Travelling Worm

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 40-year-old bookmark (give or take a few years) and I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me, the TC, and Janet the Jeep took the long way round from Sydney to Brisbane, to explore a bit of the inland countryside. On our first day, we drove from Sydney to Gloucester and then took Thunderbolts Way to Glen Innes. Thunderbolts Way is a scenic, historic drive. The road is entirely sealed (bitumen), but includes a steep hill and some bumpy areas full of pot holes. Read on to get a feel for this trip.

The book I’m in

Ancillary Sword, by Ann Leckie. This is the second book in the Imperial Radch trilogy. Excellent science fiction, set in an intriguing world of AI ships and their ancillary crew.

Travel tips

Fill up with fuel before you start the drive. Be aware of the long, steep hill between Uralla and Gloucester. If you’re travelling towards Gloucester, you’ll be going down the hill. The descent can be tricky, especially if you’re towing a caravan.

Take a picnic and stop at a scenic spot for lunch.

Recommended accommodation

Apartments on Grey in Glen Innes. Warm and cosy, with everything you need for a comfortable stay.

The photos

Me at Pioneer Lookout on Thunderbolts Way:

We joined Thunderbolts Way at the picturesque NSW town of Gloucester. These two motorbikes passed us, and were probably on their way to the same road:

A book sale on the outskirts of Gloucester:

Thunderbolts Way is named after Captain Thunderbolt, a controversial bushranger from the early 1800s. The ranger’s real name was Frederick Ward. He managed to combine criminal activities with his legitimate bushranger tasks, in a way that led people to both fear and admire him. He’s famous for several robberies and mail coach holdups. At one stage, a reward of 400 Pounds was on offer for his capture. He was eventually shot and killed by a policeman in 1870, after a long horseback pursuit.

The views on this route are gorgeous:

A curious sight awaited us at Gloryvale Bridge, which crosses the Manning River:

Look closely at the bottom of the bridge:

Those are wasp nests, thousands of them stuck along the bottom edge of the bridge. Here’s a small piece with some dead, dried-out wasps still attached:

We climbed a long, steep hill and stopped at the top. If you’re travelling down the hill with a caravan or trailer, beware. As the sign says, it’s steep. Evidently quite a few people have come a cropper because they didn’t have enough warning.

The rusted-out car is perhaps an appropriate warning. Weirdly, this old carcass had a new, bright yellow sticker giving notice of the council’s intent to take possession.

Due procedures have been followed!

At the top of the same hill, some kind soul had left a cache of filled water bottles, for people who might find their vehicles in trouble during the ascent or descent. This worm is impressed with the kindness, including the last words in the attached notice: “You should be OK“.

This view was our reward for making it to the top of the hill:

The road changed character several times. This section ran through natural forest:

Pioneer Lookout presented another spectacular view:

We turned off into Nowendoc State Forest for a lunch break. The soundscape was epic, like being in a Jurassic forest. I captured it in the video below. The background roar is the wind in the branches. Most of the squealing and chattering sounds are made by Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos. At about 1 minute in, a couple of ravens start cawing loudly. At about 1:36, a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo adds its screeching to the mix. You don’t see the birds, except at 2:12 (near end) when a bird makes a lightning appearance near bottom left of the frame.

As you can see in the video, Janet the Jeep was our chariot of choice on this trip. Here she is again, hogging the scene as usual:

That’s all for today, folks.