Showy Ride - part 2

Continuing with our weekend away at the Snowys a week and a half ago.......

On the Sunday, after breakfast we were back on the bikes and I had a go at using my camera on the back of the bike.  It wasn't too bad.  Not as good as the sidecar, but OK.  The only down side was that I noticed that I have another "Damn Spot" in the lens.  See it at the top right of the photo.

This time the camera is out of warranty, so I will be up for a new one.  I'll have to have a bit of a think about what I buy.  I love the great zoom on my little point and shoot, but that is the problem.  Dust seems to get into the lens when the zoom is out.  I'll just use Mick's little waterproof one for the time being, despite it having minimal zoom, but of course we didn't take it with us on the weekend.  So be it.

Back to our ride......

We headed off to Jindabyne for morning tea.  The landscape was quite different to the steep windy stuff we had been on the day before.

However, it wasn't too long after Jindabyne that the lines on the road changed back to yellow.  Our ride was over the Alpine Way, one of the highest roads in Australia and one that is closed for a lot of winter.

Mick and I visited here about ten years ago.  There had been bushfires through the year before and everything was very black and sad looking.  Now there seems to be loads of regrowth with a haze of the old dead trees above it.

After we climbed and climbed, we came to this sign.

And down we went.....and down... and down.

Finally we came to a lovely little creek and had a breather.  The creek really was lovely,

The water was beautiful and clear over the rocks.

I couldn't get over how tall the trees were, after the smaller snow gums higher up.

After a little while we were off again.

Our next stop was at the viewing spot for the Murray 1 Power Station.

Lunch was at Khancoban.  It is in a valley and it was HOT!  We were happy to be on the road again and climbing back up into the mountains, where the air was cooler.

Next stop was at Tooma Dam.

There was a sign with a good map showing where we had travelled.

At our next break we took a group photo.

I thought we were high, but we had to climb even more to pass the Tumut 2 Power Station and Cabramurra, the highest town in Australia at 1,488m above sea level.  (Don't laugh if you are from overseas, we technically only have one mountain in Australia.)  We didn't go in, just past.

Then it was back past Kiandra to Adaminaby.

Mick and I made a little detour.  We weren't going to come all this way and not see Old Adaminaby and Lake Eucumbene,  The village is only quite small, but the lake is HUGE.  It holds roughly the equivalent of nine Sydney Harbours and covers nearly 36,000 acres.

After that we travelled further around the lake to Anglers Reach.  Both settlements are really popular with fisher folk, with most houses being holiday homes.

These roos had the idea, resting in the shade on such a hot day.

Then, finally, it was back to the pub for a cold shower and cool drink.

Monday was just a day of travelling home.  We left the main group after Cooma and came home via Canberra, Boorowa and Cowra.  It was so HOT - like riding with a hot hair dryer being directed on you. That was even with our summer jackets.  We were very happy to get home and into the cool house.

It was a really enjoyable weekend away. Lovely riding country and good company.  Last time we were down that way for a few days I commented that I'd like to spend more time poking around the area and I have come away with the same feeling this time.  It really is lovely in the summer time.  Normally it isn't quite as hot as when we were there, but it was certainly cooler than most places.