No you don’t just plug yourself into a power outlet. What you do is back up the bike with your camping gear and high tail it outta town….would’ve been nicer if My Sweety could’ve come with me but you can’t have everything all the time.
Out at 6:30 to beat the traffic wanting to escape just like me. Pretty uneventful and thought I’d stop at our favourite café if Bungendore, only to find the entire town closed!! Oh well, on yer bike! Next stop was Hume for fuel and servo coffee and a snack for me.
Down the Monaro and through Cooma, just putting along on the limit (with the cruise control set). Then turn onto my favourite 44km of road – the Snowy Mountains Highway but today, I was a good girl as there were some local law enforcers out and about and let’s face it…..it’s not worth spoiling a holiday with an present you don’t want. Lunch and fuel in Adaminaby. Now, I had the foresight to actually phone ahead to make sure fuel was available but didn’t think about food….lol. So a tin of flavoured tuna from the BP while sitting in the shade of the awning next to Dudley on the ground was it…5 star all the way.
Now into the Kosciuszko National Park. I’ve always wanted this photo and never stopped. Was a bit risky I might add….never mind was worth it.
Into the peace and serenity of the Snowy High Country, where the road twists and turns like a ribbon of fresh liquorice with views that are breath-taking! If you haven’t been to this part of the country, come do yourself a favour and make the trip…..you won’t be disappointed.
Bit of traffic on Elliot Way today so it’s nice and steady. Finally into one of the best lookouts I’ve come across in my travels – The Southern Cloud Lookout. I can’t help but stop here every single time I pass through. Not far past the Tumut Power Station I came across a lady with a flat tyre. Naturally I pulled over to assist only to discover her other half on the ground with the job almost done. They mentioned that of all the people that passed them, I was the only one to stop and offer assistance…. “and you are on a motorbike?”…LOL
AND….before long…..I reach that line of Poplar Trees that tells me I have arrived to My Piece of Paradise – Tintaldra.
It’s not hard to see why I love it here. Country air, the sound of cows mooing, the birds are squawking and the peacefulness! It’s like I have the universe to myself….Bliss. Turn the corner over the bridge into Victoria and Tah-Dah!! Made it!!! My piece of Paradise in Australia @ Camp Kimmie in the Clearwater by the Upper Murray Caravan Park – Back Tintaldra Rd, Tintaldra. The only thing missing is My Sweety xxx
The end of the day deserves a drink and dinner at the pub as here was no shopping today.
A little tour of town after dinner.
Time for bed.
Woke up this morning with soooo much sleep in my eyes I couldn’t focus. That to me is having had a good nights sleep…Bliss!! There’s something to be said for camping. Waiting for the billy to boil for my morning coffee (mocha anyway) and to contemplate what to do today. Decided Bright is the plan and some grocery shopping so if I don’t want to venture out for the rest of my holiday…I don’t have too!
Life’s pretty tough when you have a view like this just a few kays down the road…..but who’s complaining.
Bumped into friends Ree, Crowey and their friends for lunch…Nice seeing you guys!! Time ticked on and got heaps hotter so time to head back. Bit of traffic but once on the Cudgewa back road…it was nice and peaceful to open up Dudley for little bit. Dinner tonight id home cooked yummy Lamb and Rosemary sausages with salad….took a little longer to cook that I thought.
While I was out a friend from Canberra Mick and his mates had arrived…nice surprise! Now only if they could get there Sena’s all to talk to one another…..ROFL!!!!
Another morning dawned to the sounds of Mother Nature…..trees rustling, Cockies squawking and the birds chirping.
Followed by a leisurely walk around the block. It’s gonna be a warm one and the humidity is already climbing the charts. Anyhoos, off I go……
Stopped in to say “Good Morning” to Bett….who by the way is a “legend” and would you believe 93 years “Young”!!!
Kicking back for the rest of the day. Viewing the pics taken and tapping away on the keyboard writing this blog while listening to a bit of Country AND Western music. A family is staying in a caravan here with their Dalmatian puppy who is deaf. They wondered down to have a little chat for a bit.
Boys are back from their ride and head to the pub. I wonder up later to join in a refreshing ale with them. Many debates are had and we soon consume the pub with raucous laughter from tall tales of adventures this group of fellas have enjoyed (some of which required adjudication by an external party). Now one member (who will remain nameless….right Scott…he he he) refused to believe the adjudications decision and chose to seek his own form of truth………if only he had reception!!! ROFL. That’s what you get for being on Vodafone. The disappointment on his face says it all……sorry, still laughing…ROFL!!!
I chose to be Switzerland for the rest of the conversation, interjecting what some might call sarcasm……can you imagine that….me….sarcasm…..REALLY!!!! from time to time.
Back at camp dinner for me was a lovely Porterhouse steak with salad and a beer….nice. Just to set things straight….no I didn’t pack the BBQ .
The humidity at 9pm is still high and it’s threatening with rain. Needless to say even with my little fan going in the tent (yes, there are a few luxuries) I just didn’t get a fabulous night’s sleep. The humidity was unbelievable. Anyway, I still managed to sleep until 7:40am before stirring to the boys packed up and almost ready to go.
After a nice cold shower, breakfast was Egg Muffin and Mocha coffee before setting in to the morning chores…..well washing up. Life’s tough! Now what day is it???? It’s very easy to lose track of time here….I’ll take a punt and say it’s Friday 29th Dec.
Being a part of the fabulous riding community, some FarRider family members have followed my SPOT and facebook posts and have over the past days phoned or messaged in. Hackle is always good for a chat and handy hints for the best riding roads in the area and just generally checking to make sure everything is OK with me….. To quote Hackle “I’m only a phone call away if you need anything Kimmie” love these moments – Thanks Hackle.
Other FarRider family members have been out doing what we LD riders do…go Far-Away places on the clock, why, well, because we can. On a said intervening Philmor dropped me a text asking “if I wasn’t busy could he drop by for a cuppa”…we naturally the answer was YES! Right on 10am as planned Phil pulls up! The kettle was just about ready and we sat for a good time chatting ‘bout this and that before he had to be back on the road “homeward bound”. Thanks for dropping by…loved it!! Say HI to Joy for me.
Tonight I’m having dinner with other friends from Wodonga, Eve, Eamonn and their friends Melissa and Greg up at the pub. So for now, it’s started to actually rain, yes, real rain this time not just the sprinkling we’ve had on and off all day. Gonna kick back, have a cuppa, wait for the Brie to come to room temperature and have some afternoon tea……Life’s tough!! But this is what it takes to re-charge the batteries.
Up at the pub it’s pelting down raining and the pub is obviously the place to be tonight (glad I booked in advance). The meals were big and good and it was great to catch up with Eve and Eamonn again but they have an hour and a half to get home raining in horrible weather, so it’s farewells all round and they are off. I head back to the park and into bed.
What a wild and woolly night that was! Sooo much rain. Woke up this morning to discover I was sleeping on a waterbed. So much water between the tarp & tent it formed its own bladder 😲. Now had to pull down everything to dry out and reassemble.
On the plus side, I was still dry 👍. Managed to cook scrambled eggs & muffin for breaky on the Trangia. Feeling very proud of myself😁😁
Take 2. Tent all setup again in a slightly different position and sleep pod direction. Kicking back with the music going while the washing dries and I have a read
What a way to spend the day. Total relaxation in the best place in the country….whiling away the hours and watching all the new holidayers rolling in (disrupting my peace and tranquillity).
My last night in Paradise. Cooked lamb & rosemary snags on the bbq & had salad with it. Was very lovely. Cleaning & packing things up now. Planning the ride home. A lovely family arrive in a camper trailer, the bloke has been coming to Tintaldra for some 18 years and we swap stories about our favourite place. Later on we all sit under the awning with Rick by the fire.
Sunday – New Years Eve morning and it’s time to pack up my camp site and whisk myself away, back home to my Sweety and Ella-Jane. I don’t want to go but somethings you just have to do.
Had a lovely run thru the Kosciuszko Nat Park this morning. Bit of wildlife about but was just cruising and able to miss everything. Gotta love this part of the country…the scenery alone is spectacular! I can’t describe to you the feeling of peace that winds its way through my total being when I’m in this part of the country.
Into Cooma and my first non camping breaky. OMG there’s traffic at 10am..more to the point there’s other cars. Holiday must be coming to an end.
Then it’s off down the Monaro Highway with the cruise control set to the speed limit. Many overtake me but I’m not playing that game with Mr Plod being vigilant over the holiday break. Queanbeyan for fuel and to take off the extra layers that I required on the morning run through the National Park. From here, it’s a steady run home up the Hume Highway and I’m hoping that there isn’t going to be too much traffic. The trip is pretty uneventful, just steadily chipping away the last couple of hundred kilometres listening to my favourite music in the helmet.
3:05pm into the garage at home and the arms of My Sweety, Karl. Ella-Jane is barking with happiness and its hugs, kisses and licks all round.
A pretty good holiday if you ask me and the time to re-charge the batteries was certainly well worth it.
