DAY 19 - NARRANDERA NSW

NARRANDERA NSW

DAY 19

WAGGA WAGGA - NARRANDERA

109.35 km

Total Time – 08.00 – 13.30 (5h 30m)

Time on Bike – 4h 34m 34s

Max. speed – 46.9 km/h

Av. Speed – 23.9 km/h


The journey continues.

By the above statistics, something is very telling.

When the maximum speed is low and the average speed high, flat terrain is most likely responsible.

Today’s was the flattest ride so far.

Dead flat from start to end.

More can be expected in the coming days.

Unfortunately it doesn’t make for the most exciting riding – scenery in particular is fairly uninspiring.

Conditions otherwise were superb today.

Flat terrain, wide open skies, 21°C, gentle cross-breezes.

There were a few trucks.

Quite a few and for some reason, etiquette appears to be not so highly regarded in these parts.

I’ve had more than a fair break along the way – most people stop short of being impressed when I relate how most traffic responds to me.

Today was the first time I felt maybe I’m coming back to the field.

Or maybe it was the conditions.

The Sturt Highway isn’t a 10-lane freeway by any means – and the road shoulder is just a little inconsistent.

I do my best – and the 34-wheeler B-Doubles should behave themselves.

The size discrepancy is enormous and there’s no way I’m gonna win.

I would like to make it to Adelaide upright, after all…..

It will be just a one-night stand in Narrandera.

A very leafy and well-kept town, I may say.

Something of a cross between Canberra and Belrose (equally leafy suburb in Sydney), such is the manicured attention and comfortable ambience around the town.

There’s also some typically fine historic pubs along the main street, as well as a number of buildings (homes included) that have earned National Trust status.

Ramshackled is not a description that could be necessarily apply to Narrandera.

I have set up camp at nearby Lake Talbot.

Not to miss the opportunity, I took a therapeutic swim in said lake shortly after arrival.

20 minutes of genial frolic later and my 110 km legs were almost back to normal.

Tomorrow will see me push onwards to the town of Griffith – the second city of the Riverina to Wagga and quite a multi-ethnic affair I’m told.