It was Neil Diamond who once said “Some days are diamonds, some days are stones”. Today was closer to a ‘stone’ than a diamond. It proved to be a very long, hard day despite the fact that the overall pace was just on an even 21kph all day for the 140k trip to Mildura.
I rolled away from the Paringa Hotel at about 7:45am knowing I had a full day ahead of me. I was more than a little reluctant about this leg, being 140k straight road across what I lightly consider to be Victoria’s equivalent to the Gobi desert. The morning was pleasant, but no need for arm warmers. Every day without fail I have liberally used the Cancer Council 30+ sunscreen on arms, legs and face. Today was an essential day for this.
The pull out of Paringa was a long hill that taxed my legs, such is the build-up of lactic acid in my legs. I felt then that the day would be something of a grind. Fortunately there was a slight breeze from the north, and given I was heading due east, the breeze was mostly in my favour. This photo was taken early after leaving Paringa. It was typical of the countryside I followed today
Within 20k I came to the Sth Australian border. I was very sad to leave Sth Australia. I had grown very fond of this State. I met a lot of excellent Sth Australians. I get the impression people are proud of their State. I crossed into Victoria, and within a few kilometers had to stop and eat my final two mandarins from the bag I bought from a dear old Greek woman way back near Keith many days ago. I always had one eye out for brown snakes. I’ve seen seen one dead large black one on the side of the road, as well as a handsome brown just near my left pedal that I am still unconvinced was dead. There were no signs of injury.
The road continued. Incidentally, I have been attacked multiple times by magpies EVERY day since the Great Ocean Road. Today was no exception. Mostly I can see their shadows as they approach. My anti-magpie repellant technique is to raise my hand a split second before the moment of strike. It works every time. The magpie has a pencil vision, and the suddenly raised hand is distracting, and every time the magpie pulls out of the dive just before impact. Some have been very persistent, and I usually score them out of ten. Today we had some high scorers.
The first civilization was 80k from the start of todays ride. It proved to be a very long and somewhat arduous morning session of four solid hours. At exactly 80k, the tiny township of Lake Cullulleraine came into view. There was only one tiny roadhouse, and I was looking forward to a drink of coke and a toasted sandwich. Apart from the first few kilometers, the first 80k were as straight as a pencil on the map, through some very dry, scrubby country with occasionally well cared for fields of what appeared to be Lucerne for hay. I met numerous people at the shop, including the local Policeman who suggested I should draught behind one of the many trucks. I said he would only issue me a ticket, to which he smiled but had no reply. A caravanning dutch couple offered to take my photo.
On a long hot day like today there are not a lot of attractions. At one point though, I was confronted with two beautiful emus in the wild. They were too fast for a photo, but these two ‘Wide Loads’ were much slower, enabling me to get off the road to give them room, and get their photo as they passed. This is one of the two.
After Lake Cullulleraine, the same kind of road continued. For some reason, I just had no power to keep the bike rolling consistently. I was wrestless, I couldn’t stay seated for more than a few hundred metres, and basically felt my legs were ‘cooked’. Every time I stopped for a photo or a drink break, the legs burned with lactic acid when starting off and getting the bike rolling again. I was looking forward to the next roadhouse at Merbein South, only 20k short of Mildura. Here I rang to arrange my cheap motel (an amazing $73 for an excellent room and only hundreds of metres from the river in Mildura) but as I pulled away for the final run into Mildura, I spied this precious ‘baby’. This is an old Massey Ferguson Tractor, the identical of which we had on our farm at Upper Orara via Karangi, and which our Dad allowed us to drive (I was 10 when I left the farm). Here was one in pristine condition.
For some reason, perhaps knowing that Mildura was only now 15k away, the bike was now powering at 30kph as the outskirts of Mildura came into view. Since Lake Cullulleraine, the sights of wine country started to reappear, and was now everywhere again. This is indeed wine country. Australia will be the world’s biggest wine producer soon, if it isn’t already.
I passed my Motel because I wanted to see the river. I had missed the river all day. It had been rolling way to the north while I cut across open country to meet it again at Mildura. This first photo is looking back up the main street of Mildura from the River.
The majestic river. I rolled back to my Motel. I must confess, I was completely spent. When I got to my room, I just had to lie on the bed for ages. I forced myself to shower, but I could barely finish the shower. I had no strength remaining. I sat again for ages before I could summon the strength to dry myself.
My decision was made. Tomorrow would be a much needed ‘Rest Day’. It was not on the plan, but the body was saying it needed a day to recover. Most typical racing bikes weigh about 9-11kg, the better the bike the lighter the bike. Most of my friends would have bikes 8-10kg. My bike with luggage weighs 48kg! It is very heavy, and the strength required to propel the bike for all these miles cannot be underestimated. I have four pannier bags (full), plus my backpack plus my tent (which is unused on this trip). Today in fun I asked a traveler to see if he could lift the rear of the bike with one hand. He could not get it off the ground. So, it is not as simple as saying I’ve cycled 1363k in this last 13 days, I’ve towed half a house, most of the time into headwinds that make regular cyclists look for cover. The body was telling me today that the 57yr old legs need a breather if we are going to survive the next 5 days and 600k to Albury.
Just finally, I am a small fan of Neil Diamond, but in the quote I started with, there is an absence of ‘hope’ in his song. Some days are diamonds, some days are stones, sometimes the hard times wont leave me alone, sometimes the cold wind blows a chill in my soul….”. But where, I ask, is the hope.
We all need hope. I like the story of Moses and the children of Israel. They have just left Egypt, the Bible says. They are high in spirits, and what could go wrong. They soon run out of water….but they see a pool in the distance, and spirits are high again as they rush the water, only to find it ‘too bitter to drink’. The ‘cold wind blowing in the soul’ Diamond might say. The Israelites grumbled and whinged. But the Bible says something very profound. God cleansed the water where they grumbled, but as they moved on, they found an oasis literally just over the next hill. The point being, had they trusted, had they held on with hope, they would have continued one more hill and found all the water they would ever need had already been provided for them.
Some days are stones, sometimes the cold wind blows a chill in the soul. But when the Lord is at the control of your life, you get accustomed to looking beyond the ‘bitter pools’ to that which the Lord has already provided, beyond the ‘chill wind’. Its worth a thought.
Until next time.
KRA
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