WISEMAN"S FERRY with Linda
She planned to meet someone in Campbelltown and on her way there she was going to drop in and pick me up. If she is coming by, I’ll better clean up! Hey, isn’t that the reason why I leave the house?
No, not really! It’s about taking time out and exploring new territory and spending time with some other people than those closest to me. And no, they are not being replaced by new ones, the new ones are additional ones that enhance ALL of our lives.
Well, today I got Lindy out of bed again. Just like last weekend. It seems that the poor party girl gets very little sleep on Saturdays when I’m around. We had a date for noon, but as I am always running late for everything, I never got to Silverwater in time anyway. It was quite hot: around 25C degrees and my jacket still had the winter lining in it. When I got to the meeting point, I took it out and felt much better. Riding is all about comfort. When you feel stiff and cramped, you ride like it too.
So, Lindy had a map! “In the land of the lost, she who has map is queen”. One of these days I’ll get myself a map too. One map of the city and suburbs and a couple of surrounding areas, such as Kangaroo Valley, Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Hunter Valley and Gosford way.
We had a great ride today. Originally we wanted to make it to Berowra Waters, but we ended up at the Wiseman’s Ferry Inn for a nice lunch. Coming down those last few serpentines, river glimpses amongst tall timbers, created a sense of expectation, a touch of excitement, which brought a smile to my face.
It’s always great to see that old two-storey sandstone pub, perched on the hillside and perfectly inviting to a well catered break in your trip. The busy bistro fills the plates to the rim, the tasty herb bread is solid and even the side salad is prepared with some imagination and quality ingredients.
Do NOT buy that $3 cup of instant coffee again, Lindy!
So, it’s not a coffee house!
The patrons, a mixture of locals and day-trippers, are soaking up the warm afternoon sun. It seemed as if the locals had settled in for the day and who could blame them?! A constant trickle of motorcycles arriving, departing and passing through to the ferry provided plenty of background entertainment. Apparently on Sundays there is even a band.
The place was quite busy, but the timing was right and we found ourselves a nice, shaded table, right out front under the big tree.
One group of locals…in prime position…cheered as if on cue, when a garishly bright yellow, open air, oversized all-terrain vehicle carrying a bunch of young-ish blokes, drinking beer, drove past down to the river. The tour operator slowed down just enough to get the attention. The blokes cheered back. The locals had another sip from their already raised glasses. Their pale and bare-footed toddler chasing her rope-bound puppy dog amongst the tables.
A mob of brightly spandex-clad bike riders, cyclists we had passed earlier, arrived soon after we finished our lunch. One of them had obviously come off, hit the asphalt at speed and looked absolutely terrible. “It was my rear tyre!” he uttered, gravel-rash right up his leg, bike pants ripped, elbow bandaged, bleeding knee. The guy looked like he was a bit under the influence of … endorphins…poor guy…and he’d have to ride all the way back home, too! Ouch!
On the way back we took the river loop. River Road was deserted and a real treat. There was a little gravel, some branches and rock debris on the side of the road. Thank goodness all avoidable. Nothing too scary. The only thing I found a little annoying were the bugs that kept splattering in my face.
I couldn’t keep the visor closed because the sun was low and glaring in my eyes. Which meant that some corners were just too glary to judge well, but once I adjusted to it, peering over the top of my glasses and below the edge of my visor, getting targeted by suicidal insects, I was doing ok.
As Lindy related stories about her childhood memories, waterskiing the river, we took the Sackville Ferry across the Hawksbury, whilst I wished that I had taken more photographs, and once again, our day has been a ‘perfect issue’, best quality weather, little traffic. No Sunday Drivers.
The homebound loop (only one wrong turn!) took us through some amazing countryside. It was certainly ‘a first time’ for me. I love discovering new places! Here we passed through a well-established rural area, with most fragrant orange-blossomed orchards, paddocks, grazing horses and fields and market gardens, some idyllic old houses with sandstone walls and charming wrought iron gates dotted around the expanse. In the distance, to the west, there are the Blue Mountains rising up toward the slowly setting sun.
So, getting home, taking off in different directions around Baulkham Hills on the Cumberland Highway, was a piece of cake. Traffic becomes annoying on the outskirts. By the time I got to Lukas Heights, night had fallen and my energy levels had dropped enough to justify a V-drink, which propped me right up and made me go home the coast way. All the way!
Jeeehaaa!
Well, thanks again, Lindy!
Had a beaut Satdie Arvo.
Loved it!
And tomorrow? Pool time…and a quick wash of the two-wheeled Ninja.
She planned to meet someone in Campbelltown and on her way there she was going to drop in and pick me up. If she is coming by, I’ll better clean up! Hey, isn’t that the reason why I leave the house?
No, not really! It’s about taking time out and exploring new territory and spending time with some other people than those closest to me. And no, they are not being replaced by new ones, the new ones are additional ones that enhance ALL of our lives.
Well, today I got Lindy out of bed again. Just like last weekend. It seems that the poor party girl gets very little sleep on Saturdays when I’m around. We had a date for noon, but as I am always running late for everything, I never got to Silverwater in time anyway. It was quite hot: around 25C degrees and my jacket still had the winter lining in it. When I got to the meeting point, I took it out and felt much better. Riding is all about comfort. When you feel stiff and cramped, you ride like it too.
So, Lindy had a map! “In the land of the lost, she who has map is queen”. One of these days I’ll get myself a map too. One map of the city and suburbs and a couple of surrounding areas, such as Kangaroo Valley, Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Hunter Valley and Gosford way.
We had a great ride today. Originally we wanted to make it to Berowra Waters, but we ended up at the Wiseman’s Ferry Inn for a nice lunch. Coming down those last few serpentines, river glimpses amongst tall timbers, created a sense of expectation, a touch of excitement, which brought a smile to my face.
It’s always great to see that old two-storey sandstone pub, perched on the hillside and perfectly inviting to a well catered break in your trip. The busy bistro fills the plates to the rim, the tasty herb bread is solid and even the side salad is prepared with some imagination and quality ingredients.
Do NOT buy that $3 cup of instant coffee again, Lindy!
So, it’s not a coffee house!
The patrons, a mixture of locals and day-trippers, are soaking up the warm afternoon sun. It seemed as if the locals had settled in for the day and who could blame them?! A constant trickle of motorcycles arriving, departing and passing through to the ferry provided plenty of background entertainment. Apparently on Sundays there is even a band.
The place was quite busy, but the timing was right and we found ourselves a nice, shaded table, right out front under the big tree.
One group of locals…in prime position…cheered as if on cue, when a garishly bright yellow, open air, oversized all-terrain vehicle carrying a bunch of young-ish blokes, drinking beer, drove past down to the river. The tour operator slowed down just enough to get the attention. The blokes cheered back. The locals had another sip from their already raised glasses. Their pale and bare-footed toddler chasing her rope-bound puppy dog amongst the tables.
A mob of brightly spandex-clad bike riders, cyclists we had passed earlier, arrived soon after we finished our lunch. One of them had obviously come off, hit the asphalt at speed and looked absolutely terrible. “It was my rear tyre!” he uttered, gravel-rash right up his leg, bike pants ripped, elbow bandaged, bleeding knee. The guy looked like he was a bit under the influence of … endorphins…poor guy…and he’d have to ride all the way back home, too! Ouch!
On the way back we took the river loop. River Road was deserted and a real treat. There was a little gravel, some branches and rock debris on the side of the road. Thank goodness all avoidable. Nothing too scary. The only thing I found a little annoying were the bugs that kept splattering in my face.
I couldn’t keep the visor closed because the sun was low and glaring in my eyes. Which meant that some corners were just too glary to judge well, but once I adjusted to it, peering over the top of my glasses and below the edge of my visor, getting targeted by suicidal insects, I was doing ok.
As Lindy related stories about her childhood memories, waterskiing the river, we took the Sackville Ferry across the Hawksbury, whilst I wished that I had taken more photographs, and once again, our day has been a ‘perfect issue’, best quality weather, little traffic. No Sunday Drivers.
The homebound loop (only one wrong turn!) took us through some amazing countryside. It was certainly ‘a first time’ for me. I love discovering new places! Here we passed through a well-established rural area, with most fragrant orange-blossomed orchards, paddocks, grazing horses and fields and market gardens, some idyllic old houses with sandstone walls and charming wrought iron gates dotted around the expanse. In the distance, to the west, there are the Blue Mountains rising up toward the slowly setting sun.
So, getting home, taking off in different directions around Baulkham Hills on the Cumberland Highway, was a piece of cake. Traffic becomes annoying on the outskirts. By the time I got to Lukas Heights, night had fallen and my energy levels had dropped enough to justify a V-drink, which propped me right up and made me go home the coast way. All the way!
Jeeehaaa!
Well, thanks again, Lindy!
Had a beaut Satdie Arvo.
Loved it!
And tomorrow? Pool time…and a quick wash of the two-wheeled Ninja.
posted by The '95 Ninja ZX6R at 8:58 AM
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