SOUTH AUSTRALIA
To fight the wind, now hitting me from the south east, I had to lean the bike into the wind with most of my weight being placed on the left hand side the scooter saddle. Any trucks passing me coming from the east would stop the wind from hitting me, edging the scooter toward the trucks. I have never been so physically and mentally exhausted so I had to get off the road for a rest. At a next rest stop I thankfully pulled off the road and relaxed too quickly as the scooter came to a walking pace. The rest stop was covered by loose gravel, it was here the scooter rolled out from under me. Falling down I sprained my left wrist and badly injured my right hand little finger, which soon swelled up to the point where it was difficult to replace my glove. Trying to upright the scooter, I soon realised I would have to unpack it first as my wrist could not lift the weight and it was then that I had seen the damage to the right hand side of the scooter. I was at my lowest point since beginning the trip and just wanted to be back home.
Shortly afterwards a couple on a motorcycle, returning home to Tasmania, after attending the Ulysses Motor Cycle AGM in Albany came past, saw I was in trouble and assisted me to lift the scooter up and repack my belongings. They would not leave me as I was and said they would ride with me until we reached the Nullarbor Road House. Earlier had left Eucla after a leisurely breakfast that morning and were also doing it hard against the wind. Before getting back on the road I tried to put my gloves on but my wrist had swollen to such an extent that this was impossible.
I now had a situation where my wrist was useless and therefore, could not apply the scooter brakes with any power if there was a need for me to do so. On arrival at Nullarbor I was thinking, if someone would offer me a fair price for the scooter I would sell it and find my way home today.
Day 4 April 3, 2010 Nullarbor Roadhouse to Wudinna 533 Kilometres
I was unable to take my watch off last night due to my wrist being so swollen and I was very worried about being able to ride safely with it today. It was very painful and Panadol was proving to be of little use in relieving the ache. Awoke this morning at 4 a.m. and unable to get back to sleep concerned about my situation, very down today but had to keep on going. My Body clock as well as my watch, my phone, my GPS and the clock on the scooter all showing the wrong local time and only my phone and watch with a similar time.
Unable to eat anything for the thought of it making me ill, I left the Roadhouse at 7.30 after viewing a beautiful sunrise. Thankfully the wind had lost its killer instinct and it had swung around making it more of a tail wind. Pulled into Penong, 224 kilometres down the highway, for more fuel and a coffee. Prior to refilling the scooter I needed to ask another traveller if he could assist me with placing the scooter on its main stand as the weight was to great for me to handle on my own with the wrist in so much pain. A caravaner came over and told me he had been following me for some time yesterday and was amazed at how bad an affect the wind had on my scooter and how it seemed as if it was going down the road sideways having to push against the wind.
On reaching Ceduna I made a call at the hospital and obtained stronger painkillers and also purchase a wrist elasticised strap for support . While at the hospital the Doctor wasn't happy that I refused to have the wrist X-rayed as he believed I could have been clever enough to have broken a bone or two. Explained there was no point as if was to have found a break, I couldn't ride the scooter with plaster on it.
A toasted sandwich and coffee to help the tablets go down and then rested for half an hour waiting for the wrist pain to abate before setting off again with Wudinna still some 210 kilometres further on.
I am now sitting here in a budget motel room in Wudinna with both my wrist and little finger very swollen with bruising causing both to look as bad as it is feeling, in fact, it seems I am bruised all over, particularly with my extremely low spirits. I have come to the stage where I am just about beaten but with the knowledge that I cannot give up and must go on.
Day 5 April 4, 2010 Wudinna to Port Pirie 349 Kilometres
Awoke with my wrist and finger now inflated like a balloon so I will again have to ride without a glove on my left hand today. Set the alarm for 6 a.m. thinking the sun would rise about that time but it wasn’t light until 7.30 by which time I had spent 15 minutes or so on the road travelling at a steady and slow 60 kph for fear of hitting a kangaroo. This turned out to be a total waste of time. Twenty kilometres down the road I looked down at the instrument panel to find my fuel warning light was flashing. With no alternative, I turned the scooter around and headed back to Wudinna to fill up. Up till now, I had refuelled at the end of each day but due to the wrist being so sore, had forgotten to do this last night.
Back on the road and the sun now over the horizon, I let the throttle open up. A beautiful day, cold at first, slowly warming with the kilometres disappearing fast. Grabbed a coffee while refuelling at Kimba and then again at Iron Knob, then onto Port Augusta and the weather, for the first time in days, could not have been better. Began to think I could even manage to get to Adelaide today but this was not to be as the wind turned ugly once again after heading south between Port Augusta and Port Pirie. This wind was coming in from the west and I had to reduce my speed down to just over 50 kph just to be able to stay upright. The road was busy with school holiday traffic making it all the more dangerous with a continuos stream of vehicles overtaking me. It seemed to take me hours to finally reach Port Pirie where I checked into a motel for the night.
Sun up in the morning is expected at 7.00 a.m., I refilled the fuel tank then and headed for Adelaide and beyond at least, I hope. The wrist and finger are both very painful. As I was about to make my way to bed I was left in awe being able to see a magnificent sunset to end an awful day.
Day 6 April 5, 2010 Port Pirie to Goolwa 314 Kilometres (but travelled further)
Spoiling myself tonight as I have little option. I arrived in Goolwa on Easter Sunday and the only bed available was in a very nice Motel at a cost $140.
I had anticipated to be able to find somewhere to spend the night in the, what I believed to be, sleepy little hamlet of Victor Harbour. The Easter holiday crowd was swarming like bees in a flower bed increasing the city's normal population of over 12,000 by many thousands. The place was chaotic.
Any chance in getting anywhere, I was told by a caravan park manager, was to go to the local Tourist info centre for them to assist in finding accommodation. They booked the room in Goolwa on my behalf.
Back to the day which started with me waiting at 6.00 to be on the road an hour later. Thankfully the cross wind had lowered a little but was still tough riding until reaching Port Wakefield. From there to Adelaide the highway was dual lane and feeling the warmth of the sun and the wind all but gone, made today’s ride the most enjoyable of the trip.
Leaving Adelaide and heading to Victor Harbour I made my way along some great cycling roads, the best I have ridden on since leaving home. I had my TomTom give me a number of alternate routes due to the terrain, I knew there would be some good, winding older roads I could take rather than the freeway. Once having chosen my route, found it was a little over 40 kilometres longer but well worth the time selecting those roads built in times gone past when it was easier to go around a hill rather than over or through it.
Arriving at the motel in Goolwa, I unloaded the scooter, had a shower then back on the road to Hindmarsh Island to take a few snaps of the mouth of the Murray. There are many who will remember the very large controversy when the South Australian Government decided to construct the Bridge over to Hindmarsh Island.
The local Aboriginal class Hindmarsh Island as sacred land and the importance of this area was a tightly held secret as it was said to be "woman's business" and could not be disclosed to any other than an Aboriginal woman. Now back after a very tiring but most enjoyable day, finished off with Fish and chips for tea and now ready for a most comfortable nights sleep.
Tomorrow they are forecasting rain for Adelaide and I hope to be in Mount Gambier after following the East Coast of South Australia as far as the road will allow. Good night.
Day 7 Goolwa to Kingston S.E. April 6, 2010 274 Kilometres
Left Goolwa at Sparrows and filled the tank and had a coffee at Wellington. Given the unfriendly and complaining manager at the roadhouse, I should have taken my business elsewhere but she had me a little light on fuel and it was the only place for Kilometres where I could purchase fuel.
A couple of hundred metres down the road I put the scooter on the Ferry to cross the Murray River, quite quaint given this day and age. Another couple of a hundred metres I turned back onto Highway 1 and passed through undulating country. Very much feeling the cold this morning. Pulled up on the side of the road to put on my wet weather coat over my leathers which fixed the problem of the cold. At Policeman’s Point, a coffee and toasted sandwich hit the spot. About 15 kms west of Kingston S.E. (South East), pulled in for a free coffee at a rest stop with all those present very interested in the scooter and my travels.
Arrived at Kingston S.E. being a large coastal town, the first along the road beside the Coowong National Park. Decided to hire a caravan for the night and then view the highlights of the town, one being a previous offshore Lighthouse now very much on shore. It looks like the rain I have been running away from since Eucla W.A will finally catch up to me tonight with thunderstorms. I can only hope it has stopped raining for my ride up to Mount Gambier tomorrow.
Day 8 Kingston S.E. to Mount Gambier April 7, 2010 169 Kilometres
Said goodbye to Kingston S.E. at first light, forecast for rain and more rain and it did. Woke up with it pelting on the van roof and for the first time for the trip, left the wet weather gear on throughout the days ride until I got settled in the Jail at Mount Gambier.
Not only did it rain, but my adversary, the cross wind blew a gale making it extremely difficult to ride safely over seventy kph. Arrived at the “Welcome to Millicent” sign and read they have the largest wind farm in the southern hemisphere. Judging on my experience, travelling between Mount Gambier and Millicent, those rotor blades are extremely well placed. I was amazed at how many wind turbines there were at the right of the road, they went on for many kilometres.
Arriving in Mount Gambier, I visited the tourist information centre where I was informed the Old Jail had been converted into backpacker accommodation and, should I wish, I could be locked up for the night in my own cell with other inmates spread about the complex. So, I thought I could give a night in the lock up ago and glad I did. There were a number of other convicts, two girls from Taiwan, two from England, a couple from France and a 20 something male from Illinois in the US.
Had a good conversation with most finding the two from England had not travelled outside their home county in England. The French couple could not have been more impressed with Australia and Australians saying they had travelled widely and had not felt more at home or treated so well anywhere including in France. The bloke from the US has lodged an application to immigrate to Australia on a permanent basis. His reasons being the drug problem, and what he said as being the ever increasing amount of violence in the US. He loves the laid back, friendly nature of all Australians he has met. Came time for me to hit the sack and that is about all the mattress was, very uncomfortable so I pulled out my inflatable mattress to soften the harsh bed.
Forecast for rain and strong winds for tomorrow. Beginning to believe this was becoming a bit of a habit.
