Big Block

One warm February Sunday (Feb 4)... another training ride. The local cyclists refer to it as the 'Big Block'. I suppose you might call it riding 'round the block'. It's just a BIG block.

We drove into Coffs and parked near Park Beach, then headed out to the highway, rode up the 'Big Banana Hill', down past the Big Banana, and then 'turned off the highway and rode 'up Bruxner', a 3 km uphill grind, winding up through banana farms. It actually isn't too steep, but tell anyone you've ridden up it and they are impressed. Sensational views to the ocean, problem is you're riding away from the view, and you're too busy focusing on riding up, you don't think to stop and take a photo!!

It's a good feeling to reach the top.. you suddenly find yourself in a patch of rainforest...

And, having been here before, you know the next bit down the hill, through the rainforest, is yee ha! And you lap up the coolness because the rest of the way, out of the trees, is going to be hot, hot, hot. The stretch along Bucca road to Nana Glen was pretty challenging - from a traffic point of view, plus there were a few unkind hills in there. I was feeling it - and got the 'you need to work on your aerobic fitness' lecture. Hmmm, well, what was I doing right now then?! Also considering during the week before my back was playing up -it hurt to just walk! - and that cough I had for 6 weeks really knocked me.. yes, well.. this was aerobic training!

We stopped at Nana Glen for lunch. Didn't see Russell, but a bunch of middle aged trail bike riders chatted to us and gave us a big rap for having ridden with the kids 'up Bruxner' and out to Nana Glen (and that we planned to keep going through Coramba back to Coffs.)

The road from Nana Glen to Coramba was mainly through farmland.. Cait snapped a few photos when she could. Loved this:

We had to deal with a few wallies in their cars being impatient about overtaking.. one clown freaked me right out, he roared impatiently past Cait and me who were behind the others a bit.. then screeched in behind the triplet.. then sped all too close past them. Then, because he was obviously in such a hurry, after Marc made it kind of obvious that he didn't appreciate his actions *ahem* (well, I gave him the finger as well!!) slowed down, as if to have some sort of confrontation with us for daring to be on the road.




Karangi General Store.

Total km, by the time we got back to the car in Coffs, about 63. Not bad for a hot day and a few hills. What you might call TRAINING!!

Photos from the Yamba-Grafton return trip.

Breakfast at a cafe on the river at Yamba before heading off. The girls were fascinated by the jelly blubbers or whatever they are called in the river!
And the triplet drew a bit of attention from passers-by!

Heading into Maclean... on a bike you have time to read all the names on the tartaned telegraph poles. Maclean has been promoting itself as 'The Scottish Town'.. and it combines trappings of Scottishness with quaint old country town buildings.



The girls spent a lot of time in the trees both days. Just made for kids to climb and sit in.

The bridge back over to Woodford Island.

and riding onto the ferry
On the road between the ferry and Lawrence we noticed all the birds in the trees in this bit of marshland..

Just resting!
In the park at Lawrence again...
On one of the country lanes between Lawrence and Grafton.

Backtracking to Tracey and Cait riding into Lawrence - the general store behind us is just across the road from the park and the river.

I think this one was taken back on the island, with all the sugar cane fields...
And this was along the west side of the river, heading to Grafton.