Wassa still has a strong hold on the Gold medal for high country photography!
Canbaroo, Mate you are far too kind ... and thank you. I like the shots of others, especially of places that I haven't seen.
I also like the Travelling Stock Routes of NSW. Out on those back tracks ... I'm really big on sheep shots. The paddocks are full of sheep. It is fantastic to see the farm dams full after more than a decade of drought. I'm on
le grand- tour around Cavan, Glenrock, Wee Jasper and Yass (not Italy) and I came back to Canberra to change my tyres for ones with some grip. Some of the hills at the back of the Murrumbidgee are not long or high but they're like the BNT in Victoria for lack of grip. I've changed the Larson TTs back to a Crossmark and a Rendez(front). The TT obviously doesn't stand for Tourist Trophy or Time Trial when I use then, I think TT could be French for Tuff Titties. I'll keep one TT as a spare or for when I'm on the tarmac, instead of the Rendez.
Shaun the Sheep on Dog Trap Road.
The road to Cavan.
Shaun on Cavan Road. Shaun is lurking just over the brow ... spot him? The tablelands look more like emerald English pastures than straw bleached Aussie paddocks.
Shaun attempting to push over a giant Red Gum on Horse Shoe Road while others are lining-up to have their turn. For a sheep pushing over this tree is like pulling the 'sword from the stone', legendary stuff. Many sheep try, many leave disappointed ... and still they come in droves.
Shaun on Mountain Creek Road.
Do you know the normally skinny little creek that flows under Taemus Bridge? I believe it is still there somewhere.
At Burrinjuck, I'd planned to ride around the edge of the lake and find a good quiet place to hide and camp for a week and then do day rides around the lake checking-out some marine fossils ... but the lake is 99% full. So I rode back to Canberra, I've changed my tyres, bought a couple of topos of the northern Brindies, cursed both the Kiwis and the French and topped up the grub.
... and now, a parting shot of Shaun the Sheep playing with a dog.
It has been unbelievably warm weather, 8°C above average and surprisingly warm at night ... I hope it lasts. It is good to be touring with no shortage of water either. I have an MSR Sweatwater filter and boil water for 8 minutes. Sheep+dogs=Hydatids Country. There are lots of feral dogs in the ranges, they get a bit noisy at night.
It has taken a bit of planning to get permission from graziers to take private roads so that I can keep off the tarmac as much as pos'. I don't use Google Maps or the GPS for navigation out on the back roads, it is unwise. Some of the public road signs have been altered (I'm guessing by graziers) to there property names, I have found. The topos have the property names unlike my GPS. Also some of the public roads that cross properties, I've also found have 'No Through Road' signs, falsely displayed, which is not infrequent. When you travel out on the back blocks the real maps make your day. I've had to challenge one grazier this trip who was telling fibs about having no entry on a public road. With the topo it was no contest.
I hope that you enjoyed the shots. I'm restarting the tour tomorrow going via Cavan from the NW of the ACT.
Warren.
