After an ‘interesting’ time in Nerriga I headed off to Braidwood.
I didn’t mention in my last post that the Braidwood Road from Nowra to Nerriga had recently been upgraded at great expense )over $1 Billion according to Kyle at the Nerriga Pub. The odd thing is the the new work stopped a Nerriga. The road on to Braidwood and the more direct route to Canberra have not been changed. Both have large sections that are unsealed (i.e. dirt), This means that they are cannot used used by large vehicles and the it also puts off a lot of car travellers. As Kyle put it: “Who knows WTF they are thinking”.
It checked into the Commercial Hotel Braidwood. It was such a relief to have a hot shower after being so cold for the last 48 hours. WTF is going on with the weather.
There was wedding party in the bar. The landlord’s son turned out to be talented musician and DJ. The place rocked with late baby boomers’ favourites – classic Cold Chisel, Paul Kelly, ABBA (DJed), Bruce Springsteen and Dire Straits etc.
After a late start, waiting for all my stuff to dry, I headed off to Captains Flat. Leaving the hotel I was baled up by a local. He asked where I was riding to. I said Captains Flat and maybe Adelaide. His response was: “I suggest you make up you bloody mind, they’re blood thousands of klms apart”.
The ride over the mountains to Captains Flat was short but freezing. I was passed by a German bloke on a Yamaha adventure bike who stopped for a chat. He is travelling around Australia for 6 months. He started in Perth and rode across to Adelaide and Melbourne. I asked why he wasn’t riding a BMW GS?. He said the Yamaha was cheaper and just as good. Something to think about.
I am staying in the Captains Flat Hotel built in 1937. It boosts the longest bar in the Southern Hemisphere . From my memory Captains Flat is famous for having a closed mine that pollutes Canberra’s Lake Burley Griffin. It is the classic boom and bust town. There is talk of a new mine opening. It may boom again. Hmmmmm.
billrider2013 