Day 17 - Hello NSW

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Tallangatta to Bowna, via the Wymah punt, 59km

Tallangatta, definitely on the short list of Louise and Kerstin's places to visit again!  Regardless, when the alarm went off at 0600 this morning we were up and on the move,  rolling out of town by 0720.  All in the knowing that the forecast was for high humidity, 33C and the chance of a late afternoon thunderstorm.   Also there were 60 hilly kilometres, a river and a border between us and our destination.  It seemed prudent to ride as far as possible in the cooler morning.   

The back roads were quiet, the views over Lake Hume amazing, and the random roadside fruit trees keep on delivering, today was all peaches and figs.  As we climbed so did the humidity.  We definitely rode the first big hill in the right direction, the descent was crazy steep.  Kerstin took her hands off the brakes for the last 500m and hit 55km/hr no problem.  


The Wymah Punt, which started operation sometime in the first half of the 19th century, nobody seems to sure exactly when, is suitable only for cars and cyclists, caravans need not apply.  So if you are travelling by van you need to take the alternative route, either an 85 kilometres downstream via the Bethanga Bridge and Albury, or a 120 kilometres detour upstream via Jingellic.  But for this pair of lucky cyclists, what a way to cross the border!
NSW here we come!

NSW welcomed us with burning sunshine, oppressive humidity and another steep climb.  The roads remained mostly deserted, but maybe, when no one is looking, the bikes come out to train...



The campground appeared sooner than expected, and some cold drinks with a late lunch were well appreciated.  We are now, once again, installed poolside.  The perfect spot to wait out the heat of the day with a book.  And to close the day, a bit of lakeside yoga, salute to the sun anyone?







Comments

  1. FrancieFebruary 24, 2022 at 4:54 PM

    The punt - what a bonus. How good is that. Nothing like poolside and a book but it is THE RIDE that is so interesting. Love the Bike Training Area. Watch the heat and more so the humidity. All the best in NSW.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownFebruary 28, 2022 at 3:50 AM

    I learned a new thing today: a punt! Here in the US that would be called a ferry. No matter what they are called, I love a ferry ride of any length. Glad yours was useful and uneventful!

    ReplyDelete

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