Betten On Bike: DAY 112 - 30TH JULY 2013

Day 112 – 30^th July 2013 – Cowra to Molong

Cycling Stats: 100 kms

Cycling Average: 27 km per hour

Walter said his knee is feeling much better this morning. I packed up and just before I left the lovely friendly lady who we had chatted with yesterday evening popped over with a $30 donation for our fundraising campaign for Alzheimer’s Australia Dementia Research Foundation – she apologized to me saying that this was all she had in cash at the moment. I thanked her and told her it was a very generous donation.

We had had lots of rain over night but Walter was confident the weather was clearing and he was keen to go. A few kilometres outside Cowra and I saw a ute with a man in it and a big sign which read 'sheep on road for next 5 kms'. I drove a little further and there was indeed a huge number of sheep taking up the whole road. They were being herded by a farmer who was on a small motorbike and a smart cattle dog was working hard. I stopped when I reached the huge flock and wondered how I would get through. There was a car also stopped on the other side of the road and I watched one sheep run straight into it and it seemed to bounce off and fall but sprung straight back up and began to run erratically to rejoin the others. I was a bit hesitant, wondering what the protocol was and the farmer stopped and said ‘just drive straight through them‘which seemed a bit scary because I didn’t want to run over any sheep but I did continue to drive through the flock ever so very tentatively though.

We had agreed to meet at Canowindra and its sign read –‘Carbonne Country – Home of the Gourmet Basket’ hmmm sounds rather good to me !!

We stopped for coffee there and Walter’s knee seemed to be OK. I was to stop 30kms past Canowindra and he flew past me with the biggest of smiles so all was fine and he seemed to be enjoying the cycle today. Another 30kms further and I arrived at Molong which was to be our lunch stop. He phoned me that his knee was really sore – we had lunch & discussed the options which were - to stop cycling & drive on to Dubbo today & use the time to get the wheel with the broken spoke repaired, or, to stay here and rest. I was all for staying here and resting. Molong “Place of Many Rocks’ (although I haven’t seen any yet and I do think, and so does Walter, that it should be called place of many hills) is a lovely old historic town established in 1822 and just by where we sat to eat the ham, cheese & salad rolls I had prepared for lunch there was a very interesting old Cobb & Co Coach building which was dated circa 1875 according to the weathered sign out front.

So here we are in a lovely Council run Camping Ground at Molong within cooee of the town with washing machines & dryer in the laundry both available for use at no charge. I have never encountered this before. The going rate for washing & drying a load of washing is generally between $6 and $10. The sun is shinning and we are apparently, according to Walter, on the same line on the map as Newcastle and the sudden change in weather is remarkable. It is still winter weather but no more icy icy winds that seem to blow straight through you. We have decided upon a plan for tomorrow and this afternoon we have time to catch up & get some things done.