Day50,51&52

Day 50 started of with a flat back tyre looking at me as i woke up in the room. Changed it outside under the canopy of the pub out of the drizzling rain so i wouldn't put grease and crap all over the carpet which could easily happen. Took off and dealt with more hills and full on vegetation as though I'm in some rain Forrest.

Appropriately named Roads 

Amazon rain Forrest!!!!!!!

Headed toward Batemans Bay first and then just on as far as i could push for the rest of the day and ended up at a little coffee shop called Cafe Brill at Burrill Lake just before Ulladulla owned by Bill. There i bought a hot chocolate and the owner  gave me a free meat pie and we started to chat and then the next minute his ringing up a pub ,The Commercial Pub in Milton about 10 km away to organise a room for me once he found out i didn't have a place yet to stay. Top bloke ,just to drop everything and just sort it in a flash without a fuss.

Big Bill, who just does it.

Got to The Commercial Pub and another climb up the stairs but this time with a twist,have to use the fire escape in the morning as the pubs all closed up. Checked it out and looked dangerous but what can i do.

Slippery wet steal steps this time.

Milton was a strange place as i met Lional Rose who i thought he had died a few months ago and i spoke to him but he was a man of few words.

Lional,legend.

You should sue this bakery for using your name Tim

Day 51started from Milton and pedalled about 30km and met two cyclist ,Danial from Cairns and Neiltz from Berlin at a road house .Danial is cycling from Melbourne to Cairns and Neiltz  is mixing it up doing a bit of work on a shark fishing boat out off Apollo Bay and carpentery work when he can get it. He also likes catching the train when he can. lol. We parted from there and i saw them again fixing a tyre down the track and told them that i would see them further down the road at Nowra.

Time to stop and zip the jacket up just outside Milton as I'm descending into a cloud of fog. bbrrrrrrr.

I waited for a while and took off again after no sight of them but ended up having a flat tyre myself then loose spokes. Changed the tyre and tightened the spokes as good as i could with a spanner because i could not find my spoke tightener. Then disaster struck when coming down this huge hill just after Gerrygong all the spokes in the back wheel come loose and the wheel become wobbly. Relax, i said to myself and think about what is the best solution here.Out with the lap top and to look up Bike Shops Kiama was the decision made. Des answers the phone and i tell him the problem,be there as soon as i can,he says and don't panic. Sure enough he arrives from10km away and gives me a spoke tightener and i get myself going to the Kiama Bike Shop to adjust the rim even further with the help of Rob. A soft spoken no fuss and no charge guy. Emma at the counter was looking good too and being helpful when needed . I left there amazed how this team from Kiama Cycles and Sports store had treated me in the time i needed it and actually felt bad that i had not been able to give anything back. Rob had told me to book into The Grand Hotel and i did but unfortunately it was a three story building and the only room available was at the top, so up i went again 50 steps later with plenty of bends with the bike.

First stage

Second stage

Then my luck changed and while ordering a meal at the Hotel i saw Des  from the bike shop also at the restaurant so i pounced and bought him and his mate a beer for the favour earlier,it was the least i could do.

Day 52 was an early start as i was going to try and make it into Sydney before a huge storm coming up from Victoria hit me. Got on to the Princess Highway and exited at Bulli to the coast road as it is a bit safer and more scenic. Trouble was that didn't have the same tail wind that i had on the freeway because of the mountains and trees,still it was well worth it in the end to see that part of the country.

The old Scarborough Hotel  on the scenic route.

On the road before entering back onto the freeway i met a couple of cyclist from Melbourne

Danial and Tim stopped to say hello

Danial and Tim who are finishing a huge trek across countries starting in London,called Ride2Rescue, which is a ride for the benefit of child slavery.They had come down from Darwin and heading back to home after 13 months(Mel). I looked up there blog and there are four in the team and what they have done is huge and for a good cause so check it out and donate if you like.

I met PINKY on the sidewalk coming into Sydney.

Back onto the freeway and the Sydney buildings appear in front of me and i weave my way into the guts of the city looking for Paddington where my mate Tony and Jen live with there two children, Jack and Ella, in a nice Terrace House.

Tony and Jens pad

 Found it ok and Jen met me and she gave me a set of keys and said ,make yourself at home and i will be back later. That night we all sat down to a nice meal that Jen had whipped up and chattered for a while then  and i retired for a good nights sleep.Tomorrow i will really bore you with another blog as i will have time .Cheers GRANT.