October 2019 – Page 2 – Jewells On Tour

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Friday 18th October

By admin on Saturday, October 19, 2019

Yesterday was a nice relaxing day eating junk food watching junk television and drinking junk fizzy drinks. Not much else to do, maybe a walk but the weather was so bad we didn’t venture out.

At lest today we can get back onto our bikes, we still are in the middle of nowhere. We have 70 miles to do before the next town but can split that up and stay in a motel 35 miles away. Or head south to the coast where there’s a campsite just over 26 miles.

To help us with our decisions we call into the tourist information centre. The nice lady informed us that the road south was gravel and didn’t advise us to take it after yesterday’s storm so that was out. Back on the princess highway it is. When we get to the motel we will make the decision whether to stay or push on.

More hills but getting easier. They are now long and not so steep. Just keep on rolling. I have the tune to rawhide stuck in my head driving me mad.

We reached the bellbirds motel just after 2pm a small motel just with two rooms set at the side of a pub/cafe. Google maps said that if we carried on we still had over 2000ft of climbing to do. We decided to stay.

Another big room and 3rd night in a row in side better watch out mike will get used to this.

Showered and changed we head to the bar for food, there is nothing else around so we have no choice but to eat here tonight. The food isn’t great but it will do. There is another couple staying originally from the Uk but now live in Barbados. We are very down south and they are driving to cairns which is very up north they have hired a camper van and think that they will get there in two weeks. Good luck to them. It’s a long way!

Time for bed.

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Wednesday 16th October and Thursday 17th October

By admin on Saturday, October 19, 2019

After a night of wild camping we said our fair wells to Burt and Kerry, they did offer us breakfast but we declined we already had eaten porridge with banana and hunny. And boy we need the energy.

Burt was lovely and out of mikes earshot he asked if we were ok financially did we have money put to one side for our flights bless him, not sure what he would have done if I said no!

So on we go up more hills, will we ever get to the top if we carry on we will be on the moon.

Tonight’s destination is Cann River there’s FA here I looked in my trusty guide book for inspiration on what to write about it. Cann River centrally located for traveling to the coastal region around point hicks. So yeah it’s just a passing through town basically. We have a motel, bakery, petrol station and small store. It did have a pub once but that was closed. So into the motel it was,we didn’t have to pay for last nights. one night in a motel will do us good.

Motel was nice and clean with a big room. Big enough to fit both our bikes in the room with us. We also have a tv but no internet and no laundry facilities a bit of a bummer my cycle clothes stink what with all the sweating up these hills.

Next morning the weather was shocking, we checked the forecast with reception and it was thunderstorms all day until 10pm. We booked in for another night. So the day was spent reading and watching crap tv. The rest will do us good.

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Tuesday 15th October

By admin on Saturday, October 19, 2019

Next Morning we said our goodbyes leaving as friends, so many great people out there.

We took there photo in there lovely garden in-front of a pretty red flower they told us it was a waratah the emblem of New South Wales . We are leaving New South Wales tomorrow and into Victoria.

Still following the princess highway it heads inland. Traffic is lighter now and we are on a strip that is hilly with over 70 miles between towns. We opt to break it up with a overnight stop wild camping ; we have a app that gives us approved sights there’s one mid point.

The long road out off Eden is straight up, thankfully after over a week of hill training we managed it relatively easily no longer getting out of breath.

30 miles in we find the campsite we mistakenly thought we would be alone but it was busy full of what the Ozzies refer to as gray nomads. We were instantly greeted with great hospitality. Offers of food and drink. We excepted some soup and wine and then later spent the evening in Burt and Kerry’s 5th wheeler drinking tea and eating biscuits what a great night.

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Monday 14th October

By admin on Monday, October 14, 2019

After a comfortable night spent at Shayne and kates and full up on hunny and toast, we said our good byes.

Just around the corner from there house we had to go passed a kangaroo blocking our way. We did so carefully as to not upset it as it was carrying a young joey. So nice to see up close.

A few hills again today as we carried along the coast. We had a tea stop in Pambula. It claims to be franchise free and traffic light free, well we didn’t see any traffic lights but I’m sure that the tea shop is part of a franchise but what do I know.

A short ride later and we arrive at Eden, we have another warm showers host for tonight.

Eden is yet another whaling post and has a killer whale museum that has a skeleton of old Tom a famous killer whale that used to work with humans hunting humpback whales.

Eden harbour is one of the deepest natural harbours in the Southern Hemisphere making it a ideal deep fishing destination.

Our hosts tonight are Peter and Pam. We are staying in there self built environmental friendly home. Complete with solar energy, reclaimed building materials and a compost toilet. It’s very homily and comfortable set on a peaceful location with woodland views.

We are treated to a vegan meal washed down with home brew. After dinner we settled down to watch a documentary filmed in Eden about Tom the killer whale before we went to bed.

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Sunday 13th October

By admin on Sunday, October 13, 2019

Today we pick up the sapphire coast highway a pretty route, we are surrounded by wild life as we weave our way through national parks. It’s still hilly and today was a day for walking one or two of them.

We are on are way to Merimbula to stay with are warm showers host Shayne and Kate.

There home is on top of a hill but offers fantastic views across the ocean and onto distant mountains. We arrived early afternoon so they took us for a car tour around the town. It’s a holiday destination town with safe swimming beaches, cinema,restaurants,museum and aquarium to list a few. It used to be a whaling town but now is a good place to watch as they migrate passed

The evening meal was delicious and beer and wine was also on offer. Another great experience using warm showers. So far we have had really positive experience using it. We have met so many interesting people that we wouldn’t normally meet and it’s a good insight into people’s lives.

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Saturday 12th October

By admin on Sunday, October 13, 2019

The weather has cheered up today. So after a hearty breakfast provided by sandy our host we set off with sandy leading the way. She road with us for about 5k before stopping to take our pictures and to point us in the right direction we then said our goodbyes.

It’s funny you go into strangers homes in the evening and by the next day you have become friends. We love staying with sandy she was brilliant and her self designed self built house was one of the best that we have stayed in.

Yet more challenging hills today as we made our way along the coast the sea side town of Tathra.

Getting glimpses of sandy beaches along Route.

Tathra has a historic wharf sitting at the southern end of its beach built in 1862 to load cargo onto ships it was last used in 1956 for this purpose but used now by fishing.

We pitch up camp next to a beach and head into town for a beer and chips.

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Friday 11th October

By admin on Sunday, October 13, 2019

It rained all night and our poor tent got soaked and started to leak. It wasn’t a very good start to the day. After our breakfast of instant oats, bananas, hunny washed down with a cup of tea. We started off in the rain to tackle yet more hills.

A tough day another 30 miles completed but over 2000ft of climbing. I must be getting stronger surely!

We turned off the princess highway and followed tourist route 9 past mystery bay named because in 1880 a entire ships crew disappeared with out a trace after setting out from Bermagui, their empty boat washed up into the bay.

Lunch stop was in a cafe in a local brewery they did a lovely lentil burger and we needed a rest and shelter from the rain.

Tonight we are staying with a warm showers host. We have a lovely private room with our own en-suit and she is a brilliant host. We had a tasty home cooked meal with good conversation spending a relaxing evening with her.

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Thursday 10th October

By admin on Friday, October 11, 2019

Back on the princess highway following the coast up and down rather challenging hills one after the other, just as you conquer one there’s only bloody another one. At lest for the second day running I didn’t have to walk.

We passed over a bridge into narooma and could see a oyster farm, there was a truck the other side of the bridge selling them fresh. Neither mike or myself fancied trying them

We’re keeping the daily miles down at the moment, trying to ease back into the saddle and are moods are slowly lifting. We may not cycle all the way to Perth but take one day at a time. Just enjoy the moment and stop putting pressure unnecessarily on ourselves.

We’re passing through a town with a cheese factory so take the opportunity to use there visitors centre cafe for a cheese toastie made with smoked cheese very nice.

Our campsite is located in narooma established 1881 on the mouth of wagonga inlet. We have a good spot over looking the water and have some very loud parrots for company.

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Wednesday 9th October

By admin on Friday, October 11, 2019

Leaving Batemans Bay following the coast we finally can have a break of off the princess highway and join tourist route 7.

It’s still tough going constantly climbing/descending repeat It’s physically demanding but more than that it’s mentally draining. The little voices in my head filling me up with self doubt. Can I actually do this. It’s going to be tough. Trying to stay positive I take in the scenery and remind myself how lucky I am.

We are staying at a campsite in moruya tonight it’s quarry provided stone for many of Sydney’s landmarks including the pylons for Sydney’s harbour bridge.

Mike suffered two punctures and a broken drink bottle holder today. There is a lot of debris on the road after yesterday’s storm add in to the mix broken glass, bits of plastic from cars, fast food wrappers, litter and road kill it’s no wonder. To say the least our mood isn’t that brilliant today. Time to put it behind us tomorrow is a new day.

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Tuesday 8th October

By admin on Tuesday, October 8, 2019

As the weather forecast predicted we woke up to rain, it started lightly at first given us just enough time to pack up. With everything away and breakfast of portage in our bellies we were on the road before 8am.

It’s a cold wet miserable day and my husband’s mood was just as miserable. It’s hard to stay motivated in this weather, wind and rain against us frow in a mix of hills and big lorries passing us at speed it, certainly can test the most dedicated cyclists. I have to remind myself that the worst day here is still better than a day stuck at work back home. Unfortunately mike can’t find his motivation and he is home sick. To cheer him up I pull into a petrol station and let him choose a chocolate bar.

I’ve never seen a Kit Kat this big but the sugar rush helped!

We left the shire of shoalhaven and are now in eurobodalla. Still following the coast on the princess highway. Tonight we are staying in Batemans Bay situated on the Clyde rivers estuary and as we crossed the river from the bridge we could see little oyster catching boats, fresh oysters were for sell along the river banks.

We have been invited out for a meal tonight by a relative of a friend but first we need to book into tonight’s accommodation shower and change.

We are staying in a caravan, somewhere warm and dry the rain is set in for the night it’s a bit basic but it has everything we need for one night.

Showered and changed we braved the rain again and walked to violets house. We saw this beauty on the way, a rainbow lorikeet.Violet is related to one of mikes friends from home and he very kindly asked her if she could help out with some where to stay. Unfortunately for us she has down sized but she very kindly volunteered her daughter to cook us a meal. It was a pleasure meeting violet great company and had a good tell to tell. Originally from Glasgow and full of life I could of chatted to her all night. Her son in law came and picked us up from her house and drove us back to his where we spent the evening enjoying a lovely meal before he dropped us back to our caravan. A pleasant end to a miserable day.

Month: October 2019