Next stop was Byron Bay. There wasn’t much point riding only 66 km, so I thought I’d make the ride out to Kyogle – where I probably would have ridden through had my route not been aborted yesterday.
So, I headed out through the Tweed Valley… an amazing run up through the hills again to Kyogle, albeit raining/drizzly the whole way.
Tweed River:
Just as well there’s plenty of space on my side:
Lucky I was late to leave Tweed Heads this morning… this tree fell about an hour before I passed through:
Kyogle itself:
Now don’t get me wrong – it was a fantastic ride. However, the local shire/government should be ashamed of themselves. They were perhaps the worst roads I’ve ever ridden. Never before have I experienced so many broken sections, pot-holes, and repairs of re-repairs. I’m surprised more people don’t die on this road than already do. It’s especially alarming when they encourage tourists to take the tourist drive. By their very nature they (like me) will be unfamiliar with the roads and not know what to expect. </rant>
I stopped for lunch (pie & coffee) at the Kyogle bakery, wandered a bit, the jumped back on the bike to head for Byron Bay. Again, it rained the whole way. I hit Byron at school pickup time so it was quite busy. I sheltered in a hotel carport while I checked out the local caravan parks. I wanted to stay in Byron close the main drag so I could have a wander and grab a bite without having to worry about the bike (& riding gear). A campsite was similarly priced as others in the area (but I avoided the cabin last night == $160/night).
Anyway, I liked it – lots of surfers, mung-beans, and rich – quite a mix. It kinda made me think of Margaret River (WA) on steroids.
