A Great Weekend For a Ride

Well as so many of you have done this weekend, I also decided to hit the blacktop for a cobweb blowout. Also, as I won't be getting much chance to ride over the next 3 - 4 weeks as I'm heading down to Tassie in the car, with family to visit the wrinklies, I thought this was the better excuse to just get away for a day. So I headed west, having decided to visit Parkes again and the "Dish".

After a leg stretch and coffee At Maccas in Orange, I headed out towards Parkes through Manildra. It was a glorious day, not too hot, not too cold, just right for riding, well apart from the strong northerly wind that was non stop and the roasting flour smell emanating from the Manildra flour mill as I went through town. About half way between Manildra and Parkes I had to stop to take a photo or two of the grass that was being blown across the highway. I suppose I'd class it as Australia's version of a mini tumbleweed, apart from the fact its not alive and is just dead grass flower heads with seeds being blown across the countryside. However the road was absolutely chocker s with the stuff and it was banking up like a snow drift in the trees bordering the road.


Grass seed "snowdrifts" between Manildra and Parkes


Grass seed "snowdrifts" between Manildra and Parkes


Grass seed "snowdrifts" between Manildra and Parkes

Anyway, on to Parkes, where I decided to check out Monument Hill overlooking the town. I hadn't been there before and I was impressed with the vista that the hill provided. The hill is crowned with Parkes' main War Memorial and a large carparking area with picnic tables and some great views of the local area.


The Parkes War Memorial tower on Monument Hill


Lest We Forget

From Parkes I headed north up the highway towards Dubbo about 27 Kms to the Radio Telescope (The Dish), where I had lunch in the Dish Cafe and soaked in the atmosphere of the Dish working. Today it was canted over vitually to its limit and facing east looking at something low on the horizon and a brazillion miles away :)


"The Dish" - Parkes' CSIRO Radio Telescope


"The Dish" - Parkes' CSIRO Radio Telescope


The Dish Cafe beside the Radio Telescope's Visitors Centre


The Radio Telescope's Visitors Centre

So overall, I had a brilliant day. Left at 9.30am got home at 5.00pm rode about 450kms and can't get rid of the smile. Anyone heading out this way, or heading down the highway between Dubbo and Parkes, I'd thoroughly recommend a stop at "The Dish". :)