CWC - Day 4: Gulgong to Dunedoo
Day 4: Gulgong to Dunedoo 57 kms
Magpies, don't you hate them? We have had very little interaction on this trip - a couple of half hearted attempts by some pretty lack lustre swoopers. They could certainly learn a thing or two from their QLD cousins. However, 10 kms out of Dunedoo the squadron formed, attacking at our slowest point (going up hills). That was fun.
At 40 kms into today's ride, we made it to Birriwa, a tiny township of 45 people, another gross exaggeration if you ask me. There wasn't even a picnic table, just some men replacing a Telstra phone box. I had no idea who would use it, unless it was a shelter from the magpies.
We sat under a tree on the footpath of somebody who had mown and downed our trusty cheese and bickies. After all the dust and gravel of the last few days, it was a delight to ride the last 13 kms on bitumen. We passed a sign warning us of a rough road ahead - who were they kidding?
Avoiding the killer ride-on mower, which just came out onto the road without looking, we headed straight to the White Rose Cafe for home made ice cream, not quite Massimo's but cold.
We are now ensconced in a one bedroom apartment with a separate lounge and dining room, full kitchen and even a laundry. It makes such a change from the motel rooms, with one chair. What's with that? You make a booking for two people and they think that only one person would like to sit down?
Pics
Obviously, somewhere in a tin shed somewhere in Australia, they are still knocking out blades and vanes (or tails) for southern cross windmills. Apparently they are still making them in Australia . Yes, parts are still available for A, J, R & Z Pattern Windmills.
This probably some sort of hay crop, acres and acres as far as the eye could see.
See ya later suckers. I am out of here, never to be seen again, living life the way I want to. Then she asked: Where are you going? ....Nowhere.
Direct quote: You are just so cute! .... I'll probably be eating you one day.
These are massive animals. I am not sure how it feels about just being known as a number.
Erosion is a big problem in rural Australia (about 2/3 of farmland is affect by erosion and other forms of soil degradation) We come across this sort of thing regularly, though the evidence is not always as stark.
The banks of the creek are heavily eroded.
I'm not sure this large concrete well (probably about 10 mts long, 3mts wide and 2 mts deep) is part of the problem or part of a solution. It appears to be just upstream of the eroded creek bed.
Sheep plus a few cow sheep minders.
A future part of the Silo art trail which is big around these parts.Not sure if they are still in use or not.
Ditto
I saw him/her crossing the road with an extremly long neck, probably about a third of the length of the shell.. As soon as I was spotted, the head was withdrawn and we did not see it again.
A relic of the past?
The snake killer has been at it again.
Now we know that rectangular and circular hay bales can co-exist.
Brenda is riding a new bike tomorrow.
Ride Notes
- Generally a pretty pleasant day's riding with pretty good gravel roads (about 50% of the total)
- You will need to take all your drink and food requirements with you as there are no shops or water stations during the journey
- Check out the CWC website for some food/drink options that can be made by prior arrangements
- We encountered a couple of very big tip trucks on the road leading to Birriwa, but they seemed to be supplying some rocks to a bridge maintenance job, so it does not seem to be something that always happens
- That road is not very wide so you need to get off the road to allow them to pass - fortunately there was plenty of room both when they were coming from behind us and again when coming toward us on the return journey
- The standard route we took was pretty well signed with the circular CWC signs and additional arrows on the circular sign posts from time to time