Thursday, November 22, 2007

DAY 48: Day off in Wallaroo

Thurs 22nd Nov 07

Didn’t sleep well last night since I was unable to turn off the lights over where the tent was pitched doh! Anyhow I plan a nice relaxing day so no sweat.
The 3 girls were busy preparing for their second days ride but we had a good chat over breakfast about cycling, adventure and the like. (see pic)Arranged with new friends Sue and Peter to go into town (3km away) with them at 1130 - this allows me tostay off the bike completely to try and get my nether regions in better shape - although the boil has gone I now have an open sore where the remains of the boil is and it’s sore and tender.

Although there is free internet at the site office it was unable to log me into the blog so abandoned that and decided to go to the library in town instead, also free of course, subject to availability. Duly got this sorted and replied to e-mails etc., in good time for lunch with S & P - medley of seafood with chips, very nice, and the flies enjoyed it too!

Bought a few bits of food, and then discussed my ‘bits’ with the pharmacist and she recommended Batadene antiseptic gel and covering the site with Opsite (or similar name - fabric film kinda like skin).
Sue and Peter asked if I’d like dinner with them - Peter will be cooking a Hungarian goulash / stew and I readily agreed. My contribution was a huge fresh cream black Forest gateau for pudding.
Lazed about most of the afternoon until P got out the (first) bottle of Dusk, a strwaberry-flavoured Oz ‘chamlagne’ - very pleasant and ice cold. it wasn’t a particularly hot day though, about 22 deg C. The stew was very tasty too, and it was good to try something different

Pics of the girls (from left Bonny, Lisa and Laura), and of Peter and Sue. Nice people.


DAY 47: Arno Bay to Wallaroo

Weds 21st Nov 07
72 km @ 17.2 km/hr
Tailwind (30 km/hr-ish)

Heavy rain last night after the fun of cooking up a storm in a storm as it were. The tent is good though, very pleased with its performance.
I got away a little later this morning after a pleasant lie-in / doze and the headwind was still on the go, a little less powerful. The going was a bit featureless with mostly grain fields but little traffic. In just over 2 hours i was in Cowell (47km) and I had half-resigned myself to staying there the night - I feel I need a break - however I was driven as usual by the need to 'press on' and despite being a bit short of time hit the road again to try and catch the 1315 ferry from Lucky Bay to Wallaroo.
This is my last day on the Eyre Peninsular then, and headed across the water on the 2 hour crossing to the Yorke Peninsular and Wallaroo.
I made the ferry some 25 minutes early, paid my $37.50 and secured the bike at the side of the car deck for what looked like a stormy crossing. The captain gave out the usual welcome comments with an announcement about the likely state of the crossing - 100 km/hr winds; 20m waves; and apart from that it's OK! As it turned out it was not that bad, and as an unwilling sailor I was thus much relieved. The small vessel is very comfortable.
The caravan park closest to town (Office Beach) was almost full, cramped and expensive so I had a 4km ride out to North Beach to the larger caravan park. It was till very windy so I elected to erect the tent under cover of one of the barbie areas. Just after I had set up a mirage appeared - 3 touring cyclists! A very rare species indeed, and especially in female form. These 3 young ladies - Lisa, Laura and Bonny - were riding from Adelaide to Perth. I was invited to contact them withe a view to staying when I pass through Canberra and the Sunshine Coast next year, and they quizzed me about the Nullabor and other aspects of my ride. I have seen very few other cyclists since leaving Perth. this caravan park looks good - the kitchen has everything, and although there are only a few others using it I have met most of them already. I will definitely send at least another day here, i like the feel of it. Another camper told me there's free internet in the site office too.
There's a little railway that runs out to a couple of towns from here which I might take tomorrow, chill out a bit and recover.
I really enjoyed the west coast of the Eyre Peninsular, it is akin to a tropical paradise - blue seas, white sandy beaches and interesting landform - it felt like a proper holiday after the hardships of the Nullabor. The east coast is OK but less inspiring. I am gaining the impression that the Yorke Peninsular features a lot of open country laid to grain etc. - not the most ideal cycling territory, and I may carry on east and north and around into Adelaide some 170km away - 2 days ride or so. I'm approximately 2 weeks ahead of my 'schedule' largely due to the extra km a day I got in on the Nullabor.

The caravan park closest to town (Office Beach) was almost full, cramped and expensive so I had a 4km ride out to North Beach to the larger caravan park. It was till very windy so I elected to erect the tent under cover of one of the barbie areas. Just after I had set up a mirage appeared - 3 touring cyclists! A very rare species indeed, and especially in female form. These 3 young ladies - Lisa, Laura and Bonny - were riding from Adelaide to Perth. I was invited to contact them withe a view to staying when I pass through Canberra and the Sunshine Coast next year, and they quizzed me about the Nullabor and other aspects of my ride. I have seen very few other cyclists since leaving Perth. this caravan park looks good - the kitchen has everything, and although there are only a few others using it I have met most of them already. I will definitely send at least another day here, I like the feel of it. Another camper told me there's free internet in the site office too.

DAY 46: Tumby Bay to Arno Bay



Tue 20th Nov 07
75 km @ 21.5 km/hr
BIG tailwind (45 km/hr-ish / force 6-7

At 0130 this morning there was a big electric storm, starting with distant flashes all over the place every 10 seconds, leading to ever louder claps of thunder, developing into heavy rain and high winds. The rain I wasn't too worried about; the winds were a bit of a concern to me as I haven't any experience with this tent (MSR Hubba Hubba) in high winds. So far it has not let a drop of water in despite a few deluges. Trouble was the wind had whipped up from the west, and the tent was pitched N to S, so as the wind built up to force 8 or so it was hitting the side against the stress of the aluminium poles rather than in line with them. With the wind at it's height I pushed the top of the tent against the force of the wind which was fairly pushing the roof downwind. After a few minutes when the rain stopped I went outside and fitted the 2 big bungees aqs guys to hold the tent to windward. This seemed to work OK, and after a while I must have fell asleep.
As I only had a short run today (as I thought) AND it has been raining this morning AND I hed an interrupted sleep I slept in until 8. I also had in mind to spend the morning uploading to the blog. I appreciated the campers kitchen with its electric kettle and toaster, and got going around 0900.
A local guy said I could get free internet at the primary school / library, and right enough I was installed on a machine by the helpful librarian lady. I actually spent 2 hours online, but no-one else needed it so no problem acc to the lady. I managed to get a lot of stuff done - bank checks etc.
I rewarded myself for all this effort with brunch at the local bakery - ham and cheese croissant, apricot slice with cream, and coffee. I love the Oz bakeries, i get a rush of pleasure when I come upon one.
Once on the road I realised I had a good tailwind, with an ever-strengthening southerly blowing. There were few roadtrains so I made good progress and was in Arno Bay by 1600. Despite the brochures bumming this place up it isn't up to much I'm afraid - pretty run-down and featureless apart from the nice beach and jetty; mind you it was overcast (all day) and blowing a gale, so not seen at it's best. The caravan park was OK though, and the lady wisely let me choose my own sheltered spot on a windswept site. This turned out to bee leeward of the ladies toilets, where I duly pitched and battened the tent down well. I fancied a barbie so went off to IGA to get a barbie pack (sausages, burgers and chops), zuchini, onion, tomato and mushrooms for under $10 (£4) - bargain. I washed my only pair of trousers but it started raining as I rinsed them grrr! I had to hang then under the barbie roof as the only dry place around here. Hope i don't forget them in the morning.
It was fun cooking this on the electric barbeue plate in a rising wind and driving rain, I had to muffle up in my Sprayway jacket for the first time for a while, but at least the food was piping hot - i just took a small amounf at a time from the hotplate so it was all hot on eating. A few lasses of shiraz helped it down. And the weather has only got worse - as I lie in my sleeping bag in the tent typing this the thunder, lightning and heavy rain have continued for an hour or more. The lights outsid ethe toilets behind the tent keep going off with every lightning flash then coming back on again. I feel quite snug in here though, so far the wind has not threatened as it did last night. It's fully dark now at 2045 and I hope for an early night once I've gone through the usual routine of Sudoku and Ned Kelly.
Heavy rain last night after the fun of cooking up a storm in a storm as it were. The tent is good though, very pleased with its perfomance. I got away a little later this morning after a pleasant lie-in / doze and the headwind was still on the go, a little less powerful. The going was a bit featureless with mostly grain fields but little traffic. In just over 2 hours i was in Cowell (47km) and I had half-resigned myself to staying there the night - I feel I need a break - however I was driven as usual by the need to 'press on' and despite being a bit short of time hit the road again to try and catch the 1315 ferry from Lucky Bay to Wallaroo.
This is my last day on the Eyre Peninsular then, and headed across the water on the 2 hour crossing to the Yorke Peninsular and Wallaroo.
I made the ferry some 25 minutes early, paid my $37.50 and secured the bike at the side of the car deck for what looked like a stormy crossing. The captain gave out the usual welcome comments with an announcement about the likely state of the crossing - 100 km/hr winds; 20m waves; and apart from that it's OK! As it turned out it was not that bad, and as an unwilling sailor I was thus much relieved. The small vessel is very comfortable..
It was fun cooking this on the electric barbecue plate in a rising wind and driving rain, I had to muffle up in my Sprayway jacket for the first time for a while, but at least the food was piping hot - I just took a small amount at a time from the hotplate so it was all hot on eating. A few lasses of shiraz helped it down. And the weather has only got worse - as I lie in my sleeping bag in the tent typing this the thunder, lightning and heavy rain have continued for an hour or more. The lights outsid the toilets behind the tent keep going off with every lightning flash then coming back on again. I feel quite snug in here though, so far the wind has not threatened as it did last night. It's fully dark now at 2045 and I hope for an early night once I've gone through the usual routine of Sudoku and Ned Kelly.