Amazon Heart Thunder Blog
Adventures for Breast Cancer Survivors - www.amazonheart.org
Amazon Heart Thunder Blog

Amazon Heart Thunder US 2008 - First Night Welcome

Day One, Friday, September 5, 2008

Over the last few days breast cancer survivors from across the world have driven, ridden and winged their way to sunny LA, ready for another amazing Amazon Heart adventure!


The weather here is beautiful – warm, sunny and the infamous smog has not been too overwhelming.  Our hotel is in Marina del Ray, a few blocks walking distance to Venice Beach, which has given us a real slice of local life – from the muscle boys in the beachside gym, to rollerblading locals along the footpath.


Last night we came together as a group for the first time for our initial briefing.  We all heard more about the amazing history of Amazon Heart over the last 4 years – this will be the 10th Amazon Heart Thunder ride, the 5th in California and the 15th adventure AH have run.


We took time to each talk about who we were, where we came from and our hopes for this week’s trip.  Our first time AH riders received their leather Harley-Davidson jackets – this year there is a lot of bling on some of the models – we will certainly be brightening up the California freeways!  Afterwards, we headed out as a group walking down the street to a fantastic Mexican Cantina for dinner.


Outside the restaurant was parked a huge bus with promotional signage all over it for a tequila brand.  It turned out there was a promotional night for the beverage there, complete with Tequila promotional girls!


We had a terrific dinner in a quieter part of the restaurant, but the Tequila girls did find us and gave us all some fantastic cowboy hats.  We certainly turned heads on our way back to the hotel!


Tomorrow our bikes will be delivered to the lot across from our hotel – we can’t wait to see that gleaming chrome and head out on the road for our first practice ride.

AHT US 2008 Photos


Dinner at Baja Cantina - Half the Gang



Dinner at Baja Cantina - The Other Half the Gang



Sporting our new hats - Nancy, Lisa L., Colette, Wanda, Anna,
Michele and Meredith

Final Participant Comments

October 25, 2007


What an awesome days riding! I've driven in the Adelaide Hills many times but never ridden them on a bike - what a blast, great twisties and hills, such a good time with my AH sisters. It was fantastic to catch up with my Mum, Dad and sister in Adelaide last night - they have all been such an important part of my life - particularly over the past 2 years. Life would have been really hard without their unwavering love and support - thanks guys!

Riding into Nuriootpa and starting to feel the energy and vibe of the HOG rally was amazing. The next few days should be very entertaining!!

Thanks to all my AUS 07 AHT sisters - the past week with you has been a real privilege - thanks for sharing your stories and lives with me - its been an honour.

Love to Karen, Kahni and Adam - see you soon.

Lizzie
xxx


It's extremely empowering being with a group of women and riding big fat Harleys. I'm overwhelmed by the power of us!!!! That we can arrive anywhere and be accepted by an entire town, for who we are and what we stand for. Survivors against that monster that entered all our lives and turned everyone upside down. I'm extremely grateful to my loving family who stood strong by my side, complete support for what I am doing.

The last few days riding has been unbelievable. You bikers out there must put Adelaide Hills on your list of things to ride. I have just had the best time riding yesterday and today. Its getting very exciting seeing hundreds of Harley groups around getting ready for the Thunder Run/HOG Rally on Sunday.

Thank you to all the girls for all this wonderful fun. And sorry I'm the only one with a room to myself tonight, but hey someone's gotta do it.

Love Sydney Donna
aka Media Diva



Shaz Says:

She's pumping looking forward to the Thunder Run, that after registration for the run today she went to went to ride off with her pillion without her helmet on. She's so excited and it was funny to see by the rest of us behind her. The ride has been awesome, all the girls are awesome. M&M have outdone themselves this time. Everything is just fantastic.

Love, Shazza



Hello John -

I have had a very special 10 days with these fantastic women. I am looking forward to seeing you on Friday and introducing you to my new friends.

Thanks to all of my wonderful family for giving us such a fantasting welcome into Strathalbyn and what a wonderul surprise to see you - David and Patty, all the way from Texas. Hello to all my workmates at RACGP and to my family back in Briz. This is the most amazing thing I have ever done. What an experience. Thank M&M. Thanks AHT 2007 girls.

Love and Hugs,
Lady Snake (aka Jo) xx



The ride is nearly over and once again it has been a fabulous enriching experience! Thanks M&M for your vision and passion. Thanks Tim for supporting me to do this and for your enthusiasm!

To Grainne and UK girls, I have introduced and trained the Aussie girls in "making love to the camera!" You would be pround!

To all my new and old Amazon Heart sisters - we have survived to ride and laugh another day! Til we meet again!

Love,
Suzanna



Hi Again,

It's only been a couple of days since I have written but yesterday I finally got my open license, parked my bike at home and got the Sporty I did the practice day on, on the open road. Now I finally feel one of the group of Thunder Chicks!

Thanks everyone for your love and support, but look out, I'm already scheming how I will be able to attend the '08 ride in California (hint - hint prospective sponsors).

Thanks to Mez and Mee Yee for lettimg me share the van with them today and even letting me have a little cat nap in the back!

Can't wait for the HOG Rally tomorrow night, looks like my kind of circus.

Love, Tanya xxx



It has been simply an amazing and incredible journey right from the start. However all good things must come to an end and it will be a very difficult goodbye for each and every one of us as we have been like a family for the past several days. It is hard to express my feelings and admiration to the two most amazing women I have ever met, Meredith and Megan and the wonderful job both of you have done. It has been a truly special honor and privilege for me to be a pillion rider on the back of a bike of the "LEADER OF THE PACK" and I will always cherish this special moment. The journey along the Great Ocean Road is awesome and the countryside is so beautiful and so are Aussies too! Meredith, you are so cool and steady as a rick on you bike but yet so warm and caring to all of us. I have really enjoyed myself and thank you.

AUSSIE! AUSSIE! AUSSIE! OI! OI! OI! Well done AMAZON HEART THUNDER.....VROOM

Love,
Mini Me (Mee Yee)



Thank you M&M and all my AHT 2007 "sista's" for the Ride of a Lifetime.

Love 'n' Hugs
Lady Snake (aka Jo) xx

Day Thirteen Photos

Getting ready for the Thunder Run
 



Amazon Heart - the only "all girl club" at the rally


In the middle of the pack


Thank you to Meredith's sister Julie and her partner Jules for welcoming
us to their home and hosting a fantastic BBQ for a grand finale in Adelaide!

Day Thirteen - The Thunder Ride!

This morning we spent a hasty half hour trying to wash the dust, mud and rain marks from our bikes before the start of the Thunder run. Each year at the HOG Rally the entire assembly of over 1,000 bikes does a mass ride out to a nearby location.

This year, Amazon Heart had its own special place in the rally, with our own sign and rallying point midway through the pack of 1,500 bikes. It was quite a sight seeing all the bikes and different chapters forming up in their place in the parade on the sports field before we left.

Then it was out on the open road, with police blocking the intersections for us, and hundreds of people coming out of their houses and parked out along the country roads waiting to see us.

The view from our position was amazing, with bikes stretching as far as we could see both in front and behind us. Finally we rolled into our destination of Tanunda, which was a mass of spectators and Harley riders and bikes.

After a short coffee break, we jumped back on the bikes to take them back to Adelaide. It was Sunday and the dealership wasn't opened, so we rode back to Meredith's sister's house, where we parked the bikes and enjoyed a well earned beer and barbeque. On our way into Adelaide, our bikes ticked over the 2,000 km mark for the ride - the longest ever for any Amazon Heart ride, and a good 500km longer than our usual Australian route.

It was hard to let the bikes go, and say goodbye to the final group of riders, but already we were making plans for a reunion at next year's HOG rally!

Day Twelve Photos


A huge thank you to Kim Williams of Harley-Davidson Australia
for taking such great care of us!!


The girls with Kim Williams


A great celebration at our official finish in Adelaide


Some of the girls are whisked away in a limo...


...
...while the serious bikies head back to the HOG Rally
Tanya, Megan, Meredith, Shaz, Lizzie, Dimi, Jo and Sydney Donna


Amazon Heart is recognized on the main stage


Party Girls!


Safe Travels to all from M&M


Day Twelve - The Final Run Home

This morning we woke to our last day on the road as one big family. We packed up in the morning, and made a stop at Harley-Davidson's HQ at the rally to say a special thank you to Kim Williams, who had handled all the logistics of our ride at their end.

Then it was one last group hug, and back on the bikes and into the vans for the run into Adelaide.

We headed south back through the Barossa before cutting across to Gawler and the Main North Road back into Adelaide. Once again the weather held for us, with threatening clouds but no more rain, and we made it into the city dry and warm.

As we pulled up to our destination, Harley Heaven in the city, we saw towers of pink and black and orange (for Harley-Davidson) balloons, and a pack of friends and family who cheered as we pulled in. It was an emotional ending and reunion, and tears and smiles were shared all around.

Melbourne Donna had organized for one last surprise - a limo with champagne to take a group of the girls out to their hotel and the airport for their ride home. A few other riders hooked up with their families for the afternoon, but eight hard core bikers geared up once more for the ride back up to the HOG Rally for another night's celebration and the big Thunder ride the next day.

We made our goodbyes, and then headed back up the main road to Nuriootpa, anxious to get there on time for Dimi and Tanya to take test rides on the new 1200 Nightster. We pulled in right on schedule, and went our separate ways to soak up the atmosphere before the night's party.

Dimi loved the 1200 Nightster and firmly added it to her Christmas list, whilst Tanya decided to put the test ride off and take another bike for a spin in the Thunder ride on Sunday.

As we gathered for dinner, storm clouds rolled in and pouring rain and howling wind perfectly complemented the Halloween theme. Just before the main band, Wolverine, started their performance, we were all invited up on to stage by Kim to tell the crowd about our journey and thank HD for their support. We had a fantastic reception with many HOG riders chasing us down afterwards to make a donation.

Finally the weather became so bad, the band had to stop and we made our way to our tents for our final night on the road.

Day Eleven Photos (including Pancake's big night)


The gang in front of Martindale Hall


Lunch at Seppeltsfield Winery


Tent City at the National HOG Rally in Nuriootpa


In line for dinner at the HOG Rally


Pancake on the main stage with the live band behind


Oh Pancake!!!!!


Jo, Mee Yee, Lynda, Marie, Brisbane Donna and Dimi party at the Rally

Day Eleven - Harley Heaven

This morning we woke again to brilliant sunshine, and started back through the gorgeous town of Clare and surrounding wineries. We took a short detour through the historic little village of Mintaro, before arriving at Martindale Hall, a classic old country mansion that starred as the boarding house in the famous Australian film, Picnic at Hanging Rock.

The owners had given us permission to bypass the tourist car park, and line the bikes up right in front of the steps to the mansion, and a discounted entry to tour the property. It is a stunning house, and so evocative of that classic Australian film.

After a tour and photos, it was back on our bikes again, and off towards the Barossa. A turn down the wrong road saw us end up on gravel, and when we stopped to turn around, a journalist from the regional paper drove past and pulled over for an impromptu interview and photograph.

Back on the bikes and heading in the right direction, we meandered down some beautiful roads with fields of golden hay, purple Patterson's Curse, and the odd vineyard, before coming in the back of Nuriootpa and stopping at the historic Seppeltsfield winery.

Sadly we couldn't taste any of the local wines as we were on the bikes, but once again we were given permission to park in a prime position in front of the cellar door, much to the envy of the other HOG riders on tour who had run into us several times over the last two days and always had to park with the other tourists.

We had lunch and met with several local SA breast cancer survivors who had come out to see us, then it was back on the bikes and into the HOG rally.

Our accommodations for the night were booked tents in Tent City in the heart of the rally. Not really hardcore camping though - cots, doonas, pillows and electric lighting in every tent!

Tent City was the perfect location for the rally - just behind us a motorcross stunt team set up ramps and performed amazing aerial tricks just as we were checking in. The stage and bands were performing a short walk away, as were the test rides of the newest Harley-Davidson models, and street stalls with vendors of every kind of motorcycle merchandise.

After soaking up the atmosphere, we had a fantastic gourmet dinner of beef Wellington in the big tent, and danced the night away to the Flaming Sambuccas. Pancake, our rascal of a squirrel mascot for all our rides, came out of his box and was seen cavorting on stage and in the company of a stuffed pig ; ) It was a fantastic last night to this amazing journey.

Day Ten Photos


Local breast cancer survivor Donna shares a moment in Lenswood


The gang at the National Motor Museum in Birdwood


Thank you Bert for your very generous donation at the HOG Rally


Marie and Melbourne Donna select music in Clare


Our last night (before the HOG rally) - Sydney Donna, Shaz, Jo,
Melbourne Donna, Lynda, Suzanna, Marie and Mee Yee


Tanya, Dimi, Megan, Meredith, Mez and Donie