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Day: |
003 |
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Date: |
Wednesday, 10 November 2004 |
|
Start: |
Jenolan Caves |
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Finish: |
Crookwell |
|
Daily
Kilometres: |
150 |
|
Total
Kilometres: |
440 |
|
Weather: |
|
|
Accommodation: |
Hotel room |
|
Nutrition: |
Breakfast: Muesli
Lunch:
Bread and peanut butter
Dinner: Hotel counter tea |
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Aches: |
|
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Animals Seen: |
Kangaroos, echidnas, platypus |
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Pictures: |
Here |
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GPS Track: |
|
|
Journal: |
I got up at 6:00am and left Jenolan Caves
soon after 7:00am. It was drizzling slightly and quite
coldalthough I soon took off my Goretex as I struggled walking up
the 5km of steep road out of Jenolan Caves. At the top it was
quite alpine and very foggy. I began riding again and soon
turned south along a gravel road. The road was surprisingly good but
I was apprehensive about what the roads ahead would be like and
hadn't finally decided what route to take.
The roads crossed
a mix of alpine grazing land, pine forests and snowgum forests.
It was easy to believe that it snowed up here in winter.
Somehow I missed a turn I meant to make and ended up on Drogheda
Forest Road. It was going in the right direction, but I wasn't
sure where it would end up. There was some traffic including a
few logging trucks to which I gave a wide berth. I recognised
a cross road and took it with the aim of getting onto the
Oberon-Goulburn Road but at one of the final turns met a minibus of
prisoners being driven by a friendly guard who said I couldn't go
the planned route because the road led to the prison. They
suggested continuing along another road and I eventually reached the
Werong gate to the Blue Mountains National Park. There was a
map which seemed to indicate that the Bicentennial National Trail
route would be OK (I was planning to avoid it).
I headed into
the National Park and didn't see anyone until I exited 40km later.
It was a great wilderness trail and for the latter part followed the
Great Dividing Range ridge at around 1000m. There were some
tough hills, but it wasn't as bad as expected and the views and
forests were great. Before the ridge I stopped at the
abandoned Mt Weong homestead/picnic area for lunch. A bit
surreal.
From the mountains I emerged into grazing country
which was very green and scenic. There were still tough hills
but I made good time despite some bad chafing (lots of Vaseline).
I stopped at Taralga at 4:00pm for an ice-cream and then turned west
for Crookwell where I arrived at 7:00pm and checked into a basic
room at a hotel. I had a counter tea there and went to bed at
10:00pm. |
|
ADVENTURE LIST
Round Ireland
(2016)
Hume & Hovell Walking Track
(2013)
Via Alpina
(2012)
Australian Alps Walking
Track
(2011)
Land's End to John O'Groats
(2010)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2009)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2008)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2007)
Australia Tip to Top MTB
(2006)
Adelaide to Darwin MTB
(2005)
Sydney to Melbourne MTB
(2004)
Three Peaks Race
(2004)
Appalachian Trail
(1986)
Alpine Track
(1983)
|
