Sunday 24 Feb 2019

The Castlereagh Hwy wasn’t as busy today as it was yesterday but it is still a highway. Along the way there was a lookout over the Capertee Canyon, which is the widest canyon in the world, although not as deep as the Grand Canyon. As almost usual when I come to magnificent viewpoints it wasn’t much of a view as it was totally overcast, with sprinkly precipitation threatening.

At Ben Bullen a vendor was just setting up selling all manner of fresh fruits, mostly very familiar to someone from the Okanagan Valley, but also fresh figs! I had to have a few. Just south of there Google Maps shows a road from Baal Bone Colliery to Wang, but it fails to mention that this road is closed to unauthorized people, a firm locked gate stating that point clearly. So instead I went down a bit further to Cullen Bullen and took the longer detour via Portland. On the way there were lots of blackberry bushes with tons of fat ripe berries. Yum! Smoko in Portland.

I meant to ask what this industrial complex was or is, but I forgot.

The rest of the way to Wang was into more firm headwinds. It had warmed up to all of……… 18º! Which felt very cold with that strong wind. In Wang I set up camp at the free Lake Wallace camping area, which even offers warm showers. After freshening up Denise Keeley came over for a nice long visit. She had brought coffee, tea, and a whole slew of treats: fresh fruit, chips and snicker bars. What a gal! Too bad that Malcolm is stuck in Darwin. His work schedule is 2 weeks on and 3 weeks off. He has been so helpful with all kinds of BNT trail advice from before I left Canada until now. You guys have to take some time and visit us in Osoyoos! All you can eat gelato! Denise also told me that my originally intended detour would not have been a pleasant route, very eroded.

The rest of the afternoon I spent hunkered down at the Bowling Club and then dinner at the Chinese restaurant. While at the Bowling Club Lynne Anderson phoned to tell me she read an article in a free Gympie newspaper featuring: oui — moi! I knew it was in the works since it is Dave Macleod who writes in there, but I thought it was going to be a little filler article about me. Instead it is front page, continuing on several more pages and ending with a really funny cartoon. I can’t wait to see it. She’ll mail it to Canberra.

Today’s totals 42k 3:20h 500m+ 445m-