Tag Archives: Australia
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Saturday 12th October

By 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 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 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 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 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.

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Monday 7th October

By on Monday, October 7, 2019

What a day we just seem to be climbing one hill then straight up onto the next and I don’t mind admitting that I struggled. At one point I had to get off and push my bike it’s rare for me to do that but it’s only day 2 and I will soon get my strength and fitness back. And to be fair we are on the edge of mountain didthul. We also saw the first snake of the trip I was glad to see it was dead as I gingerly passed it. It was long thin and black yuk.

We only managed 35 miles today we both were feeling it but the weather was perfect and kind to us, unfortunately the rest of the week has been forecast to rain.

Tonight’s camp is in Ulladulla. A fishing village and it also has a vast array of marine invertebrate fossils found here. Local and international fossils can be seen in a display in Ulladulla’s oldest cottage circa 1850.

The campsite tonight is pretty much empty I guess the bank holiday weekend is over hopefully we won’t have to much trouble from now on finding somewhere.

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Sunday 6th October

By on Monday, October 7, 2019

First day back on fully loaded bikes and boy they were heavy. I’m going to be brutal with my stuff and get rid of some. I’m sure I can manage with out.

So how am I feeling? Tired, aching, arse sore! Yep here we go again.

I was seriously doubting my life choices as I was huffing and puffing up yet another hill at one point I passed a elderly man half way up.He was sat on a bench and asked me where I was from, told me I was doing well and wished me luck. This boosted my spirits and I finally made it to the top.

On yet another hill a passed a lady coming out of a church and she wished god be with me, so nice that complete strangers take time out of their day to make me feel better and offer encouragement when it’s needed most.

The ride was hilly and we are still following the princess highway pretty much all the way. It’s busy but has a wide shoulder. The worst hill funny enough was the very 1st of the day leaving the campsite straight up to get out of the cove it was nestled in.

Tonight’s camp is located at Huskisson a pretty Harbour founded on the shipbuilding industry . It’s located with in the area of Jervis bay the sea is a translucent turquoise and the sand is a beautiful white. It’s really busy and we had to try 3 campsites before we could get somewhere to stay.

Bonus they only had 1 pitch left it came with its own private en-suite and the lovely receptionist let us have it half price. Wow I’ve never heard of a en-suite tent pitch before but it was nice. It came complete with towels, soap, shower gel,shampoo and conditioner! I’m happy all for £20 the en-suite was bigger and cleaner than some of the motels we’ve stayed in. A big shower, toilet and hand basin complete with a heater.

So after putting the tent up we washed and changed and walked in to town, we didn’t have any food with us to cook so treated ourselves to a curry very tasty it was too.

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Saturday 5th October

By on Sunday, October 6, 2019

A day of sorting and packing. We seem to have far too much stuff goodness knows where to put it all and boy it’s going to be heavy. Maybe after a week we will either end up dumping some of it or maybe get used to it and get cycle fit again.

Our fitness has suffered all the time we’ve had off our bikes and today I certainly can feel in my thighs yesterday’s ride.

So the morning sorting and packing left us the afternoon to go for a walk. The campsite is located on its own private beach, which leads to a cliff walk, absolutely stunning.

We stumbled across a cave that had homemade furniture and a fire pit hid away awesome. The sort of place that when life gets on top of you you picture yourself living. Or is that just me!

Our campsite is huge. It’s hard to believe that it used to be a dairy farm. It’s been in the same family since 1852. When the cows were milked by hand and they sold handmade butter 5d a pound. As it’s in such a beautiful location people kept asking if it was ok to put up a tent for the night.

More and more people came and camped sharing the land with the cows. In the 1930’s they started to charge and to provide showers and toilets by 1940 the cows were gone. It has now over 500 pitches 3 swimming pools a games room,shop, fast food outlet, two camp kitchens and lots of shower/ toilet blocks I haven’t counted how many but it’s a big place not our first choice but every where else is full.

Tonight we decided to eat from the fast food bar, veggie burger and chips for me and mike had a Hawaiian burger with chips. We were asked if we wanted normal salt or chicken salt on the chips. I’ve never heard of chicken salt and being a veggie chose normal salt. Good old google has informed me that chicken salt is a seasoning consisting of onion powder,garlic powder,celery salt, paprika,chicken bouillon and monsodium glutamate Mmm lovely. Apparently it’s a southern Australia thing.

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Friday 4th October

By on Friday, October 4, 2019

Today’s the day. I’ve been looking forward to this but dreading it at the same time. We are reunited with our beloved push bikes.

The service wasn’t too painful, new chains, new front tube for me, new rear cassette for both and a general look over service.

Let the cycling commence. Just a little ride today 25 miles to get us back into the swing of things. We are going south headed to Melbourne then up to Perth. Today we got as far as Kiama. We followed the princess highway on and off hugging the coast. It was busy it’s a Friday afternoon on a bank holiday weekend in the middle of two weeks off of school. Good timing not.

Pollution! My eyes are streaming and my lungs are burning time to leave the city behind.

It’s been a while since we rode and my arse is feeling it and so are my legs, really need to get my cycling fitness back, hopefully it won’t take to long.

The Route was a wee bit hilly and we had a head wind but nothing to bad. We arrived at camp just as it was getting dark. The clocks go forward on Saturday night so we should have plenty of daylight cycling time then.

Unfortunately clocks go forward means prices go up in campsites. So if anyone knows anyone along our route that would be willing to feed us and give us a bed for the night. I promise we’re not axe murderers!

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Thursday 3rd October

By on Thursday, October 3, 2019

Getting closer to the start of cycling, we had a phone call from the bike shop and our bikes will be ready for pick up tomorrow. Yes let the cycling begin we have missed it.

So today is our last day of. Making the most of it we drove down to seven mile beach. A lovely long sandy beach that made history in 1933 As it was used by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith as the runway for the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand.

It’s a hot day today in fact on the news we had heat warnings it’s going to be hot until next Tuesday, it’s a bank holiday and school holidays. You’d think that the beach would be busy in the uk it would be chaos but here we had the beach to ourselves.

We did a long walk to stretch our legs, we will definitely find it hard to start cycling. Trust us to start in a heatwave!

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