11th & 12th April 2025

Still learning how to manage the long nights. It’s dark by 7pm and the night stretches on… and on. Even worse because we’re going through a bit of a heatwave. Some very long nights ahead.

The midnight pee is becoming something I look forward to, a chance to stretch the legs, view the night sky, and think about breakfast.

Goolwa - a nice little town

Hmm, breakfast. Enjoyed poached eggs on toast this morning, in Goolwa, accompanied with a nice coffee. Coffee being a treat that will end post Adelaide😒

Paddle steamer at Goolwa

Goolwa’s a nice town, with steam trains, and an old paddle steamer, but the talk is all bad, with an algal bloom expanding across the beaches of the Fleurieu Peninsula, just in time for Easter, which may keep the tourists away.

Spent a pleasant morning being a tourist.

Colonial Beauty - Now a Guesthouse

 I guess I’m subconsciously getting my fill of rivers and oceans before I head inland🤣🤣

Where the 'Bin Chicken' should be Black Swan on the Murray

12th April 2025 - Into our mini heatwave, +32 today.

Spent the morning in Goolwa with the morning’s newspaper and a couple of coffees. Being Saturday the town’s filling up, so I left them to enjoy and returned to camp with a thought to write something.

Hot day on Hindmarsh Island

Set the tarp up over the tent to block out the light because it tends to fill the computer screen with dots of light and makes it impossible to see what I’ve written. (some may say that’s a good thing🤣🤣). This will be my desert set up, so might as well get used to it now.

Four more nights and I’ll be in Adelaide, yay!

10 April 2025 (Clicked over 1000kms)

Five dollars a night at Langhorne Creek, I thought, why not? Even a general store nearby.

Hmm, disappointment all round. The General Store only sold takeaways, and the $5:00 site is right by the road and very busy. Still, I secured some shade under some tall eucalypts and bought a filled roll and a ‘sorry looking’ cake for tea.

Store in Langhorne - Hmmm takeaway only :(

I was going to spend two nights at Langhorne Creek, but decided a night in Strathalbyn looked a better option, even though it was only 20km down the road.

Such is the life of a traveller, decisions, decisions.

Park In Strathalbyn

Good decision. Langhorne Creek didn’t feel particularly safe (concern for bike), so I trialled the fishing line attached to bike and my sleeping bag😂😂.

Rain!

Started raining first thing, then on and off for most of the day. Not the drenching South Australia needs, but a bit of a thirst quencher, nonetheless. Curtailed my activities somewhat and ended eating too much and drinking too much coffee, just to kill time…

Strathalbyn is a very much the colonial town. Stone buildings, English gardens, tree lined streets, hedges, and lots of tourists… not particularly pleasant. The caravan park is full, with caravans very close together, obviously privacy is not a priority.

Early start on what turned out to be a very busy road towards Goolwa. Thankfully, a generous shoulder kept me ‘sort of safe’.

Aboriginal Canoe Tree

A swift 40km through rolling countryside with one interesting stop, an Aboriginal canoe tree. Apparently, there was quite an art (and tradition) to remove bark from a tree in a particular way to construct a canoe. A unique piece of history hanging on for dear life next to a busy road, with little protection. I can understand why First Nations people get so annoyed with the way their history is treated. https://www.goolwatourism5214.com.au/goolwa-stories/river-and-sea/canoe-tree-currency-creek

Goolwa is quintessentially a tourist town at the mouth of the Murray River, which I’ll explore over the next couple of days.

But I’ve based myself on Hindmarsh Island, as the campground has good shade, which is needed with +30 degree days ahead. Thermometer has just topped 30 now (midday).

Hindmarsh Island Campsite - Priority is to keep cool!!

7th April 2025

With a bit of time to kill before I need to be in Adelaide, it’s time to relax, reflect, and plan.

Moorhen Lake Albert

Bought Saturday morning’s paper, a rare treat, but at $5.50 I’m not surprised, still, you can’t beat having a large newspaper spread out in front of you, coffee in hand. While I object to all the pigeon holing, Boomers, Gen X’s etc, there are some things from my past I miss, like reading a newspaper… F__k mobile phones!

Felt guilty after a while and got on the bike and rode out to West Meningie. Absolutely nothing out there, but a 40km workout meant I could have a beer😊

Clocks go back tonight… not much to say about that.

On the Way to Wellington

The ride to Wellington is the start of the really long straight roads. Switch off and daydream, while keeping an ear out for fast approaching morons. Actually, that’s not fair, the vast majority of passing motorists have been very courteous.

Never taken much to energy drinks, but I had one squirreled away and thoroughly enjoyed it at the halfway mark.

Reached Wellington in good time and crossed the Murray by ferry. The skipper was very interested in my journey and I in his. Quite pleasant in retirement, ferrying vehicles, mainly happy tourists, back and forth across the river, in a lovely setting.

Donga for the night - Wellington

Nice little place, Wellington. No shops, just a pub.

I succumbed and bought a bottle of local wine, because it’s such a nice day and place. The pub lent me a glass, so I didn’t have to swig out of the bottle… all very civilised. Shall have a meal there tonight.