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| Sun and a truck, in case you were wondering |
Today was the day the ride got real. If planning to
undertake a trip like this you have to be a bit bullish/blasé/idiotic about
advice you’re given, otherwise you’d never even buy the flight. But there is always
a moment when it suddenly gets serious and you realise you can’t be bullish,
blasé or idiotic when it’s really on, or else this thing is going to get the
better of you.
Realistically the most likely worse that can happen is I
through in towel, thumb down a passing lorry, call the whole thing off and sit
on Bondi for 4 weeks. Personally like to think I’d call it off before it got proper
proper dangerous, but dented pride is no small matter. So today was about being
shaken out of my happy go lucky stupor and starting to take the whole thing
slightly more seriously.
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| Vineyards in the Southern Highlands |
It all started in a pretty relaxed. 07:15 on the road after
a great coffee and porridge with the weekly Telegraph (it was that or the
Express!) in Mittagong. Bar a few sharp hills early doors it was cool, over cast
and more downhill than up, cruising along the Illawarra Highway through the
Southern Highlands. All wine farms and classic Aussie rolling brown countryside
under an overcast sky.
Was feeling pretty confident as I hit the Hume motorway, but
rapidly my piss poor planning unstuck the whole day’s plan to make Goulburn by
11:00, pick up a couple of things (new card reader, extra spare tyres etc) and
push on to Yass. Two things became very clear very rapidly. I am not out on the
plain yet, it’s hilly and it gets very hot here. Obvious I know, but there you
go.
As the minutes ticked by on sweaty climb after sweaty climb up
the motorway hard shoulder, I started to question the delayed leave from
Mittagong, pleasant as it was. Rapidly I clocked my time frame to complete the
first proper crossing of 50 miles between Goulburn and Yass without services or
shops in the afternoon was narrowing from the planned 8hrs to barely 5.5hrs.
In temperatures heading towards 40C it just didn’t seem
sensible to race on, especially as my left pedal has started to make an
unnerving click sound every rotation. On top of that my forearms got beasted in
the sun yesterday, after months with little more than a computer screen to give
them colour. The midday heat was agonising beating down on my bright red
trotters and factor 50 sun cream was offering little relief.
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| Rocking heart of Goulburn, prizes if you spot the baby blue bum bag |
At 13:30 I rolled into Goulburn, a mere 52 miles into my
planned 104 miles. I was frankly a little shaken and frustratingly resigned to
the fact I needed to stop there for the day.
In hindsight it’s been a good decision. The last town of
real size before Griffith Goulburn had everything I needed. An electrical shop
for new plugs and readers, a Coles supermarket for my early breakfast tomorrow,
a K Mart for 2 long sleeve T-Shirts to cover my arms, and a brilliant bike shop
cum café bizarrely called the Greengrocers.
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| A good place |
In the Greengrocers they looked at my pedal and gears for
free. The mechanic insisted, being a cycle tourer himself. He had some good
tips for the road up to Griffith, and was generally great company. And the café
was also spot on, and sorted me out with a delicious lunch.
Goulburn it’s self is the first proper country town I’ve
come across. The accents are noticeably stronger, and the “bugger the rest of
you” approach to life (especially dress sense – Pink side split running shorts
with baby blue bum bag on a 70 year old, leopard print hair on the bank teller,
that kind of thing) very much to the fore. And it’s all the better for it. It’s
a gloriously sun dried version of the best of British/Irish small town
eccentricity. I approve thoroughly.
I’ve spent the rest of the day getting my plans a lot
tighter for the next few days, and rethinking my daily schedule, diet etc.
Basically being a bit more grown up about things.
With the current heatwave predicted to break on Saturday,
I’m just going to have to work round it up to Griffith. I’ve attached a new
rear light for early morning riding, and have scouted stops for 12:00 – 15:00
every day, so I’m not riding in the full on heat of the day.
Let’s see how it goes, but very glad to have had the wake up
call this early in the trip.
Miles: 52 – Mittagong, Bowral, Moss Vale, Goulburn
Breakfast – A banana, Porridge and coffee in a café by the
post office. Very civilised, if subsequently disruptive
Lunch – Ham salad wrap, quality potato and pumpkin salad,
homemade yogurt with fruit
Supper – Big bowl of veggie pasta from room service at the
Comfort Inn. Surprisingly delicious and virtuous.
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