Don't Rush It
I woke up and it was still raining. Checked the weather app, and it looked like it was going to keep going.
From 5 AM to around 10 AM, it was just rain the whole time. This happens sometimes—being stuck and unable to move.
When you've been on a cycling trip for a while, there are moments when you think, "I want to keep going" or "I only managed to ride this much today?"
But when you start feeling like you don't want to stop just because of the rain, that's when it gets dangerous. I've learned from experience that pushing through like that can lead to accidents. So I just took it easy at the campsite.
The rain eventually started to let up, so I set off. This day was going to be a lot of climbing—two mountains to get over. I wanted to get the tough stuff done by the morning.
I started from a spot about 10 km from Hornsby, aiming to reach a town called Gosford. It's about 70 km away, so with all this luggage, it's right on the edge of what I can manage in a day.
The First Mountain and a Kind Old Man
Sure enough, a steep hill appeared. But it was over quickly—I managed to get up it without too much trouble. Right after reaching the top though, heavy rain started pouring down, so I took a break. Then, luckily, a customer there treated me to coffee and a meat pie.
He said he lives in the next town I'm heading to, and told me to stop by if I get the chance.
Such a nice guy. We talked about his family and stuff—had a really good time.
The Second Mountain: Mount White
As I kept going, a big bridge came into view. Once you cross it, the second mountain appears. 35 km to Gosford, but first I had to get over Mount White.
This one was tough.
It wasn't a sudden climb—more of a gradual, continuous incline. That's actually harder than it sounds.
After reaching the top, I spotted some bulls on my left.
Those horns are seriously intimidating.
Camping Just Before Gosford
I thought I might make it to Gosford, but with 5 km left and the time already around 4 PM, I decided to stop short and rest. Save my energy for the next day.
Luckily, I found an amazing campsite nearby.
The rain kept coming on and off, but by evening it cleared up, and the sky was lit with beautiful sunset colors.
