Up to Sydney via the back roads!

North to Sydney! Great roads, great scenery, a City / Harbor Tour, and some SNOW!!
I got Corey and about a ton of gear (I have TWO tons to contend with later) on the airport bus and headed off for some back roads riding on the way to Sydney. I worked my way south and east of Melbourne on some really great two lane roads thru farming and ranching country and hit the coast again for some more beach riding. Stopped at the nice little town of San Remo for the night. San Remo is the “gateway” to Phillip Island. Since it was raining again I stayed on the mainland! Headed via more back roads toward Lakes Entrance. Several people had told me that this was very nice harbor area where several big lakes connect to the ocean (thus the name). I had time, so took some very minor roads that folks had told me about. They did NOT tell me about the bridges that were out and all the detours. These roads didn’t show on the map and the GPS said I hadn’t even been on a road for a long time :=) I would never say I was lost but I was “unable to confirm my position” for a couple of hours. :=)

I finally made it to Lakes Entrance and it really was as nice as they said.

Lots of seafood restaurants right on the water.

I wandered the back roads some more and found a wonderful one that followed the Snowy River

all the way to the Ocean for some more great beach riding.

Finally made it to Sydney. Decided to splurge a bit and got a very nice hotel where I could see “some” of the Sydney Harbor Bridge from my room. :=)

and within walking distance of the Opera House. It was in an area known as “The Rocks”. I booked a harbor and city tour and got a LOT of pictures of the Sydney icons

including Bondi Beach.

All the weather people on TV kept saying that we were having an “unseasonable” cold snap (it was very cold) and that it was snowing in the Snowy Mountains which was where I planned to go after Sydney. I thought it couldn’t be snowing much since it was only a week till summer (although Julia told me they were called the "Snowys" for a reason)! :=) I took these pictures off the TV weather cast.

They are exactly in the area I planned to visit. I hope it melts soon!! I’ll let you know.
More pictures here starting on page 107!
http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/4659871_pddif/1/420172823_XttZD