Canberra
Another free weekend, another ride.
Another circle ride, although not quite the way I planned it. The plan was to ride to Canberra Saturday via Melbourne and the Hume and return Sunday via the Manaro (Cann Valley) Cann River Highway.
Two days before Saturday
Rang up the Canberra City Gateway Motel and booked accomodation for Saurday night. Rang the Black Mountain Tower Restaurant and booked dinner for myself. I'm locked in now.
Checking the weather forecast, I heard that the residents of Canberra were being told to stay home if they were thinking of travelling to the South-East as storms were going to make for wild weather.
Saturday
Up at 7:00 am and studied the radar images as provided by the weather bureau. No doubt about it, today would be a wet day. The radar showed the rain going round in a circle centered around Finley and I do mean rain, it was large blob rotating like the eye in a hurricane.
Granted: Not a great forecast, but I still set out. I was hoping that the rain, etc, would be mostly past by Sunday. It's my first winter mutliday ride, so rain is going to be a damper for me.
It was raining when I left and it kept up that way for nearly all of the trip. I took the quick way, straight to Melbourne and then up the Hume Highway to Yass and then down to Canberra. I only stopped for fuel: Seymour and Holbrook. The only problem I had was taking the exit from the Tollway to reach the Bolte bridge. The road was wet and yes the road had been repaired by that shiny snaky stuff, but I got the distinct impression that the back tyre was about to let go. I had slowed down to a reasonable speed before entering the curve and I was glad that I did, any faster and I would have been in trouble. This is the only time on the trip that I had any problems with stability. The ride was mainly uneventful as I didn't push too hard because of the wet roads. I left plenty of room between me and any trucks and cars, and I made sure I steered away from any part of the road that looked like it had collected/pooled any water. Still lots of 'heroes' in cars that ignored the conditions and drove right on or over the speed limit. Ah to be young again. The service staion attendant at Holbrook asked me where I was going. I said "Canberra". He then asked where I'd come from, I replied "Gippsland" to which he responded "You're nearly there!" Yup, not far now.
It's interesting how the dual carriage way stops at Wadonga and then alternately changes between single line roads rated at 100kph and dual lane roads rated at 110 kph. One day it will al be dual lane carraigeway the length of the Hume.
As I left the Hume highway at Yass and took the Barton Highway, the weather eased up to no rain and blue skies. No complaints from me, made for easy last 50 km with no weather distractions.
I stayed at the Canberra City Gateway Motel as I usually do.
The first requirement was to warm up, so I hit the shower. Ah!
I took at Taxi to the restaurant as I wanted to sample more than just a few glasses of wine and anyway, I wasn't sure how cold the weather would be and didn't want any icy patches to contend with. The taxi driver took me through the backsteets rather than taking the main road and I was wondering whether he was adding a bit of time/distance to the trip for a foreigner to the city. The route seemed rather convoluted, but hey, it was different. Dodging bicycles that just cross in front of you without even turning their heads to check and people who just step out onto the road in front of you only adds to the thrill.
The view from the revolving restaurant at the Telstra Tower on Black mountain is fantastic. Becuase I didn't have a partner, I took 'The Age' with me to keep me company. The lighting can only be described as subdued and required you to acclimatise to the lower light conditions and read as fast as possible when an overhead light appeared above you. I guess you do one revolution of the tower in about an hour. I wonder if that grand piano ever gets used? Hmm, maybe I should have asked a few questions?
Certain selections on the menu result in your meal being prepared right in front of your eyes. The restaurant has two portable kitchens powered by LPG. Part of the preparation is to pour on some alcoholic liquid that invariably results in metre high emmanations of flame. Very effective in the subdued lighting. Through the evening a flash of light would appear either within view or just around the corner and you knew what was going on.
I ordered the top of the range, non vintage Reisling, Barton Estate at $39 and found it quite plesant. Must chase this up at a later date. As an entree before the wine I had ordered a Bourbon and Coke. The soup of the day was next: Cream of Mushroom with Shallots. The main was Aged Australian Beef, a Fillet Mignon by any other name. I was sort of forced this way, as sea food just doesn't 'do it' for me. I was asked if I'd like the Damper Bread, to which I quickly replied "Yes". This comes with garlic, herb and dare I say 'normal' butter.
By the time I had consumed all of his I was really layed back and had completely given up trying to read the newspaper and just kept looking out at the lights of the city. Every now and then a bit of reality would hit home. "Hmm, that looks like rain and it's falling at forty five degrees!" Even though I spent $100+ it was worth it.
The taxi driver home, took me a more direct route, saving perhaps $1.50 and completly bypassed the bicycle/pedestrain problems.
Back at the Motel I just disrobed and fell into bed. A long, pleasant day. Time to rest the weary bones.
Statistics: Distance travelled: 840km. Time taken: 9 hours.
Sunday
Up at 8:00 and went downstairs for breakfast. Just a simple Continental breakfast.
Settled my account and went to free the bike from the garage. By the time I'd completed a u-turn in front of the entrance, the man at the desk had walked out to collect the remote control for the garage door. I didn't even have to get off the bike, good service.
Filled up with petrol and drove out to Mt Stromlo to see what the regrowth was like after the fires. No rewgrowth is the answer, just bare, barren hills, not a trace of anything growing anywhere, just a line of buildings on top of the ridge.
Back to Canberra and then onto Cooma. I was riding into the wind as well as going up hill and the bike was working a little harder, but then again, so was I, just hanging. felt like the trip across the Nullabor. Cooma was full of vehicles all on their way to the snow, there wasn't a parking place to be had anywhere.
I was in for a bit of bad news when I reached the stockyards on the edge of town, a road block attended by two SES people. There were two cars before me being told something. My gut reaction was that somehow I wouldn't be going home this way. Sure enough, one of the SES people told me that the road is closed because of snow and there is more snow expected. "How do I get the Gippsland?" I asked. "Back to canberra, Yass, Albury, etc". "Great is responded." The SES person finished the conversation with the comment "Oh well, at least your riding in style." Hard to argue with that point. Well there goes my plans of dinner at home that evening, I had a lot of riding to do.
In my confidence on the route I was taking I didn't take any maps. I won't do that again.
Rode back to Canberra, purchased a map and studied possible routes home at McDonalds. Seems to may I have three choices:
I opted for option 2 as Plan A, with option 3 as a Plan B.
Left at 1:00 pm and rode to Queanbeyan, Braidwood and then to the coast at Bateman's Bay. No snow I'm happy to report. I'm still not home yet. I noticed an electronic sign stating 'Ring 13 17 00 for river conditions', I still may not be able to reach home.
Continued onto to Eden where I stopped for dinner at a pizza shop. A good break from the trip. Sitting at the next table was a table of three: Mum, Dad and son. As they finished their meal and were about to leave they asked me if I'd "Made it through". I replied that I had been turned back at Cooma and described the route I had taken. Seems they were at Cooma about an hour before me and had been let through. They were towing a boat. Before reaching Bombala they experienced a flat tire on the trailer and had to change the tyre where they stopped as they couldn't move to the side of the road. The snow was about 30cm deep. They managed to change the tyre and struggled into Bombala, as the spare hadn't been maintained and was a little 'soft'. Upon reaching Bombala they discovered that the town had no electricity, so they couldn't pump up the tyre. I guess a hand pump came to the rescue. They said the snow had been worse just after Bombala and then reduced as they left the mountains.
Left at 6:00 pm and made the final leg home, arriving at 11:30 pm, cold and tired. Well I wanted something different and I certainly got it.
Statistics: Distance travelled: 1020km. Time taken 13.5 hours . (Including lunch and dinner)
Observations