DAY 18 - WAGGA WAGGA NSW

WAGGA WAGGA NSW

DAY 18

REST DAY #2

Another day in Wagga and I will dedicate this very post to the largest inland NSW city and the 4th largest overall.

The list goes: Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Wagga Wagga.

Canberra does not count because we all know this is the ACT.....

Anyway, with about 10 000 students about town, Wagga probably qualifies as a college town and it is.

It also lends itself to the upmarket as far as inland cities go.

Boutiques, cafes and maple trees line Baylis Street from one end to another and it is quite a long street too.

There is generally a lot to look at, given said student population and of course, there are no shortages of places to get a good feed.

Food is my petrol and there should be no issue of conscience with loading myself up with a good meal in lieu of filling a car with $50 of gas every other day.

This said, I've been making quite gainful use of Woolworths' salad bar.

In fact, I'd go so far as to say it rocks.

I can basically blow in and out for under $10 every time and be 100% guaranteed of a nutritious feed.

Sure, I could fill up on pizza and salad every night or even pub grub is always on.

These options would consume my budget in one hit on a regular basis - not to mention my love handles.

I'd be riding 120 km a day just to burn off last nights' pizza at this rate......

Wagga is also fairly unique in that it has 2 names the same - Wagga Wagga - but most just call it Wagga.

Strangley, there is a suburb in my Sydney neighbourhood named Curl Curl, but nobody simply calls this just "Curl".

One of life's oddities, this one......

Once again, mine host Sandy brewed up another splendid rendition of Bolognaise tonight - plenty was left from overnight, except this time with mushrooms into the mix and washed down with one of my favourite but long forgotten drops - Tooheys Old.

A dark, strong and malty mix is the Old - not quite a Stout but a different Ale nonetheless, and I have certainly been rekindling my fondness for it on this trip.

Some of the beautiful, historic inland pubs just pour it out on tap and it is first choice bar none.

Another early night is at hand, as I face a nice even 100km to Narranderra tomorrow.

I will prepare for bed soon, and drift off to dreamland to the sweet sounds of bagpipes and marching drums, as the Wagga Wagga City Pipeband rehearse at full tilt outside of my tent......

Good Night to you all.