MOUNT GAMBIER SA
DAY 121
BEACHPORT – MOUNT GAMBIER
94.05 km
Total Time: 10.00 – 17.30 (7h 30m)
Time on Bike: 5h 49m 44s
Max. Speed: 42.2 km/h
Av. Speed: 16.1 km/h
Mount Gambier is my final stop in South Australia.
The Mount is one of SA’s bigger and better known towns with some quite special features that I will be exploring tomorrow for the benefit of a future posting.
It is also one of Australia’s coldest places right at the moment although I’d be reckoning it’s just the beginning of more to come over the final 2 weeks of the journey.
Wheeling out of Beachport at 10 am this morning, my mood was strong with the weather having cleared to my satisfaction and the prevailing wind a lame shadow of its own self from yesterday.
I would stop short of describing conditions as warm, but the going was still good.
Millicent is only 35 kilometres onward from Beachport but at least 5ºC colder.
15º in Beachport is 10º in Millicent and there was still 50 km to Mount Gambier.
A couple of royal drenchings between Millicent and the Mount as well as a dramatic increase in the hilliness of the terrain made for some unhappy riding this afternoon.
I spent most of it either wet or cold and mainly both.
Oh, and there was the small issue of one of my trailer tyres blowing out 10 km from Mount Gambier.
Rather than commit to a running repair by the side of a fairly dangerous section of highway, the decision to push through in cold, wet and darkening conditions was absolutely the right one.
It was still cold and wet and almost dark by the time I found a camp this evening and I can confirm that if it weren’t for that wicked, freakish day about 3 weeks ago between Orroroo and Jamestown, then today would be in pole position by some distance.
And unfortunately, it just isn’t likely to improve from here, so I will be investing some warming type devices at some stage tomorrow.
This and a thorough look around the Mount should keep me occupied for the duration.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
DAY 120 - BEACHPORT SA
BEACHPORT SA
DAY 120
A whale of a day around Beachport and in spite of all the rubbish weather.
Beachport’s permanent population is only 400 (not including the crayfish fleet) and after meeting around a quarter of them at the pub last evening, all that was left for today was something of a guided tour as well some attention to important logistics.
With hosts Shannon and Julie leading the way, there was not much to concern about.
A nice change to the norm has been 3 meals a day of a wholesome variety as well as the comfort of a warm bed.
My feet have been, well…..freezing of late, to be blunt.
Such have been the low night time mercury readings.
My +3 sleeping sack has been struggling just some and no amount of sock layering can improve a thing.
Once your feet are cold, that’s the way they tend to stay.
With only 2 weeks left and some of Australia’s southernmost areas immediately in front of me, I cannot expect any mercy from the winter depths of July and early August.
Today was no day to be riding anywhere anyway – this much I know and it was never going to be.
Instead, the fun of the day was something of a family 4-wheel-driving adventure around the sand hills between Beachport and Lake George.
Not exactly your everyday cycling expedition, but a spot of tobogganing and Frisbee frolic was more the order.
Myself, my hosts and their 2 young daughters took on the razorbacks with couple of sand sleds and a candle, with some Frisbee-ing in between for good measure.
I can’t possibly see the harm in breaking things up like this and there may even be new skills learned, such as the art of straight-line tobogganing.
Any fool can sideways lose before wiping out at speed towards the bottom, as I found.
My subsequent bravado was quickly nullified by a 6-year-old girl who plainly could do the thing.
It is rather too embarrassing to watch and learn in these conditions, so I instead settled on gentle on-the-job guidance from the child’s father.
Before long, I was charging down in a straight line with not a mouth of sand to be had.
And how good it felt when the kid totalled on the very next run…..
Final stop of the day was the Woakwine Cutting - a massive gorge that was dug out of the limestone by local farmers in 1957 as a means of draining their swamp into Lake George.
The humble machinery they used is still locked up on site as a display piece for the locals and visitors who pass on by.
As interesting as the cutting was, it was even more interesting to see how many bounces a rock will actually take to hit the bottom......
On return to base, a pre-dinner winter swim was on in the family pool and whilst this may chill to the bone at the very thought, it is nice to know of it as an indoor, heated affair.
31ºC in fact and some intense spa jet action was as good for massage value as any $50-an-hour therapist.
After 6000 kilometres, I reckon it’s well deserved and as I look forward towards a certain destination closer to Melbourne, it may not even be the last.
First things first though and as my Beachport stay concludes, it is onwards to the city of Mount Gambier tomorrow.
DAY 120
A whale of a day around Beachport and in spite of all the rubbish weather.
Beachport’s permanent population is only 400 (not including the crayfish fleet) and after meeting around a quarter of them at the pub last evening, all that was left for today was something of a guided tour as well some attention to important logistics.
With hosts Shannon and Julie leading the way, there was not much to concern about.
A nice change to the norm has been 3 meals a day of a wholesome variety as well as the comfort of a warm bed.
My feet have been, well…..freezing of late, to be blunt.
Such have been the low night time mercury readings.
My +3 sleeping sack has been struggling just some and no amount of sock layering can improve a thing.
Once your feet are cold, that’s the way they tend to stay.
With only 2 weeks left and some of Australia’s southernmost areas immediately in front of me, I cannot expect any mercy from the winter depths of July and early August.
Today was no day to be riding anywhere anyway – this much I know and it was never going to be.
Instead, the fun of the day was something of a family 4-wheel-driving adventure around the sand hills between Beachport and Lake George.
Not exactly your everyday cycling expedition, but a spot of tobogganing and Frisbee frolic was more the order.
Myself, my hosts and their 2 young daughters took on the razorbacks with couple of sand sleds and a candle, with some Frisbee-ing in between for good measure.
I can’t possibly see the harm in breaking things up like this and there may even be new skills learned, such as the art of straight-line tobogganing.
Any fool can sideways lose before wiping out at speed towards the bottom, as I found.
My subsequent bravado was quickly nullified by a 6-year-old girl who plainly could do the thing.
It is rather too embarrassing to watch and learn in these conditions, so I instead settled on gentle on-the-job guidance from the child’s father.
Before long, I was charging down in a straight line with not a mouth of sand to be had.
And how good it felt when the kid totalled on the very next run…..
Final stop of the day was the Woakwine Cutting - a massive gorge that was dug out of the limestone by local farmers in 1957 as a means of draining their swamp into Lake George.
The humble machinery they used is still locked up on site as a display piece for the locals and visitors who pass on by.
As interesting as the cutting was, it was even more interesting to see how many bounces a rock will actually take to hit the bottom......
On return to base, a pre-dinner winter swim was on in the family pool and whilst this may chill to the bone at the very thought, it is nice to know of it as an indoor, heated affair.
31ºC in fact and some intense spa jet action was as good for massage value as any $50-an-hour therapist.
After 6000 kilometres, I reckon it’s well deserved and as I look forward towards a certain destination closer to Melbourne, it may not even be the last.
First things first though and as my Beachport stay concludes, it is onwards to the city of Mount Gambier tomorrow.
Friday, July 25, 2008
DAY 119 - BEACHPORT SA
BEACHPORT SA
DAY 119
ROBE - BEACHPORT
61.79 km
Total Time: 09.15 – 15.00 (5h 45m)
Time on Bike: 3h 18m 29s
Max. Speed: 32.2 km/h
Av. Speed: 18.7 km/h
Timing is everything and it is the right time to be in Beachport, if only for reuniting with my hosts for the weekend, Shannon and Julie.
We originally met by chance at West Beach in Adelaide around the beginning of May and a standing invitation to visit has existed if ever I should arrive.
Well, my path has finally led me here and all things come together in these circumstances.
I addressed the local school children on arrival – all 30 of them – and they collectively had it that I may have ridden anywhere between 100 and 100 000 kilometres on the current journey.
100 000 is certainly an impressive feat and whilst laying claim to this was tempting, some ooh’s and ahh’s quietly circulated the small room when the 6000 figure was finally nominated.
I’m not sure many of these children could grasp how much 6000 kilometres actually is – I probably couldn’t have grasped it 5 months ago myself – but the odometer does not exaggerate.
Still, it is not quite a cause for major celebration right now.
There is a distance yet to be travelled and I do intend to complete it safely and with my being intact.
Whatever the final figure is at this point will stand.
Until then, the journey must roll on.
The hospitality of my current hosts will extend now to Sunday.
Mount Gambier waits beyond and the final leg of the journey into Melbourne will unfold.
I cannot create an exacting time frame but 2 weeks is probably fair play.
The time is right to wind this trip to an end and the prospect of a finishing time is exciting.
With no questions left to be answered this time around, new opportunities lie ahead in bounds.
DAY 119
ROBE - BEACHPORT
61.79 km
Total Time: 09.15 – 15.00 (5h 45m)
Time on Bike: 3h 18m 29s
Max. Speed: 32.2 km/h
Av. Speed: 18.7 km/h
Timing is everything and it is the right time to be in Beachport, if only for reuniting with my hosts for the weekend, Shannon and Julie.
We originally met by chance at West Beach in Adelaide around the beginning of May and a standing invitation to visit has existed if ever I should arrive.
Well, my path has finally led me here and all things come together in these circumstances.
I addressed the local school children on arrival – all 30 of them – and they collectively had it that I may have ridden anywhere between 100 and 100 000 kilometres on the current journey.
100 000 is certainly an impressive feat and whilst laying claim to this was tempting, some ooh’s and ahh’s quietly circulated the small room when the 6000 figure was finally nominated.
I’m not sure many of these children could grasp how much 6000 kilometres actually is – I probably couldn’t have grasped it 5 months ago myself – but the odometer does not exaggerate.
Still, it is not quite a cause for major celebration right now.
There is a distance yet to be travelled and I do intend to complete it safely and with my being intact.
Whatever the final figure is at this point will stand.
Until then, the journey must roll on.
The hospitality of my current hosts will extend now to Sunday.
Mount Gambier waits beyond and the final leg of the journey into Melbourne will unfold.
I cannot create an exacting time frame but 2 weeks is probably fair play.
The time is right to wind this trip to an end and the prospect of a finishing time is exciting.
With no questions left to be answered this time around, new opportunities lie ahead in bounds.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
DAY 118 - ROBE SA
ROBE SA
DAY 118
KINGSTON S-E - ROBE
49.19 km
Total Time: 09.40 – 13.40 (4h)
Time on Bike: 2h 38m 23s
Max. Speed: 38.9 km/h
Av. Speed: 18.6 km/h
Another overnighter, this time in the town of Robe – a plush and rather spread out holiday settlement on the Southeast coast.
There’s not too much low-brow in Robe, although the local Foodland supermarket does plays its role for the common man.
I guess that’s why I bought dinner here.
Robe is generally a meticulously neat and well-kempt little hamlet as well as being absolutely full of a very attractive range of tourist accommodation.
Heck, even the Caravan Park I’m camped in is Heritage listed.
It runs the gamut of mid-to upper range B&B’s to niche seaside motels (only with heated pools and Jacuzzis on this occasion) to Backpacker and camping facilities (which do indeed happen to be heritage listed).
The town itself sits handsomely in picture perfect Guichen Bay, landmarked on the western extremity by Cape Dombey with its lighthouse and historic Obelisk.
With all this said, I do believe I’ve done well to be actually staying here for under $20, ‘cos it is all quite damn nice.
The town’s Royal Circus has possibly borrowed its name from elsewhere, but does feature in a fairly impressive heritage walk which is as close to what would be known as the Old Town in other parts of the world.
Said walk is apparently a self-guided affair, which suits me just fine and I am interested enough to have a small wander through before rolling on towards Beachport tomorrow morning.
As photogenic as Robe is and as keen as a photographer as I claim to be, the two have come together quite amicably so far and I am suggesting this blog will be the better for it.
For this reason, I’m not done yet and considering it is only a one-nighter, I am hoping for some fine conditions in the new day.
This weekend is a booking in the next town of Beachport with another set of hosts, Shannon and Julie Moran and I believe some good times will be had.
Until then.
DAY 118
KINGSTON S-E - ROBE
49.19 km
Total Time: 09.40 – 13.40 (4h)
Time on Bike: 2h 38m 23s
Max. Speed: 38.9 km/h
Av. Speed: 18.6 km/h
Another overnighter, this time in the town of Robe – a plush and rather spread out holiday settlement on the Southeast coast.
There’s not too much low-brow in Robe, although the local Foodland supermarket does plays its role for the common man.
I guess that’s why I bought dinner here.
Robe is generally a meticulously neat and well-kempt little hamlet as well as being absolutely full of a very attractive range of tourist accommodation.
Heck, even the Caravan Park I’m camped in is Heritage listed.
It runs the gamut of mid-to upper range B&B’s to niche seaside motels (only with heated pools and Jacuzzis on this occasion) to Backpacker and camping facilities (which do indeed happen to be heritage listed).
The town itself sits handsomely in picture perfect Guichen Bay, landmarked on the western extremity by Cape Dombey with its lighthouse and historic Obelisk.
With all this said, I do believe I’ve done well to be actually staying here for under $20, ‘cos it is all quite damn nice.
The town’s Royal Circus has possibly borrowed its name from elsewhere, but does feature in a fairly impressive heritage walk which is as close to what would be known as the Old Town in other parts of the world.
Said walk is apparently a self-guided affair, which suits me just fine and I am interested enough to have a small wander through before rolling on towards Beachport tomorrow morning.
As photogenic as Robe is and as keen as a photographer as I claim to be, the two have come together quite amicably so far and I am suggesting this blog will be the better for it.
For this reason, I’m not done yet and considering it is only a one-nighter, I am hoping for some fine conditions in the new day.
This weekend is a booking in the next town of Beachport with another set of hosts, Shannon and Julie Moran and I believe some good times will be had.
Until then.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
DAY 117 - KINGSTON S-E SA
KINGSTON S-E SA
DAY 117
SALT CREEK – KINGSTON S-E
98.84 km
Total Time: 08.35 – 15.35 (7h)
Time on Bike: 5h 20m 30s
Max. Speed: 31.4 km/h
Av. Speed: 18.5 km/h
Kingston South East.
The South East moniker is to distinguish it from another South Australian Kingston somewhere in the north.
Kingston represents both the bottom of the Coorong and the top of what is known as the Limestone Coast.
It is the main holiday and service centre of the sweeping Lacapede Bay and is also a paid up member of Australia’s Big Club.
The Big Club is one of Australia’s more shameful and embarrassing contributions to tourism, whereby numerous towns around the place have something big that is supposed to put it of the map and get people to go and visit.
Some more infamous examples are Big Banana (Coffs Harbour, NSW), Big Pineapple (Palmwoods, Queensland), Big Strawberry (Yarroweyah, Victoria), Big Merino (Goulburn, NSW).
Etcetera.
Kingston’s rather lame contribution to this rather lame culture is a massive 5 metre high fibreglass lobster that greets everybody on arrival through the northern end of town.
It is most certainly big enough and ugly enough to scar small children throughout their childhood years and beyond.
And I most certainly won’t be recommending anyone to visit because of it.
Eating lobster on the other hand is certifiably one of life’s more indulgent experiences and one of the culinary world’s more extravagant delicacies.
There is nothing quite like blowing $50 on a fresh one and sitting there demolishing the beast until no more meat can possibly be located.
Juice and other bits should ideally run down to the elbow region at meals’ end and the sucking technique most suitably applied to each section of claw, no matter how fiddly and difficult to access.
The lobster sadly has a reputation as an extremely fatty item of consumption and would blow most cholesterol budgets to the Moon and back.
The good things in life are rarely good for you they say.
Bah Humbug, I say and if one is give oneself heart disease, then this sure beats the idea of smoking oneself into the grave.
The only issue is always my daily $40 bean count, or else……
Today was the best weather (probably anywhere) for about a month – beautiful bright sun, light northerly breeze and not even as cold as it might have been.
Keep it up, I say once again and more of the same from here on in.
DAY 117
SALT CREEK – KINGSTON S-E
98.84 km
Total Time: 08.35 – 15.35 (7h)
Time on Bike: 5h 20m 30s
Max. Speed: 31.4 km/h
Av. Speed: 18.5 km/h
Kingston South East.
The South East moniker is to distinguish it from another South Australian Kingston somewhere in the north.
Kingston represents both the bottom of the Coorong and the top of what is known as the Limestone Coast.
It is the main holiday and service centre of the sweeping Lacapede Bay and is also a paid up member of Australia’s Big Club.
The Big Club is one of Australia’s more shameful and embarrassing contributions to tourism, whereby numerous towns around the place have something big that is supposed to put it of the map and get people to go and visit.
Some more infamous examples are Big Banana (Coffs Harbour, NSW), Big Pineapple (Palmwoods, Queensland), Big Strawberry (Yarroweyah, Victoria), Big Merino (Goulburn, NSW).
Etcetera.
Kingston’s rather lame contribution to this rather lame culture is a massive 5 metre high fibreglass lobster that greets everybody on arrival through the northern end of town.
It is most certainly big enough and ugly enough to scar small children throughout their childhood years and beyond.
And I most certainly won’t be recommending anyone to visit because of it.
Eating lobster on the other hand is certifiably one of life’s more indulgent experiences and one of the culinary world’s more extravagant delicacies.
There is nothing quite like blowing $50 on a fresh one and sitting there demolishing the beast until no more meat can possibly be located.
Juice and other bits should ideally run down to the elbow region at meals’ end and the sucking technique most suitably applied to each section of claw, no matter how fiddly and difficult to access.
The lobster sadly has a reputation as an extremely fatty item of consumption and would blow most cholesterol budgets to the Moon and back.
The good things in life are rarely good for you they say.
Bah Humbug, I say and if one is give oneself heart disease, then this sure beats the idea of smoking oneself into the grave.
The only issue is always my daily $40 bean count, or else……
Today was the best weather (probably anywhere) for about a month – beautiful bright sun, light northerly breeze and not even as cold as it might have been.
Keep it up, I say once again and more of the same from here on in.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
DAY 116 - SALT CREEK SA
SALT CREEK SA
DAY 116
MENINGIE – SALT CREEK
66.31 km
Total Time: 10.10 – 15.30 (5h 20m)
Time on Bike: 3h 57m 08s
Max. Speed: 38.7 km/h
Av. Speed: 16.8 km/h
Salt Creek is about halfway along the Coorong between Meningie and Kingston S-E.
This kind of leaves me in the middle of somewhere or nowhere at once.
For tonight, it is the Gemini Downs Camp, which has lent me a strip of grass in the wide open, untouched expanse of the Coorong.
And untouched it is, in the real sense.
If something is untouched, I am thinking this means that humans generally stay well away.
I’m not sure we can be trusted anymore.
The Coorong therefore must rate as one of Australia’s continuously untouched strips of wilderness.
The narrow mud flats and wetlands that are the Coorong lie between the wilderworld of the Southern Ocean on one side and the National B1 Princes Highway on the other.
It is a 60 kilometre channel of fragile ecosystem that outdates human existence by eons and will hopefully outlast it by about the same.
For its own sake, it is not quite physically spectacular enough to be regarded as a monster tourist hoop.
The nearby settlements are Spartan and don’t support such heavy traffic anyway, and this is the way it should stay.
Most just pass on by but to stop is fair reward with guaranteed encounters of the natural kind.
For myself, it leaves a 90 kilometre coastal run tomorrow, towards the southeast holiday coast of South Australia which will occupy me for the next few days.
The weather has reinvented itself remarkably and this afternoon was the finest display of sunny clear skies for about a month.
It goes to say that I desire for it to hold in this manner, at least for tomorrow and the exposed length of southern highway to Kingston.
DAY 116
MENINGIE – SALT CREEK
66.31 km
Total Time: 10.10 – 15.30 (5h 20m)
Time on Bike: 3h 57m 08s
Max. Speed: 38.7 km/h
Av. Speed: 16.8 km/h
Salt Creek is about halfway along the Coorong between Meningie and Kingston S-E.
This kind of leaves me in the middle of somewhere or nowhere at once.
For tonight, it is the Gemini Downs Camp, which has lent me a strip of grass in the wide open, untouched expanse of the Coorong.
And untouched it is, in the real sense.
If something is untouched, I am thinking this means that humans generally stay well away.
I’m not sure we can be trusted anymore.
The Coorong therefore must rate as one of Australia’s continuously untouched strips of wilderness.
The narrow mud flats and wetlands that are the Coorong lie between the wilderworld of the Southern Ocean on one side and the National B1 Princes Highway on the other.
It is a 60 kilometre channel of fragile ecosystem that outdates human existence by eons and will hopefully outlast it by about the same.
For its own sake, it is not quite physically spectacular enough to be regarded as a monster tourist hoop.
The nearby settlements are Spartan and don’t support such heavy traffic anyway, and this is the way it should stay.
Most just pass on by but to stop is fair reward with guaranteed encounters of the natural kind.
For myself, it leaves a 90 kilometre coastal run tomorrow, towards the southeast holiday coast of South Australia which will occupy me for the next few days.
The weather has reinvented itself remarkably and this afternoon was the finest display of sunny clear skies for about a month.
It goes to say that I desire for it to hold in this manner, at least for tomorrow and the exposed length of southern highway to Kingston.
Monday, July 21, 2008
DAY 115 - MENINGIE SA
MENINGIE SA
DAY 115
WELLINGTON - MENINGIE
51.41 km
Total Time: 08.30 – 13.00 (4h 30m)
Time on Bike: 3h 44m 29s
Max. Speed: 42.9 km/h
Av. Speed: 13.7 km/h
Following the events of yesterday, I should be thankful to be anywhere, like alive for instance.
However, I am just a little disappointed to only as far as Meningie - disappointed mainly because the weather conditions determined the day’s outcome.
4 hours for just over 40 kilometres is a paltry return but I guess that’s what you get for riding into a stonker of a headwind.
Plan A in fact was originally to be where I am.
However after my brush with the afterlife yesterday, an innate determination to push beyond my fears probably expressed itself a little too ambitiously.
I worked up a Plan B overnight, which had me trundling halfway along the Coorong today – a 100 kilometre run which would have wrapped up a camp near Salt Creek for this evening.
It needs to be understood that the Coorong is a fairly long and lonely 190 kilometre haul between Wellington and Kingston S-E.
Beyond Meningie there isn’t much in the way of civilisation for 150 km.
A small camp and general store are located within 5 kilometres of the Salt Creek settlement, about halfway along and this is what I was going for.
Weather conditions – the wind in particular – made for hard, hard going this morning and it was always going to be a struggle to finish before nightfall.
And apart from this, there seemed no further point in battling the elements any further.
Meningie is quite a well stocked settlement so this was the obvious choice.
By all accounts then, it could be argued that I’m a day behind schedule but considering I have no schedule, this would hardly stand up in court.
So it is.
The Coorong will commence in the morning for real and I will make Salt Creek by tomorrow evening.
DAY 115
WELLINGTON - MENINGIE
51.41 km
Total Time: 08.30 – 13.00 (4h 30m)
Time on Bike: 3h 44m 29s
Max. Speed: 42.9 km/h
Av. Speed: 13.7 km/h
Following the events of yesterday, I should be thankful to be anywhere, like alive for instance.
However, I am just a little disappointed to only as far as Meningie - disappointed mainly because the weather conditions determined the day’s outcome.
4 hours for just over 40 kilometres is a paltry return but I guess that’s what you get for riding into a stonker of a headwind.
Plan A in fact was originally to be where I am.
However after my brush with the afterlife yesterday, an innate determination to push beyond my fears probably expressed itself a little too ambitiously.
I worked up a Plan B overnight, which had me trundling halfway along the Coorong today – a 100 kilometre run which would have wrapped up a camp near Salt Creek for this evening.
It needs to be understood that the Coorong is a fairly long and lonely 190 kilometre haul between Wellington and Kingston S-E.
Beyond Meningie there isn’t much in the way of civilisation for 150 km.
A small camp and general store are located within 5 kilometres of the Salt Creek settlement, about halfway along and this is what I was going for.
Weather conditions – the wind in particular – made for hard, hard going this morning and it was always going to be a struggle to finish before nightfall.
And apart from this, there seemed no further point in battling the elements any further.
Meningie is quite a well stocked settlement so this was the obvious choice.
By all accounts then, it could be argued that I’m a day behind schedule but considering I have no schedule, this would hardly stand up in court.
So it is.
The Coorong will commence in the morning for real and I will make Salt Creek by tomorrow evening.
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