Month: March 2023

Distance today 40km

I got up at 7am, having slept about 10 hours. I really needed to catch up after having so little sleep the night before. It was still before sunup. I cooked my barley, let it cool while I worked on shortening the chain by removing a link, as the bike was not working properly in low gear. The day was much cooler, with overcast clouds, nicer to ride in, and with less flies. I packed and got going at 9am. I passed a few other campers in Parachilna gorge, mostly caravans. There was even a small amount of water in the creek in places. It was a fair climb to Blinman, about 500m. After 6km I stopped at Ankorichina, and bought a snack and drink. The owner was stocking his shop ready for the Easter onslaught.

Onward towards Blinman. I was slow, lots of pushing up hills. Eventually I made it to Blinman a bit after 1pm. I was surprised to have mobile coverage in Blinman. I got water and a sausage roll from the Bakery. I had lunch and then packed up and headed south, finally on the Mawson trail.

Disaster struck about 4km out of town, I broke two spokes simultaneously on the rear wheel. I had broken a spoke on one of my test rides, which worried me. So I packed 4 spare spokes, but now I would need two of them already. I pulled off, stripped the gear of the bike, and about an hour later I had replaced both spokes. Why did they break? The road is smooth bitumen, I hadn’t hit a bump. I wondered whether a loose occy strap had caught the spokes, although this may be wishful thinking on my part. So I don’t really know. My whole trip could be scuttled by breaking spokes. I rearranged the gear, putting more weight on the front wheel. Once mobile I headed the 13km to Dedmans Hut which I arrived at about 5pm. Hut is OK, but more importantly it has a full rainwater tank. I was a bit concerned that maybe I should have bought more water in Blinman. There are mice in the hut so I am going to put my tent up inside the hut.

 

 

Total distance 19km, 7km to the pickup point at Willunga Hill, 12km from Parachilna.

I left home at 4:45am. It took me 25 minutes to ride and push, mostly push up to the top of the hill at range road. After that it was mostly flat along to Victor Harbour Road. I turned onto Victor Harbour Rd at 5:35am. I was surprised how much traffic there was so early in the morning.

I didn’t wait long at the pull-out part way down Willunga Hill, at 5:50am the Genesis Bus rolled up. We loaded my bike in the trailer, and headed to Morphett Vale to swap drivers. Axel took over and we headed to the Adelaide Bus Depot. We were at least half an hour early. Two more bike riders arrived, Craig and Bruce who were also going to Parachilna, and riding the Mawson trail. It was a good drive to Parachilna. We stopped at Port Wakefield, Stone Hut (great bakery) and Hawker. We were dropped of at Parachilna. We got out bikes organised, but unsurprisingly Craig and Bruce were way faster than me, and I lost them in the distance. I stopped at the 10km mark to camp in Parachilna gorge. It had been such a long day. The flies are really bad, I am glad I brought a head net.