Downhill to Hamilton

Beautiful blue skies - can't believe that!  But dark grey cumulus clouds were clumping together and looking ominous out the other window…  the wind was blowing - but could it possibly be a tailey???  Fingers crossed.  Dropped into the café for a proper coffee and some toasted fruit loaf, then puffed on my way up the hill past the huge pipeline to get back onto Lyell Highway, then even more puff once onto the highway.

But then there was the downhill - oooohhhh so beautiful and oooooh so long!  Swooping through beautiful forests, down, down and down - a cyclist's dream…  but one always wakes up and the road levels out again and then into the rolling hills again.  Slowly grinding up one side, sailing down the other! 

Biggest trouble today was the traffic - after the Show holiday on Thursday saw a major exit from the city to the bush - all manner of utes with swags, kayak, surf boards???, plus caravans, boats - you name it - sales have been good for outdoor gear just lately!!  I must say that the majority of motorists were kind - just 3 frightened the devil out of me - but I have survived…. 

I thought I would try another gravel road experience, after yesterday's great ride…  so turned off to Wayatinah and headed up to more huge pipelines.  Highlight of the day??  A beautiful Scarlet robin sat on the pipeline and showed off his beauty - wow!!!

A bit of a climb into town - found the public toilets, but no life at the shop - Sunday was not on the list of opening hours…  never mind, I used their tables and had my own picnic, then continued along the gravel road.  I continued onto the gravel road down to a nice wide creek (Nive Creek actually) and around the corner was a sign - Road Closed due to Bridge being out - OK….  Would have been nice to have read that up at the top of the dirt road, but never mind.  Turn around and puff back to the highway and the yokel traffic….

How come the weather is being so kind to me??  Tail wind and those angry clouds got blown somewhere else - the blue sky just streaked with high level stratus and a few fluffy white cumulus to make it all look so very British.  It looks like the forests and wilderness has now been left behind and its now farmlands with cows and sheep and am sure that was a pig sty somewhere not far away.

I arrived in Hamilton and decided against asking about accomm at the Hamilton Inn - Rollingstone Pub doesn't need any competition - so rode on along the main street and checked out the Fennel Café, but their room was gone, "try Jacksons"  so I did and here I am in very comfortable splendour - beautiful old house that can be rented out to a family gathering (wish it was closer to Brisbane Em!!) or a bedroom/bathroom at a time.  No-one else here so far so keeping fingers crossed… 

Another day, done and dusted!  With sunshine and lollipops!!