As the title says, we spent a couple of days relaxing in Port Macquarie.  After arriving nice and early on Saturday, it seems like we got an extra day off here.  We spent the morning of day 56 relaxing at the cabin.  The caravan park is right by the water and really close to the CBD and our cabin has a nice view of the water and people walking along the breakwater.  We spent almost the whole day chillaxing other than popping to the supermarket to top-up the food.  With all the exercise we seem to eat a lot on days off restocking the reserves.  The weather forecast was for 100% chance of 20mm of rain.  It was gloriously sunny the entire time we were in Port Macquarie except for a rouge spectacular thunder storm one evening.

On Day 57, again a nice day, we went for a walk around town and visited two bike shops looking for a replacement tire for Jen.  Her back tire has had so many bits of wire and glass and been taken off lots of times.  This means the bead is lose and it pops on without the need to use tire levers.  Also it’s wearing thin.  We didn’t manage to find a tire as it seems most shops don’t stock 700x32C tires.  We also went for a walk along the breakwater and watched the throngs of body boarders.  It seems Port Macquarie is the Australian home of body boarding.

Other than that, we listened to Triple J and relaxed on the deck.

Highlight of Port Macquarie:  Relaxing

Port Macquarie

Breakwater art or graffiti? We think graffiti art.

Body boarders

Today we only had 30km to cycle to Port Macquarie.  We packed up and left the caravan park after chatting to the cleaner who has cycled most of the east coast of Australia, much of NZ and used to live in Wanaka.  He told Will about the road north and discussed the route we’d taken.  Will was pleased he also thought the road south of Forster is dangerous.

The road from North Haven to Port Macquarie was mostly OK although it was very bumpy with a degraded edge and lots of smashed bottles.  A man outside the supermarket yesterday told Jen to be careful on this road as there had been bad feelings between motorists and cyclists training for the recent Port Macquarie Ironman.  We can see both sides as cyclists on road bikes would have real difficulty on the bumpy edges with glass and so would cycle in the left tire marks of cars causing friction.  We had no problems with cars and everyone gave us lots of room.  Will pondered whether the local councillors and roading people had ever biked this road and seen the state of the seal or the amount of glass.

We arrived in Port Macquarie and cycled through the surprisingly hilly suburbs to the nice downtown waterside Caravan Park.  We arrived not long after 11am and decided to treat ourselves with a cabin.  It’s great arriving that early as we checked in then sat on the deck in the sun and had lunch.  Later we went for a walk around the pretty CBD of Port Macquarie then had a beer at the lively Beach House Bar on the waterfront.  There was an acoustic musician playing with lots of people sitting on the grassy foreshore listening to the music and relaxing on the sunny Saturday afternoon.

Later we did a big heap of grocery shopping and went back to the cabin where we again sat on the deck and watched the sun set.  Hundreds of parrots then flew in and landed in the trees and roof of the cabin.  They squawked, played, fought and made lots of noise.  Then just on sunset, they all flew away.  We spent the evening watching the Lions vs Australia rugby match.

We plan to have a few days off here before heading north.  The last few days seem like a blur of biking, eating and sleeping and making progress north.  It’ll be nice to relax in Port Macquarie knowing we are ahead of schedule, not that we really have a schedule.

Highlight of today:  Port Macquarie on a relaxed Saturday afternoon.

Lunching on the cabin deck

Port Macquarie

Grand old cinema in Port Macquarie

Later on the deck again.

Sunset

Today we cycled from Taree to North Haven near Laurieton.  There was not much option but to bike along the Pacific Highway or take a lot of dirt road.  Surprisingly, we enjoyed biking on the highway.  We left the motel just after 9am and quickly joined the highway.  There was a huge 2m verge with rumble strip between us and the two lanes of 110km/hr traffic.  This meant we had no interaction with the traffic (other than friendly toots).  Although the scenery is not that inspiring and traffic can noisy, it was a good way to make fast progress north and we powered along in high gear with a slight tail wind.

We stopped at a nice rest area just off the highway for lunch at only 11am then continued at pace along the highway.  Just short of the Kew turn-off Jennie got another rear flat, again on wire from shredded steel belted tires.  We found a spot off the highway to fix the flat and got going again only to have the tire go flat a few km up the road.  We pulled more wire out of the tire (maybe missed it when looking earlier) and replaced the tube.  We then cycled the last few km into the nice town of Laurieton.  We did some groceries then had a beer on the deck of the busy pub.  After that we cycled through quiet streets and along a fantastic breakwater path to the caravan park.

After setting up the tent, showering and repairing 3 inner tubes, we went for a walk along the breakwater to the mouth of the river with great views of the surf, surfers and coastline.  We also saw dolphins in the river mouth which are really hard to photograph but were great to watch as such close quarters.

After our walk we cooked dinner and chatted to the friendly grey nomads.  The Jacaranda Tourist Park has lots of nice little features like wine glasses, pots and pans, kitchen décor, a bath in the amenities block, etc.

Highlight of today:  North Haven

Not far to go now!!

Lunch in a nice rest area

North Haven Breakwater

Snow at home in Wanaka! Not like that here in sunny northern NSW.

Today dawned clear, well at least clearing.  We packed as if it might rain but luckily the weather got better as day progressed and we ended up in shorts and t-shirts.  We left Forster still unimpressed by the drivers and town.  We cycled on a cycle path then on The Lakes Way north out of town.

We stopped after 10km to have a drink and remarked how many cars there were on the road.  Forster is in a loop off the highway and yesterday had been very quiet until we reached the local traffic around Forster.  Literally 100m down the road it all became obvious as we met the turnoff heading south to Newcastle.  It seems most drivers avoid the hilly stretch and when travelling from the south enter Forster via this northern road.  After passing this turnoff, the traffic became lighter.  We were pleased to be free of the traffic and enjoyed the cycle to Taree.  Just short of Taree Jennie got a puncture on her back wheel, puncture number 3.  We’ve been lucky as the last puncture was way back on the Victoria/NSW border.

Taree is a nice wee town which looks to be thriving despite, or maybe because of the large bypass.  Having the Pacific Highway bypass the town means only local traffic and people wanting to visit are there rather than people simply passing though.  We checked into a motel (caravan park too far out of town), chatted to the friendly motel lady then did some groceries.  Later we headed down the road to the Indian Restaurant and had a nice chat to owner from Delhi.

As we are now in a window of nice weather before forecasted rain this coming weekend, we’ve decided to make some progress while the sun shines.

Again we’ve been remiss in not taking any photos.  We’ll try harder tomorrow 🙂

Highlight of today:  Taree is a nice wee town.

We woke up this morning to rain.  Not continuously pouring down but still enough rain that we wouldn’t normally bike but we had no reason to stay in Bulahdelah with the thundering Pacific Highway rattling the windows.  So we dressed up in wet weather gear and hit the road.  Luckily it wasn’t raining when we started as it’s always nice to at least start dry.

We cycled a short stretch down the highway and then turned onto The Lakes Way, a pretty B road.  Almost immediately the rain started and the hills started.  Yesterday the ferry captain had warned us about the hills and this morning the motel owner also went into great details about how hard they would be.  We are fit now and the breezed over the hills.  In fact we enjoyed the hills as we haven’t had any hilly topography since way back before Sydney.  The road was good, the traffic light and rain fell down.  We stopped for an early lunch in a bus shelter during a sunny interlude and discussed how good our gear is.  Will loves his Ground Effect gear as it makes all the difference cycling in the rain.

After lunch we started cycling through small villages next to beautiful lakes.  As we approached Pacific Palms the traffic got heavier.  The road then became really narrow along the sand spit that connects Pacific Palm to Forster through Booti Booti National Park.  The rain started pouring down and the drivers seemed less tolerant and more aggressive.  On this narrow stretch of road we saw the two worst driving manoeuvres on this entire trip including a car passing very close trying to squeeze through a gap then forcing another car off the road and another car overtaking coming towards us.  Will had to bellow at a car that was completely ignoring our existence.  This put us in a bad mood and a dislike of Forster.  It wasn’t helped by witnessing a couple having a loud domestic argument outside the supermarket.

Forster is apparently a nice town, but we can’t wait to get out of here.  We checked into a cabin at the caravan park and changed our plans.  We had planned a day off but decided to leave tomorrow morning.

Today was a nice day riding even though it was raining.  The first 50km was pretty and we enjoyed cycling but the last 10km with agro drivers ruined the day and our experience of Forster.

Sorry, but we have no photos of today as pouring rain doesn’t make the most interesting photo.

Highlight of the day:  Enjoying cycling in the rain.

Today was a fantastic day biking, but first let’s cover yesterday.

We had Day 50 off in Nelson Bay.  After getting the bike fixed the previous day, it left us with a completely unplanned free day.  We got up and chatted to the couples we met the previous evening.  We then decided to move the tent less than 50m to a more sheltered site where we sat in the sun and relaxed.  The older couple near us invited us for lunch but unfortunately they had cooked a nice frittata that had bacon in it (we are vegetarians).  We headed into town and had lunch, checked out the ferry info and did some groceries.   Later in the afternoon we walked up the hill behind the caravan park to a café (great cake!) and the maritime rescue station.  We looked around their museum and then visited the control tower where we chatted to the volunteers.  They do an amazing job!

Today we rose early to pack up the tent and be at the ferry wharf by 8am.  While waiting for the ferry from Nelson Bay to Tea Gardens, Will had a thought about the mystery click noise on his bike.  Simply tightening the rear carrier fixed the problem.  It sounds obvious but the clicking didn’t sound like it was coming from the back but must have been transmitted through the frame.

The ferry was running a little late and we boarded at 9am.  The ferry is a beautiful old boat with brass and wood.  The trip took an hour and we chatted to a nice couple also on board.  Tea Gardens is a pretty little town in a great location and we had a cup of tea at a café before starting our cycling for the day.  Our route went over an impressive bridge that links Tea Gardens with Hawks Nest then we cycled on the near deserted Mungo Brush Road.  What a great road to cycle on!!!  It passes through the Myall Lakes National Park with great bush, trees, huge sand dunes, and the Bombah Broadwater Lake.  It couldn’t have been better and we arrived at the Bombah Point Ferry, our second ferry for the day.  This ferry is a car barge that transported us across the water that connects the two lakes for only $2 each.  It’s only a distance of about 50m and we pondered the cost of running a ferry verse building a bridge.  Taking the ferry is a nice way to travel.

Talking to the ferry captain, he told us about the Hawknest-Seal Rocks Road.  We had researched this as an option but found it was closed in 2005 and other cyclists had cycled it through sand and swamps.  We found out the road had just been upgraded with countless loads of gravel and was graded and finished last week.  We decided not to take the road as a new gravel road can be hard to cycle on, but for other cyclists following this route, the road will compact and settle and would be best option in the future.

After the ferry, we lunched and again chatted to some people who knew NZ and Wanaka well.  We then cycled the rest of the distance on a good hard packed dirt road to Bulahdelah.  Currently Bulahdelah is on the Pacific Highway but construction of the new mega-bypass is nearly finished.  The town is a hive of activity with the main street being upgraded too.  It will be nice town once all the traffic is diverted.

Highlight of the day:  Taking two ferries and cycling the wonderfully quiet and beautiful Mungo Brush Road.

Us on the ferry to Tea Gardens

Will looking happy

Tea Gardens

We passed some huge sand dunes.

The best biking on Mungo Brush Road

The Bombah Point Ferry

Will on the dirt road part of the day.

Today we cycled from Newcastle, well Stockton really, to beautiful Nelson Bay.  We set off just before 9am and cycled out of the greater Newcastle area on a surprisingly busy road for a Sunday morning.  With a side tailwind and a wide verge we made good time though felt a little rusty after our time off in Newcastle.  After clearing Newcastle we cycled through the first open rural countryside since before Shellharbour and arrived at Williamtown which Will was chuffed about.  Williamtown is home to a RAAF base and headquarters to Australia’s Tactical Fighter group.  We had seen and heard jets on previous days but not today as it’s a weekend.

Will says… “Passing the air force base I couldn’t help thinking of Gary, Tank Commander.  Probably the only friends who will get that joke are Simon and Gill.  Then after thinking of Gary, I started singing an annoying James Blunt song because he was a tank commander.  I couldn’t get it out of my head even though I know tanks have nothing to do with the air force.”

After Williamtown the road continued to be good but was busy with day trippers.  We made good time and arrived in Nelson Bay at lunchtime.

Just before Nelson Bay one of Will’s front panniers leapt off and jammed in the wheel.  We are not sure what made it to detach as it’s never happened before and there didn’t seem any reason to happen now.  Will then found that his front wheel was slightly buckled and by the time we reached the caravan park it was worse.  So after putting up the tent we found a bike repair shop and the friendly owner replaced the spoke, tightened the spokes and balanced the wheel on a jig, all for only $15.  He also tightened the crank as there is a clicking noise.  That didn’t fix the clicking noise and we spent some time trying to work out where it is coming from with no success.  We decided if it’s a problem, it will reveal itself sooner or later.

After getting the bike fixed, we showered and headed into town to look around.  We found a great bar on the waterfront with a good musician playing.  After a beer we did grocery shopping and headed back to the caravan park for a quiet night.  It turned out to be a very entertaining night as we first met two friendly 50 something men, one of whom had just solo paddled the length of the Murray River.  We then chatted to a Gray Nomad who went away and returned with his wife and some wine.  Chatting to them we were then joined by a friendly couple with young kids camping near us.  We all sat around chatting and it turned into a late night with great conversations.  Tomorrow we are having a day off.

Highlight of the day:  Nelson Bay is beautiful, the bike shop was great, and the conversations with friendly people were entertaining.

Warm, sheltered from the wind, and a nice place for lunch!

The Nelson Bay marina

Enjoying a beer in a nice bar with great music.

View from the cafe at the top of the hill next to caravan park.

Yesterday we were having a day off in Newcastle.  Newcastle is a city of about 350,000 and used to be very industrial with the BHP Steel Works that closed in 1999.  It’s still the largest port in the world for exporting coal.  After the loss of the steel works, Newcastle has put a lot of energy and money into rejuvenating itself with great public art, foreshore, free wifi and buses, the Fernleigh Track and many other projects.

We spent the morning doing some website work, laundry, and sorting ourselves out.  We then caught the ferry back across the river to the CBD and had lunch, then walked around.  Later in the afternoon we got tired of exploring so went to the movies (The Other Boy, 7.5/10, highly recommended).  After the movie we caught the ferry back, cooked dinner and went to bed.

Today we intended to carry on cycling up to Stephens Bay but when we woke it was raining.  The rain stopped at about 9am but we’d already decided to stay another day in Newcastle as strong winds are forecast for this afternoon.  We had a leisurely morning and charged up all the devices.  We then set off for town at 11am and caught the free bus.  We travelled on the free bus for a full loop to see the sights of the city and admire the architecture, then got off and walked to the Public Art Gallery.  We first had some lunch in the park then found that the gallery was almost all closed as they are installing a new exhibition.  It’s a shame we didn’t get to look around as the gallery has a good reputation.  We then decided to go to the city museum and again caught the free bus.  The museum was surprisingly good with a large area devoted to the steelworks, coal industry, and working class history of the city.  After the museum we walked along the promenade, had a beer at a busy bar, then caught the ferry back to the caravan park.

We’ve enjoyed Newcastle.  It reminds Will of Dunedin crossed with Sydney and Liverpool.  Newcastle has a great vibe and we are pleased we’ve spent some time here as it’s not a place that’s normally on the tourist map although the city is trying to change this.

Highlight of the days:  Spending time in vibrant Newcastle.

View of Newcastle from Stockton

Newcastle

Jen in Newcastle

Near the art gallery

Newcastle still a working port

The bad weather blew through overnight and this morning was bright and clear with a cool wind.  We set off from Swansea at 9am and biked the first 6km on the highway with a great verge.  On reaching Belmont we turned off the road onto the glorious Fernleigh Track, a rail trail that took us all the way into Newcastle.  This is the flashest rail trail we been on, paved with a centre line, beautiful flora and a nice gradient.  We must have been smiling lots as everybody coming the other way seemed happy and smiled or greeted us as we past.

About half way along the 15km Fernleigh Track, we past another cycle tourist distinguishable by all his panniers.  We all stopped and started chatting.  It turned out Thomas (sp?) has cycled from Cairns and is heading for Melbourne.  He was with two local retired school teachers who were on a day ride showing him around.  They will be touring NZ later this year and we invited them to visit us.  Our blog should be useful for Thomas heading south.

We then carried on the rail trail and diverted to a Dick Smith store so Will could acquire a new Galaxy S4.  When we come to Australia, Will traditionally gets a new laptop or other tech gear and Jen gets a new handbag or clothes.

We carried on without phone guidance (old phone now had no SIM and new phone still in box).  The Fernleigh Track ended in a suburb of Newcastle and we then followed a cycle route marked on the road into town.  We must have missed a turn as we ended up on Bar Beach so we asked a friendly local for directions.  After pointing us in the right direction she even chased after us with a revised route that avoided a hill.  We cycled down the vibrant Darby St and arrived at the river.  We then caught the ferry, after a quick pint, across to Stockton where the caravan park is.

We like Newcastle…more about that tomorrow.

Highlight of the day:  Meeting another cyclist on the fantastic Fernleigh Track.

Jen on the Fernleigh Track. Looks like a mini road only for cyclists and pedestrians.

A great way to arrive in a city.

Old railway tunnel with lights

Bikes waiting to board the ferry while we had a beer.

No, we haven’t miraculously biked from Australia to Wales.  Today we biked to Swansea in NSW.  We left The Entrance on a great cycle lane on the road verge.  The cycle lane is called the Darren Smith Memorial Cycleway and was created after Smith, a local cycle racer, was killed in an accident with a truck.  The wide verge and cycle lane painting made our biking enjoyable and safe on a busy road.

We flew along at 22km per hour and quickly made it to Budgewoi when it started to spit then rain.  Remarkably there were no clouds that looked like rain clouds and sun was shining.  Fortuitously there was a bus shelter just as the rain drops got larger so we rested and waited 10 minutes for the rain to pass.  We then continued on a quieter road and turned into the pocket sized Munmorah State Conservation Area which was a nice quiet area before reaching the Pacific Highway.  The highway was dual carriageway had a mega-wide verge and again we felt very safe.

We made good time and arrived in Swansea before lunch.  We sat on a park bench and pondered our options for this afternoon as we’d arrived early and thought about pushing on to Newcastle.  The clouds were building and the forecast wasn’t good.  We then looked up and were greeted with a big ‘hello’ from a grey nomad couple we’ve met twice before.  The odds of bumping into them three times must be very low and we had a good chat about our progress.

As the weather wasn’t looking good, we decided to stay in Swansea and so we biked to the Caravan Park.  The managers were very friendly and even gave us a complimentary bottle of wine!  It poured down most of the afternoon, our wettest day in the tent.  Somewhat reminiscent of our cycling trip in France, we had nothing to do but drink wine and relax.

Highlights of the day:  Great cycle lanes and hospitality.

Doing the groceries after the rain