Australia - Wilson’s Promontory to the Blue Mountains (via the Snowies.)

ExploringRTW

Active member
UKGSer Subscriber
Joined
Oct 3, 2005
Messages
214
Reaction score
1
Location
Kent & Berkshire
Australia - Wilson’s Promontory to the Blue Mountains (via the Snowy Mountains.)

15-23rd April

I slept well in my Motel room and originally planned to move on today, however as I’d ridden around 250km’s to see this part of Australia and hadn’t seen anything of the National Park yet, I decided to stay another night so I could investigate.

I’d read in the Lonely Planet that they recommended a walk called ‘Lilly Pilly’, in the National Park, which, incidentally is a type of plant :augie, so I drove down to the Park entrance, paid my fee, got my map & found the car park to provide access to my walk. I did the walk which was pleasant but no more and I didn’t see any ‘unusual’ wildlife such as a wombat etc. What I did find though was a group of School girls who seemed hell-bent on engaging me in any type of conversation that they could think of, including my thoughts on the origin of a large rock beside us ?!?. :confused: They were persistent and one was quite funny. It turned out in the end that some of their friends had had to make an impromptu nose-powdering stop and were trying to protect their friends dignity. :D I smiled and duly waited for which they were grateful !!

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340528584.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

The National Park.

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340528574.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

A few of the more 'interesting' plant species I saw on my walk.

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340528581.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340528583.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

Koala 'tucker'.....Eucalyptus leaves.

What I did spot though on my way back to the Motel was a Wombat by the side of the road. I was really chuffed and didn’t know what to do first(thinking about trying to take a photo-graph or putting the stand down!….a real Mr Bean moment !! :roleyes: ). I got to see it for a few seconds but the sound of the bike had already scared it before I could turn the engine off. A few more km’s along the road I spotted two more, an adult with their young. I just managed to get a few bad shots before these two scarpered off too !! I was still pleased, and furthermore I got to see quite a few kangeroos on the way back. From a photographic point of view, my rescue came in the form of a beautiful sunset right by a water-pump-wind-mill, a typical Australian scene. :D

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340528579.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

A few shots showing different perspectives of Wilsons Promentory.

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340528608.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340528601.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

My redeeming shot of the day after not managing to capture the wombats :rolleyes: .

I got back and tried the Hotels cuisine which came in the form of butterfish (no, not something you boil in a bag !!) which was excellent. :thumb2 Truly stuffed, I retired to watch the Last King of Scotland which I’d rented on DVD. If you haven’t seen it, don’t watch it at the end of a bad day unless you are in to twisted minds with gratuitous violence. :eek:

The following morning I re-fitted my glued indicator which almost looked nice were it not for the fact that the glue gave way almost immediately ! :( I therefore elected to secure the lens cover on with Sellotape :eek:, not pretty but practical.

Once packed, I left and rode on to ‘Lakes Entrance’ which is actually the name of a place. My ride there was very pleasant as the weather was sunny and fresh in a Spring/Autumn sort of way. I found a self-contained unit and moved in. It was effectively a double bed bed-sitter and looked like it had been furnished in about 1958 :yikes: BUT it was clean and a fair price. I booked in for two nights with the intention of making at least one web update ready. I did actually achieve this and planned my route to Sydney through some interesting and recommended tracks/roads from my Australian Motorcycle Atlas.

The next morning I left at around 10, filled up with petrol and bought some additional drinking water as I wasn’t sure how far away from supplies today’s ride was going to take me.

For the first part of the ride I was a bit concerned that it might rain as it was fairly overcast and I knew that gravel & some sand awaited me. As it turned out, apart from it being a little colder at the higher points, the weather held well for the day. Not long into the ride a big dark brown kangeroo bounced out towards me :yikes: -there was almost no time for me to avoid it and I really did think it was going to jump into me and take me off and kill itself in the process, however, right at the last minute it changed direction and bounced back off into the wildnerness again. Rarely have I been this shocked/relieved to such a depth. It took me a minute or so to regain my riding composure. It was particularly a shock as I’d learnt, as many Aussies also believe, that as long as you avoid dawn & dusk, ‘you’ll be right’ :rolleyes:, well , that was that theory straight out of the water-it was 11am !!!! (Later I learned that the dawn and dusk rule only works in the Summer as the timing of the Kangeroos appearance is mainly connected with avoiding the heat of the day !…which of course isn’t an issue for 3 seasons !! :rolleyes:)

The scenery was initially a bit dull but as the ride progressed the scenery improved and I was pleased that I’d taken the ‘road less travelled’. I drove through one place called ’Seldom seen’ :eek and another called ’Suggan Buggan’. Seldom Seen is a bizarre place which has a Mk II Escort advertised as for sale (but sold)….apparently that’s been the case for a while (like a year plus ! :eek :D ). As the day wore on I bumped into another Adventure rider on the track. We exchanged a few pleasantries and I learnt of an Adventure riders meeting the coming week-end which I considered as a possible adventure for me. The Adventurer rider, Jeff, had spoken to one of the sole occupants of ‘Seldom Seen’ twice. On the first occasion he was apparently distressed as he couldn’t find his pet sheep. On the second occasion Jeff asked him if he’d found it. Yes, it was apparently on the neighbours lawn ! (In the end I passed up on the Adventure meeting as I'd have to have organised some supplies and go too far out of my way.)

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340528593.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

The dust track 'less travelled' after leaving Lakes Entrance en-route to Jindabyne and the Snowies .

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340528595.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340528591.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340528589.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340528598.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

One of the unusually named places I came across along with the bizzarely named 'Seldom Seen'.

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529266.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340528586.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

Eventually I got to Jindabyne and discovered that ‘in-season; it is a ski resort. Out of season it’s just plain expensive and ended up paying $AU85 for a unit on a Camp Site. The unit was nice (except a strong smell of spices) and so I forgave myself for such an extravagance. I also ate the same Pizza brand as I’d had the previous night as it was good, cheap & easy to cook !!!

Despite the nice unit, I had an awful nights sleep. I’m not sure if it was because of a bad dream or the now over-whelming smell of Indian spices (which almost was strong enough to make my eyes water) or a combination of them both…come to think of it, I do remember the dream now, I was being chased by some Mahouts on their Elephants…probably no connection though ! :rolleyes: Either way, I got up around 4:30 to make a tea and surf the net for a while. At around 05:30 I tried sleep again which finally stumbled into action at around 06:30 I’m guessing. When the alarm went off I didn’t know whether to stay another night or leave. At $AU85 it was too expensive to stay and the spices too powerful for my eyes and nose so I packed up in my own sleep-deprived haze. :eek:

I decided on my route, loaded the bike, checked out of my room, filled with petrol and headed off towards Tumut. The ride was going well albeit that my head was having its own private(almost halutionary) party.

The weather was really beautiful, really fresh with a lot of sunshine, giving a similar sense that you get at a ski resort on a good day. I was to ride through the Kosciusksko National Park which has a bizarre ruling. If you are only transiting through the park, it is free entry, if not, it is $AU7.50. I asked the cashier to clarify the difference between the two-the difference is whether you stop or not !!! :confused: I said I might stop to take a few photos but apparently that wasn’t allowed :rolleyes: although her expression suggested a few quick ones would be ok. I drove through and really enjoyed the scenery as I headed towards Khancoban.

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529263.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

A hydro-electric dam in the Snowy Mountains.

The entry into the town of Khancoban is curtained by rows of beautifully coloured Autumn leaved trees, and whilst I really didn’t want to stop and take my crash helmet & gloves off-turn the Ipod off-get the camera out-put the battery in it again (as the on/off switch doesn’t work anymore) and take some photos. ..I had to !! 10 mins later having taken my pictures & enjoyed seeing some native Lorikeets & Cockatoos flying from tree to tree, I drove into town and got myself a coffee and cake, and then a tea. Then I needed the bathroom !

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529259.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

A glimpse of how beautiful the Autumn trees were as I entered Khancoban.

As I left town I saw a dam and was keen to discover what it was holding back(as it wasn’t evident from where I was). The lake was lovely and warranted a photo BUT I couldn’t find the battery I’d used less than an hour ago. :blast I emptied the tank bag, my pockets but all to no avail…so I did it again, still to no avail, so it was back to the toilets-No !, to the café, No ! back to my first spot in town, No !..on the first look but as the ground was covered in leaves and acorns I decided to take a second look. As I did, I just saw a bit of grey plastic poking out from under some leaves and dirt. I brushed the leaves aside and there it was. It looked like it had been there for months as opposed to an hour as the dust was so ingrained. I concluded that I must have stood on it whilst getting back on the bike….a major problem of sleep deprivation ! So, I set off. My pictures of the dam area taken and my battery safetly back in the tank bag.

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529257.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

Shots taken with my recovered battery...... :rolleyes: ....both sides of the dam.

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529254.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

No sooner had I started riding and I saw a full set of bike lights in my mirror. It was a 1200 Adventure with the spots on. Initially I thought Police, but I hadn’t done anything wrong and so I pondered it’s presence for a minute or so as the rider seemed keen to stop as he lingered behind me as I slowed as opposed to blatting by. I had a few Km’s to do this afternoon but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to have a chat so I stopped. As soon as my indicator was on, his followed. Helmets & gloves off & music system plugs out of our ears we spoke. His name is Neil and he is a just retired Policeman (2 months ago). We chat about my trip and the merits of both Adventure models and he offers me a ride so we swop bikes for a few Km’s.

Originally we were only headed in the same direction for a few K’s but we both decided to alter our respective plans so that we could ride together until Tumut. Whilst it did get very cold at some points, the sun was generally out, the scenery amazing and the riding was great fun. There is nothing like having a bit of a blatt with another rider, and that’s just what we did through corner after corner of almost traffic-less almost flawlessly paved twisting undulating road which lasted for around 100 or so miles. :D

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529288.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

A few shots en-route with Neil in the Snowy Mountains.

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529248.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529283.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

These trees were amazing in the late afternoon light.....

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529282.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

........there were thousands of them......

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529277.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

......thousands of them I tell you !! :D

We got to Tumut where we shared a coffee (kindly paid for by Neil) and some more stories until Neil had to head off to drive home (for another 4 hours-it was about 6PM) and I had to find a Motel/Hotel.

A Hotel soon showed up, albeit expensive, however the room was nice and the food in their bar cheap & good. So, I washed a few clothes in the shower as I was running out, watched most of an ‘x’ months old Top Gear episode and toddled down to dinner. Roast Beef…not quite like Mamma used to make but good for $AU12 with some fresh veggies.

Dinner done with a couple of Tooheys New and I retired to my room to strip down to Undies and T-shirt to watch the box as I wound down from a really great day. What and end to such a rubbish start. :D

One great day ends, and another begins too early as I was woken up at 3 am but rodeo Party revellers waiting for their taxi. :spitfire They were waiting for around 45 mins and so I finally didn’t get back to sleep again until around 4am. When I did wake up I was still a bit groggy but had had enough sleep to start the day....just about. :eek:

I Loaded the bike, filled with petrol and headed off towards Tumbarumba, my second route through the Snowy Mountains, in the general direction of Cooma. The weather was bright and sunny (and fresh like yesterday) and the roads were good so I had a great ride again. Since the last service and fitting the Remus the bike seems so much more eager to pull. I was having a lot of fun today, even more than usual. The later part of the day covered some of the same ground I rode the previous day (with Neil) but this time I took some time out to take some photos and enjoyed this part of the ride all over again !

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529290.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

See, it does exist ! :augie

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529278.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

A dam I came across when re-tracing the ride I'd taken with Neil the following day.

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529275.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

Is exactly what it says on the sign ! :rolleyes:

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529269.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

It's not only New Zealand that have such large species of fish. This trout was on a similar scale to the Salmon Sylvia & I had seen outside Fairlie just before Christmas.

The last part of today’s ride had me going through the Great Divide which rewarded me with loads of beautiful rolling hills in near-perfect photographic light. I got to Cooma, my destination for the day, found yet another expensive Motel and so took McD’s to help balance the budget a bit, and that was all I fancied anyway. I also got in contact with the possible buyer of the Adventure.who’d sent me a few texts over the past few days and I learn that his top price is $AU18,500 (I’d had it up for $AU19,950) so decided to think about it overnight…..hmmm.

Australia seemed to becoming a country intent on sleep deprivation for me as I was woken (yet again !) at 4:30 this morning to the sound of banging and what sounded like a vacuum cleaner every now ’n again. After the second or third time of this I got up, determined to find the culprit. :spitfire The culprit turned out to be the hot water system :rolleyes: which was having a good old clang every 5 or so minutes. After considering my options I decided to make a cup of tea and see what happens. After about 10 mins or so it stayed quiet for a while, however I’d now woken up (if you know what I mean) and was watching TV and so it took me a further 20 mins or so to convince myself to go back to sleep. I finally dropped off again around 5:30 I reckon, only to be woken up again at 6:15 by the hot water system. :spitfire I couldn’t take anymore-it was almost becoming like a torture to me, so I got up, had a shower, made some more tea and had breakfast. On one of my excursions outside I met my neighbours who had also been woken up by the banging. Finally we met the Land Lady who was genuinely very sorry, and informed us that she’d turned it off and had called out a plumber to see what was going on. I find myself at odds in these times. A part of me thinks I should get a refund but I know if I go to ask, I was likely to become a ravening beast who looked like he’s going to devour its victim. A bit of a black picture but I’m not very good at asserting myself in the middle ground which is a pain, and so whilst I could see at one level she would be probably open to the suggestion, I just couldn’t do it-Stupid maybe, but an Achilles heel for me !

Having got past the refund mind-game I decided to optimise my $AU10 worth of unlimited Internet use and so stayed right until the 10am vacancy time. :nod (That'll teach her !! :rolleyes: :D) In the end I used the time well and felt reasonably fresh when I filled the bike up and headed off for Canberra in the Australian Capitol Territory. Before doing that though. I agreed the offer of 18.5k for the Adventure which delighted Wayne, the prospective buyer. (He had been the only interested party and time was soon going to become money for me otherwise.)

Canberra is the Capital of Australia (if you didn’t know :augie) and home to their Parliament. After consulting the Lonely Planet I’d decided to visit their Deep Space site just outside Canberra and Parliament Hill right in the Centre.

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529720.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

Entering the final State/Territory of Australia having now visited the remainder.

The Deep Space site was quite interesting and is home (or one of the homes) for monitoring the long range mission probes such as Opportunity & Spirit which were sent to Mars & Venus. I hadn’t realised just how amazing these missions really are. I think it took 6 or 7 years for one probe/rover to get to Mars. When it entered Mars Atmosphere it is travelling at something like 12,000 miles per hour. To slow it down they use retro-rockets (Please note younger readers that these aren’t ones designed in the 70’s !), parachutes and then a pyramid of inflated balls which inflate around the probe for it to bounce on Mars surface until all the energy is diffused. :eek After that, the balls deflate and three corners of the pyramid shape open up to reveal the Mars rover. :eek: Amazing ! Can you imagine the chances of it all working ? Within a few seconds of this happening(or is it hours ?…allowing time for the signal to reach Earth) the camera(s) come to life and close-up views of Mars becomes visible. Just Amazing.

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529741.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

One of the satellite dishes just outside Canberra.

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529736.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

Just to give you some idea of scale, these are the steps for maintenance near its centre.....

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529735.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

.....and this is the platform at the top of the steps.

I got to see a piece of moon rock and some other equipment which has been donated to the centre. I enjoyed my time there but if I had been feeling reasonably fresh when I left my Motel it was an allusion as by now I was in my own Private Deep Need of sleep, where I had to ask for everything twice because the first time sounded Ukranian ? - Kudiavacpotea ? when all I wanted was a cup of tea ! Or a pie which sounded like Kudiavapy ?. Well , you get the picture! :rolleyes:

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529719.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

Moon rock ?, the residue from a few Crunchies ?, or an old car sponge ? - You decide ! :D

Despite this tiredness, I was determined to visit Capital Hill and see the Australian Parliament so I set off and found it reasonably easily. The main impression that stuck with me about the Australian Parliament was how open it is to visitors. (Once they’d passed the metal detectors etc. :D and surrendered their Leathermans, AK47’s, cross-bow’s etc :nod, No !, they're really not allowed in ! :D ) Whilst I was visiting on a non-sitting day, the Public are able to walk in and out of the debating chambers as they wish. (This is also so when Parliament are in session). I had a good look round and found it fairly interesting seeing as much of our own (UK) Parlimentary ways have been brought down here. A few basic facts that stuck in my head on the day (remember I was very tired !) are that their Parliament decided to also use green leather to cover their parliamentary benches ( as we in the UK do ) with an albeit lighter green based on the colour of the Eucalyptus leaf. :D The press are given the best observing seats in the house (and sit looking down behind where the Speaker sits, so they have the main benches to their left & right) as the Australians want everything to be clear and out in the open, which I thought was a healthy desire. (Our Politicians take note ! :augie :rolleyes:)

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529730.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

Capital Hill - Home to Australia's Parliment.

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529725.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529726.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529733.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529727.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

The Queen's presence is still evident...even if she's left outside in the cold. :eek:

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529729.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

This is an extract from Cook's diary on describing his encounters with the Aboriginals. Amazing how 'our' percieved needs haven't changed in over 200 years. :rolleyes: Who had it right ? :nod

After my tour, and collecting my Leatherman, I set off for Gouldburn where I’d reserved a cabin on a campsite for a night.

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529721.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

Seen on a litter bin at Capital Hill......I was quite shocked to see it actually on Government property ! :yikes

The ride again was lovely as the evening sky was filled with white harmless clouds and reflected the now setting sun. On arrival I was given a free Stubby Holder(which is a foam holder for putting a bottle of beer in-you can also use them for cans as well (if you didn’t know))…and this was just for the asking about its price. Very nice gesture. I settled into my cabin, laid my gear out and popped into town for a long over-due Chinese. The food turned out to be just ok but I was happy to have survived the day when considering my start. The waitress was also pleasant which perked me up a bit.

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529718.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

The ride towards Gouldburn, or Canberra ...I can't remember :blast :D

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529284.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529724.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

<IMG SRC="http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2294/10863370/20844744/340529723.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

When I went to bed I was desperate to have some proper rest and sleep but I knew I couldn’t be sure it would come as I was now so over-tired I was stressed-out and almost doing the rabbit-in-the-headlights thing. I went to bed with only my sleeping bag (to avoid the cost of hiring linen) and so turned on their electric blanket which was wonderful as it was cold! I did manage to rest/sleep for about 10 hours in the end. The sleep wasn’t that refreshing as I was way way past my normal comfort zone when I’d gone to bed, but I was grateful for the rest and felt a bit more like myself when I woke up.

I was originally going to leave that following morning as I wanted to see The Blue Mountains, however I really was still extremely tired and had many things to sort out in many areas such as working out how the buyer was going to get the sales price for the Adventure into my English bank account without him having to hang around too long in Sydney, (as he was from Melbourne) whilst also ensuring that I got my money ok :mmmm . I was a bit torn for a while until I looked at the weather forecast for the next few days at the Blue Mountains which confirmed they would be wet & cold ! No sooner as I’d read this, I was in the Office extending my stay by another night and grabbing the opportunity to get my, now long over due, washing done. :nod

I planned the day out and was determined to use my time there well. In the end I did and whilst I may have overdone it a bit, I was pleased with myself and had a sound nights sleep :sleep which helped restore me further still to normal !

The following morning I packed up and set off for the Blue Mountains. For some reason I thought they were only 100 or so k’s away and so expected a quick and easy ride. They were in fact over 200k’s away :blast and it turned out to be a very cold, wet & foggy ride for the last hour. :( In fact, most of the ride was very cold and despite stopping for an egg & bacon butty, a mug of coffee and pot of tea, I still hadn’t warmed up enough when I set off to cover the last 80k’s. The ride was largely miserable in the end as I was so cold. :tears

After a bit of faffing about in Katommba’s Information centre, I found a Back Packers which read as a very quiet and relaxing place to stay. When I arrived there it was almost too quiet-the sort of place where you almost expect to ask if you want to breathe. After working out the manual booking in system (as the Land-lady is only present in the Morning & evening) I trudged through the house 2 or 3 times becoming more confident that I could stay there too !! And so moved a lot of luggage off the bike and into my room on the first floor.

In the evening I went for another Chinese and got to speak to Sylvia again for the first time in a week. The room was very comfortable and I slept very well until around 9am.

Mike.
 


Back
Top Bottom