We left on our bikes later than planned (as expected!), without firm plans, to just enjoy ourselves and see how the traffic and day went.

First, from Exeter to Fitzroy Falls `~ the road was fairly busy at this time of year and it took me a while to get my bike legs back. Just before entering the Fitzroy Falls environs, the unaccustomed breakfast decided to exit, stage north, without fanfare and relatively little disruption, but necessitating a need to stop for drinks and to wash out my mouth at the visitors centre at the Falls.

We looked at the tourist map, and then headed up a quieter road past a fragrant lavender farm and winery to Robertson where we stopped again to purchase more bottled water and a couple of bread rolls at the bakery.

From our departure here, we joined the Kangaloon Rd which was certainly undulating, yet quiet, sheltered and scenic . . . perfect! I dropped behind Bob as I took a phone call from a neighbour over one of the sweeping descents around the reservoir, but we were just enjoying the day.

It was something of a rude shock to hit the built up traffic of the road into Burradoo, however the surface was good and there was a wide, smooth shoulder so the ride was fairly easy, if uneventful. The built-up new suburbia started to encroach, and the high cloud cover had cleared and the sun started to belt down. We decided to make the diversion through to Bowral to get more to drink, having exhausted our supplies.

Bowral was frantic in the post Christmas period, and we made the mistake of following the signs to Woolworth's for a drink, resulting in a magical mystery tour of endless car park ramps and paying top dollar for something to drink. We backtracked past the country club to the Burradoo roundabout and found something like nirvana for a while on a road with no traffic and smooth fast hot-mix. It was rather luxurious! I was excited to see the Chev oval where our own Lucky legs did her track work, but the smooth road surface was too good to last as we continued our way to the section of Highway to Moss Vale.

The busy road was at least improved a little with the addition of bike lanes. Another stop at Moss Vale for water and a check of the map; turn before crossing the railway line and it should be easy! Not as straightforward as expected, but we made it, finding the last couple of k's impossibly difficult as we backtracked to Exeter into a raging, hot headwind with some traffic thrown in. All up ~88 kilometres at a pedestrian, but pleasant pace.

A very welcome shower, a few cashews for a salt loading and then off to the Sutton Forest Pub with the household for a short, but competitive trivia night with impossible questions about obscure music and no politics, television, science, geography (insert all other things I know plenty about here). We was robbed. Lost the $100 prize by one point!