Day 8, 13th Sept. 2010, 487km

Day 8, Gloucester, NSW

Rob Russell and me

Waiting at Wisemans Ferry

On the ferry

The McDonald River after Wisemans Ferry

A great day and good to be back on the road. Left Rob and Chris' place at around 8am with very mixed feelings. I connected up with Rob's family in the early 1970's when as a naive, confused 21 year old I went to live in Sydney, where I worked with Rob and Margies dad. I quickly became a part of their family, developing a very close friendship which distance and time has not diminished. These people are very dear to me.

Rob and Chris Russell

I rode up the Pacific Highway and turned left at Wollongong heading up to Picton where I joined the Hume Highway then left past Penrith to Windsor. Got a bit lost trying to find the road to Wisemans Ferry, but found it eventually. It urned out to be an absolute gem.Lovely twisting bitumen all the way. Caught the ferry across the Hawkesbury River and had the choice of following the bitumen around Mangrove Mountain or the dirt road through St Albans. The BM now gives me so much confidence on dirt that I took the dirt and it was magnificent. Such stunning scenery, following the river and climbing up and down the mountains, past giant cliffs. At the end I then ploughed through the crowded Hunter Valley towns before heading up the Bucketts Way through Dungog to Gloucester, where I found a lovely overnight van to stay in at very reasonable cost. I had planned to go on to Tamworth to stay with my good mate Kim, but she is at a Conference in Sydney, so I will have to catch up there another day. Tomorrow, I hope to get to Wauchope to catch up with another mate Craig. The forecast is for rain so we will have to see how it goes. See you then