Sutherland to Sydney.

Bluey ready for the homeward journey.

I was lucky to get a cabin here, normally they only rent cabins for a minimum of a fortnight. My home for the next two nights is among the caravan people, permanent little prefab dwellers, under a motorway flyover and alongside the Wonora River. My cabin is the kind of place where you sanitise your hands after you’ve touched anything. The grime of ages is crusted in the bathroom corners, and the bed looks so suspiciously infectious that I lay my airmattress on top and sleep on that, in my sleeping bag for extra protection. I mention to the manager that the TV doesn’t work, and he just replies “oh the last tenant must’ve taken the aerial, bad luck mate”

It’s been thundering and pouring with a tropical intensity. I cleaned my bike at great expense and inconvenience in a car wash place, then got it filthy again riding home! My fellow caravaners are a mixed bunch. Clustered in this little community (and ostracised by the well-to-do neighbours) are the poor and disposessed, the unemployed and the unemployable. There’s the welfare beneficiaries, tattooed drifters with scars and wild, shifty eyes and sad, lonely old men and women who spend their days smoking, drinking and arguing. My ex-wife always said I’d end up in a place like this! Fortunately I’m not about to become a resident any time soon. Tomorrow I’ll go to the library and get directions to the bike drop-off point in Botany, update my blog on their free internet computers and hang out in town somewhere a bit nicer.

The rain passes and it’s a blue-sky, sunny morning. I walk along the riverbank enjoying the sun, then on an impulse strip off my clothes and go for a swim. The water is surprisingly salty, must be tidal here. Various dog-walkers and joggers look on with curiosity as I flap around in the water, but it’s lovely and I felt the need to wash away the dirt of my accomodation. Really I’d rather be in my tent, but not when it’s pissing down and I’ve gotta get all packed up.

Koala at my camp.

I dump my leaking air mattress in the skip without ceremony, along with my frizbee that doubled as a food preparation surface/dinner plate. Also into the skip went a cooking gas cylinder and some clothes that were dirty/ smelly/ holey beyond their time, then it was just wait for the camp manager to release my bike. He’d kindly offered to store it out of the rain in his garage, and sneakily threw a leg over to see what it felt like. He was quite short though and his feet were dangling in mid-air when he sat on the seat. I tactfully told him that it’s much lower with all the luggage on, and he wouldn’t have a problem with it then. He used to have a Honda XL 500 and has a dream about getting another bike and riding around Australia, if only he wasn’t so busy running a van park and tryin to please his missus and kids.

That's me - hamming it up for the camera.

I join the four lanes of traffic going into Sydney at 7.30am. Keep up, signal, be assertive and don’t hesitate! These are the rules of traffic survival in any busy city. Oh and really keep your wits about you. Having eyes in the back of your head really helps too. (Oh is that what rear-vision mirrors are for?) I found the address of Price and Speed Containers in Pemberton Street, Botany without any drama. It’s almost like they were expecting me! I was directed to the Quarantine storage area where I set to work cleaning last minute grunge, crud and flying insects and bubble-wrapping my panniers. My riding gear went in the panniers along with my trusty boots and tools. The rest went in my red waterproof bag. Then I called a cab for the ride to my prebooked hotel Formule 1 near the airport. Before I left I took a photo of Bluey pre-shipping and said a quiet “thank you” for carrying me safely and so competently around Australia. Nothing fell off, nothing failed to function, always started with the push of a button, and he proved impervious to heat, cold, dust, dirt and abuse and neglect. Fantastic! A fine adventure touring mount. No punctures either. I wasn’t brave enough to mention that before but I can safely say it now.

I left Botany without a backwards glance, confident that everything is done and ready for the trip home. The comfort, normality and predictability of home is beckoning me, and for once I’m happy to welcome it back into my life.

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