Australia 2017

South Coast

I stayed two nights in Goulburn. I am not sure why.

Leaving the city, I stopped off briefly at the railway museum. I find these places fascinating. They are a representation of technological change. I often wonder what ‘artifacts’ of today that will be deemed worthy of being kept and who will be bothered to keep them and where. It is easy to keep old rail maintenance yards in a place like Goulburn because no one wants land for anything else.

Tarago

I rode on to Tarago. This is a tiny place. It has a school, a service station with a shop and the Loaded Dog Pub: apart from a few houses, that is about it.

The pub does ok because it is very popular with motorcyclists that like riding on the ‘back’ road from Canberra to Goulburn or onto Nowra and on the coast.

I had a good meal and a few beers, chatting to the owners and some locals.

Canberra

Next morning, I continued onto Canberra via Bungenbore .

I spent a couple of days in Canberra. I am warming to the place.

To Braidwood

I left Canberra on a very hot day on the King’s Highway towards the coast.

It was a tough ride in the heat.

Being seen on the Road

Not far from Braidwood, a car pulled up beside me and then accelerated ahead. I noticed that the car had pulled off the road ahead of me and driver was standing next to the car.

As I got closer I recognised the driver as bloke that I had worked with at the Sydney Habour Foreshore Authority. As we chatted he told me that he had “seen on Facebook that was in the area”. When he saw the bike, he “he thought it must be Bill”. We had a good chat.

Company in the Pub

I had booked into the Royal Mail Hotel in Braidwood. It is classic country pub. I have stayed there a couple of times before.

That night was the Men’s final at the Australian Open. It turned out to be a classic – Federer v Nadal with the Swiss winning a thriller.

There was a small Jack Russell in the pub. It sat next to me as I was watching the tennis. I assumed that it lived in the pub.

After the tennis, I went up to my room. I wasn’t asleep for long when I woke up will a really bad cramp. This often happens when I ride on a hot day. I needed a drink and head down the corridor to the bathroom to get some water.

When I got back to my room the dog was outside my door. I went in and closed the door. The dog started scratching at the door and was crying. This went on for some time. Finally, I had had enough and opened the door. The dog came in a lay down on the floor. I left the door open.

In the morning, the dog was nowhere to be seen.

I headed down stairs where I ran into the publican. He asked me if I had had a good night? He told him yes, but “your dog wanted to get into my room”. He told “that’s not my dog” (just like the line out of the Pink Panther movie). He told that the “dog’s owner lives down the street, but the dog thinks that it can go anywhere it wants, include spending a lot of time in the pub – I can’t get rid of him”.

Down the Clyde in Extreme Heat

The forecast for the day was for temperatures in the low forties centigrade. That is seriously hot.

I drank lots of water and took and extra 2 litre bottle in addition to the two that I normally carry. I knew that it was going to be tough, but it was only about 25 klms to the top of the Clyde Mountain, so I figured that I would be okay.

I was an easy ride to the mountain followed by a good descent. Check out the video on Flickr.

I have been on the road down the Clyde and on to the coast numerous times in cars, and on motorbikes. This was my first time on my bicycle.

I had not realised that the road from the bottom of the mountain to Nelligen, on the Clyde River, is very undulating with lots of short steep hills.

The temperature was rising fast the air was still. I was sweating ‘like a pig’. It was really tough going.

I checked phone to see how far it was to Nelligen where I knew that I could get some more water. It was only 3 klms to go, but I was almost out of water. I was on a hill and decided to start walking to conserve energy and hopefully reduce the amount I was sweating.

I had not walked for long when a ute pulled up in front of me. The driver got out and asked if “I was okay”? Just was he asked me that question, my left leg started to cramp up. I said I was probably “not okay”.

We loaded the bike and the pannier’s into the ute and headed over the Clyde River into Bateman’s Bay. I was really glad that the bloke stopped and gave me a lift.

Batemans Bay

I stayed in the ‘The Bay’ for a couple of days. This included a beer with my London host who was staying with his aunt in a nearby town.

Mollymook

The next stop was Mollymook and the main reason for this trip. Some old school friends had organised a reunion, one of many that we have had over the years. They ae becoming more frequent now that we are retired.

These reunions are great. As they say: ‘with old friends you just recommence the conversation where you left off last time’.

Huskisson

After the reunion, I rode to Huskisson on Jervis Bay. This is a great spot. I stayed in a camping ground next to the bay. This was good except for the last night when it really poured with rain. I got really wet.

Nowra and onto Sydney

In a rather damp state, I rode to Nowra where I caught the train to Sydney.

Flickr Links

To Tarago

https://flic.kr/s/aHskTgQiuV

Canberra January 2017

https://flic.kr/s/aHskTBugQH

South Coast

https://flic.kr/s/aHskTW9LV3

Garmin Links

Tarago

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1536707010