The first Saturday of March means one thing to Orbost locals and the enthusiastic motorcycle riders who flock to the area to participate in The Orbost Annual Poker Run.
Engines were started and ready to rumble as riders headed west along the Princes Highway to begin the ride at Bairnsdale McDonalds last Saturday morning for the 14th annual event.
This year’s run saw a new route travelled for the first time with riders heading towards Meerlieu then on to the Lindenow Farmers Arms Hotel for stop one before a lunch stop at the Bruthen Hotel and on to Marlo before finally finishing up at the Orbost Club Hotel.
“The new ride was awesome, we loved it. We had no accidents or breakdowns, and it was just such a good vibe all day,” event president Kevin Goudge said.
“We had our largest number of riders ever with 207 participating.
“We even had a lady hear about what we were up to along the way, and she hunted us down at Bruthen to donate $500 to the cause – it just blows me away. It’s great.”
If you’re new to the Poker Run then the objective of the day is to get the best hand of cards, each one of five drawn at each stop along the route.
IMAGE: The 14th Orbost Annual Poker Run was once a huge success, raising much needed funds for Ronald McDonald House Monash once again with a record 207 riders registering. PICTURED: Orbost Annual Poker Run president, Kevin Goudge, was on hand Sunday morning to give winner, Jennifer Owen, her prizes for her poker hand.