Camped on the Blue Tier.

Travel higher up into the mountains, through the tiny settlement at Lottah and on to Poimena (the ghost town referred to in an earlier post) and you're on the Blue Tier, a high plateau overlooking the north east coastline. It's beautifully scenic, very cold and the air feels clean and crisp. We visited last week, climbed the rocks on Moon Valley Rim and watched a wedge-tail eagle glide effortlessly up and down the ridge. The other night, there was only one camper on the Blue Tier. Ben fitted the panniers and packed three sleeping bags, a small tent and some supplies onto the bike then headed slowly up the track from Little Plains Lookout. Facilities are limited and we're unsure about the water in the local streams since the area is a former tin mining settlement.

Today Ben's at Friendly Beaches, north of Frecinet. He's looking at future places to stay between Bicheno and Scamander. Tonight he'll head back north to Weldborough. The bike needs to have timing belts replaced every 20,000km and the next change is due. That requires a trip to Launceston.