57. Wentworth Falls & Jenolan Caves

This is my first trip after the crash. The distance travelled was significantly lesser than the standard 1,000kms roundtrip but I thought I'd start small... and for good reason. At the moment, any change in surface level and vibration through my steering somehow rehash the moments before my crash (the only thing I remember) - very nerve wrecking! I was not expecting this at all so I'm hoping I'll get over it sooner rather than later.

Route: Sydney - Wentworth Falls - Jenolan - Sydney

Total Distance: ~350km

Map: Click Here

Stop one was Wentworth Falls Village. We stopped for brunch at Il Postino only to be attacked by bees. The food was quite yummy though... especially the hash brown.

Next stop was to Charles Darwin walk to see the waterfalls.

The beginning part of the walk was quite easy but as we moved along, it got tougher and tougher... lots and lots of steep staircases (no exaggeration here)!! It was however all worth while! The landscape was beautiful and the waterfalls were magnificent!

We finished the walk at the Conservation Hut which was 3kms from our motorbikes. At this stage, we were both exhausted and ended up catching a taxi back. The tip here is to go back the same way you started! 

We than continued to Jenolan Caves to stay the night. Accommodation was at the mountain lodge rooms - the rooms were reasonably clean and heating was sufficient for the cold weather. Bathroom could do with a small heater though.

Day two was adventure caving!! We bypassed the first level and went straight to level 2 - The Aladdin. It was slightly risky as neither T nor I had any experience. There were lots of slippery areas in the cave and lots of challenging bits to get through but it was so much fun! My favourite parts were sliding down a slope and trying to crawl through various holes. I would recommend everyone to try caving at least once!

Before we knew it, it was time to head back home!

56. More Posts To Come On Soon.

Work's been incredibly busy and I haven't had much time to blog... the weekend bike trips are still happening and I'll be posting a couple of them in the next week or so.

In the meantime, I've also been testing a series of different gear (winter pants and a few gloves) and I'll put my thoughts and review soon.

Stay tune!

55. Gear Reivew - Rev'it Siren

Product: Rev'it Siren Ladies
Size: 38
Colour: Black and Red

I hate the cold and it takes the fun out of riding.

After several months of research, I shortlisted to 3 jackets and in order of preference
1) BMW Streetguard 3
2) Rev'it Ventura Ladies
3) Rev'it Siren Ladies

Unfortunately, the BMW jacket was still too big and the Ventura would not be available until July.

I needed something now so the Siren it was.

The Jacket Itself

- 3 layer integrated system: 1) Textile outer shell 2) Rain proof layer 3) Thermal layer

- 2 easily accessibly pockets on the inside of the jacket 

- 2 flip up pockets on the front

- 2 side pockets on the front (behind the flip ups)

- 1 large back pocket 

- Adjustable straps on arms, waist and neck

What I like about it?
- Fit and Style. I found the jacket to be a good fit and I love the colour scheme and design.
- Adjustable straps to get that perfect fit.
- The pockets - all very good size and I can fit lots in them - just what a girl needs.
- Despite layering it with another thermal layer, I still had a lot of movement.

What I dislike about it?
-Velcros used to close up the front of the jacket. From my experience, velcros don't last very long and I keep getting my scarf and clothes stuck on it. I much prefer buttons so we'll see.
- The outer textile gets quite heavy when drenched in rain and it takes a while to dry out.
- Armour does not feel very solid/protective.

Did it keep me warm? 
On my first trial to Jenolan (~200kms), the jacket with all 3 layers and my base layer kept me reasonably comfortable on the highway for about 1 hour. It was also good enough at low speeds when the temperature dropped to around 5 degrees.

On my second trial where I covered 1,000kms over 2 days, the jacket with all 3 layers together with an additional thermal layer (Kathmandu insuLite layer) worked like a treat! It did its job at freeway speed for over 2 to 3 hours non stop. Temperature around this time was less than 10 degrees if not much lower.

How effective is it in the Rain?
On my second trip, I got caught in reasonably heavy rain (15-20mm) for about half hour and the jacket held up well. The pockets however did get very wet - I would recommend some sort of waterproof cover for your phone.


How effective is it from cold to hot and vice versa?
Not yet tested.