The CrossingToward Yass
Coffee Calling At Bookham
Day 95 took me from the truck stop near Coolac through Jugiong and Bookham toward Yass: 56.3 km, a coffee stop that turned into proper support, a Run Down Under milestone, and another final 5 km in the dark.
The morning started where the previous night had ended: beside the Hume, a few kilometres north west of Coolac.
It was still dark when I started: road, headlights, and the slow arrival of morning. That was the deal with sleeping where I had stopped. It made the start simple, but it also meant the day began exactly where the highway had left us.
Jugiong came first.
Historic Jugiong had a few things to look at, then it was back onto the Hume: signs, shoulders, trucks, scenery, and the next town further up the road.
By late morning, Yass was 60 kilometres away.
Useful information, but still not exactly close.
The best moment came at Bookham.
After lunch, I headed out for the first session of the afternoon. When I finished, the campervan was waiting only a short walk from a nice-looking cafe: Barney’s at Bookham. I thought it would be good to take the lads in for a coffee.
The owner, Darrel, asked what I was walking for. Once I said “Heart Foundation”, he told the barista it was on the house.
That would have been lovely enough on its own.
Then conversations started with customers. Mon made a donation. Darrel told us that he and Brett from Barney’s had booked and paid for a powered site for us at Yass Caravan Park.
Totally blown away. Yet again.
If you are travelling the Hume Highway and going near Bookham, stop in at that lovely little place.
There was also a strange little Run Down Under overlap during the day. On my virtual lap of Australia, I had reached Perth about 200 km earlier and was just past Bunbury.
So the real me was on the Hume near Yass, while virtual me was back in Western Australia, somewhere around the part of the country that had started all of this months earlier.
That amused me.
The last 5 km was another dark run. You got used to that, honestly lol. Reflective gear, tired legs, road noise, and a finish point somewhere ahead in the dark had become normal enough to laugh at.
We finished around 7 pm, which felt semi-civilised after some of the late ones.
That night we slept at Yass Caravan Park, with the site kindly paid for by Darrel and Brett from Barney’s. The next morning we would drive back 19 km to resume from the finish point. Matt Napier was hopefully joining me for a few kilometres as well, and he was also hoping to collect and bring out a very useful parcel: new US 15 shoes from Hoka OneOne Australia.
Big day ahead.
Day 95 had added 56.3 km. More importantly, it had added another reminder that HAA was being carried by far more than my legs.
Videos From The Day
Final 5k in the dark
The final 5 km of Day 95, in the dark toward the marked finish point near Bowning. You got used to that, honestly lol.
Open on YouTubeImages From The Day
