3/14/07
Gosford, Australia.
The wonderfully efficient Sydney light rail system was our transportation for today. It whisked us from the Quay downtown Sydney to the suburb of Minto. In Minto we visited the well known master bicycle frame builder, Paul Hellbrick. He looked over Bici’s cracked frame, said he could quickly fix it and told us to go down the way for a cup and come back in half an hour. After scrumptious milk shakes, we returned to Paul’s. Bici was smiling; we tweaked the front derailer since it was rolling, loaded up, thanked Paul for his speedy work and rode back to the train to catch it north for Gosford. Using the train system is easy: escalators, ramps, steps and elevators helped us get Bici around and the maps, announcements and train markings made finding the right track a no brainer. Oh and another thing: the Aussies around us were on the spot helpful if they thought we needed it.
It is nice to be able to coast again. We found out our axle was actually broken yesterday when we bussed over the harbour to pick up the wheel. We found we really like using the public transportation system in Sydney and thought the city was tourist friendly.
Our last six nights were spent in the Rocks area of Sydney at the Mercantile Hotel which was above an Irish Pub and wild and woolly in the evenings with live music and patrons singing. Interestingly we both now can sleep through lots of noise and confusion. In the mornings we were greeted by Mr Grumpy as we sat down to our breakfast. This sparkling eyed, grey haired Irish man ran the restaurant part of the hotel. A wonder of a cook and in a flash he would bring our loaded plates of eggs, toast, bacon, sausage and coffees. We became friends (his son races bicycles on the weekends) as our stay continued. One day he surprised us with a full Irish breakfast: eggs, bland and white pudding, potato pancakes, sausage, bacon, home made soda bread and toast! We ate it all with a burp at the end. Yes, we both have put on a few new pounds being off the bike and with the family.
This has been a great two weeks of visiting and getting reacquainted with Cory, our 5 year old grandson, Murray and his wife, Theresa. Now that they are on their way home to California we feel at a loss, but are looking foreword to tomorrow when we start our bicycle trip up the east coast of Aussie land.
3/18
The next three rather short days on the road help us get back into our travel routine. Exploring out from the city of Newcastle by local bus to Maitland, we hopped on Bici for a tour of the local countryside: rolling, soft green hills, straight out across open pastures and farm fields that reach to the mountains in the distance. We wander our first “going to market” roads and lanes passing through small villages with old hotels with pubs below. Here the drought has softened so we are again seeing wonderful gardens around the small cottages. Out on the farms, there are iron sided out buildings and barns (no wood barns) and the farmsteads all are two storied with wrap around covered porches built for the rather hot weather here.
1. Kitch in OZ
2. 2 story farmhouse |
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Later in the day, while cruising the side streets and tree shrouded tunnels we came upon the local bowling club facility, home to the cricket and bowling fields. We stopped to get a beer and watch both the cricket and bowling action. Eventually we settled on bowling and went to sit at courtside with a couple of older ladies who were keeping the scores. They regaled us with the local history, insights into the game of lawn bowling and the turn of the century architecture around town.
That evening when we returned to our camp ground it started to rain. We quickly went into the showers and into the cooking shelter where we whipped up our outstanding salad dinner accompanied by a good Australian Shiraz. A gentleman sitting just down our table began to ask us about our trip and we fell into a long discussion of all kinds of things: environmental issues, travelling, aboriginal issues and where to go and what to see in the outback land not to miss it by staying on the coast. Somewhere along the line our new friend produced a bottle of Bailey’s and poured us shots over ice: tasty. Then from the next table came the cheese cake. What a nice way to end our evening!
3/19
All night it rained and we awoke early to pack and move on. Our short day was a pleasant ride in cool weather. We stopped at a winery to taste and lunch only to be joined by five bus loads of Asian tourists. We couldn’t get to the wine counter to even see the selections; the crowd was so animated and aggressive. Outside we chatted about whether or not to just go on or wait out the invasion. A man from the winery overheard us and encouraged us to stay – giving us maps and guidebooks of the area and suggesting sights to visit. Alas, the wine was not worthy of the wait, but the gentleman was!
We arrived at Melaleuca Backpackers a bit past Anna Bay and Boat Harbour and settled in. We grabbed an empty pannier and headed back to grocery shop for the next couple meals, on the way, stopping at one mile beach trying to find Koalas in the trees along the road (no luck), then over to the Stockton Beach sand dunes that stretch for miles along the coast south and maybe ½ to 1 mile wide, the largest sand dunes in the eastern Australian mainland and billed as the largest in the southern hemisphere, some over 40m high! The Asian tourists were there, too, climbing aboard four wheel drives to tour out on the dunes and some folks could ride sand boards down them. Camels were tied at the base of the dunes, a ride made to imitate the Sahara Desert far from this continent.
Today we stayed put in our backpackers, and took Bici, loaded only with a picnic lunch and bathing suits to check out Port Stephens. It warmed up, a breeze blew as we rode along another bike friendly roadway beside Eucalyptus trees, paper bark (bottle brush) tree, and many other varieties of scrub brush that grow abundantly on the sand dunes and sandy floored forest floor. Carpets of ferns were seen in areas that may have held water a bit better. White sand beaches and clear turquoise water peeked through the dense growth at spots. Nowhere else have I seen landscapes and foliage quite like this. The birds are always apparent as they call, squawk and do strafing runs low over the bike.
The little villages are filled with local art galleries and souvenir shops, boutiques, grocers as well as deli’s butchers, bottle shops and of course a good selection of eateries.
Our camp host directed us to a walk which overlooked much of Port Stephens, a huge bay, three times larger than Sydney Harbour, many islands, beaches, sand spits, the Tasman Sea and the inlet to the Port. The climb was on a bricked path and metal stairs and gangways up – 160m up to the glorious unsurpassed views. We ended the brilliant day by a dip in the bay and the short bike ride back to our tent and cosy backpacker’s accommodation.
3/21
The ferry to Tea Gardens and Hawk’s Nest went at noon, so after a leisurely breakfast and visit by the Joey, we headed to Nelson’s Bay, shopped for the next couple days meals and joined a bus load of tourists on the ferry. The crossing took an hour across the wide bay and into the shallows of oyster beds, fish weirs and mangroves. The water is crystal clear, a constant amazement to Art and me. We rode on through the two little towns, stopping to picnic on another gorgeous beach and headed along the Myall Lakes National park. On the right were densely shrubed sand dunes, along miles and miles of beautiful empty beach, and on the left was dense Eucalypt forest with fern floors, interspersed with Protea and paper bark trees. This area is supposed to be inhabited by Dingos, Roos, and Guanos (a large lizard) none of which we saw. Very few cars passed either.
We checked out the National Park campgrounds, but we were so hot and sweaty that showers were in order, so we proceeded to the commercial site over the short 100m ferry crossing. Thunder accompanied our arrival, so we quickly changed into bathing suits, took a plunge in the lovely pool and slurped a beer before putting up our tent. This is not merely a campsite, but a resort or so we decide to have dinner at the swank restaurant, too. We let the restaurant owner know of our intentions and he gives us towels as we exit the pool with “I have to take care of my only two customers!”
Art and Joey |
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The rain continued intermittently throughout the night, leaving puddles in its wake. As we began today’s ride down the old Gibber track (off-road trail), it became obvious how much rain we had. The rocky track held pools of water which we began to walk the bike through at about ankle deep and then just rode through as Art gained confidence on the slippery rocks hidden underneath the p\muddy puddles. After 10k we met a much better section of the dirt track relieved. We never told each other our thoughts until later tonight, how isolated we were and how precarious our situation, if anything had happened: a fall, a breakdown. No one would ever come along and we were nowhere – 20 km from any help The track ended at a road heading to Seal Rocks, an out and back road. As we spun along the pavement and then the gravel it was only nearing noon, but we had earlier decided to spend time here and Art was tired after the struggle keeping Bici and Judee upright and on track over the last 20km. When we set up and got into the glassy, clear sea it was so cool and refreshing after sweating profusely for the past few hours. This spot is almost unbelievable. The swells, the cresting waves, the sea three or more meters to the sand below appears to be created of unblemished glass, light tinted with blues and greens. Art grabbed his thermorest and headed to an inlet where he was pushed out then in with the tide as sea anemones spit water at him. We relaxed for a couple hours in this ideal paradise. Except for the bugs, which aren’t bad when there is wind, this spot is a return trip spot?
3/22
Our hot and muggy ride into Taree was uneventful – a few stops at lovely spots and to pick up eats along the way. Australians are a curious lot, wanting to know where we are going, and also so proud of their country: everyone points out Australia's size: about the size of the US with only the same number of people as California. We’ve never been given so much unsolicited advice about where to go, how to do it, etc. It is hard to move on at times without being rude to all the kind blokes helping us out.
For Art’s 64th birthday tonight we decided to go out for dinner and asked our Holiday Park hosts for a suggestion. They called and made arrangement for a club shuttle to pick us up at 6pm. Clubs are based on Bowling and Cricket, with a spot of gambling, eats and a whole lot of cheap drinking. To protect their guests, pick up and return service is offered to your door. What a civilized country.
Delivered back to camp, where we are tenting on a riverbank, a sliver of moon shines down upon us and ducks quack quietly with their book of ducklings nearby. The night is warm, but cooling off. Today, our longest day so far in Australia, 88k/54miles, was a sweaty salty experience. At least it doesn’t look like rain tonight.
3/23
Our second 50mile day of sun and fun up the coast. Tonight we are camped just behind the breakwater wall and the surf is pounding as the sun drops behind the palms and the birds are blasting us with chirps. Sipping a Tooheys new draught beer and watching the boys performing bicycle jumps and tricks in the skate park just across the way. Again we will sleep without the rain fly on the tent, a warm breezy night with books in a very full camper park. While we rode today I was thinking about our letting go of things. I still wear a watch but Judee has put hers away. We don’t follow the news on TV or newspapers, maps come from the local tourist Information centers and are used for accommodations, weather, who know we just get up and ride or not if it is bad. In the morning we apply lots of sun tan lotion and again in the early afternoon. We are brown as coffee beans and getting stronger each day. Our butts still get sore by the end of the days riding, but we’ll be up smiling early ready to go at it in the morning.
Oh, we are breaking in our new riding pants Murray and Theresa brought to us: new tattoos on our behinds require our attention with salves and creams. We seem to have settled into a pattern of wearing our riding clothes for two days in a row and the other customers in the grocery check outline don’t complaint or change lanes too often.
3-25
We are riding the Pacific Highway, trying not to be diverted by yet another beautiful beach, to gain a little distance. It is still 2500km to Cairns and we would like to get there by June. At the rate we’ve been sightseeing and playing at all the fun spots, it will take us several years, not months! The riding is ups through dense Eucalyptus forests and down to numerous rivers, both small and amazingly broad and deep. All go to the sea and some of the rivers sport mangrove swamps and tidal changes. The weather was incredibly hot, the sweat rolled down our faces and we looked as if we’d been swimming, so very humid as well as temps over 30c (85 degrees) in the shade.
Last night we set up our tent, leaving the rain fly off because of the sultry conditions and headed off to one of our favorites for dinner: an RSL Club (Reserve Services League). I think I’ve already mentioned that these clubs not only have gambling, but cheap drinks and great food. On our way back, we stopped for an ice cream Sundae, noticing the heat lightening in the distance. Art saw a very wet customer coming in the door and we ran back, thorough the pouring rain to find our unprotected tent a bath tub! Luckily, our camp host had a comfy, dry room he gave us a deal on, so we tucked in for a dry night. Early am, we threw our wet stuff in the dryer; cleaned up the mess; and were off by 9:30 after enjoying a good breakfast in our room.
Today, the overcast sky was welcome, as was the wind which switched and was at our backs for the first time in Australia. After lunch, a gentle rain began to get us pretty wet. At 80+km we decided to stop at a darling, older motel thinking it to be about 3:30 pm. During the night however, day light saving had moved the clocks back. So we had a long and comfortable day-over, reading, writing and eating.
