Day 12 – Tough trucking

 Above is obviously cool, as only have one state left to go, but given I was in Victoria barely 48 hours, and pretty sure I’m in SA for a good 10 days or more, celebrations were muted. And hurried, because it’s been chilly today. Know 18-20C highs sounds lovely, but throw in a constant headwind all day blowing through your clothes and at points I felt distinctly chilly.

There are very few other photos from the road of huge interest because I basically put my head down and plough on hour after hour after hour to make my longest day to date. Know there have been two days off this week, but this head wind is weary making. 5 days riding days in a row with it flat or near flat in my face. Shouldn’t really complain, because it’s boring for you all, and to be honest both the worse days I was off the road, but it occupies so much of my waking hours thought, it’s hard not to mention it.

Permanently closed, guess people like
some big things better than others

It was a shame as much of the countryside round here is beautiful in a rather brooding way. Tedious British reference for those not in the UK (and the stats from the blogging site, say there are a fair few of you), but for the majority of the day it looked like a huge version of Salisbury Plain. Rolling wheat fields off to the horizon, with the road cutting it’s path through the middle. It had it’s appeal.

This then stopped abruptly after the very high tech (if rather lax) quarantine checkpoint on the border (fruit fly related, it’s quite the bogey man round these parts) and it was back into vineyards, and fruit farms.

Couple of hours later and it was into Renmark, which is a curiously angry little after burp of a town. Maybe it was to do with the cooler weather, but suddenly drivers became noticeably more aggressive, which may explain the abnormally high number of road deaths marked on the roads round the town. It was strange there was just something off about the whole town and I was glad to push on to Barmera.

This part of SA is noticeably poorer and more run down than anywhere to date. All the villages look like people stopped investing in 1990 and never restarted. It’s beautiful in the way wine districts are, but it does look like life is a struggle here. Having pulled off onto the quieter Old Stuart Highway, Barmera was no exception. Like the town had decided to stop being something it’s not in the early 90s and just got on with being what it is, which is no bad thing.

Hell of a spot to practice football

The hotel/pub was no exception. Bustling and friendly the décor was like a cavernous bowling alley reception from our childhood. Looking for an escape from the place I went to look round the town. Looking over Aussie rules practice to sunset next the  river and lakes beyond, I could see why they all just got on with being, because frankly round here that's more than enough.

Miles: 109 Mildura, Renmark, Barmera

Breakfast – Standard

Lunch – Chicken sandwich bought from Subway last night. First half kerbside, second half is a roadhouse at the border with SA. Neither really a great experience.

Supper – The kitchen closed at 20:00, which I didn’t know about. By the time I got there all the chef could kindly prep was a chicken schnitzel with mushroom gravy whipped up in 3 mins. Did the trick, but not a great meal