Chris L
Woke up in something of a pool this morning. A persistent downpour last night (which managed to keep me awake for long periods) had left quite a legacy. The good news was that it managed to wash away some of the corrugations in that dirt road from Douglas Aspley National Park back to the coast. I headed due north, into a monster of a headwind, taking in more coastal views.
After about 30km or so I was faced with a choice about whether to continue on the coast, or whether to head inland for a bit over Elephant Pass. There was really only one choice for me there, particularly as the coast road was blocked by sheep at the time. After applying some sunscreen I started climbing. This was a little unusual in that the 10km climb couldn't decide on a gradient. It seemed to change whenever it felt like it. Unfortunately, the climb didn't really offer any great views.
8km in I stopped at Mt Elephant pancakes for a quick feed. The food was good, if a little over-priced. The remainder of the ride through St Helens was uneventful, except that I discovered a pleasant waterfall on the eastern edge of the town, before descending back to the coast. I went looking for a bakery in the town of Scamander, I didn't find one. The remainder of the ride to the town of St Helens was accompanied by occasional ocean-views, and at one stage passed by quite a pleasant lagoon.
Eventually I relented (mainly because I was getting tired from turning aside headwinds) and pitched my tent at a caravan park rather than looking around. This one appears to be a little more roomy than Coles Bay was, and not quite so crowded, so hopefully I can get a decent night's sleep.
I don't seem to be able to get any concrete information on whether there is a road linking Bay of Fires to Mt William National Park without returning to St Helens for tomorrow's ride. Some maps say there is, some say there isn't. Maybe I'll take a punt tomorrow, maybe I won't. I'll wait and see what sort of day it is I think.
After about 30km or so I was faced with a choice about whether to continue on the coast, or whether to head inland for a bit over Elephant Pass. There was really only one choice for me there, particularly as the coast road was blocked by sheep at the time. After applying some sunscreen I started climbing. This was a little unusual in that the 10km climb couldn't decide on a gradient. It seemed to change whenever it felt like it. Unfortunately, the climb didn't really offer any great views.
8km in I stopped at Mt Elephant pancakes for a quick feed. The food was good, if a little over-priced. The remainder of the ride through St Helens was uneventful, except that I discovered a pleasant waterfall on the eastern edge of the town, before descending back to the coast. I went looking for a bakery in the town of Scamander, I didn't find one. The remainder of the ride to the town of St Helens was accompanied by occasional ocean-views, and at one stage passed by quite a pleasant lagoon.
Eventually I relented (mainly because I was getting tired from turning aside headwinds) and pitched my tent at a caravan park rather than looking around. This one appears to be a little more roomy than Coles Bay was, and not quite so crowded, so hopefully I can get a decent night's sleep.
I don't seem to be able to get any concrete information on whether there is a road linking Bay of Fires to Mt William National Park without returning to St Helens for tomorrow's ride. Some maps say there is, some say there isn't. Maybe I'll take a punt tomorrow, maybe I won't. I'll wait and see what sort of day it is I think.