Thursday 1 February. Night photo of Penguins.

Wednesday 31 January. Wednesday Wanderers Ride. Adelaide to Mclaren Vale.

Today weather started overcast but soon cleared by mid-morning to blue skies for the rest of the day and temperatures up to 29C.

We had breakfast round the corner and then brought the bikes down from the rooms in the lifts. We put panniers on at the front of the Hotel. An office worker stopped to chat and was surprised we were cycletouring and staying at such a plush Hotel. We told him we liked to end a days ride in style.

The days ride involved a lot of meandering on coastal bike paths. We started heading SW from the centre on a bike lane on a main road to the coast at Glenelg where we had elevenses at a caf? on the Prom. Then a bike path down the Prom to Brighton where we cycled up the pier which didn't have any no cycling signs. On the pier there was a pram with 2 little dogs wearing hats.

We stopped on Brighton's Beach for a paddle, picnic lunch and sunbathe. The 2 Peters went up the road to the Yacht Club for lunch.

We went on down the coast to Seacliff, Noararlunger and a cyclepath along a clifftop to Seaford. Then a really good cyclepath across country inland direct to our plush motel (again) at Mclaren Vale the centre of a wine area.

In the evening Martin and Peter T had a good local wine called Oomoo together with fish and chips!!

33 miles for the day and 1174ft of climbing .

Edwin

Wednesday 31 January. Dogs on Brighton Pier, Adelaide.

Wednesday 31 January. Martin and Peter T on a path at Seacliff

Tuesday 30 January. Rest day in Adelaide.

Today weather was clear and sunny all day and temperatures up to 30C.

After breakfast round the corner we did our washing at the Hotels Guest Laundry. Then some shopping in the main shopping street and down south of the town centre to visit a Bike Shop Peter W had found during his 6 days in Adelaide.

We then went across the River Torrens flowing through Parkland to the north of the CBD (Downtown) We then went to a hill just north of the Adelaide Oval Cricket Ground for views over the City. We visited St Peters Church and were given a special history lesson when the custodians learned 2 of our group came from the South West of England as much of the Churches oak wood had been specially imported from Exeter.

Then across to the Botanical Garden and lunch in its Caf?.

In the evening I met up with a second Cousin who lives in Adelaide while the others went out to a nearby Thai Restaurant.

Edwin

Tuesday 30 January Adelaide River view

Tuesday 30 January. Viewpoint above Adelaide.

Monday 29 January. Swan Reach to Adelaide.

Today weather was overcast in the early morning but soon cleared to blue skies and temperatures warmer than the last few days at 30C. The day was event filled. We had breakfast at 6.00 in the hotels breakfast room and hit the road by 6.45.

The first 50 miles of the ride until lunchtime was on quiet backroads with an average of a car every 10 minutes. We started by heading south for 15 miles on the plain next to the Murray River. This was a dead straight and panflat road heading towards the appropriately named Walkers flat. On our left there was desert like schrubland to the horizon. On our right we stopped at the occasional overlook viewpoint from the cliffs over the wide valley of the Murray. From the top the wide meandering river bounded by exotic trees looked like something from the Amazon.

We eventually turned off the main route and rode down the valley and a smooth operating chain ferry to Walkers flat on the other side. This was a few houses and store where we stopped for snack and drink. It was also where everyone from round about met. We also experienced the usual friendly welcome and interest in our trip from the locals. After a short climb out of the valley we headed west on a straight undulating road heading towards the distant line of hills we had to cross to get to Adelaide. There was the usual wide verge with Bush trees and great range of exotic calls from bush birds startled by our approach. Once a flock of 4 all over bright green parrots startled at our approach flew ahead to the next tree and then the same 4 or 5 times until they ran out of trees.

We stopped at a picnic stop just before the climb to refuel. We were warned by a fit looking young man on a mountain bike of the horrors of Cook Hill just ahead. He said he had always walked up it. In the end we cycled up the 1100ft climb with no problems even with panniers. The climb was about 3 miles up to a grade of 18% but only briefly and mostly between 8 and 12%. The road was then up and down on a high plateau Dartmoor style. Martin spotted 2 kangaroos hopping across a field in the distance and I got some pictures with the long lens of the film camera.

We stopped for a picnic lunch in the Park at the town of Mount Pleasant. Then it was rolling hills mainly down along the Scenic Road alongside the river Torrens. We stopped at a cafe of a Toy factory with a giant sized Rocking Horse. Then a few miles down the road I spotted the Chain of Ponds Winery. Martin and Peter were keen for some tasting and spent a little time sampling before deciding on a bottle to buy. Further on near the Chain of Ponds lakes I spotted 2 Emu next to the road and got some pictures as they unconcernedly ambled away from us.

A short way up the road a police car slowed down beside us and when I stopped the officer shouted out "tell your mate to put his helmet on" Peter had taken his Helmet off a few miles back because of the heat so to avoid any further run ins with the law he put it back on. Further on down we turned onto a quiet byroad and got some good views of the city 15 miles away. The road turned into the busy A11 through the suburbs and down to the city centre and the smart Mercure Grovenor hotel. Later in the evening I took some nightime city pictures by the River.

84 miles for the day and 3574 ft of climb.

Edwin

Monday 29 January. Wine tasting stop

Monday 29 January. Emu in field

Monday 29 January. Night photo of Adelaide by river with lighted fountain

Sunday 28 January. Renmark to Swan Reach.

Today the weather started with clear skies clouded over midday and cleared again by late afternoon. Temperatures got to a fairly low 24C. We again had to to fight against a strong 20mph SW headwind.

There was interesting scenery in the first 20 miles of the trip. We had an early breakfast delivered to the room and checked out of the 20s Art Deco Style Renmark Hotel and then headed out near the Murray River. I found a good unofficial viewpoint looking down from the cliffs on the wide river valley.

We crossed the river and stopped for elevenses at one of the few cafes in Loxton open on a Sunday morning. We all had bacon and egg rolls.

So far there had been a moderate amount of traffic but we soon turned off onto an unclassified road where we saw a car every 10 minutes.

The road was dead straight and bends were a major event.We rode on it and saw few habitations for 60 miles. Like many outback roads we had experienced the road gently undulated with enormous wheat fields either side. The road had verges 50 to 100ft either side with bush trees and various types of parrots.

We stopped for lunch at the back of a hall in the tiny village of Wunkar and then the next break at Maggea which had one house. We eventually got to Swan Reach and the Swan Reach Hotel overlooking the Murray River.

Martin and Peter said they were Ride lagged from crossing the time zone on yesterday's ride, the first time any of us had ridden across a time zone on a bike.

85 miles for the day and 948 ft of climb.

Edwin

Sunday 28 January. Peter on the Cliffs above the Murray

Sunday 28 January. Overlooking Swan Reach and the Murray River

Saturday 27 January. Mildura to Renmark.

After the hot weather yesterday today was much cooler reaching only 24C. There was a lot of cloud around in the morning which cleared to blue skies in the afternoon. After 4 days of tail winds getting from Halls Gap to Mildura our main problem of the day was a 20mph SW head wind as today we turned west to go towards Adelaide.

We started early in expectation of the wind and a long 88 miles for the day. After breakfast in the room we left just before sunrise at 6.30. With few alternatives we had to spend the day on a major trunk road the A20 Sturt Highway. With an early start and riding on a Saturday traffic was quite light and we had the benefit of a good hard shoulder.

Soon after leaving town and not long after Sunrise Martin spotted for us 2 Kangaroos. They were too far away for decent pictures but were the first we had seen since Halls Gap. They sat and watched us for a good minute so we waved at them and they quickly hopped off into the trees.

Much of the day was notable for straight roads again with vast wheat fields stretching for miles. We had the unhappy combination of open land with nothing to stop the wind and gently rolling so there were a lot of little climbs.

We met and chatted to some Australian Cyclist travelling the country but they had light race bikes and car assistance to carry luggage.

We stopped after 38 miles for 10s at a Service Station at Cullulleraine. After 55 miles we stopped for lunch at a picnic rest stop but were immediately covered in the dreaded bush flies so lunch was hurried. The flies never bother us while cycling but often hitch a lift and start buzzing again when we stop.

We later rode across part of the Murray Sunset National Park with some interesting Bush scenery.

We next came to the boundary between the states of Victoria and South Australia. Here we crossed a time zone with South Australia being 30 minutes earlier than Victoria so I put my watch back 30 minutes and we had more time to do the Ride!!

There was a big Welcome sign for South Australia and signs warning that the importation of fruit was prohibited to prevent fruit fly spreading. A few miles up the road we came to an Inspection Station and I had to surrender some grapes from my panniers uneaten from lunchtime.

After the Inspection Station there was a Service Station doing food so we quickly turned in this being the first Caf? in 40 miles. We all ordered Apple Crumble with ice cream and were rewarded with enormous portions at least twice the size of anything available in the UK at a cost of about 2 pounds.

On the last stretch into Renmark we had views of the Murray River and then reached the grand Renmark Hotel by 4.00.

88 miles for the day and 797 ft of climb. Despite the headwind we managed a respectable 11.6 mph average.

Edwin

Saturday 27 January. Early morning cycling shadows

Saturday 27 January. enormous apple crumbles with ice cream

Friday 26 January. Australia Day, Rest Day at Mildura.

Weather today was again hot and sunny, very hot at 36C, 97F. Today as we were staying 2 nights in Mildura it was a rest day and for a change we did no cycling at all. Quite accidentally as I had not checked for this when planning the trip our rest day fell on Australia Day, a Bank Holiday.

We started the day by going to the Mildura Australia Day Breakfast in the Park laid on by the Lions Club and District Council. We were given Australian flags to wave and after breakfast a band played Australian folk songs including Walsing Maltilda. We really felt we were getting the swing of things especially as we had learned and were using the local expressions such as "gday" and "no worries!" Peter even decided he was starting to believe he was really in Australia.

For the second part of the morning we walked along to the River Warf and boarded the Rothbury paddle ship for a 2 hour cruise up the River Murray. The Murray is The major River for the States of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia and runs for over 1000 miles. It is very wide and in this area forms the border between New South Wales and Victoria.

After the cruise we headed back into town to find a good air-conditioned lunch. We decided the rest day was much needed with about 87 miles to ride tomorrow.

Edwin

Friday 26 January. Peter collects his Australia Day Breakfast

Friday 26 January. On the River Cruise. Martin relaxes