Hells Angels MC Good as Gold Poker Run

THE GOOD as Gold Poker Run saw more than 700 bikes and a 1000 people converge on Tradelink Drive for the 12.30 pm departure. But bikers weren’t the only ones there in numbers — the local police inspectors from three districts, the bikie taskforce Hydra, and numerous traffic branch patrol cars and bikes, were there to join in the biggest and best poker run in Queensland. Now ‘join in’ might sound a bit odd, but due to the enormous police presence and the overwhelming number of traffic tickets last year, the HAMC members had decided to do the unthinkable — when approached by the cops to do all the road blocks and with a guaranteed no harassment policy, they did what any smart thinking organisers would do — they agreed to let the cops, for the first time in 17 years, know the route.

We left the clubhouse and proceeded west by southwest around the boundary of the Greenbank Army Base, through some suburbs onto the highway, around the edge of Amberley Air Force Base and back out onto the highway, to the first stop. The Sundowner Hotel at Haigslea is a regular stop for many bike riders. One reason is the great hospitality from the publican, or possibly the pie van next door, but more than likely it’s the motorcycle museum situated out the back.

Now the bike museum isn’t part of the pub. It’s run entirely separately by a dedicated couple, and much of the 100 plus collection has been donated, and some just stored there, by private owners. As usual, the guys from the HAMC had thought up something different to entertain us as entry into the bike museum was included in the poker run. Great idea and great viewing.

With our heads overloaded with past memories of days gone by, we made our way to the pub where complimentary food and cold ales awaited us. The conversations throughout the pub were all about old Panheads, Triumphs, MV Augustas and the days of Agostini and Hailwood, Bathurst and the Isle of Man.

But our reminiscing was soon interrupted by the sound of the Road Captain’s Street Rod barking into life and we were off again further west to Tarampa Road where we exited north off the highway to Lowood, up and over the hills to the Glamorganvale Hotel.

There probably isn’t a biker in South East Queensland who hasn’t heard of or visited the Glamorganvale Hotel and quite rightly so as the owner, Rusty, himself a biker, has converted the traditional old country pub into a biker’s rest stop and drinking hole. Even the outside of the pub is painted in Harley’s race colours of orange and black.

Here we were once again presented with food and cold refreshments. Meanwhile, our escort of boys in blue were down to a bare minimum and still keeping their distance.

Soon we headed off on our journey east, this time back towards the Brisbane Valley Highway, then back onto the Warrego and finally the Ipswich Motorway, before we ended up back at the clubhouse.

Here we were delighted and entertained by one extremely talented all-girl band who not only looked the part but they belted out some fine tunes.

The Social Club cleaned up with ‘the club with the biggest attendance’ and a donation to the charity of their choice, compliments of the poker run, was organised.

As our night’s entertainment moved into over-drive, with the girls rocking us into the wee hours, we were fed once again with some New York style pizzas compliments of one of the sponsors.

The Hells Angels MC Brisbane would like to thank all those who attended, and all their generous sponsors, for making Good as Gold 2009 once again the biggest and best in Queensland.

Photos by Jules @ Top Gun.