Wrong!!! While the night was clear and wind free, it was bloody freezing. Yep, I mean freezing. I had my thermal sleepwear on, my puffer jacket, woollen beanie, thermal socks, then sleeping bag liner and my hot water bottle Kebin all packed into my sleeping bag to keep warm. I did sleep, off and on cos it was so cold that it made it difficult to relax to get some sleep. In the morning I woke to the people in the cabins laughing at me emerging from my tent shivering my bones to pieces. There was ICE covering Dudley!!! I then discover it was -1 last night……LOL no wonder I was bloody freezing my bits off!!!! Anyways, its all part of the experience and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Packed up, I say good bye and thank you to Drew and Sherrin for their wonderful hospitality and generosity.
I’m just a bit excited this morning cos I’ll be back into area of service and can speak to Karl who I have missed terribly. The views are awesome and it’s easy to see how you fall in love with this country….again!! The evidence of wildlife is scattered all over road this morning…..emu, emu, roo and more emu!! Not to mention the live versions running around the place…..eyes wide Kimmie. Thankfully, they keep to themselves today.
It seems really weird to see flood signs out here, but there they are.
Into Hawker for fuel, breakfast and RING KARL!!!! It’s soooooo good to hear his voice again and to let him know that I am OK. It’s actually a little overwhelming and reduces me to tears…not surprising really.
Hawker has a new War Memorial, it’s kinda unique with the sentries guarding the entry but really well assembled.
Karl wishes me safe travels and it’s time to be one my way again.
Taking a different route to get through to Nuri today…new roads – YAY!! Today I go through Craddock down R.M Williams Way. Can’t help but think about the clothing range.
One of the better looking pubs scattered throughout these out of the way towns.
Everywhere you look there are the remains of times gone bye. Here’s another fix-er-upper…..some red brick and cement, a bit of plumbing and it’ll all be good.
Through all these tiny towns then into Orrooroo and out again then Peterborough where I stop for a pic of the big steam train. I stopped once before in 2012 with Kim and Phill on the Black Dog Ride and the memories it bought back caught me by surprise.
Following the A32 and Mount Bryan there are all these wind turbines. They continue for miles before you enter the town on Mount Bryan which has turbine blade in a bay area that can stop and get a pic of……they are really huge. I have stopped here before so didn’t get another pic.
Burra for fuel and lunch but not before a photo op – naturally.
Can you believe they have an Indonesian Café – yep, sounded just a little too strange for my taste so I settle for a quaint little tea room called “Good Golly Miss Polly”!! It’s a step back in time and quirky….love it!!
Good Golly Miss Polly!!
Here I make a phone call to the Barossa Tourist Park in Nuri to see if they have a cabin available – thankfully they do and I let them know I’ll be there at 4pm. Through more new roads including World’s End Highway……does it take you to the World’s End????, you’ll have to go find out yourself. The scenery again is amazing. It’s so green and lush.
I pull in to the Tourist Park and reach the counter at 4:01pm – not bad. I have the best cabin tonight (cos it has aircon and a comfy bed) and have to do some washing cos I’ve run out of clothes. On the way to do my laundry I met a bunch of Grey Nomads. We start chatting and they invite me to join them for dinner and we discuss “why I am out here on my own doing what I’m doing”. Anyway, I thank them but must get back to doing laundry and getting myself fed and checking in with Karl.
Tonights dinner is Tom Pipers Sausages and vegetables. When I was a kid we used to have this sort of thing on the odd occasion. You don’t actually expect much from these meals in a can but there was heaps of sausage and a tonne of veggies too and it wasn’t too bad. I was surprised that I enjoyed it.
Anyway, with all the washing done, it get re-packed and organised before hitting the hay for the night.
