sugar plum

We do realise how lucky we are and that this adventure of ours is a once in a life time opportunity, so we’re making the most of it…. We were about the leave Nelson’s Bay but having caught the tale end of a TV commercial the previous day we checked into a Motel with Cable TV. We stocked up on snacks, beer and sweets then settled down to watch the Star Trek Next Generation: 22-hour Marathon! It was worth every penny, but needless to say when we did finally emerge from the hotel we weren’t much good for anything so the cycling had to wait till the next day.

A quick ferry through dolphin infested waters and we were heading through an area called ‘Mungo Brush’ - beautiful crystal lakes, flanked by mountains inland and separated from the sea by rolling sand dunes. It would have been one of the most pleasant rides of the tour; had it not been for the overpowering stench of sulphur, which had us wildly retching while pedalling like lunatics.

It wasn’t a bad area for cycling though, after we’d outrun the smell, we came across a 4x4 trail through Myall Lakes Nation Park, which although was a wee bit bumpy (imagine a dry riverbed and a path made of boulders interspersed by silt) was obviously car free and a bit more like mountain biking than usual. Arriving quite early at camp it gave us time to put our now creaky old bikes through an MOT and re-round our hexagonal wheels.




Today we stopped on route to visit the Green Cathedral. An outdoor church in a forest clearing surrounded by dense tropical woodland with the still Wallis Lake behind the alter. The pews are simple cut logs from the forest and the alter made of river rocks. The cool dappled shade gives the impression of being ‘inside’ – it felt like being in a church!!

Anyway

We’ve stopped in Taree for the night, a horrible place full of people who aren’t allowed to live in Sydney in case they scare tourists away. We’re not staying any longer than necessary because they have a Scare Crow shop and a Doll Museum.