DAY 53: Riverton to Gawler

Tue 27th Nov 07
49 km @ 16.4 km/hr
Sunny, hot, 30+C
light tailwind

All the world was awake at 0630 so if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Having ditched the rather smelly fruit loaf last night (probably too hot for it to keep fresh too long) I had to get a pastie from the one shop open in Riverton, and then I was on my way.
Plenty of lorries on the road again; apparently many are going to / from Broken Hill Mine, but there was a reasonable verge. Even so I had to dive off into the gravel a few times when traffic was coming both ways. There was a slight tailwind so that was appreciated, but in any case there was a gradual descent for the most part. nothing much to report on the scenery front - I’m sure the farmers like looking at their wheat fields but it does nothing for me lol.
Very hot indeed by the time I reached Gawler, which is a big town and administrative centre by the looks of it. The caravan park was smart-looking as reflected in the $20 fee, unfortunately there was nowhere shady to erect the tent (it was only noon and the sun was high in the sky) so I had to try and work out where west was in anticipation of some shade later on - not a very exact science I have found! (pic below right)
I was feeling completely devoid of energy for some reason - this seems to have been worse ever since this hot spell started a few days ago, and as I’ve already commented, this may be due to dehydration. I’ve been pretty lucky since the start of this tour in that it has been cooler rather than warmer so far. Maybe I need to adapt some more? The short days should help in this respect, as will a few days off in Adelaide.

Pic above left = Gawler Railway Station / Jacaranda tree

Had a great lunch of serve-yourself salad for $9.95 then called in at the library for internet, but unlucky again, closed today (as was Clare library yesterday). Looks like I’ll have to pay at the caravan site computer lol. Half an hour after lunch still very tired so now sat in an arcade cafe with FU Iced Coffee resting / recovering. I don’t like this tired feeling as I’ve usually got lots of energy, hmmm.
Had trouble at the Gawler CP internet machine which crashed on me -the lady manager seemed to be blaming my USB attachments in a very shirty way, but after admitting she knew nothing about computers grrrr!
Had an interesting conversation with a former NZ Fire Chief about the science and fighting of fires in the bush - scary stuff.