Forster to Taree
I got up early to beat the predicted showers that were arriving around 7am. Last night, I’d moved my tent to a more sheltered area and had a great night’s sleep.
I was packed and moving by 7:10 which is a record for me when camping. As you’d expect, the showers didn’t arrive, but I was happy to get going. Forster still feels like a million miles to go. I stopped in town for some toast and coffee and picked up some food for the first part of the ride.
The main road north out of Forster is the Lakes Way, and it’s busy with no shoulder – it’s nobody’s idea of fun. I’ve done it twice before and was determined to find another way.
I was on the Lakes Way for about 4kms before turning off on a dirt road near a garbage dump. It turned out to be superb. I met some Germans riding south, Ralf and Marian and we stopped and talked for a while.
After that, the road got narrower and more sandy but 99% ridable for me. It was through a forest and it was fantastic. It came to an end near Blackhead Beach and I stopped for a rest and couldn’t resist a quick dip even though it was cold and overcast. It’s just so nice to be here.
There were a few hills on the way to the next beach that had a cafe, and I sat there with a few locals and watched the whales just offshore.
I set off just as the rain was approaching and it got steadily worse but again, I had a nice gravel road to navigate, so it didn’t matter. When I emerged, the rain was heavy, so I had some lunch in a bus stop and waited for a break.
It never really came, so I just rugged up and got going. The rain was light but annoying. I also had some unavoidable time on the freeway where I was sprayed with road grime by every passing truck and car. (I didn’t notice how much grime there was, until I washed my gear later.
I had booked a motel in Taree and luckily could check in early. I washed my gear and had a nap. I think I now have a cold.
Taree to Port Macquarie
Today’s ride on Komoot to North Haven
Today’s ride on Komoot on to Port Mac
I was expecting to stop in North Haven today. Rain was expected, but it didn’t eventuate until I actually got to North Haven.
This was a ride I’d done before. After the 10kms of freeway north of Taree, it’s a quiet track all the way to Laurieton. While it was overcast, there was hardly any rain at all. Regardless two old locals had a laugh at me for riding in “this weather”. “It must be horrible mate”. Well, no, it’s been a blast today. You should try it.
I also had another swim along the way. I could get used to this.
I absolutely hate riding near Port Macquarie. There’s plenty of roads with no shoulder, impatient drivers and hills. There are also traffic islands that forever bikes and scooters into the traffic lane. They are the dumbest things I’ve seen and peculiar to this area, in my experience.
I was early in North Haven, so I thought I would keep going. I’d booked a motel in Port Mac for Saturday night, as I wanted to watch the Swans in the AFL Grand Final. So, I checked for availability at a campground in Bonny Hills but when I arrived, it was far too open and in the now howling wind. No problem, there was a more sheltered place down the hill.
All was going well until they asked for $139 for a campsite. Whaaaat? I simply couldn’t pay a motel price for a campsite here. “We’ll sir, technically it’s school holidays”. And you expect someone to camp here tonight ? It’s 4pm, it’s about to rain, and the wind is howling. ???
And rain it did, but it finally let up and I was largely dry on arrival.
I booked a youth hostel in Port Mac and prayed not to have a snorer in my room. That failed miserably (just like the Bloods the next day )
AFL Grand Final Day
I don’t want to talk about it. Go away.
Port Macquarie to South West Rocks
I left fairly early and made my way to the Settlement Point Ferry to the north shore, then took the road to the beach. I rode up the beach for the next 14kms.
You’d think it would have been easy, but I was in a climbing gear most of the way. It was soft in parts, there were a few light rain squalls but the sun came out and I had my now daily swim before I made it to Queens Head.
The wind was onshore and I think this reduced the ridable space on the beach, but it was nice to do, and far preferable to the sand drifts and puddles along the coastal road.
Off the beach and onto the Point Plomer road, it was a gentle ride into Crescent Head where I stopped at Barnett’s Bakery for sustenance. Great food, just expensive. I had a slow cooked hickory beef pie and it was fantastic.
The final part of the day was to South West Rocks where, due to forecast rain, I’d booked a motel. Having done most of this section before in September, I was expecting some persistent magpie attacks and wasn’t disappointed. (unfortunately).
The last part dragged on as the crosswind took its toll (along with my cold) but I made it to the Seabreeze Motel and had an easy evening.
South West Rocks to Macksville
What a day. I couldn’t decide whether to have a rest day or not and while deliberating, the last four rooms in the motel were snapped up. Decision made, I left.
As I left, the sky was blue and the clouds were white and fluffy. It looked perfect. What a great decision.
On the way out of town I stopped to pick up food at the supermarket and I emerged to a different world. It was overcast, cold and really uninviting. I felt like going back and trying that again.
Onward.
I made it another few kilometres to the bridge at Jerseyville where I realised that the storm was going to catch up to me. Luckily there was a park with a shelter, so I had some more breakfast and waited.
The wind became so strong that the shelter provided no shelter from the rain so I settled under some big trees and watched the rain pour down. After 30 minutes even the trees were useless, so I ran over to a toilet block and huddled behind it out of the wind.
I was impatient to get going, so when it had nearly stopped, I jumped back on This Moment and headed off. There were a few kms of traffic before turning off onto the old highway which was almost empty. I had a few kms of freeway shoulder before the old highway recommenced for the run into Macksville.
In Macksville, I’d arranged to meet my friends Greg and Louise who were heading south. We stopped for a chat, but I began to feel the effects of what I thought was a cold. I’d later discover that it was a similar virus. So I stayed at the Star Hotel in Macksville and had a very easy afternoon and evening so I could recover.
Macksville to Woolgoolga
Today would be a pretty big day, considering that I really wasn’t feeling well.
Macksville is ok for one night but I’d go stir crazy if I stayed longer. So I had another early start and headed towards Nambucca.
Komoot tried to send me the back way as I approached the town, so I ignored the directions and had a look around the coastal area. The price of ignoring the directions was a steep hill, but there was a nice cafe at the top. It was perfect for second breakfast.
Next was Coffs Harbour and to get there, I joined the Giinagay Way which is the old Pacific Highway and it’s generally traffic free. Today however, there were groups of old, hotted up and restored cars whizzing by me. They were loud and most were a little generous with the choke. It meant that a quiet ride surrounded by trees became something more like 20kms along Parramatta Road – until they all turned off and normal service was resumed. Ahhhh
I joined a bike path that followed the main road from south of Coffs all the way in. I made my way to Park Beach where I got a toastie and a coffee and sat in the park.
The next section to the north is hell. It’s either a busy four lane, 80km/hr highway or undulating steep hills. I’ve tried both in the past and this time I tried half and half. There was roadwork on my busy section and that server to slow the cars down so that the small shoulder was adequate and pretty safe.
Soon, I was on the Solitary Islands Way (again, it’s the old Pacific Highway) for a nice easy run into Woolgoolga. Still not feeling great, I had an early meal and slept like a log.
I stayed here for two nights and went to the doctor to see about my cold / flu. In the end, it was just a virus that was thankfully gone over the next couple of days.
