Hey bike fans, Rossey here again. This year I was honoured to participate in the Annual Wall to Wall Ride for Remembrance in commemoration of fallen police officers.
Each year, police from all around Australia and even other countries around travel far and wide in remembering those officers who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting their community. I have been involved in this ride since 2015, and this year we were saddened to accompany the commemorative Queensland State baton with two names inside. Constable Rachael McCrow and Constable Matthew Arnold.
We zig-zagged our way down through NSW, staying overnight in quaint little pubs and motels until our destination at Epic Showgrounds in Canberra, ACT. The atmosphere was alive with the sounds of thousands of motorcycles of all makes and models. There was a sombre feel but also a sense of excitement while comrades from all around meet again 12 months later. The blue family is a tight-knit group, and you can feel it with the passion and laughter emanating throughout.
We walked the displays, caught up with some old friends and ate some disgraceful food, while waiting for the call to mount up on our trusty metal steeds that we just rode over a thousand kilometres on. We formed up on the Federal Highway, with bikes as far as the eye could see, in front and behind us. We waited for the hooter, and we were off, on the 14th annual Wall 2 Wall. The sounds of almost two thousand bikes were deafening, you could feel the vibration through the road as we continued down the highway towards Parliament House. The streets were lined with onlookers waving and cheering for us, it was heartwarming as I got a little choked up inside. Motorcyclists are waving and sounding their horns at the children waving to us. We approached Parliament House, and as we rode in anti-clockwise around the magnificent architectural structure, we were spat out the other side and rode over the bridge of the mighty Lake Burley Griffin, with more cheering fans as we turned into The National Police Memorial Park and dismounted amongst the other couple of thousand bike riders. The excitement turned subdued as we strolled over to the memorial wall. Some words were spoken, the names of the fallen were announced, the batons from each state were laid, and the bagpipes played followed by the police requesense and a minute’s silence as another Wall to Wall ride comes to a close.
I hope you enjoyed the ride as we did, and please donate to your state Police Legacy organisation, to help families of fallen officers.
And please remember, stay shiny side up, and ride your own ride. This is Rossey, and I’m going to get you Geared to Ride.
