billrider2013

SYD2BNE Days 9,10,11and 12

It was as hot as hades when I left Urunga for Coffs Harbour.   Again, I had to travel on the Pacific Highway for a while.

Ride into Coffs Harbour

Fortunately there is however, the option to take the Old Pacific Highway.  Better still, there is ‘cycle path’ as you get closer to Coffs.

As I rode along the path I heard a ‘ring’ of a bike bell – a fellow cyclist – not too many of those on this trip.  The cyclist turned out to the be a bloke from Bellingen .  He told me that there were not many cyclists in the area – “it is still very much bogan territory”.

As we rode into town he told me that he wanted to ride from Tibet to Nepal, however this is difficult at the moment given the restrictions the Chinese Government is placing on movements into Tibet.  This an interesting ride to add to the ‘bucket list’.

Shocker of a Ride Out of Coffs

Both the Garmin and Google seemed to offer good options for the ride north out of Coffs.  They did not know about the road works.  There is freeway being built to Woolgoolga and beyond.  I was able to take of the ‘Old Coast Rd’ for a while.  The Garmin then  led me into a new residential development.

I stopped and asked a bloke mowing his lawn, “how do I get to Woolgoolga, my GPS is confused”.  His response was “we are all f**cking confused by this road work”.  My only option was to follow the highway through the road works.  This was particularly problematic given there was often no verge and the trucks were very close.

Woolgoolga

I decided to stay in Woolgoolga for a day.  I won’t do that again.

One good thing was the cricket.  Yet again Australia got out of out of gaol after being 5 for not many.

I dropped into the RSL for a beer.  I must have been the youngest person there by at least 20 years.  I also think I was that lightest by about 20 kilos.

Another good thing in Woolgoolga was the meal at the Rustic Table restaurant.  They should open up in a nicer town.

As was having breakfast, I got a call from the camping ground asking if I could pack up early as the people taking over my site had arrived.   I headed back to the ground and started to pack up.  Two groups, from what appeared to be the same family, were taking over my site and the one next to it.  As I packed up, the group on the adjacent site were erecting the annex to their caravan.  The bloke who appeared to be the father of the group moving on to my site looked on chaining smoking cigarettes.

After a short time he started to make smart comments about the speed I was packing up.  When I finished he commented that he “wished that I could ride faster than I can pack-up and that I would be good if truck ran me over”.  Nice bogan.

Grafton

I had booked into the Crown Hotel in Grafton.  The receptionist told me that I would have to be there before 3.30 p.m. “as they would be closing early  given it was Sunday”.

My original plan was to take a back road into Grafton.  However as I left Woolgoolga a massive black cloud appear to the west.  That is where the back road would have taken me.  I decide to save time and hopefully miss the storm, by staying on the highway.

I made good time and checked into the Crown Hotel in good time. The threatening storm came and went into less than 15 minutes.  Apparently this is not unusual in this part of the world.

The Crown Hotel is a classic ‘River Town’ Hotel.  My room was on the balcony.  I has a great view over the Clarence – which rightly known as ‘The Big River – as it is more like a lake at this point on its way to the sea.

Ride to Maclean

I took the river road towards a town called Lawrence downstream from Grafton. As I approached the town it started to rain.

It stopped at a Tavern next to the river.  All the patrons were watching the cricket.  More  than half of the patrons were road workers who I assumed were working on partially closed bridge about 500 metres from the Tavern.

I ordered lunch and sat down to watch the cricket.  Shane Watson raced to his 100 and was bizarrely  run out.  The rain had cleared.  However, I overheard the road workers agree that it was still too wet to work – at least until Australia had declared.  George Bailey came into bat and smashed 28 of Anderson.

Australia declared.  The road workers decided that it was still too wet to work. Harris bowled Cook for golden duck.  The road workers decided it was too wet to go back to work today.

Maclean

I rode the short distance to Maclean in bright sunshine.  My Balmain host has recently been in Maclean.  I decided to stay the night and checked into the Maclean Hotel.

I agree with my Balmain host’s view of Maclean.

 Yamba

It is only about 20 klms from Maclean to Yamba.  Yamba was a well-kept  secret.  It is yet to be put   in the same category as Byron Bay or Noosa, but the secret is out – it is great place.

I pitch my tent and headed up to the Pacific Hotel to watch the final stages on the 3^rd Test.  Australia regained the Ashes 3-0. Excellent.

Flickr Link

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjP9uNpM