Day 359, Wednesday 15 August 2018.
Today was a “rest” day, so we each did whatever we wanted. The other three visited art galleries and museums around Barhurst, and the rider who hadn’t done the Mount Panorama track the previous day did it today.
I decided to ride to see the Parkes Radio Telescope. I’ve previously see the installations at Green Bank and Arecibo, and didn’t want to miss the opportunity to see this one.
It was a cold morning, so I wore extra clothes on the bike. After passing through Orange, it had warmed up so I looked for a rest area so I could take the surplus layers off. I daw a sign for the Borenore Karst conservation area with picnic tables and toilets, so I followed the sign down a rough gravel road to the picnic area. A large sign there gave directions for walks, with one very short walk to a cave which sounded interesting. I had left my torch at the motel but thought I could get a little way in by the light of my phone. The cave was spectacular, with two passages off the entrance part which met up again, and then another entrance beyond where the passages met up. I could see an entrance at all times. Very satisfying!
I approached the radio telescope from the east on small country and gravel roads. The radio telescope was visible from several km away and huge up close. The visitor centre was more geared towards school trips but still interesting, and there was a good cafe.
I came back to Bathurst via Canowindra so I didn’t ride any road twice on this loop.
Distance travelled: 378 km. Total distance so far: 46,152 km.
Motorcycling Streak 