WEAKGAZZABLADDER STOP

The account of this ride would not be complete without the enclosed picture! Many times a day, every day, this scene has been repeated, sometimes a little more privately and sometimes even less privately! When nature calls, aided by the copious amounts of water consumed by the riders, there has to be a time to obey, and when there are no trees, it still has to be obeyed!

DAYS 33 AND 34 (AT THE EASTERN SHORE)

It is a bit of a struggle to finish the story because I am home in Sydney and this all seems to be history! Day 33 took the team from GOULBURN TO PICTON and day 34 saw the team ride from PICTON TO CRONULLA, one of the Sydney beaches fronting the Pacific Ocean. The team was up at 6am and on the road soon after 6.45am. Most of the road surface was bike friendly but there was more than enough traffic at times. There was some concern about one of the hills on the final day's ride but it was managed well enough. Morning tea on the final day's ride was at Sublime Point, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Wollongong beaches.

The riders pedalled through busy Sydney traffic and arrived at Elloura Beach (Cronulla) a little before midday. They were met there by several Bible Society staff and many photographs were taken, some for publication and some to be kept in albums and the like as a record of the event. For the most part, the team was wearing the blue Jesus All About Life tee shirt rather than the Bike for Bibles riding shirt for the photographs. I personally was disappointed by this.

The team then pedalled to the Cronulla Uniting Church for the finishing ceremony and the presentation of certificates and medals. This was followed by a light meal and a great deal of talk and saying of goodbye's. Folk then began collecting their possessions and getting themselves ready to head for home. The friendships formed on this ride have been deep and I suspect there will be future occasions when these people will ride in the same team under the Bike for Bibles banner.

WEST TO EASTERN SHORE

West to Eastern Shore
(to the tune of ‘Stir the Wallaby Stew’)



We thought we’d do a worthwhile thing for eternity
We’d raise a heap of money for the Bible Society
Bike-4-Bibles was the go, Jim Blaxland knew the score
So we rode our bicycles from west to eastern shore.

So, “On ya bikes”, says Jim, “Surprises are in store
We’re going to ride our bicycles from west to eastern shore”.

The scenery along the way, truly it was great!
The condition of the roads changed from state to state
But the most intriguing thing was not the land or view
No! it’s personal anecdotes surrounding each of you

Now Mister-never-snore-no-flats, who ever could that be,
The king pin of the big chain ring: Kevin certainly
And Mrs I-hate-snorers, keep them far and yon
Could be no one other than grandmother Yvonne

There’s another pair of grannies here, not your average ockers
Recumbent Rodge and Edna on their Jason Recliner Rockers
They’re followed closely often time by camera, beard moustache
It’s Richard! Now where’s Richard and his thousand photographs?

Another steady rider here, who could forget
Franki Bicycletti and his morning tea spaghet
And there’s Luke who eats spaghet straight out of the tin
Luke who jumped us all one day and was the mountain king

Now Trevor Laurence got so ill, he nearly died, they said
But now he’s flying up those hills, risen from the dead
And Big Al, the way he rides, his personality shines
It has to ‘cos he’s dropped his radio 3 dozen times

Now Alec joined us half way through and has to leave, that’s sad.
Another grandpa, for his age, his riding ain’t real bad
And Nicholas, with stripy tan, fancies he is quick
But he’s really quicker as a magnet for the chicks

The peleton it rolls along, without spits or spats
Stopping here and there it seems, just to fix up flats
And now .. … Another stop! .. What for? .. … What’s the matter?
Ah … the answer’s obvious! Weak Bladder Gazza!

Another man from Queensland side joined our riding throng
“It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts.” was his daily song
He was referring to his butt, so big, so sore, no less
Trevor was his real name, but Butticus fits best.

Now Lucky Jim, he’s made the plans for all our nightly stops
But something happens to his brain when on the bike he hops
It takes away his power of speech and leaves him all bereft
Of any words at all, it seems, except for . . . L E F T ! ! ! !

We can not let the roadies off without a special note
The riders would be nowhere fast without these special folk
There’s Eric and there’s Richard on the CB to the trucks
To tell them that us cyc-a-lists are not just sitting ducks!

Then there’s ‘Triple R’ & M who get the food prepared
For Robert, pyrotechnics is his special flare
Rebecca, Robyn, Margaret make food to make us faster
And gave us all a brand new game - “Guess what’s in the pasta?”

Magella, Emmet, Caitlyn now finalise the list
And for the adults present they provide a certain bliss
When we arrive at end of day with our aching niggles
You take our focus off our pain with your smiles and giggles.

Though there’s been fun these 30 days, the purpose was intense
To get the Word of God to folk to make a difference.
Nothing would have happened though, except for one great bloke
Big THANKS to Lucky Jim, I say, from me and all these folks.

DAYS 31 AND 32

Time has been flying and I have to confess there has been no time available for keeping the blog up to date. We have journeyed safely from YOUNG to YASS and from YASS to GOULBURN in near to perfect weather conditions although with very little wind assistance. There was a minor fall on the ride out of Yass brought about by confusion over where the riders were meant to be going but no significant damage was done to the two riders or their trusty steeds! Both days have involved riding through beautiful country, generally on minor roads, but sometimes on major highways.

I woke early this morning and decided to get up and do something worthwhile! Hence, I am writing to you! Last night, here in Goulburn, we went out for dinner (normal) but before that, three wives arrived to put a smile on to the faces of three lonely husbands! Much catching up was done and it was lovely for us to be able to share a meal together. Also, it was Alex and Marg H’s last meal with us as they need to leave us a Picton or before so as to be home in time to attend a family function. They have contributed significantly to the team in their time with us and thir departure will leave a hole in the last day in particular.

Following devotions, the team had a – well, one couldn’t call it a concert, but some of the more extraverted of the group performed in various ways – period of laughter! It was good and all manner of truths and untruths were told! Mark had obviously been composing his for some time and if possible, I will present it for you in due course. The title of Mark's composition is WEST TO EASTERN SHORE.

Before bed time last night the rains came! It bucketed down for some time and then eased off to a sprinkle for some time. Most of the night was dry but we have awoken this morning to a heavily clouded sky and some light rain. Tonight, we will be sleeping in the assembly hall at the Picton High School, and tomorrow, some of us will be home and many more of the team will be even further from their home s and loved ones than they are right now. It is wonderful that many of the team who have been separated from their spouses for the duration of the ride will be reunited with them for the finish at Cronulla in Sydney.

TEMORA TO YOUNG – DAY 30

Today, 15th September has been a pleasant day for the team. We actually were praying last night that we would wake to the sound of rain, heavy rain even, for the sake of the farming community in the Temora area. Crops are generally rather stunted and not looking nearly as healthy as they should. Sadly for the farmers, there was no rain and we had a beautiful day, or should I say morning, on the road. Just to keep the hill climbers happy, there were hills occasionally, but most of the terrain was pretty flat and perfect for riding.

I told you about Mark having bee stung by a bee. He is fine again now although his ear is still slightly swollen. His rash has gone completely and he is feeling fine. He was telling me this morning that his brother is also allergic to bee stings. Trevor L who was so sick for many days early in the ride is fully recovered but not to the same level of fitness as he would have expected if he had not been off the bike for all those days. Kevin seems to be more or less over his cold but he has passed it on to various others, namely Frank K and Edna K (they are not related!)

We are staying tonight at the Young Anglican Church. The folk here are so caring – we arrived here to find sandwiches, cake, fruit and other goodies on the tables ready for our lunch. In the kitchen is all that we will need for breakfast tomorrow morning, and folk have been arriving from time to time this afternoon with goodies for our dinner tonight. I understand the food is being provided by people from the combined churches of Young. We of course thank them for their generosity.

Tomorrow, we move on to Yass and will be overnighting in the Anglican Church. These dear folk have been supporting Bike for Bibles riders for years and years. They have arranged to collect everyone from the church and take them to homes for showers and dinner. They will then return the team members to the church hall for our team meeting and sleep.

LEETON TO TEMORA – DAY 29

Today, 14th September, was a shorter day than yesterday and much kinder on the riders. There were more uppish bits today but uppish bits usually mean there are downish bits and they mean the rider can let gravity do some of the work for them.

We are staying tonight in the Anglican Church hall at Temora. I was clearly built in a day when it was the done thing to attend church because it is one of the biggest church halls we have been into. That said, the team has managed to spread itself widely throughout the hall and the snorers will have a lesser effect upon their nearest neighbours!

There has been time today for a bit more socialising over coffee than there sometimes is. The afternoon has also been used for catching up on a bit of washing and computing – several of us are keeping people at home upi to speed via a blog – and an early finish time helps in this regard. It has also been used to program satellite positing devices which help to make the escort roadie’s job easier and less stressful.

These recent blog entries have been produced in more of a rush than the earlier ones and photographs have seemingly disappeared! If you can see a pic in the recent entries, you might need to have your eyesight checked! I will endeavour to include something soon but I have been trying hard to get photos sorted for inclusion on a DVD for the team and it is all but impossible to get the files reduced enough to fit. When your rider gets back to your part of the world, ask to see some of the photos which have been taken of the ride and of things we have seen along the way.

HAY TO LEETON– DAY 28

Today, 13th September has been a long day with 175km passing under our wheels. The wind was generally favourable throughout the day although there was a 25km stretch where the riders were more or less straight into the wind. For the uninitiated, that means it is very hard work on a bike. There is one other thing which makes life more difficult on a bike and that is the road surface – and it was pretty rough for much of the day. The size of the gravel used for surfacing and the amount of shoulder all contribute to the ease or difficulty of the day on a bike.

The most unfortunate thing about the day was that Mark P was stung on the ear by a bee while riding his bike. The pain of the sting was bad enough in itself but he had a reaction to the sting and ended up having to be rushed to Leeton Hospital. He was through the worst of it in a couple of hours and was able to rejoin the team at the overnight venue, Leeton Presbyterian Church. The church folk put on a barbecue dinner for the team and made everyone feel very welcome and wanted. We thank them for their generous hospitality and their reflection of Christ in all they said and did while we were with them.

Tomorrow, we are off to Temora, a 132km ride through what we are told is beautiful country. We are to stay overnight at the Anglican Church hall and, I believe, eat at the RSL Club.

REST DAY IN HAY – DAY 27

Today, 12th September, has been a very windy day, just like yesterday. It was nearly a case of putting a return address on your items of washing before pegging them onto the clothesline! I suspect almost everyone had surfaced for the day before 7.30am and the kitchen and dining room was filled with the aroma of bacon and eggs for some time. The riders who became the cooks for the morning seemed to appreciate the chance to do something different for a change!

The washing machines – 3 of them – worked overtime for a couple of hours and the clothes line was filled with blue and yellow and many other colours besides. Because this place was once a hostel for school children, it is well set up for groups such as ourselves. It is such a shame that the place is currently unused and up for sale. In its heyday, it was home for up to 60 children and young adults.

I have spent the greater part of the day trying to set up suitably sized photo files to be copied onto DVD for all the riders and roadies. There are so many people these days with high megapixil cameras and who take a million photos and save them onto large capacity picture cards, that it has become very difficult to cull the files sufficiently to fit onto one DVD. I confess I am struggling with the difficulty of it these days as compared with 5 or 6 years ago when it was easy.

Tomorrow we head off to Leeton, a town in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA). We are seeking to take the back roads as much as possible in order to get away from some of the traffic, especially the big trucks. We will need to be on the road quite early because it is the best part of 170km.

BALRANALD TO HAY – DAY 26

Today, 11th September was a hard hard day for most of the team. The wind didn’t quite qualify as being gale-force but it was strong enough to almost blow a quarter full Milo tin off the lunch table and only stopped by the hand of a person standing nearby. The riders arrived in Hay, tired out by the hard slog and pleased that tomorrow is a rest day.

Some of the riders are talking about servicing their bikes tomorrow and catching up with the washing. I know the food roadies are planning a buying trip for tomorrow morning. Some of the riders have been shopping too and have come back with bacon and eggs and other goodies with a view to having a special breakfast tomorrow.

MILDURA TO BALRANALD – DAY 25

Today, 10th September, has been a good but tiring day for many of the team. The distance for the day turned out to be 164km and there was very little wind assistance for the riders. The shoulders of the road were generally rough and jarring for the riders and they have more aches and pains because of it. In some places, the shoulder disappeared altogether and the riders were forced to cycle on the main roadway. There were plenty of cars, caravans and trucks throughout the day, sometimes crossing each other at or near to the cyclists. That is tolerable when the trucks or other road users are going slowly, but when they do it at 100km/ph or some such, it is downright scary.

I am typing this under a light in the grounds of Balranald Central School. The afternoon was pretty messy today and the bus needed to be refuelled in addition to all the other activities. It has come from Port Augusta to here on what the bus holds in its own fuel tanks – I suspect it is the most economical of any of the vehicles we are using on this ride. We had our dinner at the local RSL Club and then came back here to set up beds and have our devotions – but the hall where the team is sleeping was in use and we were unable to set up until about 8.30pm. Jim B seems to think that is about bed time! Anyway, the hall lights are out and the occupants are probably complaining about the amount of light which is shining in from the security lighting which is all around the school. I don’t mind the light – it is helping me to type this blog entry! As you might have already worked out, I sleep in the bus!

Tomorrow, we are to be up at 6.30am. The team will pedal to Hay tomorrow and is to have a rest day there. The Hay Show is happening this weekend so we might have some interesting things to look at. We will be staying at a facility which used to be used for accommodating school students – it has real beds and bedrooms and a kitchen and a real dining room – things which we have not seen for some time!

One more thing – we have had some of the team unwell on occasions throughout the ride and I have told you of these folk from time to time. Everyone is on the bikes full time now, although there are still a couple of the guys who are suffering somewhat with colds.

PARINGA (RENMARK) TO MILDURA – DAY 24

Today, 9th September has been a good day for the team. We pedalled out of Paringa (Renmark) at 7am local time in still air. As the day progressed we had more and more of a breeze, finishing up as being a direct tail wind. We arrived in at Mildura before 2pm and set ourselves up in the Church of Christ hall. Most of the team headed down to the leisure centre for showers and then to the shops for a spot of retail therapy!

Tomorrow, we are off to Balranald, a little hop of 159km as compared to140km today. The terrain, like today, is basically flat flat flat so it will be all pedalling for the riders and no coasting down hills!

We stopped at the Dunlop Tyre that spans the roadway not too many k’s out of Renmark and took photos, and then did the same again at the border between South Australia and Victoria. Only the riders are beautiful enough to appear in these photos!

WAIKERIE TO PARINGA (RENMARK) - DAY 23

Today, 8th September has not been a wonderful day for either the riders or the escort roadies. There has been a large amount of traffic in the form of cars, light trucks and heavy trucks such as semi trailers and B doubles on roads which have barely any shoulder for the bikes to travel on. It is difficult enough when there are big trucks and bad roads, but it is worse when the big trucks and tourist coaches overtake the riders in places where it is unsafe, not only for the riders but for other road users also. When oncoming vehicles are forced partly off the bitumen because a truck or a bus driver who is overtaking the riders is too impatient to wait a moment or two longer until the way is safe, we are all endangered. We covert your prayers for our continued safety and witness as we travel.

We left Waikerie this morning at about 8am and arrived at Paringa (Renmark) by about mid-day. The weather was kind enough throughout the day although the air temperature was cold. No complaints! Tomorrow we are to be up at 6am local time and will head out for Mildura. We will lose 30 minutes somewhere out along the road when we cross into Victoria, but we are not complaining about that either because it means we are back to Eastern Standard Time and that means we are closer to home (for some of us at least!). I might or might not have told you that we have people from every state in Australia – except Northern Territory and Tasmania – on this ride, so for the “Western Staters” and the South Aussies, they are getting further and further from their homes and families.

Most of the team spent their afternoon wandering the streets and shops of Renmark. Coffee shops seemed to have a special attraction! The food roadies spent time in the supermarket and lightened the purse by more than a couple of hundred dollars. I guess we need to eat, but it is one expensive business!

BURRA TO WAIKERIE – DAY 22

Today, 7th September has been a pretty good day for the team. The riders had tail winds or thereabouts for much of the ride. There were a couple of incidents worthy of comment – Kevin B’s handlebars decided to break, and Roger K blew a tyre! Roger’s problem was easily fixed with a new tyre and tube but Kevin’s broken handlebars is a different story. I had a suitable piece of bent steel in the bus which we used along with a heap of black plastic tape as an emergency repair so that Kevin could keep riding. Jim B has examined it closely since we arrived into Waikerie and has found the seam line in the aluminium tube has split. He has put the piece of bent steel back in position and taped it up strongly. If Kevin wants to ride, he will have to make do with the temporary repair until Renmark (tomorrow). If there were any big hills he would have a problem, but as the roads are pretty flat, he should be able to make do.

We woke this morning to the sound of rain on the roof – how unusual! I suspect we have had rain on 50% of the days of this ride. I have suggested we could us this as a new marketing tool for Bike for Bibles – invite to ride through your town and it is bound to rain! The farmers all want rain just now although they won’t in a couple of month’s time. Amazingly, the riders have managed to ride through the day without getting wet! We have encountered wet roads but not the rain itself!

We are staying tonight in the Lutheran manse at Waikerie. There are numerous rooms all with carpet on the floor and they are all well and truly occupied! There is hot water and a washing machine and dryer! Mod cons!

In keeping with staying in Waikerie, we have had a case of oranges delivered to us! I thought we might be a touch early in the season, but no, there are oranges everywhere. If they are anything like the ones we were given in 2006, they will be better than beautiful!

We are to eat tonight at the local hotel, and tomorrow, move on to Renmark. It is only an 81km day so we will be into town before lunch if nothing goes too terribly wrong.

REST DAY – DAY 21

Today, Sunday 6th September has been a rest day for the team. There has been far less activity than on the previous rest day at Streaky Bay. Being Sunday and because we are staying at the Burra Uniting Church, we went to the 11am service (the only one for the day). Mark and Luke (good Scriptural names!) spoke about what we are doing and why, and then Allan led in prayer. The message was a story pulled from the internet, a story about a taxi driver and an old lady – a nice story, but hardly an exposition of Scripture.

Some of the riders are doing a bit of maintenance on their bikes as I write and others I suspect are sleeping or walking around town. Most of the clothes washing got done yesterday and the property has been decorated with all the colours of the rainbow ever since.

Tonight we are meant to be eating at the Burra Hotel. The sign outside it says something to the effect that it has “no pokies – everyone wins”. Good on the pub! Tomorrow we are off to Waikerie, a town on the Murray River. It is in the midst of one of the main fruit growing areas of the country but we are unlikely to be the recipients of any this time around because we are here a bit too early in the season I think. We went through Waikerie in 2006 on the Bike for Bibles Ride Across Australia and were given a case of oranges that were among the best we had ever eaten. Jim’s itinerary tells me the ride tomorrow is to be 123km.

PORT PIRIE TO BURRA – DAY 20

Today, 5th August has been a good day on the road for the team. The winds were light and basically onto the backs of the riders. This helped them manage the hills without too much difficulty and got them to Burra happy and not too tired. We are staying tonight and tomorrow night at the Uniting Church in Burra. I am given to understand that Burra was a mining town in years gone bye and I hope to know a little more about it by the end of tomorrow.

Trevor L has been back on the bike for part of yesterday and today. Yesterday, it was for only a brief period, I guess around 10km, but today, he made it all the way to morning tea which was something like 60km. He is certainly getting back to his normal healthy state and this is good to see. I had told you that Jim B spent a few days in the bus with a bung knee – he has ridden all of each of the days since Streaky Bay, but is till wearing a knee brace. Trevor H had about an hour in the bus a few days back but is managing to keep going. Eric M, quite understandably, came down with a cold. He transported Trevor L to the medicos on two occasions and roomed with him across the Nullarbor when rooms needed to be shared. He had a few miserable days but has been able to keep driving the lead escort car, and is pretty much clear of the cold now. It is still doing the rounds – Kevin B has it!

The church folk provided us with an adequate meal tonight and are to provide lunch for the team tomorrow. They are typical country folk who are more than prepared to go the second mile for their guests. Roger and Edna are to be involved in a service at a church some distance from here tomorrow and Mark and Luke are to speak and Allan is to pray at the service here. Richard J led devotions for the team here tonight.

PORT AUGUSTA TO PORT PIRIE – DAY 19

Today, 4th September was an easy one for the cyclists. The distance for the day was only 90km and the wind turned out to be light and generally across the direction of travel. We had feared the winds would be strong and a total headwind – our fears were unjustified! There was plenty of traffic but, again, not as bad as we had anticipated. Thank you Lord.

Having arrived into Port Pirie before lunch today, there was ample time for showers and then a bit of sightseeing. I took a busload of riders and roadies into town and we wandered the streets for an hour or so. I suspect some of the coffee shops made a profit at our expense! Port Pirie is a nice tidy town with lots of old buildings which are in excellent condition.

We are staying at the Lighthouse Church (Uniting) which appears to be alive and having a ministry in the district. We thank the people for their hospitality and for the use of their facilities.

Tomorrow we head for Burra, a small town located in the Flinders Ranges to the east of here. We will ride/drive through small towns such as Crystal Brook and Spalding en route to Burra. It will be a very rural ride compared to the what we have done today. Some of us are looking forward to it!

KIMBA TO PORT AUGUSTA – DAY 18

Today, 3rd September, has been a top day for the team. The riders had a tailwind from the beginning to the end of the ride and the 158km passed in record time. We left Kimba at 7am and were here in Port Augusta before 2pm. We had stops for morning tea and lunch plus the usual in-between breaks for drinks, rest of tired body parts and replenishment of sugary sweets to increase energy. There was an expected amount of traffic for most of the ride but when we were joined by the highway from Whyalla and Port Lincoln, the number of trucks and cars increased dramatically. In spite of the increased traffic, we arrived in town safely and in very good spirits.

And then it was off to the bike shop for some of the riders! There has not been a bike shop for the last 2500km and some if the trusty steeds were in need of some specialised TLC. Some riders purchased some items as spares for the remaining km’s of the ride. I had mentioned Dorothee from almost the other side of the Nullarbor. She got to Port Augusta before us – but she did not have a rest day and a diversion from the straightest line as we did. It is to her credit that she has made her journey so quickly, especially bearing in mind the weight of her bike plus the weight of all the gear she is carrying on it – her tent, sleeping gear, water, food, kitchen sink, etc!

We are sleeping tonight at the Anglican church hall in Port Augusta West. The church folk are providing some of the food and we are supplementing with pizzas. Normally we would have had showers before dinner, but tonight we will be showering after dinner. Then it will be time for a brief team meeting and bed so as to be able to do it all again tomorrow! It will be an easier run tomorrow – just 90km, taking us to Port Pirie. It will be a busy road unfortunately. We then head more in an easterly direction, through the hills to Burra and on to Renmark via a couple of other centres.

WUDINNA TO KIMBA – DAY 17

Today, 2nd September, has been one of those difficult days for everybody. The distance was only 101km but the degree of difficulty due to the wind was the greatest of any day so far. The wind was very strong for much of the night and by the time we were getting on the road, it was actually blowing small branches off some of the trees. For much of the day the riders had a crosswind but occasionally it was something like a tailwind. The day finished with about 10km’s of strong headwind. The bus spent a considerable period of time in 3rd gear, 2nd gear even, and 4th gear. I guess I got into top gear (5th) for only 15 minutes in the whole day. Never was the team so glad to come to the end of the day’s riding!

But, on a brighter side, it was Robyn M’s 50th birthday today! She started the day with something of a bang, in fact, many bangs! Loving husband, Allan and son, Luke, filled the food trailer with inflated balloons last night before going to bed. Robyn was conned into opening the trailer to put some food into it – and alas, balloons went everywhere! Robyn said afterwards that she had wondered why so many people had cameras with them! I was laughing so much that I couldn’t hold the camera still – the result, a blurred picture – but it was all worth it! The celebrations are not completed yet I suspect!

Alex and Marg H joined us today. They met us about 25k’s out of town and Alex rode in with us. He has been a rider in two previous Bike for Bibles rides and Marg is an experienced member of the foodie team. They are welcome additions to the team.

STREAKY BAY TO WUDINNA – DAY 16

Today, 1st September, has been a pleasant day on the bike and in the bus. There has probably been a bit more traffic that we might have hoped for, but all but one of the drivers have been well mannered and we arrived at our destination without being too stressed! Thick fog filled the air at 6.15am and remained for around two hours. At times, we were struggling as roadies, to tell each other if the road ahead was safe or unsafe for cars to overtake the cyclists. But, as fog generally does, it lifted and a brilliant day followed. The air was still initially, but as the hours passed, there arose a gentle breeze which was at the backs of the riders – and there were smiles on their faces that stretched from ear to ear! The average speed for the day was 26.9km/hr.

We arrived into Wudinna early enough to be able to have showers and head to the shops for a coffee. It made a pleasant day of it by comparison to crossing the Nullarbor where all the days were long days (because they had to be) and there was little time for socialising. Tomorrow we will be riding to Kimba and this will be an even shorter day than today. Unfortunately, there are conflicts with our accommodation – other people normally use the venue at the same time as we want to use it – and we need to leave it super early on Thursday morning because still more people are already booked to use it!

We had dinner provided for us tonight by the Lutheran and Uniting Churches of Wudinna. It was a case of we ate everything the ladies put on the table and they did not get anything at all to eat. I guess they just didn’t realise the amount of food cyclists can put away. We of course thanked them for their effort and kindness and left them with a nice thankyou plaque and some literature describing what we are seeking to do and why we are doing it. Nobody has complained of being hungry so the needs of the inner man and woman must have been met.

Trevor L still has at least a couple of days before can get back onto the bike – and even when he does ride again, it will be for part days only. The medical people at both Eucla and Ceduna have warned him of permanent heart damage that can come from too much exercise/exertion too soon after Swine ’Flu. He is intending to heed the warning. Jim B was back on the bike today and rode as normal. Trevor H had a brief spell off his bike due to knee pain. He has had similar pain previously and has learned to heed the warning his body is giving him.