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!