Saturday Sept 14.

Day 45.          Wagga Wagga to Cootamundra.

Distance: 91 km in 4 hrs 02 min at 22.5 km/hr.

Distance so far: 4458 km

Climbed: 2092 ft.

Elevation tonight: 1118 ft ASL.

AHR:107 bpm.

Punctures so far: 4.

Out at 8.45am.        In at 3.30pm.

Lovely sunshine as I left Club Motel in central Wagga this morning at a later than usual hour. The MG enthusiasts were already up polishing their machines and I congratulated them on the Cats’ victory last night?

The day remained sunny all day and a helpful bit of a tailwind assisted me from start to finish? Such a change from yesterday. Before I had left the confines of Wagga the coat was off and it was short sleeves for the rest of the day.

While still in central Wagga, I paused at the Farmers Market on the grassy area in front of the civic offices. I just had to drop in and sample the free samples of dips, pink lady apples and cake. Wagga Cycling club had a stand there doing a breakfast and when I got the smell of frying rashers, I just couldn’t resist. I was merely helping out a cycling club. Members ther filled me in on their activities - racing (road and track), triathlons and touring. They claim to be the largest inland cycling club in NSW. I justified my meal so early after breakfast in that I would now have a good run at the day......Unbelievable.

Instead of taking the Olympic Highway (the main road) to Cootamundra, I opted to cross the Murrumbidgee River and swing left onto Byrne’s Road and travel along beside the railway. This road had its hills especially as far as Junee. Being Saturday, household,ears were out doing their various tasks as I passed.

The canola fields were so attractive along this road - they stretched off into the distance draped over the gentle slopes. All of the landscape was gently rolling and containing canola, wheat or sheep.

It was a pretty busy road but wide enough to take the cars and bikers that were out for the weekend.

After 40 km I entered Junee, which grew up about the railways. The Junee Roundhouse was once the largest in the Southern Hemisphere , built to maintain trains. Half of it is still functional and the other half is a rail museum.

In the Information Office I got great assistance re the attractions of Junee; too many for me to visit on my limited time. I headed on through the heritage centre of Junee and opted for the  Liquorice  Factory.

This is located in an old mill and the guide explained the process of using water, sugar, molasses, liquorice root (from California) and aniseed. After mixing it’s extruded into long strings, polished and then cut into various lengths. In another section was the coating process in copper pans, coating with chocolate and again polishing with acaccia gum to give it a longer shelf life. Notices around pointed out all the health benefits of liquorice and indeed of chocolate 

I had a coffee here (but nothing to eat as I had done that earlier). After Junee I continued on the Olympic Highway. From Junee I was on a long series of downhills and only the occasional rise. Since the railway was still beside me, I knew that I hadn’t dropped into a hole that I would have to climb out of a later point. I must have climbed a lot on the way to Junee.

In due course I arrived at Bethungra, a quiet village on the Olympic. It had its memorial park without guns reminding you not to forget. Again it grew up servicing the railway and declined as the car/truck took over.

As regards the railway, Bethungra Has the only 360 deg spiral in Australia. Here the railway totally encircles a hill in order to climb and move on. For me, I had a 2 km climb at about 5% all the way to rise the same amount.

From here to Cootamundra, it was all up and down. But that will be a feature of the next few days. I’m coming into hill country that will eventually bring me over the Blue Mountains later this week.

I checked into room 10 at Bradman Motel at 3.30; dropped the bags and continued into town to visit the attractions

Cootamundra is proud to be the birthplace of Donal Bradman, the world’s greatest cricketer, the Christy Ring of cricket. I went to the house where he was born and also visited the Captains Walk....a walkway with all the Australian cricket captains. Quite a few have Irish names, Horan, McCarty and an Armstrong. For Australians passionate about their cricket this is a major attraction. It was a little lost on me.

I also located the Milestone Sculptures, paying tribute to the significance of wheat in the locality. 

As I cycled down the Main Street (Parker St) at 4pm on Sat afternoon I was baffled that there was no one on the street. Apparently, shops close around 3pm on Sat and all head home.

After Mass in the Sacred Heart Church, I had dinner in the Ex-Servicemen’s Club in the centre of town. It was crowded and was well appointed with betting points and screens showing all the sport of the night - racing, greyhounds, harness racing, rugby union, rugby league, cricket and footy. Big one tonight was the clash of Sydney Swans and Carlton. (Swans won 86 to 62)

A really enjoyable cycling day after the wind and rain of yesterday. Every day brings its own story.

Thank God for the health and thank God for the energy.