April 13, 2024
Riding through Family History
Across the Nandewar Range
Barraba to Bingara via Bell’s Mountain
A fairly easy day today, even though we did cross The Nandewar Range into the Gwydir River catchment.
Only 60km of pedalling with a few hills and then easy rolling into Bingara, population 1200.
The area is of personal interest to me because The Upper Horton Valley and Bingara is where one of my grandmother’s was born and grew up. Her parents (Harper-Harris) and grandparents (Harris-Sparrow) lived here most of their lives. They worked on and managed pastoral properties.
In the 1960s, farm workers such as my rels from Barraba who worked in the Upper Horton, drove over the range on Sunday or Monday, then stayed for a week or more on site. The road (and vehicles) was too bad to commute daily. There were many accidents on Bells Mountain.
From a young age I can remember hearing about the Upper Horton, and stations like Bereen where my grandfather and uncles worked as shearers.
Quite a few times in my childhood I went to Upper Horton rodeos with my father who was a builder, but was also a volunteer ambulance driver.
It was great to visit more rels in Barraba today before we departed.
About 12 km out of Barraba we came across a very lucky driver whose front wheel had detached and sent his vehicle off the road toward a solid tree. He was shaken and stirred but not hurt.
And thanks Brian Coote for taking some drone footage of today’s ride. He drove all the way to Cobbadah to get aerial video of us cycling.
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Today's ride: 60 km (37 miles)
Total: 832 km (517 miles)
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