The dingo ate my blundstone (almost), and other adventures

So I'm a week and around 300km into my journey and already collecting a swag of stories, which I need to unload a little so it doesn't get too heavy and weigh down my already laden bike. I'm already settling into a rhythm of life on the road- resting and rising, packing and unpacking, solitude and company, movement and stillness... It is amazing how quickly a way of life can become the norm, with past ways of being somehow unimaginable..

Well the most boring stories are chronological, which is a challenge for my often linear mind. So I'll give you a skeleton first on which to put some meat.

The week in a nutshell:
Wed 12: Train to Newcastle, ferry to Stockton, cycle (~40km) to Anna Bay, where I camped in the forest.
Thurs 13: Cycled to Nelson Bay (~10km), caught a ferry to Tea Gardens, and cycled to Mungo Brush/Dees Corner in Myall Lakes National Park (~21km)
Fri 14: Exploration day in Myall Lakes NP
Sat 15: Cycled ~90km to Forster
Sun 16: Cycled ~60km to Crowdy Bay NP
Mon 17: Cycled ~40km further into Crowdy Bay NP
Tues 18: Cycled ~40km in the rain to Port Macquarie, where I lashed out on a youth hostel to escape the damp, and now sit in an internet cafe.

I was a bundle of nerves and anticipation as I wobbled towards Central last Wednesday morning, unaccustomed to the fully loaded bike (front and back panniers and handlebar bag). "Aack, do I have too much stuff? Where will I sleep tonight? Will there be enough daylight to get some km under my belt" (I was of course leaving later than planned, distracted by breakfast with friends and last minute bike-maintenance)... all these and other silly worries were jumping around in my belly. Not helped by a man on the train telling me 'you won't find much in Anna Bay', my planned destination for the day. After some smooth and soothing pedalling (despite the not so soothing military jets of the RAAF base in Williamtown roaring overhead), I discovered that he was wrong. There is sand in Anna Bay. Lots and lots and lots of sand. And some lovely forest too. I romped on the dunes for a while, pretended to be in the desert (a head nod to the lovely Kaitlin for that one), and even did a handstand or two (those familiar with my aversion to upside-down-ness will understand the momentousness of this occasion). Day one, and so many more to come!

After spending the past month in Sydney (and years before that), I'm certainly enjoying the change of pace, and the surprises I stumble across as I move through the landscape. Unsurprisingly, many of these have taken avian form, such as the friendly but forlorn (fishing-line tangled) brush-turkeys, blue faced honeyeater, azure kingfishers and whistling kites (one of which I swear has followed me ever since) in Myall Lakes NP. Then there was the veritable gaggle of noisy friarbirds and other honeyeaters in Crowdy Bay NP, flying in a crowd ahead of me, as if laughing and greeting this ridiculous two-wheeled creature- 'Alice is coming', 'Alice is coming'... I'd almost be fooled into the impression that my strange appearance made their day, but who would I be kidding? There was too much nectar to be guzzled in the fully-flowering banksia scrub, too much delicious cacophony to be made for that to be true. But they sure made my day.

That was just one of the many wonders that bound my heart to the beautiful Crowdy Bay NP. Watching an echidna stretch its nose skywards while walking up to drink in stunning views from the headland that is Diamond Point are a couple more. Perhaps topping it off is this morning, when I watched an osprey, brahminy kite, Australian gannets and endangered little terns all fishing at dawn, while dolphins surfed beneath them. As for animal encounters of another kind, a dingo took a liking to one of my boots left at camp while I was off wandering the beach in Myall Lakes (watch out for the upcoming opera- the Dingo Stole My Blundstone!). Thankfully, a kind fellow camper retrieved it, and I continue well shod. In another effort from mother nature to gently remind me it's not all osprey and dolphins, it has also rained every night so far, but she has normally been considerate enough to let me reach the last few mouthfuls of dinner before opening up the heavens.

I have already had such a heart-warming taste of the generosity in strangers I have heard other cycle-tourers speak of. There are the small and nonetheless appreciated acts: retirees helping me lug my gear onto and off of the Port Stephens Ferry, short and encouraging conversations with curious strangers, or a free ferry ride and bottle of water at Bombah Pt in Myall Lakes. Then there are those who really go out of their way. Here I need to introduce the unlikely souls from the Raymond Terrace fishing club, whose palatial tents and towering trucks I suddenly found my little tent surrounded by on my second day camped in Myall Lakes. 30-odd fishermen and their families wouldn't exactly be my chosen campground companions, but I was already established, what could I do? Everything has its upside though, and although I didn't have the serenity I dreamed of in leaving the city, I was welcomed in, fed freshly caught fish (thanks Steve), bbq'ed banana and plied with home-made slices and freddo frogs for the next day's riding. In return they demanded songs on the ukulele, and took a liking to my cover of 'I Like Birds' by the Eels, requesting it three or four times. A situation I could never have imagined. As for the rest of the night, as our bedtimes differed somewhat, all I can say is thank goodness for earplugs.

The other generous soul who has brightened my week is Helen, my first warm showers host (www.warmshowers.org). And what a lovely warm welcome to warm showers, and what a lovely warm shower I enjoyed! Also appreciated were the hearty meal, game of scrabble, chats, and meeting her friend Henry. Having completed a masters in international relations, Henry has concluded that everything that happens is about oil, and declared war on cars. Initially unsuccessful in job-hunting, he has decided to cycle to Perth instead! Now there's a role model for you! Good luck to you Henry.

For anyone feeling postally inclined, on the cards for the next little while are Grafton, probably Yamba and Broadwater.

Oh and my apologies again, I forgot to bring the camera cord along, so still no photos! Soon!

Cyclically yours,

Alice and Wren