Day 60 - Sunny side up

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Wee Was - Narrabri - Sawn Rocks (Mount Kaputar NP) 91km

The reporting on this popular sightseeing spot called Sawn Rocks at the western edge of Mount Kaputar NP has to wait. By the time we arrive at this superbly set up picnic area (no camping allowed, mind you) it is almost dark. We set up camp in record time and dinner is on the camping stove just before the rain comes.

But we started the day sunny side up, finally! And by that I don't mean the weather, but breakfast. Often fellow campers would comment and discredit our beloved porridge breakfast, saying something like "oh, that's not eggs and bacon". While we love a hot creamy porridge with a dash of peanut butter, this isn't a bad cyclist breakfast either:

Sunny side up!

Not surprisingly on a day that delivered more insight into the universe above us, I'd rather talk about the culinary pleasures. But when we reach the turn off to the Australia Telescope, half way between Wee Waa and Narrabri, I get a bit excited, too. But the first information board at the self-guided visitors centre tells me that this visit will take me way out of my depth. I am thinking "Oh bummer, it's my turn to write today's blog entry!"

But I am fascinated by the logistics of this set up and how the 5 big telescopes can be shifted west to east and south to north by being set on supersized railway tracks. It's a bit like the basket press at Wendouree Cellars that can be positioned in front of the desired open fermenting tank by the same method. Genius! The inside exhibition talks about super massive black holes and why they are still somewhat a mystery. The millions and billions they talk about do my head in. I move on to the Supernova 1987A, a star that exploded in a small neighbouring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud, which can only be seen from the Southern Hemisphere. The light of the explosion reached this site in 1987 and it was the brightest and closest observed Supernova since the invention of the telescope four centuries ago. Now something completely irrelevant makes sense to me: why the sports brand with the three stripes calls one of their popular running shoe model Supernova! Marketing genius! (It's a great road running shoe, by the way). Watching Louise being absorbed in this scientific excursion is the best part. No matter what I learn, she remains my brightest star. 


We still have a bit of cycling work to do. At lunch in Narrabri we get all warm and fuzzy thanks to the human stars in our universe. There is some good news and a most moving and beautifully composed text message that I can't finish reading because my eyes tear up. These are our brightest moments on tour. Thank you all for sharing and for staying connected. 

We stock up on a few essentials (drinking water) in town before making our way towards the at this stage still unknown final destination for the day. The direction is clear but the end point is vague. Also a bit vague is the chosen route out of town. Old Cemetery Road looks suspiciously mortal for bicycles, but Louise is determined and even ignores the ROAD CLOSED sign. 

Determined Louise

We make it to the other end, tyres cladded with red mud and a few squeaking noises coming from the bottom bracket. Glad to see this sign announcing that a promising end to the day might 'only' be 34km ahead...

From here we ascend (300m of climbing) into the care of mother nature and a Friday Night Happy Hour in her remoteness. All things science considered, it's been a day on the sunny side. 





Location: Sawn Rocks, Killarney Gap Rd, Narrabri NSW 2390, Australia

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