[Mishmash] FW: [ulysses] Great shot taken on Australia Dayin Perth-

[Robyne Kerr]

>David that sounded wonderful. I visited so many of those spots when 
>I was a child. I had an aunt and uncle who lived at Blackheath. We 
>travelled up from Sydney in a steam train and loved them ever since. 
>I have never been on the Zig Zag Railway that is on my to do list! I 
>actually saw the comet it was by accident travelling home late one 
>night.


Robyne

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>I am not one for overt patriotism.  I don't go for flag flying and 
>singing the anthem with my hand on heart.  Before we had Advance 
>Australia Fair as our official anthem circa 1973, I did not even 
>stand for God Save the Queen J
>
>That said we had a great time and enjoyed our long weekend.  Anna 
>and I went riding to the Blue Mountains.  The following is a story I 
>sent to friends in Paris.  I have sent a link separately to the 
>photos.
>
>Anna and I went riding over the Straya Day weekend.  We took the 
>road through Taralga, via Black Springs to Oberon.  I used to travel 
>this way in my climbing days and did not have fond memories but it 
>is now so good.  There are only two sections of gravel remaining; 
>one 5 km and the other 2k.  The second is billiard table smooth and 
>I imagine it is going to be sealed soon.  Our progress was slowed 
>unfortunately by a copper who followed us for 20 k.  He turned 
>around when I warned a rider coming the other way by signing a 
>beacon over my helmet.  I guess he finally figured he had been 
>busted.  Sharp as a bowling ball that boy.
>
>We planned lunch in Oberon (a town of a 1,000 or so) but it was shut 
>so we went on to Lithgow and ate an ordinary pie and sangers at the 
>workies.  We then found a very pleasant caravan park on the edge of 
>town.  It was well serviced with a micro waver, a fridge and a 
>barby.  There was a farm next door and the goats visited us 
>regularly.  Thankfully they only ate grass.
>
>After setting up we visited Hassan's Walls.  This was beaut.  An 
>easy ride over dirt took us virtually to the lookout.  There was 
>limited protection so Anna did not venture too far.  I had a ball 
>with no supervision.  After this we checked out the Zig Zag Railway 
>station.  The run up the beginning of Bell's Line of Road is 
>fantastic but the advisory signs beggar belief.  They are stupidly 
>conservative.  Anyway we went back to camp and settled down with 
>some vino and went to bed just after dark.  We had planned to look 
>for the comet but we were a bit used up.
>
>On Saturday we rode to Katoomba and took the trolley bus tour. 
>Since visiting Paris we have become real red bus fans and now do 
>this everywhere.  Of course we had the mandatory stop at Echo Point 
>for a coffee.  The point is chaotic.  Traffic everywhere.  From 
>there we visited Everglades.  This is a mansion built in about 10 
>acres of landscaped gardens overlooking the Jamieson Valley.  It was 
>pretty warm but walking under the trees was pleasant.
>
>Our next stop was an antique shop in Leura.  The items on display 
>were incredible but a bit cluttered for my aesthetics.   I was 
>terrified that I would brush a table and cause damage to rival the 
>national debt.
>
>After Devonshire tea (two for the price of one for red bus tourists 
>and just as well as it still cost $9) we collected our bikes and 
>headed for the Zig Zag Railway past Bell.  When we got to Blackheath 
>I got lost.  I thought we were in Mt Victoria and could not find the 
>turn to Bell.  I swallowed my pride (Australian men do not ask for 
>directions) and asked a local who quickly put me right.  We 
>travelled across The Causeway which is really a pass between the 
>Megalong and Grosse Valleys.   The views were better than I remember 
>due to the bush fire damage.  We got to the Zig Zag just in time.  I 
>had not planned on navigational errors J
>
>The Zig Zag is a must do.  It costs a lot but is fabulous.  They use 
>steam locomotives from Queensland on a narrow gauge track and run 
>through tunnels, bush land, around the edge of valleys and over 
>convict built viaducts.  The railway is a big Z with each arm going 
>progressively downwards towards the valley floor.  At the end of 
>each arm, the loco changes ends and you can get up close and 
>personal.  Coming back up is the best.  The loco works its heart out 
>and the smoke flies, not to mention the cinders.  I felt like a boy 
>of 12 with my head of the window soaking in the atmosphere.  Who 
>needs to buy cigarettes when you can get smoke included in the 
>tariff?
>
>Being brave souls we returned to the workies for dinner.  This time 
>it was great.  Anna had enough pepper steak to feed two families and 
>I had a similar quantity of seafood mornay.  We suffered for our 
>sins later though.
>
>On Sunday we returned via Bathurst and Wyangala.  Around the Blue 
>Mountains, Lithgow and Bathurst it is quite green but you would not 
>believe how dry it is around Wyangala Dam.  It is just a dust bowl 
>and a heap of the mature trees are dying.   We did not hang around, 
>pressing on to Boorowa for lunch.  Believe it or not, the 
>thermometer I bought with Paul in Paris said the temperature was 31 
>but we were freezing in the south westerly wind.  After our lunch 
>stop it was a bit warmer but the wind had gotten up and it was a 
>real trial to ride through.  We were truly shot ducks when we 
>arrived home.
>
>
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