Post Christmas Doings

After our big day on Christmas Day we had to do it all again on Boxing Day.  This was when we enjoyed the day with all of Mick’s family.  We travelled to Orange to his niece’s new house, which is lovely.

It had rained overnight here on Christmas night.  We had received 26mm.  Halfway to Orange we started to notice the creeks running a banker, and as we got closer to Orange there was water everywhere. They had received about 70mm overnight!!! I’m glad we didn’t receive that at home.

After we returned home we had a nanna nap.  Showing our age aren’t we.

When we hopped up I went out the back and was greeted by this.

I stitched the photos together the best I could.  It was quite an impressive front coming through.  We ran around, battening down the hatches before the worst of it hit.

Fortunately, we only received a further 30mm, but once again we had water through the shed and the driveway is a river again.  About 15 minutes away from us received 100mm and caused more flooding, so we missed the worst of it.

Anyway, by yesterday morning the rain had stopped so we arranged to meet some mates and go for a bike ride.  We need to get some miles up on Olga before she is shipped off in March.

We were just about to leave home when it started to rain again.  Oh well, we’d go into town and see if the rain eased and if the others were silly enough to come out.  It rained quite heavily all the way to town.  They were silly and the rain eased.

Our original plan was to go to Boorowa via Wyangla Dam so that we could see it nice and full for a change.  That plan changed after all the rain out that way.  We decided to go in the opposite direction, past Windermere Dam to see how it was filling up.  It has still got a long way to go.

It was then on to Rylstone for coffee and to play it by ear from there.

As the weather was clearing, but still nice and cool – perfect motorcycling weather – we decided to continue on to Mudgee, then to Hill End via Hargraves.  Along the way I was playing with the set up of our new toy. It has  a few different features from our old one.

Hargraves has some lovely old buildings.

The roads were lovely and quiet and seemed to be going uphill all the time.

Next stop was the lovely old mining village of Hill End for a late lunch and a wander around.

I love the shady avenues.

Lunch at the Royal Hotel.

The pub has true country character.

After lunch we went for a stroll before heading home.  It had turned into a perfect day.

When you are headed back towards Bathurst it feels like you are on top of the world.  The best thing is that the road is now sealed all the way.  It was a bit of a goat track before.

We had to cross the Turon River.

You don’t see many timber bridges these days.

The river was still raging, but nothing compared to what it had been.  Apparently the water had been two and half metres over the bridge.  I’d believe it when you see the high water mark.

Then it was down into the valley – looking lovely and green – and onto home.

Considering the day out very nearly didn’t happen and we had not planned to go anywhere near where we did, we had a wonderful time.  Often it is the impromptu days that are the best.

By the way, Olga didn’t miss a beat in about 350kms of mainly steep and windy roads.  It looks like the gearbox problem is all solved.  Hooray!!