Possibly the last update

Noticed a bright red glow to the North a while ago and drove down to the footy fields. The fire brigades had started a backburn on the Southern flank of Round Mountain (hill) a few houts ago and the wind is calm it appears to be nearly over as a threat to Bogangar and here. So it's off to bed with only the smoke to worry about now fingers crossed.

Fires Round Mountain - the 9th

Watch and Act: Cudgen (Depot Road Fire) Fire Update Fire Update 09/12/09 14:27

Posted: 09/12/2009
A fire continues to burn in bushland to the west of Cabarita Beach in Bogangar and Tanglewood area.



Fire has now been reported to have now spotted to the east of Tanglewood Dr and is now burning upslope over Round Mountain (hill).

The fire is currently threatening a number of properties along Sliprails Rd.

Under current and forecasted conditions properties in Bogangar may come under threat in coming hours, should the fire continue to spread east over Round Mountain.

Smoke is currently effecting visibility on Tweed Coast Road. Traffic advisory signs are in place. Motorists are advised to proceed with caution due to fire crews working in the area.

Clothiers Creek Road is now closed indefinitely due to fire activity in the area.

Left work early today as the earlier reports of spotting said it might be breaking the existing containment lines... They managed to contain that and it gave me a chance to better prepare the area around the shed got about 3 trailor loads of sticks and dry leaf litter piled in a heap well away from any buildings... it needed to be done anyway so not a waste of time though it was pretty hot under the thick smoke haze. Went up to Hastings Point just before dark and the three helecopters were still bombing the fronts around Round Mountain (hill). Now to get through tomorrow and this one should be all over. The radio report suggested that the brigades had set up further containment lines and that they expected to prevent any further outbrakes occurring tonight. It will be good to get a stressless nights sleep.

Another update

Watch and Act: Cudgen (Depot Road Fire) Fire Update 08/12/09 15:34

Posted: 08/12/2009

 

 

 

A fire continues to burn in bushland to the west of Cabarita Beach in the Bogangar and Tanglewood area.

 

 

 Current Situation 

The fire has continued to burn in a southerly direction in the vicinty of Sliprails Road, Clothiers Creek Road, Tanglewood Drive and Wally Bishop Rd, under the influence of gusty northerly winds.

Clothiers Creek Road is closed due to fire activity and smoke is impacting the Pacific Highway south of Clothiers Creek Road and north of Round Mountain Road.

There are several rural properties which may come under threat during the afternoon as the fire continues to burn towards Round Mountain Road. Firefighters are identifying containment lines and undertaking property protection where necessary.

A Bushfire Information Point will be established at the Cabarita Beach Sports Club, Cabarita Road, Bogangar, this evening (Tuesday December 8) between 6:00pm and 8:00pm. Residents and visitors to area are welcome to attend and receive bush fire updates and information.

 

 



[caption id="attachment_393" align="aligncenter" width="457" caption="8-arvo"][/caption]

This is the way they saw it it has moved much closer to the freeway and Marks house with 2 helecopters bombing it continually at 4:00pm as i saw on my way home the long was as Watty and Clothiers were closed  and i came back around via Kanes Road the smoke is more wide spread though less intense. From the map Jims was close if not very close to being threatened today / last night. The wind is still just as strong as yesterday . More crews are battling the blaze etc but information is still just as hard to come by. Maybe "they" think no news is good news although isn't it better to not let false rumours spread....

There is an information meeting at the Caba Bowls club this afternoon, might go and get up to allowed speed...

Update:

Just came back from bogangar meeting, lecture and not much to report except that they feel it is containd and will be a mop up for about 3-4 days and Clothiers Creek Road will continue to be closed often.  Also rode up to Jims through the Smoke to see that the fire front had not long ago arrived to start circling his place, it had been traveling at snails pace down towards him for the last 24 hours... so he should be safe now from any wind shifts etc the fire units are watching the slow progress but see no need to attack the very, very slow moving downhill front

 

Watch and Act: Cudgen (Depot Road Fire) Fire Update 08/12/09 17:42

Posted: 08/12/2009

A fire continues to burn in bushland to the west of Cabarita Beach in the Bogangar and Tanglewood area.

 Current Situation 

The fire has continued to burn in a southerly direction in the vicinty of Sliprails Road, Clothiers Creek Road, Tanglewood Drive and Wally Bishop Rd, under the influence of gusty northerly winds.

Clothiers Creek Road is closed intermittently due to fire activity and the Pacific Highway may at times be impacted by smoke. Motorists should proceed with caution and take advice from police on the scene as to road access.

There are several rural properties which may come under threat during the afternoon as the fire continues to burn towards Round Mountain Road. Firefighters are identifying containment lines and undertaking property protection where necessary.

A Bushfire Information Point will be established at the Cabarita Beach Sports Club, Cabarita Road, Bogangar, this evening (Tuesday December 8) between 6:00pm and 8:00pm. Residents and visitors to area are welcome to attend and receive bush fire updates and information.

Day 2 plus

Watch and Act: Cudgen (Depot Road Fire) Fire Update 08/12/09 06:31

Posted: 08/12/2009

More information...

A fire continues to burn in bushland to the west of Cabarita Beach in the Bogangar and Tanglewood area.

 

Watch and Act: Cudgen (Depot Road Fire) Fire Update 08/12/09 06:31

Posted: 08/12/2009

A fire continues to burn in bushland to the west of Cabarita Beach in the Bogangar and Tanglewood area.

Current Situation

The fire overnight continued to burn in bushland in the area of Sliprails Road, Clothiers Creek Road Tanglewood Drive and Wally Bishop Rd. So far the fire has burnt over 600 hectares of bushland.

The fire continues to burn in a southerly direction under strong northerly winds, these winds are expected to continue today.

There are several rural properties which may come under threat during today as the fire continues to burn towards Round Mountain Road

Firefighters are identifying containment lines and undertaking property protection where necessary.

Fire Update 7th December 2009

I haven't been far from home for obvious reasons tonight. Though this afternoon I visited Jims  at the end of Towners Road, the fire was fairly close  but only observed the edge of the thick smoke coming off the strong North North Easterlies. He had made a lot of preparations just in case as he was alone. While we chatted a few dead ash embers drifted down. After I left later I heard from another neighbour that he was starting to get live embers falling, luckly the wind has dropped a bit. The smoke at home has been a lot more bareable than just a little further East and West where it is stinging the eyes and turning headlights into white glowing balls of light.

A brigade truck is continually patrolling slowly up and down Towners road, possibly looking for any spotting. As the fire is due North of here I will stay up until 3:00am and then let the misses take over. It even looks like I might not get to work Tomorrow.... wait and see! At this stage it looks like we might be missing the worst situations, luckily for us, but anthing could yet happen. It is so dry around here the marshes ar tinder dry and the undergrowth in those areas are dead or dormant dry, even the mosses and reeds.

I have heard a bit of hearsay that the fire is not really threatening the area around Sliprails Road. This is the area wfor us to worry about most as that would give the fire front a diect path to reach us with the current winds.

When I drove home at 5:30pm this arvo the rubber-neckers were out in force parked along the sides of Clothiers Creek Road drinking beers and watching the three helecopters waterbombing to save the houses in Tanglewood. It hasn't been confirmed but I was told that none were lost.

The 2 other close loacl fires, Eviron Road and Depot Road I know very little about, except what Marks' misses told me as she was on the way to dropping here kids off at there granparents for safety and that the Eastern smoke plume is from the Depot Road/Camp Wollumbin area.

Again with the Fires

Depot Rd - Cudgen
ALERT LEVEL: Watch and Act
LOCATION: Clothiers Creek 2km west of Cabarita
COUNCIL AREA: Tweed
STATUS: Out of Control
TYPE: Bush fire
SIZE: 0 ha
MAJOR FIRE UPDATE AS AT 7 Dec 2009 16:30: A fire is burning in bushland to the west of Cabarita Beach in the Bogangar and Tanglewood area.

RESPONSIBLE AGENCY: Rural Fire Service
UPDATED: 7 Dec 2009 14:55

 

Yeah yeah I've been slack with the updates, new job and all that...

One Tree

Mark and I organised a rough local ride last Friday for today.  But we had to put it off till late this afternoon so we would need to cut the ride a bit short, although this didn't detract from the experience. I shovelled and sieved 20 barrows of Terranora soil and drank a litre of soda water before I left.

[caption id="attachment_388" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="A cloud rising from Mt Warning (cloud Catcher) that didn't do much but it would be nice to break the dry"][/caption]

I rode to meet up with Mark on Watty Bishop Road for the climb to One Tree, it's only 100 meters high but it climbs over a rough cattle turd strewn badly rutted track of about a 1000 meters. In many places you needed to avoid the track as the rut sides would catch the pedals and cranks etc It seems to be a good training climb for fitness as well as having a great outlook to the south, west and north.

I struggled to the summit pushing the last 30 meters and we then rode off along the ridge to the east toward Towners Road. Here the track undulated steeply and the surface varied between loose dusty gravel and leaf and stick strewn single track. I was riding up the second to last climb behind Mark along side of a fairly dry creek bed when I started to hear the pounding of hoofs getting closer and faster. Committed to the climb I couldn't even turn to see if I was about to be run down by a cattle stampede. It turned out to be a small herd of poddy calves playfully spooked by our presence, no harm done!

Next we turned off into the descent to Towners Road via Jim's place, An in places slow, rough, steep ride. Once we hit the main gravel track we were able to commit to some more speed until we reached the climb over to Round Mountain Road. Here we parted ways Mark to a family BBQ at Hastings me to a roast at home.

Might need to try this a few more times to get used to some rough climbing, although during wetter time grass growth might cause some drama with the derailleur. 13 kms total distance.

Minyon Congestion

Saturday was a new experience riding over mainly known territory. The ride started at 6am with Mark arriving at 6:30 to pick me up on the way to Mur'bah to then pick up Rod. We were all going to attempt a Minyon Marathon (quite a stupid name, to me anyway). Mark and Rod do the 40 kilometre and I selected the 20. The starts were staggered by 5 minutes to avoid collisions between riders climbing and descending the same section of gravel road!

The 60 k started close to on time and the 40k left 5 minutes later etc. Riding from Rummery Park(300 meters) along Peates Mountain Road to about 500 meters along a loose gravel well maintained fire tail for about 3 kilometres then everyone turned down a side "track" to descend Plot Fire Road, through various undulations, to about 200 meters over 5 kilometers then circled around and climbed back to the top of Perlite Road about 450 meters  and 4 kilometres and back to the start/finish line. As I cruised through the first place getters of the 20 kilometre "race" were finishing, I'd ridden 16ks and still had a climb to go and they had finished their 20. The route was then to take a slightly technical "single track" but this was cancelled at the last minute instead the main track to the crossing of Minyon Falls was used including cars!

All riders continued up, to 375 meters, towards Telephone Road for 2 kilometres. Just before the summit the 40-60 riders split toward Boundary Road which Mark and Rod took, I continued back the finish line at Rummery Park. taking by my trip-meter 1hr 42mins but it mustn't read time below about 2 kilometres-an-hour because my time was 2 hours+, finishing just before the first 40k rider finished a good1/2 hour ahead of all his competitors.

I only got off the bike for about 100 meters of my last climb up out from Minyon Creek, not the steepest gradient but the climb with the longest steep gradient (hard to explain but I know what I mean), all that training on Jim's driveway helped but not enough. It was not that getting off would have slowed me down as many riders who elected to walk and push their bikes up the hills were actually travelling at close, within a k/h to the same speed as myself riding(?) and probably using less energy.

The knees held up and there was only one period of about 15 minutes, during the second climb, when I felt as though the boiler was going to overheat and explode still I kept chugging focused on not exerting the knees. During this climb a group of about 5 had decided to drop in behind me to let me set their pace, most of who I would not see again after the descent and start of the next climb they dropped me out the back on Minyon Fire Brk, thanks. Total climb 750 meters total descent 750 meters. (Mark did 1450 meters of up down)

As an experience it was fine, the lunch provided was good. Although the noise of a power generator as I waited for the others to finish was, after a short while, annoying. To the point of having to go for walk to get away from it.

I'm not sure if all the commotion and masses of people are required to make a ride enjoyable. This is, I have managed to undertake the same riding through the same areas without the added noise and congestion and, I think, more pleasurable! Your opinion may vary. You may prefer to ride with 270 others through the NSW's North Coast forest trails and tracks or maybe you prefer the solitude and associated tranquillity of riding in a much smaller group... different strokes for different folks.

If I do decide to go again next year I wouldn't change anything, I don't think I could!

Windy Flats

This afternoon I rode to a small short job at Hastings Point and finished just as the storm was nearly breaking. Nearly, because there was a lot of promise but nothing eventuated with it just rushing out to sea. Anyway my daughter had asked me to show her the route to Kingscliff via Salt so I gave her a call and said I would meet her at Cabba Cycles, (I needed a spare tube for the cypress). Off I rode into the 35-40km/hr Northerly at a chugging 15km /hour.

We joined up and I let her draught me on her 3 speed Beach Cruiser and we managed to sit on a constant 18 km/hr along the bike path up through Casuarina. At the end of the current path we entered the old Coast Road section, which has been denuded of all vegetation in preparation of the stalled development, and the wind just cut us to shreds getting us to suffer dropping to 12 km/hr.

At the sand pit, Salt, we just turned around and floated back home at a leisurely peddled 25 km/hr.

Making 26 kilometres all up. The return trip took less than half the time as the North bound journey had.

I've finally decided that I am a

"cruiser by choice"

I don't think I could ride "Dirt Jumping", "Downhill", "Cross-country (XC) cycling" or "BMX". Come to think of it I don't think I could even ride "Mountain Biking".
It comes as no surprise that I am also not a "Roadie". So what am I when it comes to bicycle riding? Nothing really!

I enjoy doing things which have me...

... acquaint, appreciate, comprehend, deduce,
detect, determine, differentiate, discern, distinguish,
enlighten, experience, explore, extract, familiarise,
fathom, gather, grasp, glimpse, hear, learn, locate,
notice, observe, perceive, recognise, reveal, sense, ...

So just getting on a bike and riding a road (bitumen or gravel), track  or trail (well worn or overgrown)  will satisfy me. I can think of many reasons for covering the same stretches of the local journeys I go on and I can also think of more, possibly, reasons to turn down a different route the next time I come past.
I can not think of putting all my eggs in one basket and trying to excel in a style of riding that will see me miss out on any opportunities to go through my list. Maybe I am missing other experiences but life is too short to try to fit everything in, god I am sounding old but if, as our dopey Deputy Mayor says

"if the shoe fits..."

Showered Sunday Scooter

Today's ride was to see if it was possible to get a loop happening through the Mooball National Park, entrance and exit. Mark and I met around Wattie Bishop Road and rode through to Palm Vale valley along Round Mountain and Reserve Creek Roads then did a gate open, I was a bit overly concerned but Mark thought it was cool so off we treadled up up up through a couple of nice stands of rainforest and a few banana patches pushing and pedalling when required. A gnat away from the top of the final climb Marks previously bent and then shop straightened rear derailleur dropper snapped, it might of been a stick. We broke the chain and tried to set it up as a fixed gear but there was no way of getting the correct tension too loose or too tight, when it was too tight it snapped. So Mark had an expensive scooter!

After this it was not going to be possible to turn towards Wabba Road exit as previously planned. As it was all downhill from the top of Smarts Road where we emerged mark made the DNF call to his misses and we free-wheeled to the bottom and exited the ride at Reserve Creek Road to await his lift. I eat the bit of the lunch I had brought for the loop ride as we waited and prepared to confront the now darkening sky and the climb home over the Reserve Creek hill. About 150m down along the road the first few spits arrived so on with the rain jacket and cruised over the top at nine kilometres an hour.
When I arrived at the old hall in Reserve Creek the rain dissipated and I rode home the rest of the way thoroughly wet but over completely dry roads.
Hope Cabba Cycles has a dropper for Mark to ride the Minyan 40 kilometre next weekend.
All up 45 kilometres with a bit of climbing and a bit of rain!

[caption id="attachment_384" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="looking back into palmvale"][/caption]

Just found this paragraph that I thought i had lost so posted all this again

Hoodoo Mooball Today's planed search for a Mooball National Park circuit ended in a DNF for Mark, more on that later. We, Mark and I planned to take the Youcan and his mtb over the Clothiers Creek Quarry hill and then into the Palm Vale valley to attempt a climb to Condong Range Road and then out to Wabba Road for the return ride down Cudgera Creek Road etc

A Family Day Out

Lots of short rides this last week, a few rides up to the water tower in cabba on the youcan, waddle up to Cabba Cycles along the back track, a few dawdles down the track taking the dogs for a run. A trip to do some fishing down the creek, and one loop on the cypress etc

But today didn't involve riding. I took the family, including grubs boyfriend, to Chowan waterhole for a bit of a swim but there was someone there meditating, camping by the look of it, (who didn't even bother doing anything other than turning their head slightly to acknowledge our presence, quite creepy and eerie) so we went off to Hell Holes. The walk down along Middle Ridge Road was pleasant and the return walk took only 3/4 of an hour!

We made it the end without too much difficulty. There we had our lunch and a swim even though there was only a trickle in the creek. The shrubs along the banks are showing a lot of drought stress, if they don't get a few downpours soon they will mostly be dead! Hope a fire doesn't get started there! At 3:30 we began the walk back to the car.

We returned via the old Uncle Toms Pies servo on a now freeway bypassed section of the Pacific Highway consuming a milkshake and quite a lousy pie, wont be doing that again.

A pleasant day all up.

Nightcap National Park

Public Holiday Trip to Minyon Falls with Mark in preparation for the Freedom Ride. A bush ride on the Youcan.

We got underway about 10:45am with mark picking me up in his work van (without me leaving anything behind this time) a journey through Brunswick, Mullumbimby, etc through to the Nightcap Nat. Park. We parked at Rummery Park Camping area and rode west onto Nightcap Range Road to the sign posted Telephone Road, on the maps it is Wirupa Break, but we made our planed turn too late to the left off Wirupa onto Telephone Road instead of the Minyon Fire Break. Dohh!

This led us on to Baldwins Road and a Southern exit to the park (although the proceeding ride was a nice descent along well maintained gravel road with heaps of small jumps, created from the cross road drains and a multitude of 50mm diameter strewn branches). We would need to retrace our tracks and try to get back to Minyon Falls.
So back up the short distance to the turn off (right) to Quirks Fire Track to the Quandong Fire Track and passing through Quandong Falls. Here we rested eating our lunch to the sound of small waterfalls and cool view in total quite (except for the forest sounds) and a great view then it was onto the Minyon Loop.

Clambering over fallen trees and as often as possible riding in granny gear along a rough walking track all the way to the intersection with the Miniyon Falls--Minyon Grass walking track. Here we started to see people again. We continued along pushing and riding where possible to the Minyon Falls Parking area until we were once again on course to ride along the single track to Rummery Park and Peates Mountain Road (freedom ride course)

We then, well me anyway, grovelled up to 615 meters elevation continuing past Perlite Road, past Watts Folly Road and turned around just before Tugan Road. Then the descent down Peates Mountain Road for a breezy 5 and a half minutes back to Marks van.

[caption id="attachment_380" align="alignleft" width="600" caption="Peats Road about to descend"][/caption]


No Photos, but here is a 5 minute video of the Descent of Peates Mountain Road from my new $120 - ALDI Oregon handlebar video camera (Warning: 7mb downloaded)...

Only 20 kilometres but a fun trip even getting lost was good!


[caption id="attachment_381" align="aligncenter" width="423" caption="nightcap route"][/caption]

YouCan

Today's quick test ride was up the 22% gravel driveway on the Yukon and I made it with relative ease no wheel spin or fork lifting, a bit of front wheel wobble but a better pedal action should get rid of that, next time. And also a bit of puffing and panting at the top, Jim wasn't home. So a quick 10km there and back.

Only noticeable bugs was an occasional downshifting by the rear derailleur on it's own whilst under no pressure or strain. Also the brand new brakes might need a bit of bedding in and I will also need to get used to hydraulic disc brakes as well as the levers reversed from the retired bitser MTB.

Oh yeah the title of this post the climb just impressed me so Yukon has now become my Youcan. With such a short ride my knee held up very well yeah!

Todays eXtra

Even with today's dust, west wind and lack of humidity there was still some idiots about. Today was a total fire ban in the area with only 25% humidity and high westerly winds at around school's out time this afternoon there was a fire started on the corner of Round Mountain Road and Coast Road in the Cudgera Nature Reserve.... luckily the firees were able to contain it responding with three engines very quickly. (Joy-ann rang me at work in Tweed to let me know).

What else will we see happen over the current school holiday period? Queenslanders, not that I blame them, are already tented up at Hastings Point and there is only another week and a half to go until the N.S.W ones begin!

"Idle hands are the devils workshop"

Yukon

Picked up the new Yukon 18" I ordered from Cabarita Bikes last Saturday. Couldn't actually take it for much of a test ride just around the carpark and later at home around the driveway and garden. I had already ridden a 20km circuit on the cypress through the dust and wind today and then only managed to pick it up at 5:00pm on the way home from working at Tweed Heads, lucky for the bolted on rooftop bike rack. Hope to test it on a Wabba Road loop soon but I will have a few months before the wet season begins. So maybe an attempt on the 22% driveway in the next couple of days. I will see.

[caption id="attachment_375" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Giant Yukon 2009 mid-low end sports bike"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_376" align="alignnone" width="128" caption="dusty day 23/09/2009"][/caption]

Here is a animation of images taken hourly for the Sand Bypass System  Monitoring

Burnt Out Cars

I am unsure as to what is going on around the Tweed Coast when it comes to a Council Policy on BURNT  OUT CARS. Over the last few months, in my bike riding travels, I have come across at least three freshly burnt out cars, (three because with the others I can't remember the exact locations). Wattie Bishop Road, Round Mountain Road, The Coast Road... They are only left for a matter of hours and then quickly gone! I have seen none of them burning. But they are there after weekends, possibly stolen and burnt by joy-riders. It seems that they are being left in locations which are within walking distance and centred around Bogangar.

The removal of these cars must be a particular council policy as the dumped cars are left and left and left but the burnt out ones are gone within 24 hours???? The dumped burnt out cars seem to coincide with all the fresh burnout fishtailing skid marks on the back roads of the Tweed Coast, even though these occur every weekend with monotonous regularity there is never seen to be any police presence. Maybe they are too busy undertaking radar patrols from the motorway overpasses.

A few moths ago I approached a patrol officer and mentioned the activity but obviously that achieved nothing. more later... I'm going outside now to watch the dust cloud go though Tweed, for a while anyway.

Arrogance Personified

Tweed deputy mayor labels voters 'morons'

• ABC Source

The deputy mayor of the Tweed Shire in northern New South Wales says many of his constituents are morons.

Phil Youngblutt was elected to the position earlier this month when his name was drawn from a box, after voting was tied.

Councillor Youngblutt says he does not support moves to have the mayoral positions decided by a popular vote because he does not trust voters to make the right decision.

"Even when I [was] polling, there were people coming up who didn't know who they were voting for," he said.

"I mean, that's what I'm talking about, if you're polling and you're voting and you don't know who you're voting for, really why are you voting?

"Then I would say yes, they probably are morons."

The deputy mayor says he was not looking to cause offence.

"If I've offended anybody it's only the ones that probably are [morons]," he said.

"I'm not trying to offend anyone but certainly if the shoe fits, wear it."

Typical. This is what we get to LEAD US in our community.I get it! The white shoe brigade exposes it's real feelings about why they get into politics ie to represent the people (ie the morons) and not to impose their paternalistic one eyed will upon the simple folk. My opinion of this man is just not fit to print. If I am offended he feels that I am a Moron. Thus if it is alright for him to call me and others morons then lets try an adage of  "having the shoe on the other foot"

"Councillor Youngblutt, you are a moron if you don't feel the need to apologise!"

Do your Job! Represent ALL the voters or get out of local politics and leave it to someone with some level of intelligence and the required ability to represent ALL YOUR constituents.

Pulled it off

Started out this morning as Mark arrived at 7:00am to pick me up first, but the other rider had pulled out... So off we go, then the mobile rings, my helmet and gloves are on the table at home! So we do a U'ey and pick it up, thanks Joy.

[caption id="attachment_370" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="start finish line"][/caption]

We passed through Cudgera and Stokers on the way to the top of Smiths Road. Park. Pull out the bikes from the van and kit up. From here it was away and up up up.

We rode through to what seemed the end of North Chowan Road. A wide cleared,  short grassed, vehicle turning area. Mark had arrived ahead of me, as usual, and had parked his bike and taken off on foot on a narrow track up toward the summit. I didn't know which way he had gone but If I was going to take the upper track I was not going to come back for the bike just in case it went to where we wanted to go ie South Chowan Road.

[caption id="attachment_367" align="aligncenter" width="262" caption="The easyclimb of North Chowan Road"][/caption]

By jingoes what a climb I had managed to get  about 100 meters before Mark met me on his return. He said it continued but got a lot worse before it got to the top... decision go on we had been in a similar position at the top of Burringbah Hill. So carry, shove and slip our way to the summit at times it felt as though we were climbing a cliff face. At one point there was a  rocky outcrop that served as a lookout to the West and North. images here

[caption id="attachment_363" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Looking North from the lookout"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_364" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Looking West from the lookout"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_369" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Looking southwest from the lookout"][/caption]

At another point closer to the summit we looked to the East through the trees and saw a few Norfolk Island pines at the coast and a great expanse of ocean further into the distance, we assumed they might be near Wooyung (with the cleared rural land away from the coast behind them) at this point we were at an elevation of 500m and just about at the top. There was a 100 meters of relative flat at the summit and it was here that we started to hear the sounds of two stoke motors breaking our shared silence. It turned out to be a miss-a-turn-off trail-bike rider. He passed by giving a nod, with us lifting our bikes off to the side of the track. On his return I stopped him and asked if we were on the right track to South Chowan Road. Yes and we had just climbed "Impossibles". Where few, if any, trail-bike riders can climb or descend the track due to the number of rock ledges crossing the track. So perseverance paid off.

impossibles image here

[caption id="attachment_365" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Looking Up at the begining of impossibles"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_366" align="aligncenter" width="209" caption="Looking Down from the middle of impossibles"][/caption]

The decent was not as difficult to negotiate as the Northern ascent but still involved two wheel semi-controlled skidding in the trail-bike churned gravel, ruts and rocks. In places you couldn't even do this and stepping off the bike we were sliding in a nearly controlled way. After all this we reached South Chowan Road Yeah! Here a new decision was made to NOT return the way we had come as we had planed (too much time already used up and my knee!) ,  we were now going to return via UKI and Smiths Road hill which would require a final 15.5% climb to the van. More later on that...

Now for the South Chowan Road descent through the forest and then onto the vehicular section. At the base of the valley where a couple of creeks? merge there we found a well known swimming hole and waterfall completely deserted (A sunny Spring Sunday and everywhere sitting at 32 ° C????).

[caption id="attachment_368" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cooling Off at the valley on South Chowan Road"][/caption]

We cooled of with a bit of face and head splashing and returned to the climb to Manns Road. After reaching the dusty gravel road we were to ride to Hell's Hole but I piked thinking my knee would not hold out for the return to the van, what a woose! So we road to the exit of the Mount Jerusalem National Park and then along the freshly re-sealed Rowlands Creek Road. Reaching UKI we had a look through the now packing up market and pooled our money to get a sandwich for Mark and a sweet iced coffee for me at the now for-sale Cafes. During the stop I noticed how swollen my left knee was and also how painful it was becoming.

Anyway we jumped back onto the bikes noting the sore arse syndrome from the sit.

Then it was only a matter of the 7 kilometres to the van to go. Including that hill. Which to my utter surprise I was able to slowly grind up. Pat on my back!

Better images are viewable at ChrisL's site.

Oh yeah nearly forgot:- 30.5kms total distance, 824 meters climbing and descent taking a total with stops of 6 hours. Nice way to spend a warm Spring Sunday,

thanks Mark

[caption id="attachment_371" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="chowan actual ride route"][/caption]

.

Next Sunday Gravel

Hope to get the chance on sunday to ride this gravel with Mark and a couple of other riders. MapMyRide Here is a possible ride... Only 32kms return trip but about 700 meters of climbing over gravel roads.... we will see!

22%

Went looking for a continuous 22% gravel incline today and I think I found something close. But it's not 1 kilometre long more like 400 meters. Anyway I swapped over the cluster from an old 21-speed hybrid onto my bodgie built MTB and took out 2 links from the chain. This gave me a better climbing ratio on the granny gear. I would of liked lower but for zero cost it was OK.

Managed to climb about 150 meters along the track but ran out of legs and needed to sit up creating a  front wheel lift and loss of direction etc. I turned down the hill and rode over the rest of Towners Road to Mark's house and convinced him to give it a try on his better ratio MTB.

It took a bit of convincing but I won out and we returned together to the climb. On the way I got a flat and spent 10-15 mins trying to get the tyre off the rim. Finally gave up and just re-pumped the tyre and luckily it held!  Then on to the hill track. When we reached the bottom of the climb Mark started out and kept getting rear wheel spin on the first pinch. He restarted about 40 meters up and eventually managed to gain some traction by leaning way forward although still seated. As it turned out he pushed on toward the top and managed to get all the way even though he said he was buggered by the time he reached the top. I gave it another try, even with the soft rear tyre, still only managing to get about 125 meters before losing the legs etc.

If I am to ride the Minion falls climb I really need to be able to climb this shorter practice hill! We will see, what will be will be.

The "I" Post

I've been following  OzCableGuy's progress for quite a while now.

I am not one to have planned exercise in any organised way at any time during my life, no training, no workouts, no sessions etc. Not that I did no exercise to the contrary I saw SURFING and WORK as exercise, move this here, carry this, dig this etc. Growing older has seen a slow down and change in work patterns, brain rather than brawn. Now sees me at a stage of life where I am neither fit nor healthy as a result! and never will be young again so it is unlikely that I will be able to change these things quickly nor practically. It took time to get to where I am now and it will take more time to get where I would like to (should?) be, not just effort.

I still, through stupidity, smoke cigarettes. Stress and weakness come to mind as feeble excuses? But I have found one way to drop a few kilos and increase my fitness over the last few years... although it might not be possible to follow this path for very much longer...

Riding too much with an "old" unfit body gave me a forced opportunity to stop, I got lumbered with an allergic reaction to the Sun ( I've never really liked the intensive itching of hives), whilst riding, cruising really, around 250-300kms per week ( Although I still think it was triggered from a massive day of using "Round-Up" a couple of Springs ago). During all that time of intense? exercise I couldn't see any weight loss just a continual bouncing up and down on the scales although I could notice physical changes. When I was then forced to get out of the sun for three months and only ride at night, and occasional very short trips during the day, It was revelled to me that after a long period of exercise  pulling around a heavy(fat) body built up big muscle, then doing no exercise and still watching what I eat saw the weight drop dramatically! I must of being eating my excess muscle! Anyway this sun trouble passed over winter and let me begin excessive riding again... To my astonishment I saw that even though I was now getting fitter, (If one can whilst still smoking cigarettes), my weight was now lower and stable.

Another forced break has seen the same transition. My knee problems saw me slow my riding to a crawl and this had seen my weight again drop. But slowly as the duration of the hiatus lengthens the old ways are coming back.... the weight is still off but I have not got to my goal weight still 8 kilograms to GOOooo....

The long and short of it for ME is "it seems that continuous intensive exercise is not a good way for me to lose weight".

An extended cyclic period of excessive exercise and then complete breaks from exercise has seen me lose the most weight. Yet, too long of a period of no exercise will leave the door open to an insidious albeit slow weight gain.

Not a good vision for my future . One where periods of intense exercise must in all inevitability become much more difficult to implement as the body wears slowly? as it gets older! How morose!

Anyway I am thinking of joining a MTB rainbow ride through Minion Falls but may only be able to finish the 20 kilometre route as there is a 22% climb for approximately one kilometre in the middle from the bottom of Minion Falls. The knees might just hate me after that climb!

Just noticed that "I" has been written 16 times in this post.

Chook Pen Reno

Not sure if there is any rally connection but this morning there was a pretty serious accident on Round Mountain Road. Four ambulances and a rescue vehicle raced past west wards. Past the freeway overpass. That's about all I know! but why today? then again why not? Anyway, I'm glad I was caught up with finishing the chook pen renovation, even though it's dad's day. Replacing the white ant/termite eaten plates and trimming the vertical lapped cladding boards to get them out of the scratched up litter. Since the heavy rains earlier this year seems to activated their climbing behaviour. Also re-wove any holes in the netting from falling limbs from last years storms. Only need to repair the acid soil corroded wall netting at ground level in a couple of places and the chooks (day old chicks which are 4 weeks old now)  might just last long enough to lay some "goggies"

Salted Battery

Decided to kill two birds with the one stone today. Rode to South Tweed after fixing the "easy wheel" on the garage gate this morning. As I was going past "Battery World" I dropped in an picked up a new 12V 23AE battery for the wireless sender and a new 3V CR2032 for the computer receiver. Not to bad after 26 months of use, but still a quarter the price of a replacement cheapo HUFFY13 bicycle computer. The real reason for the trip was to get my timetable for the next two weeks of teaching, ughhhh!

The wind was a fairly constant NE-NNE about 8-10km/h. So not really any problem as a head wind nor that much assistance as a tail wind.

Only one "yobbo ute" incident on the way home so all up a pleasant 56km ride.

Well the teaching income will come in handy. I was researching DSLR cameras last night and found that I can use my Minolta AF reflex  lenses on Sony A200-A700 cameras (plus others). Which is really Great news! Now those $1000 investments will be able to stop gathering dust! If I get a DSLR body +$750.00

Warm 'n Fuzzy

Todays loop was warm, not hot but very pleasant in open clipless sandals. A S-W wind blew quietly all the way round, also dropped into a job at Potty etc. But the density of smoke from the fires around Mullumbimby was as think as an early morning fog, I hope Hells Holes didn't get burnt out!

I jumped on the cypress and turned on the Huffy (bigW) wireless computer but I think the battery is flat after 2 years of use and it only recorded 4 kilometers for the 20 that I rode, albeit slowly.

The front derailleur still struggles to get to the little ring.... either more adjustment or worn chain?

Paddock Bash

Slow cruise on the old mtb with Mark today, starting at a mellow 9:00am. A paddock bash along cane roads, cattle tracks and old abandoned banana roads from Round Mountain Westwards to Reserve Creek then the same repeated through to Palm Vale. Returning via the road network. Of note was a couple of little creek crossings, climbing over an electric fence using the bike frames as ladders on either side and the discovery of another possible route into the Mooball forest! it took ~4hours to cover the ~22kms.

[caption id="attachment_353" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Paddock Bashing with Mark through private property"][/caption]

Cyclopress hack

Cyclopress hack to allow use of open flash chart instead of  using  jpgraph

Source

Pre Ride Report

With the weather being so pleasant at the moment mark and i are planning a short ride to the Cudgera Creek Phone transmitter tower on Sunday morning on the old MTB.... will post later... if I make it?

Quicklet

Just a quick return trip to Marks this afternoon. Wind had dropped a bit and the knee was OK if I didn't pressure it.

After a short ride last Friday to Bogangar I knelt on one knee to remove my shoes and "CLICK!" my left knee went out (again) the return ride on that occasion was one legged pedalling, lucky they were SPD's.

Anyway this arvo's ride was the first in seven days, UGH!

Should add that I managed to lay down again by un-clip re-clip un-clip stop drop smile :)

Fixed Cyclopress Stats page

I've just updated and repaired the Cyclopress Riding Stats page.... might even make some more entries, if and when! Anyway at least its there for me to see in b/w just how little riding I get to do, with these shitty knees.

Who wants to trade?

Caution! and No Rally!

Drove a round trip to Grafton today over Cudgera Creek Road, or SS8? as it's called now. The surface is beginning to break down. There are lots of corners with marble size gravel loosely strewn over the still hard concrete like compacted surface.

The surface has become such that it is noticeably difficult to steer and brake. I'm sure it would  be worse on a treadly, sometime on the weekend I might see if it is the case, if the Southerly change does come through tonight as a gale like the BOM have predicted.

One thing I do know after driving through Uki and Kyogle the upgrade to Cudgera Creek Road IS because of the rally next month. The surface of the road climbing up to Sargents Rd is absolutely terrible, to the point of knocking off the tail pipe on the Matiz. I don't begrudge the locals on Cudgera Creek getting their road finally! But I do think that it shouldn't be because some private profiteering is about to take place in their area! No Rally!

Tired Knees

Managed a day away from work today and put it to good use. After yesterdays balmy weather I thought I would wait until midday, forgetting the dreaded 'arvo  sea breeze! To get into ride mode.

Any who, decided to take the hybrid for a jaunt over Cudgera Creek road. Surprise! Surprise to come! Set out into a Sou'West head wind and thought it would keep it up right though the ride, not to be!

The surprise was the condition of Cudgera Creek Road, so smooth you could of ridden fast on a road bike over the climb. Tweed Shire has resurfaced it unlike any I have seen over the last few years, this is a special year! The Tweed will be the host of the State Government's extra special international boys toys event in the Spring. So maybe the smooth surface was not really created for the local road user but they do get to benefit from the noise and chaos that will surround these quite areas on race days!

The ride went well with the ultra smooth, like new concrete, road. Not a bit of dust o loose gravel any where, not exactly the same on the descent into Burringbah where a few of the corners proved a little hairy!

Thinking the wind was still the same as when I left, I was protected in the tree cover, I decided to take advantage of a tail wind and take the Wooyung Road home. Wrong! It had swung to the East South East and was to be a cross wind all the way home. Should of taken the Moobal Road to Potty. Next time.

The knees were to really feel the effect of maintaining the cadence over the 20kms from the Old Pacific Highway through to Hastings as well as the front derailleur not functioning since the servo at Burringbah. Fix it later!

Only 43kms but included a little hill, some undulations, a near miss from a Qld registered 4x4 through one of the roundabouts in Pottsville and a malfunctioning front derailleur.

But the sun was shining all the way and what a road surface? It even looked like some good surf conditions on Hastings North side as I passed by.

Warm Wind

Today was a bit of fun with a work ride to Pottsville with a tail wind... I have been riding just not posting! Did a cruise from Tweed Heads on the Shogun a couple of days ago, just returning the hire car after a drive to Grafton to clean up Dad's shed for the last time, quite a sad experience.

Rode a few return trips to Chinderah for the fun of it. Rode a couple of loops for exercise, but I am still very wary of back to back rides on consecutive days. The knees are holding up but always noticeable after a ride, Will they never again not draw attention to themselves?

Of note the birds, especially the Magpies, are starting to get active! Prepare for Spring!

Ride2Work Day 2009

Ride to Work Day is on again on the 14 October 2009.  Bicycle NSW/Sydney doesn't seem interested in showing anything on their web site and yet Bicycle Victoria is promoting it with early bird prize draw registrations...

I havent looked at any of the Brisbane centric Qld sites.

Again Maybe!

Organised with Mark during the week to try (sic) to climb to the top of Cudgera Creek Road. Just to test the knee, as all I have managed to put together are flat, intermittent, rides with varying degrees of success. But I had to bite the bullet and attempt a hill whatever the consequences or think about seeing an Orthopedic Surgeon.

Well I set of about 8:15am thinking I would catch Mark near Wattie Bishop Road before heading off toward Cudgera Creek. The arrangements were for Mark to get to my place at 8:30am but I set off anyway... As it turned out I needed to ride the 7km's to Mark's and wait for him to finish getting ready, (late night as a designated driver).

We pushed off at the planned SLOWWWW pace south toward Cudgera along the gravel of Round Mountain Road. Of note the surface was noticeably good clear of major potholes and braking corrugations, a very different condition to what we would find on Cudgera Creek Road.

No problems spinning up the King's hill or past Quinns or James'. So on to Cudgera Creek Road. By now it was warming up out of the light Southerly breeze under the clear sunny winter sky. On the first flat corner I decided to stop and remove my jacket. Unclipped both peddles and put my foot straight into a dip in the road at the same time accidentally re-clipping my other foot. What transpired was a very slow fall to the surface of the roadway, clipped in! No damage just a few profanities....

Now a decision push on or turn for home. The knees had not suffered from the fall so onward and upward... We continued to spin upwards. At one point coming upon a couple of very young BMX kids trying to develop their skills at jumps against the side of the road embankments. As we approached we watched as one of them didn't quite lift the front wheel enough to take the jump . Causing he and the bike to come to an abrupt halt. No damage or tears so we continued on.

Just chatting away we reached the turn off to Wabba Road. Here we encountered the owner of the property we sometimes use to access the Mooball Forrest. Gave our thanks for past access and we were told about a group of not so considerate riders passing through her property, to her aggravation, close by her house... not a happy camper!

Well everything was to turn out good. So we re-mounted for the downhill travel. The surface of the road has actually been washed clear of road base in many many places and all that is left is the bull dozed bed rock. Very rough on the bike but also local cars and trucks.

At the top of Kanes Road we parted ways and I made it home at 11:15am.

The only thing I might need to remember to take on the next outing is sunscreen!

Thanks for the good company Mark.

Something About Mooball?

National parks authorities have vowed to crack down on illegal motorbike riding and horse riding in the Mooball National Park as part of a plan to protect the reserve.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) said police will patrol the reserve to deter illegal joyriders whose bike exhausts pose a serious fire risk.

NPWS Tweed area manager Leonie Walsh said the move would also reduce erosion in the park, which leads to destructive soil run off.
‘This has been an ongoing issue and has had significant environmental impacts due to erosion,’ she said.
‘Law enforcement, regulatory signage and cooperation with the police will be used to help combat this problem.’

The crackdown is part of a draft plan of management developed for the park, which also covers the protection of wildlife habitat and cultural sites, the management of fire and weeds and recreation use.
In the draft plan, the NPWS said it had unsuccessfully tried to identify potential safe horse riding routes in the reserve, which is dominated by steep slopes and winding roads.

Cudgera Creek resident Rhonda James said banning horses and motorbikes was welcome.
‘I work in native vegetation and I see the damage these bikes do to our natural areas,’ she said.
‘It is a really positive outcome. Even as a horse rider myself, who likes riding through natural areas, I understand the impact and can accept the NPWS decision.

‘This reserve is a real asset to our area and has got to be protected.’
Under the plan, camping will also be prohibited but cycling will be encouraged on roads open to management vehicles and on management trails.

The NPWS is seeking submissions from the public on the draft plan before June 1.
Copies of the draft plan are available by calling the NPWS office on 6670 8600. It can also be accessed by visiting Hear.

source doc

Byron - Hit 'n Run

FORENSIC investigators were hard at work yesterday along the section of disused railway line which runs under the Pacific Highway at Tyagarah.

Their grim task was to try to piece together the final moments of a woman whose body was found next to the track early yesterday.

By midday the investigators had found five or six points of interest, highlighting them with bright yellow numbered markers.

Clad in their blue Forensic Services overalls, their job was to record even the smallest detail - anything that could help lead to the prosecution of those responsible for the woman’s death.

Despite their meticulous work, the bald facts of the case were apparent almost as soon as the woman was found.

About 7am, a motorist alerted police at the Byron Bay police station, handing in to officers part of a badly damaged pushbike wheel and some clothing found on the motorway about a kilometre south of the Tyagarah Airfield.

Police were the first to locate the woman. Her body was lying next to the tracks about 20 metres below the highway, apparently thrown over the bridge railings by the impact of the vehicle which struck her.

The police immediately declared a crime scene in the area, about five kilometres north of the Byron Bay interchange.

Orange cones narrowed the flow of southbound highway traffic to one lane to allow police to do their job.

A short time later police discovered a pantech truck with ‘significant damage’ to its front end parked in Woodford Lane at Ewingsdale.

The 18-year-old driver of the truck and another male passenger were yesterday taken to Byron Bay police station for questioning by the Ballina Crash Investigation Unit.

By late yesterday afternoon the men had been released without being charged.

The police were continuing to investigate.

Police said it appeared the collision which killed the woman occurred about 6.45am.

Police are urging anyone who may have witnessed the accident to contact them or phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Police will not be releasing details of the woman’s identity until all her family have been contacted.

Addendum:

Teen driver's micro sleep proves fatal for cyclist

* Georgina Robinson
* May 11, 2009 - 11:25AM

A woman flung from her bicycle after a young driver fell asleep at the wheel of a truck on the NSW North Coast yesterday "didn't have a chance", police say.

The 41-year-old woman was cycling south along a narrow road shoulder on a bridged section of the Pacific Highway just north of Byron Bay yesterday morning when the hire truck hit her from behind.

She was thrown off the bike and over the side of the bridge into thick scrub near an old railway line, dying instantly.

Police today said the 18-year-old truck driver told investigators he fell asleep for a moment, causing the truck to veer left.

"He appears to have started nodding off with fatigue and veered to the left hand side of the road into the guard rail and she was in front so he's hit her from behind," Senior Constable Mitch McMullen, from the Ballina crash investigation unit, said.

"She got ejected off the bike and over the railing."

Police have interviewed the driver and his 22-year-old passenger, who was asleep when the crash occurred.

The men told investigators they had hired the Pantech truck to make a pick up on the Gold Coast and were on their way back to Sydney about 7am, Senior Constable McMullen said.

They had been on the road for about an hour and a half and had not driven through the night.

Senior Constable McMullen said the woman, from the small town of Tyagarah about eight kilometres north of Byron Bay, was cycling on a narrow section of road shoulder - about half a metre wide - and would have died instantly from the truck's impact.

"All the evidence points to the fact that she was to the far left as possible and the truck is actually scraping along the safety rail prior to the impact, then the impact (occurred)," he said.

"She didn't have a chance."

The men stopped twice following the smash, once in a road bay about 100m south of the accident and then again, about five kilometres away, after turning off the highway onto Ewingsdale Road to wait for police, who found them "in a state of shock".

The truck's front end was badly damaged, police said.

No charges have been laid. Senior Constable McMullen said police were waiting on the results of routine blood tests.

It was not known if the woman had children or was married. Her parents had been informed, he said.

SMH

Sad Grizzly News

"The body of a cyclist has been found next to the Pacific Highway near Byron Bay, on New South Wales north coast.

The woman's body was found by police shortly after someone went to Byron Bay station and handed in part of a bike found badly damaged beside the highway at Tyagarah.

Police are examining links between the woman's death and a truck found a short distance away with significant front end damage.

Officers are speaking to the truck driver."

ABC News Story

Long time no knee

Iv'e been able to ride spits and spurts over the last weeks... culminating in the 30km circuit  against a decent headwind yesterday. Only problem is I can't seem to increase my cadence or peddle pressure without the left knee kicking up a stink!

It did prove to me that it is possible to ride my commuter distance, but still leaves a niggling doubt of bringing on some long term damage. Something I really want to avoid. I have another 22 days straight teaching relief work ahead of me so I will not be able to get in to see a Doctor until about the end of March. Ho hum!  But as two weeks will be only 10km round trip I hope to give the shorter commute a nudge! We will see.

Visited

Well went for swim paddle at the creek mouth at Hastings point today and got visited by some try hards who broke into my car, a reason not to drive if there ever was one, I was only gone 5 minutes but by the time I was coming back to the car the would be thieves were, having been surprised by my fast return, running from the now open, nothing of significance was stolen, no wallet or money in the car. But they had not had a chance to go through my clothes for the mobile phone and sunglasses.
They were of local appearance but looked to have come down from Fingal, Kingy or Cabba on an opportunistic raiding party driving an early model dark blue commodore with blue Queensland Number plates but I couldn't see with these bad eyes! nor could I make out the driver except for short hair and a baseball cap.
The one running away from the car, wearing only board shorts, was very dark skinned not just a tan with longish thick curly hair though not shoulder length, slightly overweight, although fit with the age of around 18 to 22 years youth, about 5'8"-5'9" tall.... be on the look out for wankers they exist!

All was reported to police who could do nothing, usual problems! Why didn't I have video footage and their home address then it would be a different story, right?

So much

Been a while.... spent a couple of weeks camping and surfing through Hungry Gate and Minni Waters with my daughter, during January... resting my knee but still exercising long walks and some big paddles.

During this trip my dad breathed his last so I will not be able to achieve the goal of the 3 day Ride to Grafton for a visit this fathers day it just wasn't to be...

The new SPD peddles and sandals seem to be helping with the knee pain... but am still taking it easy as I do not want to have to give up riding due to excessive pain. It is still quite noticeable whilst riding but no longer gets worse as the ride extends. Also the post ride inner burning seems to have lessened considerably.

Maybe it is just arthritis IE old age.... hope this is not a sign of greater things to come...

 

As there have been few notable rides other than the continuous cruising to the shops or Hastings Headland for a surf check I didn't bother posting in the diary.

Chugga-Chug

Just a slow loop of 20km this evening. The sharp pain behind my left knee has dissipated to a mild general non definable ache so riding might start to get a bit more consistant again. But it is bearable when you get out of the saddle for a bit of a short climb. Also the sun doesn't feel as extreme today, maybe it's the Easterly Sea Breeze keeping the road temperature down if not the oppressive humidity.

Thats Funny

Today my dribbly ride on the cypress was to include a humorous surprise. Going up the Forge Hill at Pottsville I was nearly squeezed off the side of the road by an old Camper Bus with trailer but the funny part of it was that I was then being held up by the monolith as it chugged very slowly up to the top of the hill! That gave me a bit of a chuckle. only 26.3kms.

Here's Humphrey

I decided today to get the old Malvern Star Bogart out for a surf check at the headland. Well the ride was OK but noticably slower and heavier to handle, like driving a '64 holden compared to a modern jap car. Glad it was only 9kms against a mild Easterly. The cloud cover and lower temperatures are very pleasant.

Aside, the carpet snake is back stalking prey on the ramp onto the verandah.


The yellow bit in the image is a medium vegimite jar on the ground which will stay where it is for a bit longer... Creating a swift switch foot shuffle as you notice it again as you are walking past it for the umpteenth time!

At Last - Relief

Issued at 10:56 pm Thursday, 1 January 2009.

Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce large hailstones, very heavy rainfall, flash flooding and damaging winds in the warning area over the next several hours. Locations which may be affected include Lismore, Murwillumbah, Byron Bay, Ballina, Casino and Kyogle.

Tonight's Storm might provide some relief from the thick hot air we have been swimming in the last few days. This storm looks to be a bit different as it's driving in from the North West, so it is unlikely to come dropping a cool Southerly Change and a chance to ride with only a normal supply of water! That will come in the next couple of days, hopefully. It reminds me of the build-up to the wet in Far Nth Qld, drip, drip, drip of your sweat and the ting, ting, ting as the ceiling fan rotates providing the only baby breath of a breeze... I'd hate to be any further from the coast than we are this week!

The lightning and low rumbling is now turning into strong flashes and ground shaking cracks so I might as well get outside and take in natures own New Years Eve spectacle.

Updated:

Issued at 12:28 am Friday, 2 January 2009.

Severe thunderstorms are no longer occurring in NSW and the ACT.

All in all so far a bit of a fizzer for us.... but for some, a weatherzone forum storm chaser named Bodie, got this picture at Kilcoy



and the day after another got this one of the magnificent sunset

Kud-da

Well managed to get to the top of Cudgera Creek Road Hill during the 30c+ heat this afternoon and I did it so slowly... nothing to do with the loose swails on every corner and the deep corrigations just the concern for the knee... also went for a quick paddle on the south side early this morning before the wind and heat with an old mate Wee Wee from WA good to see you again mate...

When I was cruising up Hastings Point "Hill" at the beginning of the ride dodging the tourists I also had to slow for a crossing 4 foot brown snake... ah there is yet hope for all the campers on the headland shame it was heading away from the main area... the New Years eve drinkers might need to take a bit of care where they fall in a heap later tonight...

 

The ride was 43.3 kilometers 

Happy New Year!