4th Linger & Die to the Upper Hunter -  Sat 25 Sept '10 to Tues 28 Sept '10 - limited to 8 cyclists unless someone in addition to Scott aka PatternMaker offers their vehicle as a support car to carry o'nite stuff incl the tents of campers

Three options:

(i)      four days cycling as listed in below table; or

(ii)     if you can't jag Tues off work - on Monday, cycle from Paterson 68km to Morisset or 87km to Wyong to catch train to Hornsby; or

(iii)    if you can't jag Monday off work - on Sunday, cycle from Wollombi to Cessnock, then -

         *   directly to Maitland to catch 11:49am train (after 55km) arriving Hornsby at 2:34pm; or

         *   via Paterson to Maitland to catch 2:50pm train (after 96km) arriving Hornsby at 5:54pm.

Our inaugural Linger and Die ride to the Upper Hunter in March '01 attracted 9 cyclists.  Muggs' 2nd L&D in 2003 attracted 11 cyclists.  17 signed-on for #3 in 2003.  Other cycle w'ends forced this delightful ride to the Upper Hunter onto the back-burner.  However, Scott aka PatternMaker, who is providing his Ute as the Support Vehicle/Sag Wagon, has asked for L&D to be de-mothballed. 

If you have to work on Tues 28 Sept, there are 7 trains from Morisset station back to Berowra and Hornsby stations between 10:07am and 4:07pm on the Monday, 27 Sept.  So you can join us for 3 or 4 days cycling.                                                                                                        

Click on: Route Spreadsheet and read additional route info in yellow below.

Our Sag Wagon will hold up to 10 o'nite bags, tents, etc.  Each of the current 6 cyclists, less Scott, contributes $10 to aggregate up to $50 min to cover gas and wear 'n tear - payable before you load your stuff in the trunk.  Cyclists will again share the driving with each cyclist driving approx. 30km legs.  Our support vehicle should remain behind the last cyclist throughout the four days, so we always provide a Sag Wagon.

Below are details of camping, B&B, motel and hotel accommodation at our 2 o'nite stops of Wollombi and Paterson.

Day 1 - Saturday 25th
Depart Berowra station from 8:45am (8:20am train from Hornsby arrives Berowra at 8:37am) after you load your o'night bag into our Sag Wagon, riding 100km, via Mt White, Peats Ridge, Kulnura to Wollombi.
We have booked Bob's Lodge which is a large house in Wollombi costing each of our present 6 crew $41.33.   The house holds 9 single people.  We are having din dins at the Wollombi Tavern.

Day 2 - Sunday 26th
Breakfast is in Cessnock after a 29km leg, but most crew plan to bring something to eat before leaving Wollombi.
Depart Wollombi at 8:10am cycling via Cessnock, Maitland, Morpeth to Paterson - 81km.
 

Day 3 - Monday 27th
Catch 9:16am train from Paterson to Dungog (arr.9:45). Cycle NE 27.7km to Stroud for Nosh Stop. Retrace back to Dungog for 2nd Nosh Stop.  Cycle 33km back to Dungog.  If tired or weather is dubious, catch the 3:10pm Dungog train to Paterson (arr. 3:38).  Otherwise, cycle back to Paterson (additional 32km) for a day’s total of 88km. 

Day 4 - Tues 28th
8:45am cycle Paterson to Morisset (71km) to catch 1:07pm train which arrives at Hornsby at 2:28pm. Or cycle an extra 26km along Hue Hue Rd to Wyong (96km). The 2:32 Wyong train stops at Hornsby at 3:39pm.

Explanation of "Linger 'n Die" folklore

In 2000, Simmo, aka The Enforcer, with "No Hill is to High" and "No Mountain too Mean" firmly inculcated in his noggin, noticed a new conquest from Column 8 in the SMH – extracted below where a local, Peter Olsen, describes Linger And Die Hill, between Dungog and Gloucester in the Upper Hunter Valley, as “so sheer that if bullock wagons stopped during the climb, they couldn't get under way again”.  Simmo ‘phoned up Peter Olsen to suss out the Hill, whereupon he spoke to Ms. Peta Olsen who described it as “a tough mile and a half”.

Completed in 1882, the Monkerai bridge is an Old Public Works Department timber truss road bridge - the second oldest timber truss road bridge in NSW. Constructed from timber to conform with the 1861 parliamentary decree that local materials should be used in public works, the trusses took advantage of the high quality hardwood that was available in NSW. The design is essentially a copy of the European timber truss bridges that had their origins in the work of the 16th century Italian architect Andrea Palladio. The Monkerai Bridge is located in the Hunter region, which has 15 historic bridges each constructed before 1905, and it gains heritage significance from its proximity to the high concentration of other historic bridges in the area. In 1998 there were 2 surviving Old PWD trusses in NSW of the 147 built, and 82 timber truss road bridges survive from the over 400 built. The Monkerai bridge is assessed as being Nationally significant, primarily on the basis of its technical and historical significance.

Below is Column 8 in the SMH on 29 June 2000

"ON Monkerai Road, the old coaching way between Dungog and Gloucester, is the wonderfully named Linger And Die Hill, a name also often attached to a nearby three-span timber bridge over the Karuah River.  An NRMA plaque proclaims the bridge, built in 1877, to be the oldest truss bridge in NSW.  On Tuesday night one of the spans broke, having faithfully supported traffic from horse-drawn coaches to big trucks for 123 years. It's a bit of history that may now be lost. Linger And Die Hill?  Peter Olsen, whose family has been in the district since 1827, says it was so steep that if bullock wagons stopped during the climb, they couldn't get under way again.