Thursday. August 15.

Day 19.       Ceduna.         to.        Poochera.

Distance: 141 km in 5 hrs 47 min. at  23.9 km/ hr.

Distance so far:  2037 km.

'Climbed':  1435 ft.

Elevation tonight: 298 ft ASL.

AHR:  120 bpm

Punctures so far:  0

Out at 7.25 am.              In at 2. 25 pm.

Today my cycle is for those here in Australia that I will meet on the second part of my trip - family, relations and relations of relations. I'm looking forward to those meetings while at the same time not wishing this Perth to Melbourne part to be over with. I'm enjoying it too much

 There was sadness in today's spin as Paul, my cycling partner got word at lunch break that his mother had passed away ( in Sydney). She had been ill but when the news comes it's still a shock. Paul opted out of the latter part of today's distance. All our sympathies go out to him and to his family.

After Rest Day we were back on the bikes, and a cold start it was too. Scarcely 4 deg as we prepared to leave our cabin. When the alarm went off at 6 15 the whole town was in a blackout. Luckily power was restored just after loading all and we could have coffee and toast. We needed it. That dry sunny bitter cold lasted till morning tea at 44 km. After that, clear blue skies although it remained cool for the day.

At first the wind was coming in from the left ( not as bad as a headwind) but in the afternoon our route turned SE and the wind lined up behind us. Beautiful.

It was all wheat today, wheat on both sides and each community had gigantic white grain silos. They're expecting a bumper crop this year. Still, it's $5 or more for a small loaf in the shops. The present crop is just a few inches up much as it was on our 2nd day out of Perth. I expect that the wheat will last for another few days.

For a long period today we were back with a water pipeline along by the road. Australia is the driest continent; SA is the driest state and the upper Eyre Peninsula ( where we are now) is one of the driest settled areas in SA. In 1923 this pipeline was laid to distribute water.

Lunch stop was in Wirrulla in the public park. Wirrulla is 'The town with a Secret'. It's a catchy claim and refers to an inland jetty that it boasts of, the only one of its kind in the world. The town is the focal point of the surrounding wheat and sheep farms. I did'nt see any sheep. Maybe that enterprise is on the other end of town.

The Eyre Highway was quiet all day. Very few road trains but a good share of caravans. Most tourist traffic would be on the Flinders Highway more or less along the coast some 60 km off to our right.

This evening we are in Poochera Caravan Park. Not very exotic but at least there are cooking facilities. Paul and I are in the Poochera Hotel i.e. a bar with basic rooms for accommodation...shared bathroom. In the circumstances, it's better than a tent tonight.

Poochera is a wheat town with gigantic silos dominating the small settlement. But it has a claim to fame. It is the capital of ants. In 1977 very rare primitive ants were discovered here...dinosaur ants...the world's most primitive ant. It is nocturnal, timid, a golden honey colour and only 1 cm long. (The one in the photo, I didn't find it in my bed!). All around town, ants are painted on walls and posts.

In the centre just beside the Caravan Park is a museum of agricultural implements. Their size indicates the areas that they tilled. Town was quiet and some businesses have had better times.

Also in June this year, Shane Crawford, a Hawthorns star and Brownlow Medallist in AFL, stayed in this hotel on his cycle from Melbourne to Perth to raise funds for Breast Cancer Network. I believe he raised in the region of $2 million.

I had a quiet VB in the bar of the Poochera Hotel before briefing as the locals were starting to come in. Plenty of corrugated iron and stubbies around. Later on we all resorted here for dinner and I had a glorious lasagne and chips. 

A mixed day of emotions.

Thank God for the health and thank God for the energy.