2nd of May 2008

After a big breakfast and even getting a lunchbox with me from Lyn (came in very handy the next day hiking, thanks!) I was of to the Warrambungle National Park which I reached in the afternoon. The Warrambungles was created 17 million years ago when a volcano went nuts in the area. Its amazing how this mountain range just turns up in the middle of the nowhere when you keep driving on the flat western plains, and also how all the landscape around is so flat looking at it from the mountaintops.
I really loved the Warrambungles, have to be the best place I’ve been to since I left Perth. Other then having minus 6 degrees during the night camping out (who even knew it could get that cold in Australia?!) everything was just perfect.
Camped out in a camping spot all on my own having Roos and an Emu grazing close by. Went for a short hike up a mountain to watch the sunset and while I took this photo to the right I had a majestic eagle soar by just 3-4 meters away from me, almost fell of the cliff! Never seen so many stars in my life (about 600 meters up, no light pollution and clear skies! The town just next to the NP is supposed to be the astronomy capital of Australia). Then I woke up 6.30 to a symphony of different birds and was up hiking in the cold 15 minutes later. Perfect hiking weather all day, not to warm but sunny all day, with the most amazing views all around. Kangaroos everywhere in the park, saw tons of birds, a rock wallaby, a bunch of skinks, a whip snake, bunch of wild goats and of course the eagles soaring in the sky. Hiked about 19km, took me most of the day but was well worth it! And didn’t see a single human being during the whole hike, how awesome is that?
Got a ride into town by the woman working the visitor centre and spent the night at a pub hotel in Connabarbran. Leaving the next day I got my 100th ride since leaving Perth and outside Armidale a fella named John and his son picked me up and drove me to the camping spot they were staying in at the mountain town and celtic capital of Australia, Glen Innes. Experienced once again the Australian hospitality when John, his two sons + GF shared their dinner and breakfast with me, thanks! Really been a good week with lots of free accommodation and food :)
This morning I got picked up by my new Woofer host which I will stay with for about 10 days and spend my 50th day (of which I had about 5-7 days of sunshine, just how sucky is that?) on the road with, so could be a couple of days before my next entry.

Edit: As Beckiz mentioned its hard to follow where I am on the map, so if anyone got a good suggestion how to show it please tell! First tried with live maps but didn’t work out to well
And also not very happy with my new camera, but better then nothing I guess!
Think my next entry will be around the 12th