DAY 8 - ORANGE NSW

ORANGE NSW

DAY 8

REST DAY

60 km (Hyundai)


I got a car today, courtesy of my hosts in Orange and a good thing too, as I got to some places that would not have been practical on the bike.

First up were the Orange Botanic Gardens – not exactly a rush of adrenaline fuelled exhilaration, but a quiet hour or so of meditative reflection on the trip so far.

Next up, the impressive Mt Canobolas, which sits up 4500 ft off the floor of the plain, was also made possible with the use of a car.

Unfortunately, the Canobolas summit is peppered with a small city of oversized communications towers, but I still made a point of driving to the top and surveying the surrounding landscape – specifically for signs of massive mountain ranges (or else lusciously flat plains) in the direction I will next be headed.

Forbes is the next destination and the news may or may not be good.

In theory, the trip should be downhill – from 900 m above sea level to the bed of the Lachlan River. 120-odd kilometres tomorrow should deliver the verdict…..

Penultimate stop for the day was a lazy hour or so at Lake Canobolas (not far from Mt Canobolas by much at all) and finally some obligatory tastings at some of many fine local wineries…..