Port Augusta - The gateway to the outback

26^th October,2011

We are now in Port Augusta, the gateway to the outback.  We had four days in Adelaide relaxing sightseeing and organizing some things for the bikes.  We met a very interesting couple Nick and Ye, Ye is from China and as well as showing us how to cook vegetables the Chinese way gave us some information about China.  We left Adelaide on a beautiful sunny day and rode along the beach front before we had to tackle the Adelaide traffic. As we left Adelaide behind we rode through farmland, mainly wheat. Anyone who has driven along here will remember the figures in the paddocks including a robot and a giant beetle. We made it to Wakefield, 108kms away, that day.  Wakefield is typical of the coastal towns we have seen, a petrol station, takeaway, pub and a caravan park.  The next day was 35 degrees and a hot head wind, after 15 kms we decided not to travel any further.   Setting off early the next morning after our enforced day off we wanted to have breakfast at the next town Locheil but when we arrived at 8 am nothing was open.  We had not been too keen to stop at the infamous Snow Town but now we had no choice.  The sign post to Snow Town say Big Blade and we were a bit worried what that might be but to our relief it was a mounted blade from a wind turbine. It was huge.  There are lot of wind farms around here we can see them on the hills as we ride along. We had a good day riding the wind was with us and despite some rain got to Crystal Brook 85kms away.   The next saw us arriving at Port Augusta after 110 kms of riding.  Mainly wheat farming with the Flinders Ranges now in sight, flat roads and a lot off road trains.  We need to prepare for the next stage of our journey so we will assess and shop here today and head of to the West tomorrow.

We have reached SouthAustralia

We rode out of our home on a lovely sunny day with a little wind, working our way along the Mornington Peninsula to Sorrento to catch the ferry to Queenscliff and then to Ocean Grove where Heather's sister Judith was waiting with a hot dinner and a shower.  Next day we headed for the Great Ocean Road, at Lorne we met up with Alice and Perry, Carmen's inlaws, who also offered up their hospitality. From Lorne to Apollo Bay introduced us to some of the hills we were expecting,,beautiful views of the bay and vey narrow roads,  we arrived just in time to get t,he tent up as the weather broke.  The weather enforced a rest day.  With our eye on the weather we set off from Apollo Bay, many hills and beautiful ferns and gums alaong the way, when we reached Beech Forrest the heavens opened and we were drenched, we finally had to give up in the name of safety and camped behind a freindly farmers house at Glenaire.  The next day was the climb up Lavers Hill which is gruelling, on the way up we met Chris who comes from Victor Harbour and was riding around Australia on his own.  An exhastedd pair we stunbled into the Lavers Hill pub just as the Grand Final was starting so to celebrate our effort in reaching the top we had a drink and watched the football with the localss on a flat screen TV someone had brought to the pub, we had a great afternoon, especially since Geelong won.
Downhill was as scary as the effort was to go up the hill and we were happy to reach PPeterborough.   From Peteerborough he rode to Warrnabool, on flat roads bike lanes through farming country, where we met more cyclist from France and the Netherlands.  Portlnd was beckoning as  Heather's brother Lionel and his wife Lyn wree waiting for us, so we peddled 100 klms that day our longest day yet.   We had a rest day in Portland, then on the road again.  We crossed into South Australia after a stop over in Nelson a lovley fishing port and after a day of hills and dales we have arrived in Mount Gambier..