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Eric Eckert (left) and Mick Brilley (right). Images: contributed

Ulysses farewell to Mick

On Saturday January 9 Clarence Valley Ulysses (motorcycle club) met for an informal farewell BYO luncheon for Mick Brilley, at See Park Grafton. Mick turns 80 this year and is one of our oldest and long-term CV Ulysses. He is moving to Newcastle to be closer to family and we couldn’t let Mick go without wishing him well. He still rides and has a love of motorbike riding and said that it’s about the company. “The comradery with other like-minded people who enjoy life and riding together, is just great,” Mick said . Mick is a real caring, considerate bloke and has been on many rides with CV Ulysses and attended a number of AGMs over the years around Australia. His first AGM was to Cairns in 1999 with other CV Ulyssians. And the fun wasn’t always reaching the destination, it was the fun riding there with good mates. He also went of many a ‘7 out 7 back’ ride, with other CV Ulysses blokes. The ‘7 out 7 back’ ride first started in 2002 when a group of CV Ulysses blokes decided to hop on their motorbikes and just ride for 7 days out and then 7 days back – doesn’t matter where they went, but mostly to outback areas. They camped in tents overnight in caravan parks. Some of the rides were to Uluru travelling through Broken Hill and Port Augusta; up the coast to Cairns then onto Karumba, the Undara Lava tubes and home; up through central Queensland across to Three Ways and up to Darwin then turn around and head home; across NSW to South Australia, along the Nullarbor Plain to Perth and then home again; up to Cooktown and across to Karumba and home again through central Queensland. In fact, three times to Uluru. The last ‘7 out and 7 back’ was in 2016 to Broken Hill, Port Augusta, Coober Pedy and onto Uluru and then home again. Clocking up between 6,000 to 10,000 kilometres on each ‘7 out 7 back’ ride. Jimmy Summers aged 58 years, who was the youngest CV Ulysses at the luncheon, spoke about some very memorable times riding with Mick and cherishes his friendship and they developed a real bond. Jimmy made comment that the ‘7 out 7 back’ group was really quite lucky as they usually had a policeman, a publican, an undertaker, a train driver and a coal miner on the ride. Best wishes to Mick from all his fellow CV Ulyssians. We will miss Mick. Eric Eckert, our oldest CV Ulyssian who turns 89-years-old this year, was also in attendance at the luncheon. Eric was forced to give up riding when he was 86 years old due to ill health. He said his love of riding throughout the years made him feel young and he loved the company. There were a few members who were unable to attend the luncheon on the day and sent in their apologies. Lynne Cairns