Congregation 2018

This entry is part 14 of 21 in the series Adventure Rider Issue #32

2018 There was only one Congregation this year, but it was an absolute belter.

Miles Davis’ skills demo was as popular as ever.

Adventure Rider Magazine’s Congregations have been gaining momentum since they kicked off in 2015.That first event was at Moredun Ponds, near Tingha in NSW, and it was a cracker weekend.For 2016 the adventure-riding annual summit meeting moved around the corner to Green Valley Farm, still near-enough in Tingha, and, if possible, it was even more of a raging success than the first one. In an effort to try and make more riders happy, there was a Victorian Congregation as well.

In 2017 Green Valley Farm continued its incredible support of the event, and, now called ‘The Northern Congregation’, rain before and after the day’s festivities made for a perfect adventure ride in, out and during the weekend. The week-end itself was sunny with blue skies and even more awesome than the year before.

The Southern Congregation moved to Dargo where the weather was perfect and the weekend well-attended.

Over 300 riders and still heaps of room.

In 2017, thanks to the superb and tireless work of Motorrad Garage, a Western Congregation was held at Nannup, about three hours south of Perth.

It was an awesome gathering and an absolute credit to Motorrad Garage and the 130-odd riders who streamed in from all over the Wildflower State and all points east. The Loose Goose Chalets turned out to be a great venue and the West Aussie adventure riders top blokes and girls.

For 2018 it was decided to run just one event.

Green Valley Farm has become the undisputed home of the Congregation, so on a perfect September weekend it all happened again.

The skills demos, the speakers, the amazing atmosphere, the perfect weather, the great campground…it was all there, better than ever.

Something like 350 riders took part in a happy and trouble-free reunion…well…except for the fella who was helicoptered out after breaking his leg on the way in to Green Valley Farm. It wasn’t happy and trouble-free for him, obviously.

If you weren’t there you missed the high point of the adventure-riding year. Keep your eye on www.advridermag.com.au for the announcement of the 2019 dates.

Yes. ‘Dates’.

If we can possibly swing it, and can manage the resources, there’ll be more than one Congregation again next year.

Meanwhile, here’s a round-up of 2018, and we’re going to let the pics tell the story…

As always, the Vickery family worked long and hard to make the Congregation a success.
A cold ale or two at the end of the day. Nice.
The folks from Ural Australia were on site and had plenty of interested onlookers.
Riders started rolling in on Friday arvo.
Inverell Suzuki dealer Vince Strang held an excellent session on DR maintenance.
Darryl Belcher, from Richmond in NSW, had a couple of mascots on board.
Adventure Bike Australia had a great selection of gear for sale at Congregation prices. Nice new awning, Mal and Karen!
Publisher Kurt Quambusch and Dave ‘Ramdog’ Ramsay shared a moment or two during the presentation.
There were plenty of reunions. Lots of people clearly hadn’t seen each other since the 2017 Congregation. Miles Davis was happy to see Ol’ Mate ‘Shiny’.
Green Valley Farm’s excellent cabins were booked out long before the event.
A gymkhana was a crowd favourite. You can bet it’ll be a Congregation regular from now on.
The atmosphere at Green Valley Farm is pretty much unbeatable.
Bumot’s been a strong supporter of The Congregation and was set up and spotlighting its excellent luggage for the whole weekend.
Columnist Karen Ramsay cruised in to meet husband Dave and a group of 28 he’d brought down from the north.
Cody Burgess, still on his Ls, not only won a T-shirt for being the youngest rider, he also scooped the Klim jacket in the random prize draw. Adventure Moto’s Jen Smith was on site to do the fitting.
Vince Strang looked after the jabillion or so DRs that showed up.
Could there possibly be a better venue than Green Valley Farm?
It wouldn’t be a Congregation without Fast Ed Brown. Ed hasn’t missed a single event, even riding across to WA last year. He’s a dead-set champion. Good to see Ed back on his KLR for 2018.
DARE to be different! The Ducati adventure training outfit attracted plenty of interest and gave riders the chance to experience the Italian performance machinery.
Darren Waites, Forma boots’ top man in Australia and the US, dropped in with a gear bag full of Forma boots. He was kept busy chatting to people all weekend.
Sunset on another awesome Congregation.
Adventure Moto’s Steve Smith gave away a swag of prizes.
The Adventure Moto Africa Twin was one good-looking bike.