on tuesday we had to deliver oma to the airport so she could see her other grandkids again. i think one of them may now need special attention. 🙁
see you again soon oma!
so we were alone again but nat happened to have a few days off school and the weather was so nice … we convinced friends of ours to join us on a little autumn biking escape to canberra.
we assembled the perfect team: four blonde shredding girls aged between nine and seventeen, one extreme riding mum and importantly one shuttle-slash-catering mum. ah yes, and a few local friends with the all important detailed knowledge of the canberra trails, especially the tuggeranong pines jump lines. we hadn’t been there before and really enjoyed building these essential flying skills.
we do know mount stromlo pretty well and nat played guide for the older girls. she did a great job, too, and kept the girls on their toes, allowing brigitte to focus on riding with her youngest.
there is of course never a last ride, but brigitte joined the crew for a sunset cruise. best time to rip down skyline, luge and old duffy’s.
a nomad and a 5010 in the sunset. so much beauty.
there is another reason nat really really loves canberra: she is allowed to volunteer at the local reptile zoo which means she can carry various snakes, lizards and the resident baby croc around and show them to the visitors. plus she was allowed to help clean all the pens, too. yay.
in the meantime kris and i enjoyed a more causal look around canberra. kris would love the opportunity to use the roller blades riding along lake burleigh griffin more often.
for the last day i had planned a little adventure for nat and i. the thing is, there is this enduro race coming up, in canberra of all places. but unlike at some other events where they give the younger kids a break (and let them shuttle to the stage start) in this one all racers, even nat, would have to ride all the stages plus all the liaisons: twice up the entire mountain and once up about two thirds. gnarly. so we set out to pre-run the race.
initially nat was not too keen but once she got started she actually did really well and rode up and down without complaining. i think she herself was surprised how well she did plus she loved the little fairy doors which are strategically placed around the trails. that must be where the trail fairies live – cute.
natalie is really connecting with her new bike, it’s great to watch her starting to play with the trail and having fun, pumping, jumping and generally shredding.
i think we are ready for the rollercoaster!
canberra in two weeks anyone?