Mar. 22: A Dirt Road Day

Today was to be my longest distance day at 86km. I know that doesn’t seem all that far, but with the hills (even though today was trending down), it is plenty.

 

At 33km I turned off the highway onto C173, a 43.5km dirt road. I was happy to get off the somewhat busy highway. I was also interested to see how Tilmann would handle the dirt (turns out, just fine).

Leaving the pavement for the next 43.5 kms

 

 

Here were no “major” climbs, according to the book, but there were enough minor climbs. All but one of the climbs were on the dirt road. 

 

I was riding along, keeping my eyes open for wildlife, and seeing nothing. Just when I said to myself, you’d think there would be something along here, I saw a little echidna. I stopped and slowly walked closer to it. It was very busy poking its nose in the ground, looking for ants. I got a couple of good photos, then let it be. That was the only live wildlife I saw today (even on the dirt road, there was quite a bit of roadkill).

Isn’t it so cute?

 

 

The road passed by Lake Echo (echo echo echo). Supposedly, there was a waterfall called Victoria Falls. I never saw the sign, although I probably wouldn’t have gone anyway. 

Echo echo echo...

 

 

See the steep bit in the distance?

 

Australian cattle ranch

 

There was an awesome 3.7km descent that was quite steep in places. I’m very glad I wasn’t riding up it! I finally returned to pavement, and rode into the town of Ouse.

Ouse is down there somewhere

I stopped at the supermarket and resupplied some groceries. I’m almost out of hot cocoa, but they didn’t have the kind where you just add water. Oh well...

 

I asked the clerk if there was someplace I could pitch my tent in town. She said the city park. I rode there and saw the “camping prohibited” sign. I rode back and stopped at the Ouse Roadhouse. Again I asked about pitching my tent. The gal there also suggested the park. I told her there was a sign, but she said no one would check. 

 

Since I was hungry, I got a chicken burger and some hot chips (aka French fries). As I was eating, a guy came in and asked if I was the one cycling. I said I was. Then he asked me how old I was. In Australian vernacular, I thought that was a bit cheeky! But, he meant no harm by it, so I told him (I should have told him I was, like 62 or something...that would have surprised him!). Actually, I’ve been asked a few times how old I am. It seems most people are amazed that I can do what I’m doing.

 

The two gals that worked at the roadhouse sat down behind me. I turned to talk to them. When I said something about camping at the park, the other gal said there was a camping ground at Meadowbrook Lake. She said it was 7km from town in the direction I needed to go for tomorrow. I decided to go there instead of trying to stay at the park (that had no toilet). 

 

 

It was just as the gal had said. It is a free place, and there are toilets. There are even a few other people here. It’s windy, as the place is pretty exposed, but I’m holed up in my tent. At least it doesn’t seem as cold as it has been the last couple of days. In the end, I ended up doing 94.8km. My butt is tired!