Day 80: 7 January 2015, Wednesday.
This morning I decided to do something I am very adverse to doing. Going back.
First I packed and then cycled back to Wollongong, almost ten kilometres away. I had good reason too though, I needed to develop my exit strategy from Australia, or use the internet to book a flight as others may term it. It was a nice ride back to the ‘Gong, along the cycle path by the waterfront.
Going Back To Wollongong….
Once in the town I returned to the now open ‘Information Centre’ and got informed about internet availability, the best option being the nearby library which I meandered to and sat in the foyer in the cool of the air-conditioning and using my computer booked a flight to New Zealand. Now I have a timetable, I have six days left in Australia.
I finally departed Wollongong at midday, back down the bike path north along the coast and on and on past small villages and towns which had busy beaches and hills to cross to each cove.
Cycling Along The Path North.
The hills were short and sharp and I trudged along and eventually had to go on a very strange stretch of road which is called ‘The Sea Cliff Bridge’ which bypasses one of the hills bounding the coast by going out over the sea! Great for views but very prone to winds I imagine as even today with only a light wind it was much more pronounced while I crossed the bridge.
The Sea Cliff Bridge.
Once off the bridge I was shortly climbing a up to Coalcliff the next town, which was a very steep road. I did not stop at Coalcliff, the town was downhill from the road I was on and I didn’t fancy going down there and back up. I did not need anything from Coalcliff so it seemed like no point in visiting either.
Then the road headed up Bald Hill. This was a long steep climb which I had to do in my lowest gear, I must confess I did have to push my bike for sections too as I needed to rest and pushing the bike does afford my legs a reprieve. Finally with sweat streaming off my forehead in the hot humid conditions I reached the summit of Bald Hill.
Looking South From Bald Hill
In the distance I could make out the ‘Sea Cliff Bridge’ as well…
There It Is.
The road then went up again to the town of Stanwell Tops which did not appear to be much of a town from the road I was travelling so I kept on and took the turn off a couple of kilometres later which took me to Helensburgh where I was in for a surprise…
There Was A Temple In The Hills On The Outskirts Of Helensburgh!
Didn’t expect that.
I carried on to the town centre which was much more substantial than I expected with a big supermarket and other shops, but it did lack one thing I was after, a place to stay, no camping areas, no ‘Caravan Park’ and the one hotel was fully booked. I went and had a sit down and relaxed while a geezer came over and talked to me about everything and nothing while a bloke in the chair along from me ate some food while cockatoos hounded him for scraps.
Birds Are Always Hungry, I Guess It Is All the Flapping About.
I was tired of the hills and I was not looking forward to going to the next area where there would be accommodation, about fifteen kilometres further on but I had little choice and off I went. The bloke who talked to me in Helensburgh had said the road to Waterfall (the next small village) was not too bad and he was correct, I made alright time but it was already almost five thirty in the evening and I still was no closer to somewhere to sleep, I decided the prudent thing to do was to have some dinner at a fish and chips shop I was passing. It was good.
From Waterfall it was about five kilometres to Heathcoat which is the beginning of the populated southern section of the Sydney, the city itself I had been welcomed into on the entrance to Waterfall but it was wilderness between there and Heathcoat so now I really felt I was entering a city. In Heathcoat I had located a ‘Caravan Park’ in the morning while I was internetting in Wollongong. I went to the location and found a horrid place, there was no grass or even dirt area, it was gravel, and there was no staff available either, it was a place people seemed to stay for extended periods, not really suited for overnight bikers.
I decided to press on. It was now getting late so I had to take the plunge and splash out on a hotel. I found one with a room available (the first ones I checked out were full) so I took it, it was a hundred dollars! So much money, and that was after getting a discount down from one hundred and forty, the staff were Chinese so I used my Chinese experiences to barter a deal. To be fair it was a very nice room and had free WiFi.
I quickly showered and then set off to the supermarket located in the town centre of Engadine, the closest place to the hotel, and quickly shopped and then quickly cycled back as night descended. The rest of the evening I spent finally updating my blog, it was almost midnight before this job was completed so I turned in.
65.18km 4:38T 14.0A 57.5M Total = 4982
vincentsbikeride 