What a crap night. It was the windiest of the trip yet. The tent more than survived, but I barely slept. The wind on the tent was non-stop and loud. Then, I know subconsciously I was worried about the bike from being blown over again. I’d parked it into the wind on hard gravel so it was likely to be OK, but that didn’t stop the worry. I was also suffering from the Cradle Mountain walk again. I’ve always maintained (for me at least) that “exercise day +2” is the worst. My knees an hips were giving me hell all night, even after fistfuls of painkillers.
Cape Grim was on the menu today. I’d wanted to go there ever since I’d read that is was named as having the cleanest air in the world. I’m not sure if this is true (surely Antarctica has that?). I was aware, though, that it was on private land. There were certainly organized tours that could get me there (not paying the $$ for that) but I wanted to get there on the bike. So, taking a chance – I headed west.
The road headed through some lush green farmlands:
With wind farms:
There was a gate across the access to the windfarm operated by those tours. At this point, the road heading to Woolnorth farm was gravel – so Cape Grim wasn’t going to happen. Oh well.
I headed back to Smithton and then on to Stanley. What a place. I would have really like to stay here a night or 2. Stanley itself is a little village at the base of the Nut – a sheer sided bluff. It’s quite impressive from a distance, but it’s even better up close.
I stopped in town for a coffee at one of several gallery/cafes.
There is a chair-lift to the top of the Nut. It was operating, but there was no way I was going to try it out in that wind. I could also have walked up the track, but the legs were still complaining about Cradle – so I was only going to see the Nut from sea level.
I then took the scenic route (not that what I’d seen so far wasn’t scenic) to the east, stopping in at Boat Harbour Beach and Table Cape.
I’d quickly visited Burnie yesterday for fuel. I found it surprisingly large – I’m not sure why. Then stopped at the lovely Penguin for a snack:
…and then on to Ulverston. Diesel suggested I call into the museum – a good call. Run by volunteers, it had quite a lot of items from the towns past.
I then headed south to Sheffield and met up with Diesel who’d escort me back to his place. It wasn’t the direct route – that wouldn’t be any fun.
We arrived and I unpacked, met the horses and dogs, Diesel’s wife Marianne, and settled in for a good feed and a drink or three.