Cycle Against the Beast – 2022
1st March, 2022
My train arrived in Cootamundra in the early hours of the morning (around 01:45). As nothing was open at this time of morning, I opted to remain at the station. I’ve slept at stations before. How hard can it be?
The chairs in the waiting room all had individual armrests – no chance there. So, I went back out to the platform where there were still bench-style seats that were once common on railway statins. It wasn’t cold, so I laid out for a couple of hours. After that, it became quite cool. I moved back into the waiting room and sat for the rest (ie: another couple of hours) of the night – not very comfortable at all. I wasn’t as good at this as I used to be!
Once it had been light for an hour or so, I hopped on my bike and left the station. I came across a coffee shop on Cooper Street, appropriately named ‘Coffee on Cooper’. Excellent coffee! If you’re ever in Cootamundra, and want a coffee, drop in!
Since I knew I was going to be in Cootamundra for at least a couple of days, I checked in to a motel – but the room wouldn’t be available for a couple of hours. So, what does an unreformed trainspotter do? I went to the nearby level crossing and watched a few trains go by. After about an hour in the sun (which was quite rear, given the weather), my arms started to take on the colours of a lobster – time to by some sunscreen.
Not long after, I was able to check in. I took a shower then crashed for a few hours. After waking, I turned on the telly to atch up on news – massave flodding in northern NSW and south-east Queensland. And, of course, the ongoing Russian invation of Ukraine.
I took a little walk around town and then grabbed dinner at the Central Hotel – a nice bit T-bone steak and a couple of beers. On the way back to the motel, I made sure I had the most available cover – it was raining. A couple of hours watching the telly, it was time to call it a night.
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