The Cycling Adventurer

   Perth-Adelaide 1997

Day 29   

Home  |  About Me  |  Touring  |  Ultra-Cycling  |  How-To...  |  Advocacy  |  Sailing  |  Links  |  Contact Me

Index  |  First  |  Previous  |  Next  |  Last

Headwinds sap my energy, but I win at darts

The headwinds today made going tough almost as soon as I left Streaky Bay. I seemed to lose energy much faster than at any time since starting the trip. I had intended to make Elliston, but stopped only half way in Port Kenny. Even now, at 9.40pm, the wind is blowing hard from the south.

Among the reasons for stopping here is my left leg. I have slightly strained the inside of the thigh and my knee is feeling as sore as at any time on the adventure. Both are symptoms of trying to battle against the wind. I estimate the gusts at up to 35km/h. Fortunately, the road was reasonably flat most of the way.

I pulled up at the Port Kenny Hotel as the manager just happened to be going back inside to the main bar. Craig Haslam and his wife, Jo, installed backpacker accommodation about 18 months ago at the rear of the hotel. It was certainly nothing to write home about; it comprises old mining dongas. But at $5.00 a night for a small room and a soft bed, what else could I expect? The shared facilities, however, were very grubby. I spent the afternoon collecting myself after the disappointing run. I ate in the room and slept lightly for about two hours.

This stop really has put the pressure on me to get to Adelaide before Sunday when I have arranged to meet my children. Because I have committed myself to ride to Port Lincoln, I have now run out of bitumen roads for a short cut back to the Eyre Highway. The last one was from Streaky Bay, in the opposite direction to which I came in last night. There are sealed roads down the middle of the peninsula and on the east coast, but the connecting roads from the west appear to be gravel all the way south to Port Lincoln.

A local drinker, Steve, told me the road to the east out of Port Kenny had about 10km of good gravel until a section of 28km of newly graded coarse and sharp gravel. It also has quite a steep climb. He suggested keeping on to Port Lincoln that was still another 235km away, then riding up the east coast which was fairly flat.

I cannot account for my low physical condition at the moment. Maybe it's just fatigue, although I have rested over the past couple of days. I had a late night yesterday to watch some television and write up the journal. But that's not been a problem before. I do forget that I am in the southern latitudes of Australia and it's still early spring when the temperatures are low; Adelaide achieves only around 19 deg C each day, and Port Lincoln has consistent maximums of 22 deg C.

The low temperatures, combined with the windchill late in the day sap the energy from me. Fighting the headwinds also does not do very good things for my backside, which is sore again after only a relatively short day. Even sitting at the bar of the hotel is uncomfortable.

Port Kenny is another fishing village on the west coast of the Eyre Peninsula. It has a very small population, and the main street is split into two parallel roadways. The pub is on the right side on the inland street, while the general store is over the other side on the left part, closest to the sea. On the other side of the water is Venus Bay, another small village that comprises mostly holiday homes.

This is one of those days when I ask myself what I am doing. Should I have stayed on the Eyre Highway and suffered the roadtrains? I could have been well on the way to Port Augusta by now. Still, I am on the coast, and there is a fair chance that the accommodation on the main road would not be as cheap and the people so pleasant.

I made a telephone call to organise my job interview in Adelaide on 21 October, and I have to call back tomorrow to see if an afternoon appointment can be arranged. At the very least, I have to be in Adelaide by next Tuesday morning, 21 October, if these arrangements are acceptable.

Before leaving tomorrow, I need to adjust the side pressure on the rear bearings again. I noticed some slipping on the chain during the day, and there is some side movement that is starting to develop, although it is not nearly as bad as it was before. And I won a darts game in the bar with a double three, which rounded off the day with a positive. I had not played darts for something like 10 years, and I thought I had done a marvellous job!

Index  |  First  |  Previous  |  Next  |  Last

Top of Page