Smoky Bay To Minnipa and back to Highway A1
Highlights and a few lowlights of the day. Mostly highlights!
After 1 plus days off recovering, we were rested and ready to be back on the bikes. Alarm at 6, up and breakfast and on the road by about 7:30 as usual to an overcast, cool and windy day. 25 kph winds plus to start the day off right.
Because we couldn’t get a room in Ceduna we were taking a detour off the main highway, A1, skirting the southern ocean and eventually making our way back to the direct route and our next overnight at Minnipa, a town of about 200 people year-round close to the scenic Gawler Range. We probably added an extra 50 plus k’s to the route for our scenic detour, but it was worth it.
We passed by but not through a few more coastal towns along the Great Australian Bight, Prelubie and Streaky Bay. There were no bakeries in Smoky Bay so Bushy drove off into Streaky Bay in search of coffees and pastries while Scotty and I continued along our route. We were about 80k into the days ride, so it was certainly time for food and caffeine. Before Bushy left, Scotty stopped to drop off some layers and I got a chance to sprint off into the distance, one of the few times I could get some distance off the front. Scotty was being a bit lazy thinking I would wait up for him, but I was feeling good, rested, fresh and was just having fun putting in some quick kilometers. 10 to 15k later, Scotty did catch me but not without having to work at it. We both got a good laugh over that. Back together again, we kept riding with no idea where Bushy was. He had vanished from SA.
At about 120k into the ride, my sprint session started to catch up with me. I was losing power, energy, and incentive to ride at a reasonable pace. Eventually, I pulled over and raided my jersey pockets for anything I could find to eat. As Scotty and I were eating and laughing, Bushy arrives with more energy, coffees, and bakery goods. THANK YOU Bushy! Note to self, eat before you are hungry, I should know that.
It took a while before I started to feel the refuel energy kick in and by then we made it back to A1, the Eyre Highway only about 20k west of Minnipa. Back on the direct route again. With town almost in sight, my mood freshened, and the pace picked up. A shower, dinner and a good night’s sleep were great motivators.
We rode into this small town, found the house, Airbnb, and then rode around town to sight see a bit. Lucky, as there was a marvelous garden area that had some amazingly exotic, huge plantings, some of which I had never seen before. Very tropical feel to it all. I stopped to take several pictures. The overnight house was only a few blocks away. Fiona’s house, nice place, plenty of room, two bedrooms, shower, back yard patio with an orange tree filled with fresh oranges ready to pick and eat. And eat we did, so yummy!! Best oranges I have ever sampled! Fiona somehow found out we were supporting the Black Dog Institute for mental health in AU and as a present, she bought us enough food to make a king’s breakfast for the next morning. She also alerted the only pub/dining house in town to make sure they would be open for us for dinner that night.
We arrived at the pub, had a celebratory beverage in the pub and found the dining area. A handful of locals filled all the bar stools and of course asked where we were staying. Bushy, cautious as always said, Airbnb, which they then said, OH, at Fiona’s! Only ONE Airbnb in the whole town. We had to laugh. Great, home cooked, full meal filled all of us.
Back to the house, early bed for me to get to sleep by 9 if possible. (Always an alarm at 6 AM) We were up at the alarm, made a huge country breakfast, eggs, toast, baked beans, canned spaghetti, oranges, more than we could consume at one sitting.
As a bonus, Fiona arrived just as we were packing up and ready to leave so we got a chance to say thank you and get a few pictures together. Another quick Black Dog story. We collected donations along the way as we rode. There was a large banner on the back of the van that said,” Pull me over” to donate. Someone stopped Bushy and only had a glass jar filled with coins and he donated the entire jar. We counted it at Fiona’s and as I remember, it was over $50! Amazingly generous.
Next up, 150k down the road and we would be in Kimba and the official half way point across the continent.
Link to the pictures here