Days 43, 44, and 45 (December 15-17)

Hay bales and water pipeline – farmland in South Australia

From Adelaide to here (Walpeup, Victoria) we have covered about 350 km in three days; not too bad!  As we meet people along the way, the most common statement is “Wow, I couldn’t do that” (second most frequent being “You guys are crazy”).  Scott and I have met only two other cyclists crossing Australia, but we have read countless blogs of others doing to journey.  Trust me when I tell you this, most anyone can do this journey.  Our daily distances are lower than most others (others traveling 150 to 200km per day!).  Really if you travel reasonable daily distances for yourself, set achievable/short-term goals and actively work on staying positive, this trip is doable for anyone.  But I digress, let me tell you able the trail for the last three days.

Vineyards in the Adelaide Hills east of Adelaide

Our campsite in Tailem Bend, South Australia

December 15th was from Adelaide to Tailem Bend.  We spent the first part of the day climbing over and through the Adelaide Hills.  Luckily, the road we chose was popular among local cyclists so the drivers are accustomed to bikers on the road (although the “usual” cyclist is wearing a snazzier outfit, riding a carbon fiber bike and not smiling at passing cars).  The climb through the hills was punctuated with koalas, some kind of spotted deer (in the velvet!) and cold temperatures.  I usually wear my rain coat in the mornings to ward off the chill, but this day I required a hot chocolate and a long indoor, heated break to warm up.  I still maintain that I prefer the cold to the heat!

The Murray River. This is the biggest river we’ve seen in Australia so far.

December 16th we cycled from Tailem Bend to Parilla.  Thanks to the wonderful app WikiCamps, Scott and I are able to look ahead for caravan parks, rest stops, or other places that travelers have documented staying.  We have been using this app for a lot of the journey.  The comments, pictures and prices are amazing for planning our day.  By perusing WikiCamps, we knew to expect a free campsite (with showers!) with a pub and meals available across the street.  Although the day of pedaling was not particularly strenuous (thanks to a tailwind), the beer, pizza and conversations with the locals was a perfect way to end the day.

Our first road sign for Sydney – only 1,237 kilometers to go!

Today, December 17th, was much similar to yesterday.  Again, we were graced with a tailwind, even stronger than the previous day’s wind.  This wind helped us get 130km before 2:15 in the afternoon.  I have done laundry, showered and read some of my book.  Now all that needs to happen is dinner and then bed.  Ah, the simple life!

What’s this? It’s just the local pharmacy.

Seeing as most of the readers of this blog are in the Northern Hemisphere, it is cool to note that harvest is in full swing here.  We are traveling through wheat/barley country and John Deere, New Holland and International are just as common on the roadways as where I am from.  Most of the farming is dry land wheat and barley, but we have seen some fields with center pivot irrigation for carrots, potatoes and onions.  In this area of Australia, the irrigation is fed by aquifer.  Most of southern Australia is constantly under water restrictions due to the limited water and the high cost of supplying this water so it is unique to see large center pivot irrigation systems.  But enough about agriculture!

Mattie, “shopping” for earring materials. In this case, quills from a road-killed echidna.

I am still “shopping” for a crescent wrench and license plates.  By shopping, I mean hoping to see these items, abandoned, by the side of the road.  The cresent wrench is for bike repairs (to supplement my Leatherman multitool) and the license plates are as souvenirs.  I am a frugal person and as such am always looking for a good deal (or just free stuff!).

The wheat harvest is in full-swing right now in South Australia

Well, that should be enough to keep you entertained for a bit.  We have no idea when we will next have Wifi, so likely there will be another flood of blog posts in the next “connected” town.

Posted by Mattie