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Life is back to normal back home.  On Thursday I did all my washing from my trip and caught up with my mail which had been stopped while I was away.  It was nearly all bills and credit card statements.

I also looked around my garden and saw that one of my San Juan Magnolias was in flower.  I planted the first one for Margaret about 10 years ago but a friend ran it over while backing out of my driveway. He was very upset and finally found a replacement after many months of looking.  By then the snapped off stump of the first one had begun to re-sprout so we ended up with  two.  They only flower occasionally so it was great to see the newer one in flower.

These are deciduous magnolias from California and have great difficulty with our southern hemisphere seasons and high humidity.  They only last a couple of days so it took a photo on my phone.  The flowers are about teacup size on a spindly shrub.

Friday was a Meals on Wheels day which, as I had a long round, took quite a long time.  I spent the rest of the day playing with my new toy, a new 11.1 inch notebook computer running Windows 8.1 which also doubles as a Windows Tablet.  For years I have used Linux based operating systems and more recently Android tablets.  The new toy will replace my 15 inch laptop which will now run my printer and scanner and replace the old desktop running windows XP which will become a file server running Linux. 

I am using the new toy to write this Blog and it is quite good.  I will probably use my Android tablet when camping as it is much lighter and has an inbuilt 3G Sim for internet connection.  I also have a Linux based 10 inch notepad which I normally use to surf the internet as it sits nicely on my lap when I am laid back in my big armchair with Louis sleeping next to me. 

Let's see that's three portable computers, a table, a desktop computer plus Margaret's old laptop.  I guess that will do for now.

 The one in the middle is the new toy.

This morning I went on my normal Saturday ride with my bicycle club.  We normally cause chaos when we meet as there are five groups riding.  Today my group of SOFs (Silly Old Farts) had 35 riders.  We had a great 24Km ride and all five groups got together for the ARSE (After Ride Social Event) which we have once a month.

 Looking from where I parked my car - one way

 The other way - Ian rides a $100 chain store bike and can out ride many members on their $2000 plus racing bikes.  I love his basket on the handlebars.

 The ARSE

Louis has had his walk and I am going to have an afternoon nap.

ABFC Muster - Days 9 and 10

It was Tuesday and I decided to push on today so that I could get home early on Wednesday and pick up Louis from the kennels.  I had a great drive through northern NSW via Glen Innes and Armidale before stopping at Tenterfield for a break.

I walked up and down the main street.  It is an historic little town and in 1889 Sir Henry Parkes gave a speech here which ignited the Federation Movement in Australia.  He became the first Prime Minister of the of the Australian Federal Parliament in 1901.

Another more recent person connected with Tenterfield was the Australian entertainer, Peter Allen.  Margaret and I used to watch the Allen Brothers sing on Countdown in the 1960s.  They went on to sing in the USA with Judy Garland and Peter married her daughter, Liza Minnelli , in spite of being Gay.  He had a long Cabaret career and had several  hits including  I Go to Rio, I Still Call Australia Home and Tenterfield Saddler,  the latter about his Grandfather. 

I pushed on to Warwick, in Queensland,  where I got a cabin for the night.  I had take away fish and chips for dinner.

On Day 10, I drove home to Tewantin stopping once for coffee 100Km from home.  I was home by 11.00am  and arranged to pick up Louis after lunch. 

This was the end of my ABFC Muster for 2014.  I am already preparing for next year in Victoria.

ABFC Muster - Day 8

We were all up early and met at breakfast before packing up our tents and driving home.  Judith and Hugh were the first to leave followed by Chrissy, John and Buster. I took a little long to pack my gear but was on the way by 8.30am.  I took the short route to Tamworth as I wanted to look around the town.  I had booked a cabin in the same caravan park as last Tuesday.

The route cut of a big corner by using some back roads and I only had just over 320Km to drive.  The back road was just over 100km and went through some isolated farming country with one little village with a truck stop where I had a coffee and a cake.  I made good time to Tamworth and parked in town before walking to the Biennial Park which has a Country Music performing area,  a row of busts of famous country music performers and two impressive war memorials.    Tamworth is the centre of Australian Country Music an has a festival every year where artists are honoured by being awarded a Golden Guitar.

When we arrived in Australia in 1960 and got our first television set we were both really fond of the Country Music Show hosted by Reg Lindsay.  He was a great singer and had a great group of artists and dancers every week.

Tamworth was a major supplier of Waler Horses for the First World War. These are stock horse who came from the original group of horses on the First Fleet in 1788.  They are supposed to have been used by the 4th Division of the Australian Light Horse Brigade in the Battle of  Beersheba in 1917 when the Australians made, what is thought to be the last cavalry charge in a major war.

See:  http://www.awmlondon.gov.au/battles/beersheba

I checked into my cabin and prepared Sundays blog before picking up a take away hamburger and chips and going to bed early.

AFBC Muster Day 7

This was going to   be the last day of the muster.  It had been a cool night and I used my down sleeping bag as a quilt over my sheet sleeping bag and was quite comfortable.  In the morning I put on my windproof cycling jacket when I had breakfast  in the camp kitchen.

There was only one ride today.  A 20km ride to the Blue Wren Winery for a farewell lunch.  For some reason I set off towards the end of the group and following a stop to adjust my front mudguard dropped further back down the group.   At about 7km I was passed by an elderly lady who said that she thought she was last but, as she had just passed me, I pointed out that it was me that was probably last.  She ask if I knew the way and I said,"No but I have a map in my bag."  She also had a map but was actually having problems with the written instructions.  I got out my map and determined that our next turn would be at 9.1Km.  When we reached there according to my bike computer she said that we were only at 7.4Km!  It took me sometime to convince her that we should turn right or we would be riding away from lunch.  At about 14Km we made and executive decision to  cut the ride short an head directly to the winery cutting the ride to 17km.  We actually arrived first of all the riders.

While riding she told me that she was 68 years old and that her husband had insisted she come to the Muster.  He had been diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease and it was progressing quickly.  She had enjoyed the break from being his carer but was looking to seeing him on Monday.

At lunch I sat with a group who had adopted me as a lone male, Chrissy and John from Noosa and Judith and Hugh from Toowoomba.  We had dinner together the night before and generally sat together in the camp kitchen for breakfast.  After lunch I rode the 3Km back to camp with Chrissy as John had a split tyre and  Chrissy would drive back in their van to rescue him.  Hugh and Judith tore off ahead on their tandem.

In the afternoon the five of us joined another eight riders at the Mudgee Brewery for a beer an listened to the live music.  Afterwards I provided a bottle of red and Chrissy and John quiche and salad for a light dinner.   Most of the riders had gone home but there were still a couple of dozen at the campsite and we chatted for a bit before going to bed.

ABFC Muster Day 6

We had a dry night but I began to drizzle just as we all lined up for an informal group photo and fancy dress competition. It was a bit of a shambles but nobody seemed to mind and we took off for our ride just after 10.00am.  It was a nice quiet country ride with very little traffic and the rain blew away to leave us with a pleasant sunny day.   We stopped half way for a snack and John to mend a puncture then returned to Mudgee for to coffee a snack stop.

I updated the previous day's blog in the  camp kitchen while chatting with other riders.  Later we had some more talks about touring  France and the North Sea Bicycle route which were very I nearest IG.  In the evening we had  our annual dinner at the local olg club and I was in bed by 11.00pm.

ABFC Muster Day 5

Overnight we had a terrific thunderstorm.  My whole tent was lit up by the lightening and there was torrential rain for a couple of hours. When I got up I found my electrical plug board sitting in a small pool of water.   I carefully moved it away from the water and mopped  up a couple of cups of water.  The evening before I had not closed the awning of the tent and water had collected on it, run to its edge and splashed on the power cable where it enters the inner tent and trickled inside.  Every thing else  inside was completely dry.

Some other campers had had their tents flooded and the main grassed area was under a couple of inches of water.  The camp kitchen was relatively dry and I had my breakfast there.  My folding canvas chair had been outside all night and had 50mm of water in the seat.

The rides got off as scheduled at 930am in a light drizzle of rain.  We were all wearing our rain gear actually looked very colourful riding down the road.  We had a period of very heavy rain we we all got soaking feet but actually stopped for a while.  We had 2Km of mucky dirt road  which made our wet feet and bikes muddy.  We stopped back at Mudgee for a coffee and snack before returning to camp for a hot shower and change of clothes.

After lunch I updated my blog for Thursday and hung around with the other riders before we had more talks about touring France. Cuba and the UK.  The lady riding around Cuba said that it is very safe place to ride and its only drawback was its awful wine. During the talks were had another heavy  storm and I had to wait for some time before i could get back to my tent and retrieve my makings for diner and the bottle of South Australian red to go with them.

I cooked a T-bone steak and had it with salad in the camp kitchen where I chatted with other riders until 10.00pm.  I still had some red wine left but was too tired to drink it.

ABFC Muster Day 4

I had a good night's sleep in my big tent and was up early for breakfast before setting up my bicycle for the ride.  I have decided to do the shorter (20-30Km) rides and not get too tired so that I can enjoy the social life.

The ride started about 9.30am and we had a great ride around Mudgee.  There were about 30 riders in our group.  The youngest, about 10 year old, was riding on the back of a tandem skippered by her mother and  several are over 80 years old.  We went through some beautiful country before ending back in Mudgee for coffee.  Then It was back to the caravan park for a shower.

In the afternoon, dressed in normal clothes, I explored Mudgee, which is lovely small town, and did some shopping.  Later members of the club gave talks on their travels on their Bike Fridays.  One, Mitsui, if Japanese and he gave a talk about his inspiration to tour New Zealand and another gage a talk about touring in Austria.

I decided to go out with Graham for dinner in another pub and we sat out on balcony calling out to other ABFC members as they rode through the city.  I had my favourite, beer battered fish and chips.

back at camp  I had a couple of drinks of Shiraz courtesy of Graham before retiring to my tent where I listened to end of Colonel Quaritch VC.    All ends happily.

ABFC Muster Day 3

I set out from Tamworth and after some difficulties found the the correct road south towards Mudgee.  It was off the main highway and I need the smaller Oxley Highway to Gunnedah. I was following printed directions and not following the map.  I really needed a navigator. After 36Km I stopped at a spot on the map called Sumerton where  I filled up with petrol then it was on to Gunnedah where I completely miss read my directions.  I was supposed to turn onto the Kamilaroi Highway then back onto the Oxley highway which share the same stretch of road for a few kilometres then branched left on its own once again.  I read the first instruction but missed   but missed the second as I was engrossed in my audio Victorian romance .  It was over 50Km later that I passed through another spot on the map whose name I did not recognise.  I was completely off route and had to return to Gunnedah and my leisurely 340Km day became a 450Km day.

I  had lunch at Gunnedah as I had covered 185Km and needed a rest.  Then it was on to Mudgee on some really small outback roads such as Black Stump Way. Apart from comfort stops I drove all the was to Mudgee   without a break and arrived at 3.30pm.  I had hoped to be there at 2.00pm.

I checked into the Riverside Caravan park where most of the others were camping and set up my tent.  Next I registered for the Muster.

I went into Mudgee with a friend, Graham, from two previous musters and we went to a local pub for dinner.  We had their special  roast which was priced at $14.00 for both meals (about under 5 pound sterling each).  It was a great if cheap meal.  I had paid $45.00 for my Chinese meal the night before.

Then it was back to camp to catch up with other ABFC members including Buster the dog from the Rutherglen muster two  years ago.

ABFC Muster Day 2

I left Stanthorpe at 8.00am after filling up with petrol and headed south to New South Wales where I had to put my watch on an hour.  Queensland doesn't have summertime.  The first major town was Tenterfield which is famous as home of the Tenterfield Terrier like Bettie's little dog and less so for Peter Alan.  It was only 60Km from Stanthorpe so I carried on to Glen Innes at about 130Km where I had my first stop for a snack and a walk.  Glen Innes is still an old country town and hasn't appeared to have changed since Margaret an I drove through eighteen years ago. The drive was along the beautiful and quiet New England Highway.

I drove on to Armidale, another 100Km plus, where we had camped with our big standard poodle.  He and Margaret slept in our camper van and I slept in my little tent as Pierre the Poodle took over the bed.  Armidale is a nice university town with a modern pedestrian mall in its centre and I took a long walk.

Next it was on to Tamworth, the home of Australian Country Music, where I took a cabin for the night.  It was on the edge of main business area and I took  a walk along the park and performance area where there are bronze busts of famous country singers.  I was surprised how many I knew and how many had died in the 54 years I had been in Australia.  I remember most as young singers.

The caravan park is adjacent to an up market Chinese restaurant where I bought and ate half of a very nice meal before returning to my cabin for another early night. It had been a 365Km pleasnt drive.

Mudgee and the Muster tonight!

ABFC Muster Day 1

I had a lazy start to the day.  I normally walk Louis before 6.00am  but today after breakfast I loaded my last personal items in the car and was on my way at 8.00am.  I have set up my Tablet to play audio books to me through my car radio. I  download the books from a web  site called Librivox who are attempting to read as many of the  books in the public domain as they can.  I started with a book read by Lucy Anne Walden who I use to proof listen for some years ago and actually spoke a few parts in some Shakespeare play she produced at the time.  The book is Colonel Quaritch, QC.by H. Rider Haggard which I expected to be an adventure story  like King Solomon's Mines but to my surprise it is a Victorian romance!  It is beautifully read by Lucy so I continued to listen.

I had decided to have a break after the first hour for a coffee but the Service Area along the motorway was blocked off by police and fire service personnel.  I assume that there had been some petrol emergency.  I  normally go past the Brisbane Airport but today was going through the city which I haven't done for ten years.   To my surprise I  entered a series of tunnels and followed the directions to Ipswich  which  meant I completely bypassed  the city and ended up on the Ipswich Motorway which has no  service areas.  It was after 10.00am when i finally got my coffee.  By now I was sucked in by my Victorian romance.   My stop just south of Ipswich was on the New England Highway which Margaret and I drove into Queensland back in 1998 when we moved from South Australia. I drove on to Warwick where we had stopped and back then it had been an Australian town of the 1950s now, while it maintains its old areas, it has a modern shopping mall.  I walked around the town for and hour before driving in to Stanthorpe   where I arrived at just before 2.00pm after a leisurely 350Km drive.  I took a cabin at a caravan park just on the edge of town and spent a couple of hours exploring the town.

In the evening I went to the Stanthorpe RSL Club for dinner where I had an enormous T bone steak before returning back to my cabin for an early night.