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Today	2km
Trip	2km

A foggy morning in the Southern Highlands as it became light enough to see from the train, then a seven o’clock arrival at Strathfield for 07.30 departure on the North Coast XPT. Homeward-bound ferals everywhere on the platform, chuffing away on joints and bongs, oblivious to the “No Smoking” signs, but no more oblivious than the rest of the population with their cigarettes.

While waiting I sat and chatted to three other people destined for Gloucester, travelling with a Bike Friday tandem and a Birdie — two folding bikes that become more and more appealing every time I travel and have to go through the hassles of boxing a bike and transporting the box…

A morning trip up through the central coast, warm sun through the windows making me drowsy, the sights and names of places bringing back flickering memories of visits to this part of the world three or four years ago. Staff on the train were bemused that so many people were heading for Gloucester, its a tiny little town with very few passengers normally!

Step out of the train at Gloucester station and nearly melt — after almost sixteen hours in air-conditioned transport, the humidity and temperature were quite a shock. Assemble the bike from the box and ride off in jeans and boots to find the campsite. I guess that BNSW had assumed that everyone would be arriving by bus or car, since there were no directions or maps available for anyone arriving at the station.

This year BNSW had decided that there would be no riding on the first day; maybe the hassles of arrival, registration and riding were too much for some people, maybe the local chamber of commerce wanted us to stay longer and spend more money… Registration was intended to occur in the morning, finishing at noon, so I’d thought that by arriving by train I’d be one of the last. As it was, my train arrived ahead of the buses, even though they left Sydney at six in the morning! In any case, there was nothing much to do for the afternoon but sit in the pub and drink beer and catch up with people from previous rides.

Too much beer in the afternoon, too little sleep the night before, after a brief visit to the pub this evening, I retired to my tent for a good night’s sleep! Apparently the publican repeated his strange behaviour of a previous ride visit, after putting up the money to hire a band and advertise for people to visit, he promptly closed the pub and kicked everyone out at eleven o’clock without having applied for an extended license!

Where?

Albury, Sydney, Gloucester