Kiami and Sydney – 1/27/2013
Jan 29th, 2013 by admin
We’re going to Kiami. I’m hoping that the storm may be kicking up some surf this far south that will make the blow hole spectacular. But first we’re headed south toward Bundanoon and the MacQuarrie Pass.
MacQuarrie Pass is a very narrow road that winds its way down through a slot canyon from the plateau to the coastal plain. I traveled up and down this road during the week before John arrived on the 5th.
On second of those two trips, the weather was great and every motorcycle in the area was on the road. The police routinely patrol the road trying to keep motorcycles under control but there weren’t any around that day and the bikes were having at it though going up at speed is completely different than going down at speed.
Today, though, it’s threatening to rain and there are no bikes to be seen. We head down and when we get into the rain forest, the road is soaked as though it had rained. The road is very slippery and john starts to slow as the road gets steeper and the turns get sharper. A little slipping in a downhill switchback gets him to slow even more.
We get to the bottom and head south on the motorway to Kiami to see the blow hole. It’s a bit warmer here down on the coast but the sky in the same gray overcast and the mist has started.
We get in to Kiami and head to the point to find a parking spot. Walk over to the overlook. The surf is up but the direction doesn’t favor the blow hole. The point the blow hole is in is actually protecting the blowhole from the rollers. There’s not much going on. Occasionally, a small blast of spray comes up but mostly nothing.
This storm is just relentlessly ruining John’s visit to the east coast of Australia. We haven’t been to any beaches on the east coast because of the threat from the cyclone. We’ve been traveling on the west side of the Great Dividing Range because of the cyclone. Now we’re here on the coast and the storm has even subdued the blow hole. Back in the car and on to Sydney.
We’re looking for a home improvement, Home-Depot-like store to buy a lockable bin to put what we’re carrying in the car into for the RoRo trip to South America. An Aussie chain, Binnings, fits the bill. We stop and buy a steel, lockable tool box that looks like it’ll do what we need. We put it in the car and keep heading to the city.
As we head north, the storm meets us halfway and the rain starts in earnest. In the mountains on the south-side of Sydney, the winds pick up again. After all our bobbing and weaving with this storm, we may have finally run out of moves. Into the city to find a hotel and stop for the day and the trip.
I made a reservation in an Ibis hotel near the airport. It’s supposed to be close to the airport and a train stop. We plan to drop the car off with the exporter tomorrow and then head into Sydney for the day.
But today, it’s check into the hotel and bring our gear up to the room to start packing for the plane trip home. And then clean out the car.
But we lose interest quickly. We still don’t know where or when we are going to drop the car. The packing loses to a couple of drinks and a good dinner. Everything will wait until tomorrow.
Obi-wan