Day 14
Last day
Rawnsley Park to Blinman
94km
Well almost to Blinman - We did 88.05km. The turn off to Alpana Station is on the way to the pub and we'd had more than enough riding by the time we got to the turn off.
We started the day dry and cold....
OMG so cold! Riding along out of Rawnsley Park this morning, knowing it was col! Some other rider rides up along side and said "did you know it's 1deg?" FFFFF?..... NO I DIDN'T
THANKS FOR THAT!!! Now I'm even more cold!!!
We had decided last night at dinner with Janie to take the highway this morning as it would cut a bit of the hard stuff out and make the day a bit shorter.... So we through. Yes it cut a hard part out but it still was just as long.
It was only 10km on the highway, and then the Mawson trail came back onto the highway anyway. Down the track a bit further it headed onto the old telegraph line and this was the first bit of dirt for the day. I didn't have the heart to tell mum and Janie that I did not want to do the dirt, but we ended up having a really great ride. Through the track was morning tea.... (Yep even on the last day it was the same old crappy fruit cake!) if I never see a bit of fruit cake again it will be too soon!
Anyways, down into Wilpina Pound to get back on the Mawson. Now this is where the serious riding started. We have been told every night but the (expert) on the Mawson "that tomorrow you are in for some serious riding!) I am so glad I don't have to hear that again. But there was some great single track today and more of what I thought the trip would be. We didn't expect there to be so much highway and farm road riding. (All be it that we took the highway option a few times)
So today I had to walk a few hills! There I've said it... I had to walk....
The first hill (steep rocky decent into creek) was a down hill walk... There was no way in hell I would even think about riding it... It was hard enough walking down it. Some fool rode right passed mum as she was 1/2 way down. (Something to prove).
Along the way there was a few more bigger hills I did have to walk. One cos I lost it at the top of the hill and could not get a good lead up to go down and then did not have the speed to get up the other side. This was after lunch and I was feeling a bit fragile. Must admit I had a few tears. But pulled myself back together after I got up the next hill of equal hillyness.
Part way up one hill the front wheel kept (popping mono's) so I decided it was time to get off.... You should have seen this hill. Even riders who'd done the Mawson and who where marshals walked it. I was so pleased with myself that just aft the first big rise I got back on and made it the rest of the way up the hill. It was quite a long hill. A car even stopped 1/2 way down and told us we were all amazing, he said it was hard enough in a 4WD!
Anyway after lunch and my little crack, (I think this was due to being totally frustrated with the lunch today... We just rode 60km of hard riding and we get to lunch and get 1/2 a sandwich!!) I mean really, riding 60km on the highway is hard enough, but the country we rode through some of it you can even get a car into! And we get 1/2 a friggin sandwich, a muffin and an apple! It's like Bike SA have said here give us your hard earned money and we will give you fruit cake every day and a lunch that would keep an active 10 year old fill for 20 minutes! ....we had about 15km on the dirt before the last 20km on the highway again. I was so happy to see the highway, not for the want of riding on a smooth surface (ok yes for the smooth ride) but for knowing we where almost at the end....
12 days of riding with two rest days has been great, could do it again.... Not right this minute! It just all the other crap we had to put up with along the way which has put us off doing an organised ride again.
Tonight we have met up with dad again and now will spend the next three weeks getting back to Darwin. No real plans as to where or when, just have to be back at work on 17th June. (Yuck)
So just some facts for you all.
12 days riding
We covered 900+km full tally yet to come.
Coldest day 1deg at 7.30am
We had 4 different tents (all wet) before we cracked it and got rooms provided.
We have had no flat tyres (the only thing done to the bikes was mums brake cable)
I won the windmill game by thousands.... Ok ok hundreds.
I think we have only see 5 kangaroos alive and hopping..... Countless dead and more you could only smell. Three dead emus.
And loads more amazing stuff.
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