16th April 2025 (1285kms)

The camp at Mount Compass was very pleasant and a huge improvement on Victor Harbour. Very quiet, with numerous toilets and showers, and a nice vibe.

My neighbour was an Austro-German war refugee, having just suffered a stroke. She told me her one and only adventure in life was to cycle around Latin America in 1985. I was there climbing the same year I think (or 1984). Anyway, she was pretty excited and brought out a photo album. Turned out to be a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

Nice - Step back in time

Still stinking hot, so I decided to cycle back into town and head to the pub for a drink and a feed, however, on the way I passed a small shop selling takeaway Italian meals (to heat at home). I told them my situation and they kindly cooked one for me, plus an iced coffee, plus a gelato… excellent.

Up early and another hill, but payback was hitting 65km/h on the way down to Willunga😊😊

Nice Bike leaning post

Granola and a coffee for breakfast before hitting the ‘Coast to Vines’ rail trail. A sealed route all the way into Marino Rocks.

Amongst the vines

Started out really well, vineyards and pastures, but it got hotter and hotter.

Willunga Station - start of the Rail Trail

I couldn’t find the Marino Rocks rail trail into the city and ended up sitting at a shaded bus stop to cool down, which was hard because I’d run out of water. A bus turned up, turned out it was a trainee driver (no passengers) and his trainer. The trainer commented that I looked pretty fucked, I told him my story, to which he responded by giving me a litre of water (his lunch drink). It was ice cold and beautiful… what a nice man!

I joined a highway with a bike lane and ended up in Glenelg, where I was able to join the ‘Mike Turtur’ bikeway into the city.

Oh Dear, Kona is all good though

Hop, skip, and a jump and I almost made it to the Airbnb , when I fell off and grazed both knees. So happy to arrive. The shower was one of the best I’ve ever had!

A long hot day, 84km, and so happy to finally be in Adelaide.

13th - 15th April 2025

Encounter Way

Utilised the ‘Encounter Way’, a designated bike trail between Goolwa and Victor Harbour. My first use of this type of trail and I must say I was quite impressed. Easy riding with no traffic to contend with other than fellow track users, albeit these types of tracks are designed for the slow journey.

Approaching Victor Harbour

Had breakfast at Port Elliot. A healthy breakfast consisting of granola, fruit, and edible flowers. A nice change from eggs on toast, and first time I’ve seen on a menu this trip.

Healthy Breakfast for a change

Victor Harbour… what can I say… tourism 101. It could be a beach resort on the coast of England. Awful, but people love it, the place was packed. A fairground next to the beach, camel rides, and a horse drawn tram across to Granite Island. Awful… awful.

Camel Rides and Horse drawn Tram

The campsite, oh my God! A mini themed water park come swimming pool. People everywhere… kids everywhere… noise, still, to be expected, it’s school holidays.

More bike discrimination

Everyone seemingly thoroughly enjoying themselves, so I had to suck it up and wander around with a smile on my face, conscious I didn’t want to be seen as a creepy old man😂😂😂

Pitched my tent next to the boundary fence without paying too much attention, only to peer over the fence, once finished, to see a homeless camp set up. Probably makes me sound terrible, but I didn’t feel at all comfortable, so relocated. Unfortunately, the only shady site left was adjacent to the kids playing area…

With the temperature still hovering above 30, I ended up having ‘Hungry Jacks’ for tea, for nothing other than shear convenience.

Woken up at 1:30am with a headlight playing on my bike. The noise I made must have scared them off. Yes, I lock the bike all the time, and at night I lay it down with the front wheel in the tent vestibule, with fishing line attached between the bike and the tent zips (inside). Paranoid or what? 😂😂

14/04/2025

Long day in Victor Harbour…

Random Cow

15/04/2025

Up at the crack of dawn, ready to attack the hills above Victor Harbour, towards Mount Compass.

Hard, very hard in the heat. Another plus 30-degree day. 28 degrees by nine o’clock. It was tough going and the legs eventually gave out. A rest on the side of the road with a Red Bull. Checked my phone, only to discover I was 35 metres in elevation from the top, what a prune!

Shadow of a bike rider

Cruised down into Mount Compass for an iced coffee and heaps of water.

Last camp before Adelaide😊

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!