trial run to Barrington tops

I've long thought a traverse of bsrrnngton tops, 120k Gloucester to Scone with 1500m elevation, would be epic.
 
So I planned a reccy: drive up with bike, camp, cycle about. 

However on the appointed day, my son wanted to borrow my car. Plan B was to ride my motorcycle and camp and flyfish.
Stopping at Dungog to check my luggage.
Junction Pools car park.

I had been going to Polblue, but turned off short to go to junction Pools. It sounded quieter and fishy. The road in was 4wd or trail bike only, and physically demanding. 

As I arrived I had good news, there were trout, and bad news, I forgot matches and had bought steak and copious amounts of coffee. Well, the fishing proved difficult due to the number and variety of snags. Still, I'm in the mountains chasing trout right?

I was cranky at myself, I love coffee and didn't want to waste a good steak. So I drove 60 or 80k back to Gloucester. There I bought matches and ginger beer and had a BBQ watchingvthe sun descend over The Buckets, a spectacular rock outcrop west of the town. 
BBQ by The Buckets

After eating a lovely steak with taters and snap peas, I read Don Quixote and relaxed. Rather than pay to sleep in suburbia, I decided to ride 90k home, slowly due to the road conditions and risk of roo strike 
sun setting behind The Buckets.

Plusses:
Soul recharged by alpine air
I got away with the intent to camp.
Apart from the matches debacle it was a highly rated day 
The bike clocked 350k perfectly.
I learned a lot about such a traverse.
Minusses:
I lost my trout fishing cap.

Aboriginal Lands:
Gloucester, the Barrington Tops and my homeare the lands of the Guringai first nations people.  These people would move to the tops through the Allyn River valley during summer. Its  cooler up high than down by the coast and no doubt provided good food gathering opportunities. 
The Buckets name derived from the Guringai name Buccan Buccan, place of many rocks. 
 

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