February 21, 1997

I finally decided to leave Sydney even without my parcel. The city was nice for about a week. Then city life became more unfriendly with each moment. I tried to update the web page in Sydney, only to be turned down numerous times, even with a local access number. After, being frustrated with everything I began heading south on Highway One. However, the road was littered with rude and lewd motorist (for 50 km), until I turned into Royal National Park -Ahhhhhh what a relief. I had lunch with 20 plus white cockatoo parrots. It was very cool hand feeding them chocolate chip cookies. The journey continued in the park for another 20 km. After which I exited the park on a sea cliff, to see 15 hang gliders soaring in the sky like eagles. The scene was beautiful to observe, but the sun had set and it was time to set up camp. With some advice from some locals I found a campsite on the ocean. With the waves breaking on the rocks and shooting mist some 20 feet into the air, I have found pleasure again. Time to explore other parts of Australia.

February 22, 1997

Coledale to Robertson

After one scenic night camping on the beach in Coledale, it was time to ride in a southwestern direction. The cycle was 100 km of rolling terrain. The final pass consisted of 96 turns of straight uphill climbing. It was rough. The heat was over 30 degrees Celsius. I set up camp in a park in the town of Robertson. The towns most recent claim to fame is the filming of the movie "Babe".

February 23, 1997

Woke up to some HEAVY FOG covering the plains. I rode 25 km to the town of Moss Valley. Then the fog burned off and the temperature rose to over 30 degrees Celsius. At this point, I decided to hitch a ride to Canberra with Cath. The drive was informative because Cath has worked with the Australian Capital Territory Forestry Department. She provided me with many trails and information of the area. She also gave me an education on Aboriginal people and culture. Cath is presently writing a book for a tribe. The profits of this book are going to be given back to the Aboriginal tribe.

Well equipped with maps and new knowledge the time came to say good-bye to Cath and her family. Canberra is the capital city of Australia. It is located right in the middle between Sydney and Melbourne. Neither of these cities wanted the other to be the capital so a new city was formed in Canberra. The streets are unique in that each one is lined with trees from all parts of the world. I traveled passed the Parliament House and requested directions from an elder statesman. He turned out to be the Australian ambassador to the USA for last three years. With darkness approaching, Peter drove me to my campsite at Conners Creek. I must say all these rides have been a bit unexpected. However, due to the time and size of the country it has been a great plus .

February 24, 1997

What a ride! I rode 80 km on the Brindalbella track. The ride was demanding with over 3,500 meters of climbing. The terrain was an off road track with numerous beautiful views. This track is not passable by an automobile, unless the vehicle has 4 wheel drive and experience. The wildlife included many different types of parrots. I spotted the rare brown cockatoos and colorful rosellas, as well as many parrots. My first kangaroo was seen also. At days end I needed some rest badly. Goodnight