Port Augusta to Adelaide

Port Augusta - Wilmington - Melrose - Gladstone - Clare Valley - Leasingham - Gawler - Adelaide

(3 bikedays, 336 km)

On Nov 11th, I left Port Augusta in direction to Wilmigton. Again, I had a strong headwind. I took the Old Wilmington road, quiet hilly and very rough asphalt. And the Horrocks Pass was waiting. it is only 500m upclimbing, but with headwind .....  the fun was very low.

When I arrived in Wilmigton, at the local cafe, I had a tasty pasty and a coffee, loading energy for the next 90k.
On a remoted road I cycled through a gorgeous landscape, and first time after the Nullarbor, I  did not listen to music from my iPhone anymore. I enjoyed the different voices of the birds, the good smell of the trees and plants (and not any more from decomposing kangaroos !).
Melrose is the oldest town in the Flinders Range and very beautiful.
I arrived at Gladstone, and stayed for one night there. a lovely caravan park with very friendly managers and two cude Border Collies.
The next day I headed of to Clare Valley, a hugh wine regions and spent the night in Leasingham.
I cycled through Gawler and I arrived in Adelaide on Nov 13th, my most important destination on this trip.

Currently (Dec 7th) I am in Apollo Bay on the Great Ocean Road (Adelaide to Melbourne, Road B100) . Due to my great grandaunts 100. birthday in two weeks, I will be back in Adelaide in a few days. Update of my blog about Adelaide, Barossa Valley and the Great Ocean Road is coming soon.

Please be patient :-) 

Have a great time and we keep in touch !

very rough asphalt and headwind after leaving Port Augusta

from sealevel up to 500m altitude

on the way to Wilmingtom

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old houses in Melrose

olive trees

I love Border Collies :-)

"Booyoolee" was the former name of Gladstone

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this shop is run by a German man, now Australian resident for 35 years. interesting conversation

vineyards in the Clare Valley

beer and wine tasting in Leasingham.

Ceduna to Port Augusta (end of Eyre-Highway)

Ceduna - Wirrulla - Minnipa - Poochera - Wudinna - Kimba - Iron Knob - Port Augusta


after five days in Ceduna, on Nov 2nd, I hit the road again.
As soon as possible I wanted to come to Adelaide, so I decided to skip the Eyre Peninsula (Streaky Bay...., Port Lincoln) and keep riding on the Eyre Highway
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyre_Highway)

Well, the Eyre Highway and me, we became no friends. ca. 70 % of the distance from Norseman to Port Augusta (1.675km) , I had bloody headwind. I had no problem with the heat and the hugh number of roadtrains (due to harvest time), but the wind killed the fun while cycling. Although I checked three different weather forecasts every day, sometimes I strategically took a day off, but cycling on this highway was one of my toughest rides. (btw. in Kimba I reached 16000km, bike only)

the big pleasure were the meetings with the friendly people. When I stayed a little bit longer in a town, so there was time to have longer conversations. I enjoyed it very much, because I am quite curious. This is my third time in Australia (first two time by campervan and car) and it is a Western mentality, but many differences.
Especially when I meet German residents I always ask them for the reason, why leaving Germany and if they could imagine to go back to Germany. very interesting answers :-).

On Nov 8th, after a 165k ride , I arrived in Port Augusta, exhausted but happy and a little proud of my achievement.

Marie from Dresden (right), now resident, with her Partner and some collegues, transporting grain

I met Takashita, the Japanese walker, again on the road

water pipeline

"small" tractor

many German names....

very friendly car driver, who offered me some water.

no fun, when I had to leave the road due to roadtrains and/or caravans...

early morning start

trucks at the iron ore mine in Iron Knob

the village is a ghost town....  some people live there, but no shop, only a post office..

water tanks before Port Augusta

Museum in Port Augusta

Mr. Eyre

radio device for distance learning

the Royal Flying Doctor Service

Visitor Center and Museum in Port Augusta

Port Augusta

Flinders Range

awesome encounter

Silo Storage in Minnipa