Round two

Saturday was round two of my annual war against summer. I decided on a long ride in the Byron Hinterland in Northern New South Wales. I was hoping for 200km, but ultimately ended up with 193km. That said, considering the state in which I finished the ride, I wasn't about to complain.



I started off heading south along the Tweed Coast after clearing the first 45km or so of suburbia. I had a roaring tailwind in the early part of the ride, which, of course, meant that it would not only be a headwind on the way home, but a hot northerly. I opted to try to make up time by attacking when I had the tailwind early on. It was counterintuitive, but I felt it was worth a shot on this occasion.





The Coolamon Scenic Drive behind Mullumbimby was the day's destination, with it's sweeping views up and down the north coast after the climb. What was noticeable today was how dry the landscape had become after four months without rain. One hopes the wet season arrives soon. There really is a different vibe around the countryside in this part of the world, and it was still in evidence today, but I was more concerned about the heat after the descent from the plateau back to the coastal plain.



The string of hills through the Burrinbar range and across Tomewin provided some relief from the wind on the final stretch home, but the heat became more intense. The final climb of Tomewin today took longer than it had with a full touring load two months ago. The views were spectacular as usual, however, so I had something to keep me occupied. I was also fortunate that a storm started to move across when I returned to the urban coastal strip, as it cooled the temperature by about five degrees C. If it had only brought some rain with it.

In the end it was quite a memorable ride, even if it left me exhausted at the end. This weekend I'll be back in the mountains.