MOUNT WONDABYNE LOOP MTB - 6 NOVEMBER 2017

Rain yesterday.

Rain early this morning. The rest of the morning was cloudy and windy but rainless.

The surf was messy so I decided on a mountain bike ride at Brisbane Water National Park.



I parked along Woy Woy Road and off I wen. I wasn't quite sure where I was exactly going to as the wetness of the tracks would decide for me.

I ended up riding to Mount Wondabyne, which is the highest point on the Central Coast. I had impressed myself by making it up all the steep sections except for the last 20 metres before the start of the track to Mount Wondabyne. Love the new bike. :)

I rode along the final track, dumped my bike in the bushes and climbed to the top of the mountain. It was such a fun hike - rock scrambling, a flat section and a nice view. The climb continue like this two more times and then I was at the summit. I love this view. Looking out towards the east was the green of the bush, the blue of Brisbane Water and pockets of  human settlement. Looking towards the west was endless green on an undulating landscape and distant clouds. Well, the clouds didn't look too distant and they looked a little dark.

Back down the mountain and I was reunited with my bike then I heard distant thunder. I continued along the track following the base of the mountain. The track was very rugged and quite eroded. I spend half the time portering and the other half riding. The air was feeling moister and the thunder was getting closer.

I eventually, reached the intersection of the Mullet Creek Trail. I followed it back towards the van. The sky was getting darker, the thunder closer and louder and there were the odd flashes of lightning.

I rode back as fast as I could. There were a few droplets of rain to urge me on and more thunder and lightning. My legs were aching and I was drenched in sweat but I got back to the car, loaded the bike and gear in and then lightning cracked close above me with nearly an instantaneous clap of deafening thunder. I got into the van and it started to bucket down with rain. I just made it.

I drove home in near monsoonal rains with thunder clapping and lightning flashing.

I got back home, the rain stopped and the sun even made a brief appearance. What a morning. :)

BUT there's more. I went down to the Haven late in the afternoon when I brushed my leg and felt a stabbing pain. It was a huge and monstrous tick embedded in my leg. Ticks are not friendly little insects as they can cause massive health problems. We drove to the chemist and bought wart freeze. The idea was that it killed the tick instantly so that they couldn't regurgitate their toxic substances into you. It seemed to work. :)