Week 1: Adelaide to Robinvale (512km)

Sunday 19 September: Gawler (66km)
Left on a cool morning with a fine sprinkle of rain and a SE wind. Enjoyed a clear ride down the Veloway, then followed Marion Road to Anzac Hwy. Had to take a detour due to the layout of the City to Bay Fun Run but wound back on to Anzac Hwy and continued along West Tce, before heading along Franklin St to Morphett St. Met Alison at the Morphett Street Bridge, then cycled to Montefiore Hill where Colonel Light's statue stands guard over the city of Adelaide.
Had a lovely ride down Prospect Road. The cycle track is ough in places but at least it's a better route than Main North Road. I stopped for a leisurely coffee, enjoying the relaxed pace. When I reached Gepps Cross, I had to watch out for pedestrians heading to the markets at the old drive-in site.
Wondered whether or not to take the Salisbury Hwy route or continue to the new Northern Expressway bike track that heads to Gawler. I often ride along Salisbury Hwy during training runs so I knew the road well. A big plus is a wide bike track that ends just past the Salisbury Hwy turn off to Gawler. Ashley Walsh from ABC 891 Weekends phoned for an interview at 10:15. Ashley has followed my cycle journeys since my ride from Perth in 2008. After stoping at Salisbury Cemetery to pay my respects to my sister who dies in 2004, I cycled back to Salisbury Hwy, then I continued through Elizabeth along Philip Hwy before timidly venturing on to Main North Road. Actually, the drivers were very considerate, but I was glad when a bike track, albeit rough, appeared past Munno Para. I arrived in Gawler before 1pm and stopped to talk to a number of interested travellers. No donations, but some had heard me on 5AA or on the ABC.



Monday 20 Sept: Blanchetown (93km) Left Gawler in a drizzle of rain. My knees were cold - I wish I had brought my leg warmers. I had brought them on my ride to Darwin and hadn't used them once. Who would have thought that it would be this cold in September? Did a lot of low hill climbs today in a strong head southerly wind. At times, there was a reasonable shoulder on the Sturt Hwy but its condition deteriorated quickly. I envied the smooth highway but did not dare venture on to it. Road works west of Nuriootpa caused me some concern as there was only one lane with no shoulder. I decided to cycle right of the bollards (thankfully there was a line of bollards to my right as well so that I could cycle inside a corridor). When the safety barrier ran out, I risked my chances on the single lane again, bumping along the road's edge. Most of the drivers were brilliant and one truck driver gave me a friendly wave when I hopped off my bike and walked the bike in the gravel to let the traffic pass. Truck drivers can make or break your reputation, so I was glad to have them on my side.
I passed lush green fields and carpets of growing hay - the winter and spring rains had been generous to the farmers - and enjoyed the flowering native buffer zones, arriving at Nuriootpa Primary just before 10am. The students viewed the slide show and asked some amazingly perceptive questions. One boy was chuffed that I had stayed in Elliston and one girl told me that she knew that kidneys take toxins out of the body. A huge thank you to Sue Toone, Assistant Principal, for organising this visit.
With the cold wind, it was tempting to stay in Nuriootpa but I needed to push on. Once back on the highway, I still had 60km to cycle to Blanchetown. Truro Hill was a challenge, particularly when the shoulder ran out. Disgusted at my lack of courage, I got off the bike and walked to remain safe - I also did not want to annoy drivers by making them slow down for me. I decided to stop at Truro for lunch and a lovely person from Mount Barker gave a donation and spoke to me about my ride. A couple from Victoria were amazed at how far I had travelled already and I had to admit that I felt very slow today. I was feeling a bit sore (not to self: never put a new saddle on a bike a week before a long journey!) but kept saying tp myself, "Only 46km to go." I had a few hills to climb but also a couple of downhill stretches. The first downhill was fun but I felt the trailer lift and wobble on the second descent, after a wind gust and a road train nearly blew me off the road. I was very careful not to slam on my brakes, otherwise I would have been severely injured, if not killed. Passing a couple of roadside memorials gave me a reason to be cautious as well. I was aghast to read that my speed reached 53.8 km/hr, way too fast with a laden trailer and a strong head wind.


Once I passed Brookfield Conservation Park, it was not far to Blanchetown. This gorgeous little town is set back from the highway and has some of the friendliest people on the planet. Julie and Neil at Riverside Holiday Park had offered me a deluxe spa unit for the night. The park was at the bottom of a steep hill but in an idyllic setting beside the river, far from traffic noises. Julie and Neil were lovely hosts and Neil took me to the corner store (Chook's) to get some supplies. I wished I could have stayed more than one night here. Apparently the Blanchetown Hotel still has the original furnishings. I will definitely put this lovely little town, this beautiful caravan park and Chooky's on my list of favourite places in Australia. Forget the roadhouse on the highway and come into this little town.

Tuesday 21 September: Waikerie (43km)
Woke to a beautiful sunrise over the Murray River and enjoyed the fish jumping out of the water. Apparently the lock upstream oxygenates the water and sends the fish hyper. After saying goodbye to Neil and Julie, I made my way out of Blanchetown via the hotel road (less steep) and found my way back to the highway. If I was hoping for a tail wind, my hope was in vain. The wind was a cold south-easterly and there was a drizzle of rain keeping the humidity high. The road was fairly flat once I had crossed the Murray River, but the shoulder was very rough. I stopped at a rest area about 20km west of Waikerie, but there was graffiti over the signs and rubbish was dumped there. I wondered why the council had not cleaned it up. I continued towards the town, being pleasantly surprised by the fruit trees and orange orchards as I rode into the town. I stopped at the bakery and chatted to Gwen Webber before making my way to the caravan park. The sign to the park had been turned in the wrong direction and I went down the wrong road, stopping to chat to Greg who is a keen cyclist. Greg does a lot for the youth in the town, getting them into welding apprenticeships. When I arrived at the caravan park, the poor girl in attendance had to turn me away because the park was full. It's always nice when park managers don't respond to your emails. I left the park, climbed back up the huge hill, stopping to chat to Deb & Matt about my ride. They gave me a donation and I continued up the hill to the road out of Waikerie, stopping at the Nippy's factory to get two small (?) oranges and a ginger beer. I am now a devotee of Nippy's ginger beer, but why don't shops in South Australia stock this brand? The manager of Kurriemuir Cabins & Motel kindly offered me a motel room for half price. I spent the afternoon walking down to the Murray River lookout and catching up on my mail.

Wednesday 22 September: Renmark (79km)
I was on the road early, greeted by my old nemesis, a head wind. I decided to have breakfast at the bakery on the highway then, fuelled with hot coffee, I steeled myself for the cold wind. It was a bit of a climb up the highway, but I glimpsed views of the Murray River through the trees. I passed a pretty little church at Lowbank and a number of roadside memorials. This road was obviously a speed strip. The shoulder was as rough as ever. I stopped at a rest area to view a plaque dedicated to 2 policemen, the first to die whilst on duty (in 1847). My flag mast was bent right back and the flag was fluttering from side to side. Oh well, once more into the breach. I passed the turn off to Loxton, with only 12km to get to Barmera. I took a detour to the lookout at Kingston Bridge and was ignored by two Queenslanders who arrived at the same time I did. I went for a brief walk out along the bridge and noticed roadside memorials on both sides of the road, a legacy of a head-on collision. I then went back to the bike and ventured warily across the bridge. 5km out of Barmera, vineyards appeared, as did a cranky old magpie squawking and flapping his wings. Just as I approached the town, two bogans in a Ford screamed something unintelligible. At least the magpie had an excuse. I rode into Barmera and a lovely local called Julie chatted to me and gave a donation. I then headed up the hill to the Bush Museum, before cycling out to the highway. I stopped at the servo for lunch and the proprietor Kim Manning gave me a donation and put me in touch with the River News at Berri. It was only a 4km detour but I was making good time, despite the head wind. Kim's brother had been killed by a drunk motorist while cycling. I took the Old Sturt Road into Berri, surprised at the number of trucks that still used this road. I then met Megan and had a quick interview before once more getting "back on the horse" and making my way out of Berri. I couldn't believe how much Berri was in a valley and it took a steep climb to leave it. I passed the Big Orange, now a dilapidated site, then reached the Sturt Highway once again. When I reached Renmark, the Ventura Golden Chain Motel proprietors were very generous in supplying a room and I once again had a wonderful night's sleep.

Thursday 22 September: Lake Cullulleraine (85km)
The bridge crossing the Murray leaving Renmark had a cyclists' track, unlike the bridge entering Renmark the day before. I cycled out and up a steep hill, with lovely views of the river and the lush green growth along the banks. When I saw the huge Dunlop tyre arching over the road, I thought I had reached the border, but it was only Yamba, the edge of the Riverland. I stopped for a huge breakfast at the servo and listened to a group of truckies taking the mickey out of everyone on the Sunrise programme that was on the TV. I then set off in the cold air, shrugging at the now familiar head wind that chomped around my ears. The border was actually 27km from Renmark but I needed to step up the pace as I lost 30 minutes at the border. I cycled past the Murray Sunset National Park and noticed how much greenery there was. The acacias were in full bloom too. At 11:30, a bright red car with Mildura Weekly emblazoned on it pulled up and Alan Erskine conducted an interview. I thanked him for his time and continued until reaching Cullulleraine. I cycled past the caravan park and continued to the only store in "town" where I had a delicious steak sandwich with the lot for only $7. While I was eating, I heard two little terriers whining and these cute little heads peeked under a fence, begging for food. They certainly had this act down to a fine art, and I gave in by giving them both a couple of pieces of my steak. When they knew that I had finished, their little heads disappeared. I cycled back up a slight hill to the caravan park by the lake. It was a full moon that night and the moon reflected dreamily in the lake.

Friday 24 September: Mildura (58km)
It was going to be a short trip today but the wind did nothing to help. I witnessed a glorious sunrise before setting off for another cool day. Luckily, the shoulder was fairly wide and reasonably smooth and with 16km to go, the road doglegged and I rode past the airport with the wind over my right shoulder. I stopped at the little store and servo at Merbein South and June and Ivanka gave me a Mildura Weekly with me splashed over the front page. I also appreciated the free coffee and their good wishes. Outside, Dave, a truckie from Brisbane, gave me a donation and wished me all the best. I had another interview with the Sunraysia Daily upon my arrival in Mildura, then the rest of the day was mine.

Saturday 25 September: Robinvale (86km)
As I left Mildura on a once again cold morning, I was greeted by friendly passers-by out for a morning jog. I crossed the Murray, leaving Mildura and its lovely houseboats and I was now in New South Wales. I stopped at a little bakery in Gol Gol for a coffee (just to warm up), then headed out for a climb past farms with their entrances festooned with blossoms and blooms of every colour. I immediately noticed the deterioration of the road surface but at least the wind was still over my right shoulder, giving me some relief and an opportunity to pick up the pace on the hilly sections. Some Harley riders passed me and were waiting for some mates at the top of the next hill. I stopped to chat to them and they gave some donations before heading off to see some relatives at Robinvale before heading back to Melbourne. I passed one rest area but decided to take advantage of the wind on my tail. The next rest area was only an hour's ride away, so I stopped there to reapply sunscreen and stretch. Just as I was about to leave, a cyclist from Scarborough lumbered along the road, heading west. Grant looked pretty beat, so I gave him my half litre of cranberry juice. He had originally planned to cycle with his brother but the latter had a fight with some witches' hats and ended up in hospital. He had no camera so I agreed to take a photo and email it to him. I still haven't heard back from him - but his lack of charity won't stop me from being kind to fellow cyclists. I had received a generous donation from Ben and Al of Bonney Hills (they had pulled up in a truck and asked me if I needed help. "Just a donation") so I was not going to let someone else spoil my sense of well-being. 9km from Euston, the shoulder I had been enjoying suddenly disappeared and I was heading up a hill and around a hairy bend. People were hurrying on the road to get home to watch the Grand Final and I had to get off the road a couple of times when trucks approached, but I arrived at the turn-off to Robinvale in one piece. Once I crossed over the Murray River yet again, I was back in Victoria. Robinvale is a twin town of Villers-Bretonneux in France, where many of our brave soldiers in World War One died. I arrived at the Robinvale Motel where Dave and Su Walsh gave me a discount for the room, a lovely Thai dinner and a generous donation. They both want to start up a school in Thailand for underprivileged children. Thank you both for your generosity.