikes, just before leaving, I went back up to our room and made up one of the single beds so it looked like we had only used one. I would have liked to see the expression on Wazza's face we he went to clean the room. I also pitied the next couple of bikers who stayed at the 'Bidgee.
$20 per head bed & breakfast.
Pics from the internet.