To Avoca or thereabouts

So Ms Google said there's a short cut to Avoca from Bicheno - I love short cuts…  so packed up Hennie and we headed northwards to the turn off - but why is there a sign saying No Through Road?  Mmmm  maybe I should ask - so I flag down a 4WD that looks a bit local - and am assured that there is no way thru….  Lots of different tracks, but all ending and apart from a very rough hiking trail - not for cycling along…  either go up to St Marys - 90km - or back down the highway to Cranbrook and then turn right onto Old Coach Road…  70km….  Yeah, but there's Cherry Tree Hill in the way….  Do I have to go back over that?  Well I can have a coffee at the Pondering Frog again…  He also assured me that I had done the right thing and pointed out on the map, just where I had to turn…

So back on the road again…  and sure enough, the hill was still there and although it was a more gentle climb this way, the traffic was pretty heavy and 2 did try to kill me, but they just missed by inches….  Grrrr….  I couldn't wait to get off this main road.

Suddenly I was in the peace and quiet of the country side.  A decent gravel road and once again birds twittering were back on the radar - I do love getting away from the traffic.  there was a nice little creek, which made a lovely lunch spot and to fill up my water bottle.  A local dropped by to fill up one of his water containers - he's been camped 'out the back' for the past 30 years and this water hadn't hurt him, says he…. 

 But I am getting sick of hills…  and there was another one to climb, just kept going up and up…  so with a bit of biking and a bit of hiking…  but it did took me a long time…  The weather has continued to be kind - after a blue sky morning, fluffy white clouds appeared and by the end of the day had morphed into large scary cumulus.  But all bluff!

It is still an interesting ride…  huge gums trees that have escaped the axe - plus casuarina and a multitude of other trees.  Heaps of twittering, mainly from blue wrens and grey fantails, but I did see a huge wedge-tail eagle sitting in a field.  It decided I was a bit dodgy looking so took flight..  Of course not the right lens on my camera…  and I saw 3 echidnas - shuffling along until they sensed me and then would try and burrow and hide…   had a chat with a car full of coppers - and also a guy who was coming back from Avoca after giving a performance of his pet snakes… 

Eventually I passed thru a small almost deserted town - Royal George I guess - but no one was about…  just as I was leaving another 4wd drove up and so I checked with him whether I was still on track for the St Pauls Cabins…   yep just another 3 kms…  (have been advised that this is "real Deliverance" country and I did get that feel sorta…  but nothing scary really… 

Perseverance is a wonderful thing - and almost exactly 12km from Avoca I saw the sign for the cabins and turned into the driveway.  End of the day in sight.  I was shown my cabin - a little rundown looking and sitting all forlorn in the paddock with one other.  But really beautiful and well set up inside - timber lined, peaked roof, big bathroom, two bedrooms and very neat and tidy open plan living space.  After I assured the owner that there was everything I needed, handed over my money and no thanks, I am too tired to sit down and share a sip of port, he went on his way and I cleaned up, made an instant pasta meal with toast n cheese and settled back for some Dr Martin on TV with a nice glass of Diamond Beach red!

Very nice cottage at Bicheno Backpackers

How backpackers get around these days :)

Bewildered sheep

Nice clean cold water

climbing every upwards - still.....

Hide n seek with an echidna

have been told since, that many people would be too scared to venture up in these hills - cue Deliverance music!!!  might explain the ute full of coppers!