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I spent Saturday night at a mate's place near Bellingen, a town somewhat similar to Nimbin. The koalas are different here, apparently. Saw this sign outside the beer shop in town ...



The local council replaces the sign every couple of weeks, but overnight it reverts to the above version. I like it.
The road from Bellingen up to Dorrigo is one of those fabulous riding roads - superbly maintained and very twisty. When I got to the top I wanted to go back down and do it again.

Anyway, I wasn't far from Ebor so thought I'd go and look at the Thungatti Reserve.



It is a nice place, but was a bit crowded. I camped there in the clearest available spot, about 10 metres away from a family with four kids. It was pretty quiet and comfortable. It is school holiday time, so all these places are being well used. There is no water there at all; not even the usual non-potable variety - the tank was empty. The whole region is crawling with fekkin' grey nomads, who give us silver gypsies a bad name.

I had some difficulties today, with Brunhilde's Acewell speedo breaking. The case shattered and it don't work no more, so I bought a bicycle 'computer' during the day, and will attempt to fit it tomorrow morning. I also had a bit of trouble with the charging system, but that was due to me dodgy wiring in the spaghetti bowl. Tonight I'm camping near Tenterfield, in this rather nice des-res. It has a bunk bed and en-suite, but is a little closer to the highway than I prefer.



I expect to be around Nimbin tomorrow, all going well. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up with She'llbe.

ps: Well done Mal. Good to know you are packing already.

I have a list !! ..... no packing though .

I can't sleep within about 2 km of the highway , those semis scare me in my sleep!

Why did your speedometer shatter? What are gray nomads?

enigmaT120 wrote:Why did your speedometer shatter? What are gray nomads?

Grey nomads ? Geriatric Winnebago occupants . I hate bloody Winnebagos, the occupants can be OK.

enigmaT120 wrote:Why did your speedometer shatter? What are gray nomads?

Ed, the speedo is a cheapish chinese thing that has worked well for two years. Maybe I had tightened its fixing bolts a bit tight, and maybe the plastic of the body was a bit brittle. I'm disappointed, but I'll treat it as an opportunity to get a better one eventually.

Grey Nomads are an interesting social phenomenon. A lot of Australians retire at 55 these days, making use of their compulsory superannuation nest egg. They rent out their houses, buy themselves an expensive motor home or convert an old bus or for the poorer ones, hitch up a caravan and hit the road. They go north for the winter, south for the summer, and clog up all the free camping sites. They sometimes travel in packs. They are typically friendly but assert their right to run generators to keep their fekkin' air conditioners going. I suspect they number in the tens of thousands. Smaller towns will sometimes provide an area for them to park, and advertise this - a sort of cargo cult. I find them useful for getting info about the next free campsite. The poorer ones always have extensive tool kits - often very useful. But they tend to travel slowly, and don't give a rat's arse about holding up other travellers.

High again Charlie, I"m off today(tuesday) working tomorrow and off til next monday as far as I know at this time. Do you have your mobile with you? Give me a call at home or 0439530568.

Ah, RVs (recreational vehicles). One of my banes in life as well. My R65 is my RV -- strap my tent on and I go.

Well, I'm writing from the dining table of the Mt Nardi Yacht Club - yep, caught up with She'llbe of Nimbin.

After three nights on the road and some hot sticky weather it was great to receive such fine hospitality. A hot shower made me feel much closer to being almost human, my filthy clothes got a wash, and I sat down to a lovely meal at the table of the Harbourmaster and Harbourmistress. There were some very fine raves and bullshit going down - I can't begin to tell you, but I certainly larfed a lot. Got to sleep in a real bed, listening to the gentle rainforest sounds. There was even some rain on the tin roof during the night to provide that extra soporific.

Last time I was up this way in 2009 I couldn't see any of the astonishing scenery because of a dust storm. The sky was brown and visibility was down to just a few metres. I'll be taking lots of photos as I leave the mountain today.

Thank you, Mr and Mrs She'llbe for your generosity. My stay at the Mt Nardi Yacht Club is definitely a highlight of the trip.

On the matter of the weekend gathering, we may have another guest. I met a bloke on an 1100 GS near Ebor the other day and we got chatting. He had owned a 90/6 along the way and currently owns a 90S. We've been emailing, and he sent me this pic of his S.



He has indicated that he may be able to attend on the Saturday arvo, but is reluctant to take his S down a gravel road - perfectly understandable.

That sounds like a reason for an ale at the Ebor pub .

I might have to sort a visit to Grants for lunch on Friday as our version of the spring buds run.