Taking It Easy

Day 59: 17 December 2014, Wednesday.

The day was calm, the winds had dissipated. I packed and departed back on the dirt track up the hill to the main road. The road was rather busy compared to what I have become accustomed to but at least there was a generous hard shoulder for me to cycle in.

I had decided to have a short ride day, there was a town called Renmark about forty kilometres away and then it was a hundred and forty kilometres to the next town so I figured to have a short day today and then take two days to get to Mildura. I first rode the twenty hilly kilometres to Berri where I used the public toilet as there was no toilet at the camp last night, then I pushed on to Renmark.

3700km Ten Kilometres Before Renmark.

I arrived at just after midday and went to the information centre. There are two ‘Caravan Parks’ in Renmark and they were both over thirty dollars, way too much for a place to put a tent and have a shower, but a few kilometres away at Paringa there was also a ‘Caravan Park’ which was only twenty dollars, that was doable. I cycled off to Paringa…

Crossing A Groovy Bridge Where I Cycled Down The Centre Where The Railway Used To Be.

‘Paringa Caravan Park’ turned out to be a very good place, the owner was a really nice bloke and he showed me a nice grass area to pitch my tent right beside the camp kitchen. I set up my tent and then carried out some repairs on it as I had managed to catch the zip on the fabric a while ago and wanted to patch it up using the repair kit that was supplied with the tent. Tent done I showered and then ventured across the road to the Paringa supermarket. I must say this place pushes the boundary of what can be called super, it was very basic. I should have bought my supplies in Renmark. Oh well, too late now.

Back at the ‘Caravan Park’ I finally sat down and got to typing as I had fallen behind in my musings as often I had only my tent and I do not like typing in there as I get uncomfortable and end up rushing. So with my daily notes I write down produced this meandering commentary of my day.

46.50km 2:11T 21.1A 60.0M Total = 3715

 

Tailwind!!!!

Day 58: 16 December 2014, Tuesday.

Last evening the wind had picked up as I was reading before going to sleep, it made for a cool evening and a good nights kip but once I awoke to the sound of the wind in the morning it was a dreadful sound to be had. Last night the wind was indicative of a headwind, so it was with apprehension I opened my tent and with shock I realised the wind had turned, it would be a tailwind!!!! I have not had a tailwind for so long, I could hardly believe my luck.

I packed rapidly and set off, I did not want to miss this opportunity to get some miles done with the favourable wind. I first had to slowly gain the top of the cliffs on the opposite side of the river, it was a slow six kilometre an hour crawl for nearly ten minutes then I was off like a bullet from a gun heading east.

Though I Did Pause To Take A Photo Looking Back Across The Murray River To Where I Camped Last Night.

I rode like the wind. I considered resting after thirty-four kilometres as I had reached the next one hundred kilometre block….

3600km Near Maggea

But no I pressed on. I finally stopped at a little shelter which was Maggea, there was nothing else there just a bunch of pictures of what used to exist there. I had ridden forty-eight kilometres. It was only eleven in the morning. I did not stop for long, I was worried the wind might change so I charged off again heading to Loxton.

I did not intend to ride the whole way to Loxton non-stop but I did, I couldn’t resist the push of the wind…

Admittedly I Did Pause To Take A Photo Of This Silly Name Of A Town

So I achieved my destination and it was only an hour past midday. I was stoked. I visited the information centre to enquire about camping, there was a free camping area a few kilometres out of town, so I went shopping for food, topped up my water supply and was off again.

The camping area was down a steep hill to the river on a dirt track which I had to navigate cautiously on my road tyres. The camping area itself had nothing, not even a toilet.

But It Was A Great View, This Is Where I Camped!

I settled in with the wind still raging, eventually I had to cook my dinner in the howling wind and wash my dishes in the river. I had had enough of the wind so I then retreated into my tent and watched a movie on my computer…

This day was the easiest one hundred kilometre days I have had. Here’s hoping tomorrow will be another good day.

102.00km 4:05T 24.9A 42.2M Total = 3668