Day 18 (Sept 27) - Echuca to Yarrawonga - 140k

I slept very well in my nice Motel room, and was still in the shower at 7am when Terry was knocking at the door with my $5 cooked breakfast. He was marvelous really, and also seemed to delight in serving me with that little bit of extra care. Echuca is not a great place for Optus reception (like a lot of country Victoria during my travels) and I tried in vain after breakfast to get my daily ‘blog’ on the web, sadly, unsuccessfully. Nevertheless it held me up. I was also delaying a little because at 7am I looked outside and the heavens had opened, everything was drenched and it was also very cool.

By the time I got away at close to 9am, or a little after, everything was wet and cold but at least the rain had stopped, and it never returned all day. However, the wind was strong, and blowing from the east, virtually straight into my face.

I was uncertain of the distance today, thinking it would be about 125k. However, it turned out to be a very long day, just getting in after dark at 140k. More about that later.

I cleared Echuca, and faced the wind on a flat, almost uninteresting countryside.

The road was average, and for a lot of the morning I had no apron on which to ride. I shared the single car lane, which was not comfortable most of the time. It is interesting from most of my journeys like this, it seems the closer I get to ‘home’ the more dangerous it becomes. Yesterday in fact I had my most dangerous moment – a farm tractor was coming in my direction half on the lane, half off the road. Two large semi-trailers came up fast behind the tractor, and decided to pass the tractor (ie in ‘my’ lane) just as the tractor and I passed each other. It meant that the three of us shared two lanes, with me holding my edge of the lane, and holding my nerve, as not just one semi but followed by the other, passed between me and the tractor. It was so close, I could easily have touched the semis, but I suspect the second semi driver got the shock when he realized a cyclist was there and he had to fit his speeding semi between me and the slow going tractor. It was all over in seconds, and my heart settled down again.

I could not pass the ‘upside down dunny’ which was beside a roadside pub in the middle of nowhere.

At about the 30k mark for the morning I came into Wyuna, which was also (apparently) Big Cherry country. I suspect this was set up by an enterprising farmer who is a cherry grower, and doing his bit to bring attention to his product. I thought it was great!

The wind was shocking – it is a funny thing that of the 19 days of the trip, I have been into the wind on all but one of those days! The road turned due north and I was heading for the little town of Nathalia. It was to be my ‘lunch’ stop at 56k, which at about 19kph average and some stops I was looking at a 12:30pm arrival. The country became very pretty again with lots of gums, and eventually the road opened out and I could see a long way off down the road the signs of Nathalia beginning to appear. However, I was struck by a farmer doing his work, and I suspect he paused in his turning of his tractor so I could get the photo.

Nathalia is a beautiful country town, a lovely wide main street that runs over an enchanting bridge that crosses a very decent river that feeds the Murray to the west. I must say it was nice to arrive, and I was looking forward to a cup of coffee and meeting a few locals.

I cant resist the water shots. This is a most picturesque end of town. I failed to get the name of the river, but it is quite substantial, not like some that I have crossed that are virtually dry



I enjoyed lunch at The Bakery. It was a very busy place. I seized the moment to finish my blog, taking advantage of the strong Optus signal here. It still took time, and by the time I was ready to leave it was close to 2pm. As I went to pack the bike, I was shocked to see that the rear tyre was completely flat which is accutally inexplicable. It had served me well since Naracoorte not even requiring to be pumped up. But here it was flat. So….it means off with everything, out with the wheel and the tyre and tube, and then all back together again. I rolled away from this lovely town after 2pm, realizing that I still had some 85k to go to reach Yarrawonga. At 20kph at best, that meant at least 4 plus hours actually in the saddle, and it was back into the wind heading due east for most of that 85k.

Somewhere between Nathalia and Numurka, I stopped by this lovely billabong that boasted beautiful gums already in studio pose for their photos to be taken. Lovely, aren’t they?



It was 22k to Numurka. It was now well past 3pm. I pressed on heading now for Katamatite, a further 26k – these roads are ‘pencil’ straight and so can become a little tiring just riding in a straight line for hours, especially without variation from the wind.

However, I now moved in to Canola country. It is quite spectacular when seen in full bloom and with acre upon acre of it. The roads are straight, and of course I can’t resist cows. These cows were particularly curious of my presence. Usually when I stop, the cows and sheep disperse, but in this case the longer I was there, the bigger the audience became. They were so lovely.



I reached Katamatite, to note that it was now another 34k to Yarrawonga. I stopped at the pub for a coke and to re-fill my water bottles. It was  5:15pm when I steered the bike out of Katamatite, and turned east again for Yarrawonga. Despite the wind I was riding really well. However, it was now a race against time because dusk was approaching, and nightfall some time after 6pm. It would be ‘touch and go’ if I was to beat nightfall getting in to Yarrawonga.

The closer to dusk, I find the wind drops. Today was no exception. From Katamatite I decided to pull out all ‘stops’ and get the bike rolling to capacity. My knees were telling me they were under strain, but I was quite intrigued that after 110k I could ride faster in the final 30k than I did all day. The k’s were dropping slowly but surely, but I couldn’t help notice that with the sun directly behind me (west), my shadow on the road was getting longer and longer. The sun was a ball of orange behind me, creating a most magnificent kaleidoscope of colour as the sun began to sink behind the horizon.

I was in a hurry, but chose to take the photo. My little camera takes good gum tree shots, but does little justice to the beautiful, radiant sunset.



With less than 15k, and the sun virtually gone, the bike was really flying, now in the mid-high 20’s. Try it yourself with 40kg on the bike. Actually without wind and once the bike is rolling is doesn’t feel that hard to keep it rolling.

The road took a tight left turn to the north, giving me a magnificent view of the sunset now to my left. This was the final photo I could get.



I turned on my helmet light to be visible, but just couldn’t afford to stop to find my other lights in my bags. I pressed on, driving the bike really hard now. I bumped over the railway, thinking I was close to town, but the sign then said ‘8k’ to Yarrawonga. I couldn’t believe it! I crossed two more sets of railway lines before turning into the final 2k run into town. I managed to reach 30kph before choosing to ease off to take the final corner into Yarrawonga. I was hoping to see the lake (Lake Mulwala that is fed by the Murray) but it was now dark. I just had to find the Burke Hotel.

For a Hotel, these places are lovely. The people are wonderful and I delight in making conversation. The bike stopped outside at 140k, a lot longer than I anticipated but it was clearly my best day of cycling.

Tomorrow is my final day. I am in mixed emotions. I am glad to have ‘come through’ but sad that a wonderful and great adventure has come to an end.

My room is wonderful – old style charm, and the chap booking me in told me that breakfast….is free! I was looking forward to my ALDI porridge and the final handful of sultanas….but these are things that I have to deal with, with utter grace. It has been a most wonderful day.

Just finally..it was lovely to pull up outside ‘Burkes Hotel’. I knew I had made it; I knew I had a safe place out of the dark and the cold; I knew it was a place of security for the night. But it will only be for one night. Just reading Psalm 27, I noticed something that is true for me not just for a night but for a lifetime….”One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple”.

Until tomorrow…….if my sums are correct, it is a mere 100k to Albury, from where I board the train to Yass on Thursday.

Until then…                                                                   

KRA