Cycle day 88 - Port Augusta - Melrose - Far too much luggage

August 20, 2024

Cycle day 88 - Port Augusta - Melrose

Cycle day 88 - Port Augusta to Melrose = 64km. 7081km cycle toured so far on this trip.

Melrose showgrounds = $10 per person unpowered.

North west winds 30-40km per hour (tailwind) with todays high of around 19 degrees.

Had a nice rest day in Port Augusta yesterday. We left this morning at around 8.15am - we slept in this morning! We headed south towards town and crossed over the new bridge which has a pedestrian and bike path both sides of the bridge. Lovely it was!

Riding on the highway to Stirling North and it seems the area around Port Augusta has lots of windmills.

Have to admit it now - we made a phenomenal mistake by taking the small road from Stirling North that sort of runs parallel with the highway to the base of Horrocks pass. We were so desperate to be off highway 1 that we thought that this road on the map would be ok.

Well this is a single lane road so wasn't expecting much from it but I was certainly expecting to be riding at a reasonable pace with the tailwind we had. There are some shit roads here in Australia that we have cycled on and this has got to be the worse one ever! Honestly the council has made this shit road and set the speed at 80 - funny thing is nothing can go 80 as it is too bumpy and rough! The water truck that over took us was going marginally faster than us!

these rocks that line the road was the actual original road

The reason for being so bumpy or as I like to call it - the road is a real tit wobbler! is the original road was made of these rocks and all they did was just make a real sloppy bitumen and threw it down over these rocks then a bit of gravel so it takes the form of the rocks and craters already there. Our speed was only 12km per hour on the flat with a tailwind - I tell you I was annoyed with myself for spotting this road - we would have been better off staying on the highway with all the traffic and we would have been sitting on 20km per hour with the wind we had!

looking forward to the hill we have to climb

We always knew that today we would have a pass to go over. We could see it as soon as we got out of town. We have done this Pass before and it is bit of a munter in places. We joined the road to go over this pass at about 30km out and once we joined it is a 5km grind to the top. Probably about 6-7% grade and slow going, sweating like anything and very winding which was good as it slowed down all the traffic. Fortunately there are heaps of small pull in bays that we could go into if vehicles where passing us. The traffic was good with that! At the top is a monument to the person who the pass is named after - Horrocks.

At the top of Horrocks Pass ready for a cuppa

We pull over at the top to have our cuppa and realised there was a Heysen Trail sign and saw part of that trail go up this hill behind us - Neil looks at the trail and gradient of the hill and says- why bother!

this is part of the Heysen Trail - for walking and bicycles

Its a steep munter isn't it.

From the top it is about 3km down and then rolling up and down to get to Wilmington which is only about 7km from the top.

We ride through Wilmington and continue on the Horrocks highway south towards Melrose. It is a change in our scenery now and it is very green and lush.

South of Wilmington - Horrocks highway runs along this flat land with this range to the east of us

the highway runs at the base of Mt Remarkable National Park.

About 1/2 down to Melrose we realise there is a railtrail on the side of the road. We pull over where it crosses the highway and have lunch and decide to stay on it and hope like hell it goes to Melrose!

found this rail trail running along the highway - we think it started at Wilmington

We are still running alongside the national park and this rail trail comes away from the road. Eventually we see the rail trail runs just off the showgrounds that we are staying at - so we pop in there. The wind has really picked up now and it is too strong (who would have thought that wind could be too strong even when it is a tailwind!)

It is a bit showgrounds withlots of new sheds and also old ones. The only sheltered spot is near the chook shed!

The showers and toilet block are in one of the big new sheds and they are fantastic - hot water with great pressure and new facilities.

Tomorrow we are in Jamestown.

Today's ride: 64 km (40 miles)
Total: 7,081 km (4,397 miles)

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