Saturday, April 2, 2016

April 2 - to Armidale

Today was a much better day than yesterday.  Of course anything would have been a better day than yesterday.  A medieval day on the wrack could have been better than yesterday.  😳
But we are talking about today aren't we.  It was a bright and glorious day.  Sun was shining, temps a bit chilly to start but it warmed up fairly quickly.  The mornings air had a different feel to it.  It had a crispness that brought thoughts of fall to mind.  It is kind of strange to be from the northern hemisphere and think of fall in April.  But it is beginning to be fall here.  You can feel it and today we saw some trees who are starting to paint their leaves with the colors of fall, yellows and reds.  
We came upon a church that is known for its ivy covering and explosion of color in fall.
It has been very dry so the colors aren't as vibrant as usual.  But it was idyllic none the less.  There was a rustling of leaves that were being blown about by the wind.  Another wonderful sound of fall.
    Yellow leaves from the trees covered the ground and danced about as the wind picked them up.
The little church was part of an expansive ranch back in the day.  We had our lunch stop right on the grounds of the church.  A local stopped and asked if we wanted to know some of the history of the area.  He told us the sheep ranch was originally a 60,000 acre spread that had over 60,000 head of sheep.  That would be about 100 square mile property.  There is the largest sheep shearing station in Australia located on the grounds.
    The sheep shearing station was a marvel of innovation.  The man said ranches would come from over two days ride just to see it.  It was designed to take advantage of the natural light.  The man talked about the ledger of the property and how it was like a history book.  He said as you read it a whole story would unfold.  You could do a whole miniseries on this property alone from its origins to present day.  He mentioned on entry back in the late 1800's where it references a 250 pound reward for a sheep stealer.  That amount of money back in that times was a huge sum.  His talk was so interesting.
The area we rode through was definitely more arid than most we have seen.  
It still had the look of grassland but much drier with sparse trees.  
The roads we were on today consisted of mostly gravel again.  But not the heavy corrugation as in yesterday.  The wind came up early in the ride with sustained 25 knots.  Gusts came at a much stronger push.  They varied between headwind and cross wind.  The headwind was tough,  the crosswind troubling.  The dry feel of the land and the strong sustained winds brought reminiscent thoughts of west Texas.  Yes, even with the strong headwinds; today was so much better than yesterday.
    Road sign alerting to the potential of koala bears on the road.???

But all in all, it was a great day.   Tomorrow is a well deserved rest day.  One with which I will take full benefit.

One parting though...  As I think back on the day and all that it was; and all that I am experiencing.  That I have been riding through Australia soaking up all its richness and beauty.  And that I have the company of some really great people and the benefits of the hard work of my hosts.  I can only reach one conclusion... I am a very lucky man!

And thank you for coming along with me on my journey.  



2 comments:

  1. Ok! Don't laugh at me but when you were talking about the sheep shearing, the ranch and the incredible history all I could of was 'The Thorn Birds.' I know, I know.....it's sad but seeing the sheep shearing building and the surrounding areas made me think of that story.
    LOVED the Koala Bear warning. How endearing is that? This bike trip sounds so fabulous and truly shows you every facet of what Australia is.
    I am so happy you are enjoying your ride. Honestly, Mike, you're doing everything I wish I could do.

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  2. The Thorn Birds... I hadn't thought of that. It kind of is like that in what I have seen. It has been a truly amazing adventure. One that beats my expectations and will remember for a long time.

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