Day 137 - out of Sydney and over the Razorback - Unfinished Business

September 14, 2023

Day 137 - out of Sydney and over the Razorback

Today's ride was one of reminiscence. I started living in Camden, 60 km from central Sydney in 1980 and regularly drove into town via Camden Valley Way and the old Hume Highway. This is the route I took today.

John leaves for work at 6 so I joined him for an early breakfast. We had had a fine couple of days.

Later, after the mandatory leaving photos - thanks to Brigid, I slipped onto Parramatta Road and after a few km turned left onto the highway. It felt all very strange.

I took a bunch of seemingly boring photos, but I was just doing what I've tried to do throughout - record my journey. Thus, I whipped out my phone at a red light and recorded what I saw.

Parramatta Road: am I allowed in the bus lane?

The start of Liverpool Road - the old Hume Highway to Melbourne

The cycling was rather easy other than the constant starting and stopping.

It's hard to believe that this was once a major highway.

There's even old milestones that precede July 1974, when Australia converted to kilometres. Fourteen miles to Liverpool.

Good to see some G&G - garbage and graffiti.

All over Australia you will find reference to our contribution to wars.

It was from roughly this point through to the start of Camden Valley Way that I copped a good bit of abuse. How dare I, a cyclist, use their road! At one point I had a driver behind me blasting his horn. The other lanes were devoid of cars! Who are these people who are so angry at the mere sight of a cyclist? I can't recall anything on the road in Indonesia that was simply malicious.

A first signpost to Canberra. I found it exciting.

I felt hollow upon arriving in Liverpool and had my eyes set on finding a cafe. But then I saw a Lebanese restaurant and, at 1030, changed my mind. I ordered foule and falafel which, of course, came with bread, olives, mild chillies and tahini and yogurt. It was a ridiculous amount of food, but not for a touring cyclist.

I had a terrific break and enjoyed watching the comings and goings at this busy establishment. I went to pay and the fellow said $9. I told him that was ridiculous and that I would pay more. I didn't have any cash and when I got out a card he said "pay next time and take a drink". He was my vendor of the day, but didn't want to be photographed.

I rode away trying to reconcile this fellow's generosity with the lack of empathy from a good many drivers.

The few kms to the Camden Valley Way appeared as I remember them. But the remaining kms to Camden were unrecognizable. Gone were the greenhouses, dairy farms and the roadside stalls, from which you could buy anything from a tray of tomatoes to a turkey. It was now wall to wall housing, most with dark roofs, that I forgot to photograph.

This two-lined dragon greeted me on Camden's outskirts.

The view from Cowpasture Bridge over the Nepean River at Camden. The cattle (5 cows and 2 bulls) from the first fleet (1788) escaped and were found here in 1795. By 1801, the herd numbered 500.

St John's at the top of John Street, Camden where I once lived.

I left the park and headed down the old Hume Highway towards Picton. There's a hill on the way, called the Razorback, that I had often driven over but had never cycled. I had no idea what it was like, but after Indonesia's mountains, it was nothing.

The bicycle of the day at the top of the Razorback.

Up until the early 1980's, trucks loaded with coal thundered along this road 24 hours a day. It would have been a nightmare living at Greengate Cottage.

I was treated like a king. We sat around a table enjoying an excellent meal and a glass of wine. There's no better way to wind down a long ride. Thank you, Megan, Gareth and Hannah.

Today's ride: 78 km (48 miles)
Total: 9,730 km (6,042 miles)

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