Max wrote:Good to hear you're feeling better, rifraf
Max
RonK wrote:Hi riraf, good to hear your injuries are on the mend, and you are making progress. Look forward to your next update. Cheers.
Thanks for the kind words.
Wow Pt. Augusta had loads of broken glass on the road everywhere - more than any other town I've riden through.
Not surprised there is a blanket alcohol ban in that town.
I got bumped by a car from behind as I was exiting the supermarket but managed to stay upright.
No apparant damage and the driver was suitabley apologetic so I was able to keep the temper in check.
Leaving Pt. Augusta, I think just before the Nutbush Retreat, I came across a little memorial about 20 metres from the road.
It was for a hermit like fella who was famous for living at that spot for many a year.
He was known as "Little Joe".
There was a notebook inside a tin breadbox with a laminated newpaper death notice and a photocopied newpaper article on how
Joe, who was almost blind and hard of hearing, lived rough at the spot.
There was loads of nice messages in the notebook from people who had come across Joe at some stage and were sorry to see the icon of the road now gone.
Free camping in town at Kimba, but dont make the same mistake I made and stay at the one, of two free camping spots, where the highway crosses the railway
line and then a sharp left turn to run beside the camp/park.
The trucks slowing down and doing a hard left didnt aid the sleeping.
Clean toilets to have a sink wash was a nice bonus.
Theres an IGA supermarket across the road though so no worries when I noticed I'd run out of tea bags.
There I found, or it found me, the famed large soldier ants. I was packing up in the morning and felt the jolt of one of the damn things
hanging off my big toe which was socked but in thongs (jandals).
Holy hell they can bite. I tried flicking it off a couple of times with my finger without success but had more luck when I ripped off my sock, I'm sure
much to the amusement of the few other campers I was sharing the site with.
The weather is warm again now I've left the early cold of Adelaide.
Kimba to Wudinna was a nightmare of hills and headwind and I only managed around 30km the first day.
The following day (yesterday) was full of long rising inclines but made bearable by the winds not being too severe.
I made the 70 something kms by very late afternoon by promising myself a couple of longnecks of stout as a reward.
Some kind Grey Nomads were kind enough to stop and hand me a handful of hard candies when I was pushing over one of the more
arduous hills.
Definitely gave me some more steam to plod on.
I was absolutely wrecked upon arrival and had barely enough energy to walk to the bottle o' to grab my stout.
Sleep came very easy last night - I dont think I really needed the second bottle as I was probably quite dehydrated enough from the ride
so it hit me like a ton of bricks.
Just been walking around town (Wudinna) and spotted that the Mobil service station offers free showers as well toilet facilities, which is great for those on a fixed budget who desire to bypass caravan parks as much as possible.
Hope this helps someones situation.
Same Mobil station sells large tubes (1 fluid Oz) of Slime valcanising fluid ($5).
I grabbed one as I think my Park tube (small) of vulcanising fluid has evaporated in the heat.
I repaired my third puncture today (of my trip). It was on the front tyre and as per the others (one each, front and rear), no physical evidence of what caused it.
Its not in the same position as the one before it so I know its not a matter of me being unobservant and lazy in my search.
Again being away from a major town I've again no cell phone coverage.
Pt Augusta was my last phone call.
I'm hoping Ceduna will have some coverage to make my ancient Nokia 5510 ring out and/or accept calls.
Surly Ogre, Extrawheel trailer.
