Last rest day was in Bairnsdale which we'd never heard of before, but it, like many other towns we've passed through, was a pleasant, clean place with some 'typical' architecture that speaks to earlier days.
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| Bairnsdale Court House |
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| Bairnsdale Railway Station |
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| Station Hotel |
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| stately home, now an up-scale conference centre/hotel |
As soon as the sun set, out came the fruit bats, also known here as 'flying foxes' although they are actually large bats, about the size of a good-sized crow. Forgive the photo quality, but it was almost dark.
The next riding day was to Orbost, only 88 km if we'd gone on the highway which was the 'official' route. But we opted to go on a rail trail that went between the two campsites with less than 1000 metres on the road. It was a great route but was not used by TdA because they were concerned that some people with narrow road-bike tires might have some difficulty making it more dangerous. We found it disappointing that they wouldn't even give the bike route as an alternative to a busy highway with barely a shoulder and trucks and busses whizzing by beside your ears.
...it seems we even briefly hit another continent...
Anyway, we were rewarded by animal and bird sightings as well as no traffic, no noise, just plain a delightful, peaceful ride, in fact from the biking conditions, probably the best of the trip.
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| crimson rosella |
A heron alighting at a river bank...
A goanna that was fully 2 metres long nose to tail...
...and a smaller one first watching us, then calmly walking away, its tongue flahing in and out as it moved...
This echidna was on the path well ahead of us. It disappeared to the side and we found it hiding in the brush beside the tree.
Just before getting to Orbost were the remains of the longest wooden bridge structure in Australia...
Once into camp in Orbost, there were a couple of flocks of Australia Ibis soared and circled overhead and apparently had been doing so for hours before we got there...
From Orbost, it was into the Snowy Mountains, forests, and a lot of climbing - 1800 metres two days in a row, a little less yesterday into Canberra.
Tall trees and ferns, evidence of fires at different places, and these cobwebs that were high up in the trees....
Ursula celebrates reaching the top of a twenty-kilometre climb that was almost as steep as the road up to our house in Squamish...
...and here a mix of morning fog and pleasant scenery (even if the traffic wasn't nice)...
We're now in McDonalds in Canberra having breakfast before wandering in town today - the free internet is the attraction to get this blog posted - the last few days we've had no internet, and often no cell phone coverage, and the wifi hotspot at the caravan park didn't work. The TV worked at the campsite, so we share this country's grief at the outcome of yesterday's hostage-taking in Sydney.
And one final thing... Bryan... happy 50th birthday - we haven't forgotten... you're getting better, not older
Now, if the rain has stopped, off to see town.
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