August 21, 2024
Cycle day 89 - Melrose to Jamestown
Cycle day 89 - Melrose to Jamestown = 67km. 7148km cycle toured so far on this trip.
The Park = $25 for unpowered.
North westerly winds to start and swung to a west north west so a tailwind again today, but not as strong as yesterday, only about 15km per hour. Cloudy and cool day - Neil was complaining that he was cold even while riding. Todays high is only about 17 degrees.
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It must have rained last night, not hard enough to wake us up as we got up and the front door of the tent was more wet than we expected. I did wake up during the night when I heard water running into the water tanks we were camped next too but how long the rain had be going - I am not sure!
We got up at 5.30am and it was 11 degrees so quite warm. On the road at around 7.15am. The showgrounds is about 2km before the town so we passed through the town while going south. Before getting to town we came across more rail trails - 1 was a silo loop of 32km and the other was to the Wilmington/Heysen trail which was 37km which I think is where we had our cuppa at the top of Horrocks Pass yesterday.
Our Booleroo Center turn off is about 6km south of Melrose and from there it is a climb to the town. Not hard just predominantly up and down for about 14km. This is a town bigger than I expected and definitely full of older people as there was a parking lot of mobility carts on the footpath outside the IGA!! We had a quick break in the town square and on our way south to Apilla we saw this monument ...
So cool, wish we could have one in our garden! From Booleroo Center it is mainly flat and this is where we found we were becoming cold as the sun wasn't shining and we didn't have the hills to warm us up! So we had to get our woollens out again! Just out of Booleroo Center we came across the rail trail again and wondered if we should take it but when we looked at where it goes we realised it wasn't going to be in the same direction as us!
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We are now on the type of roads we like to ride on that have absolutely minimal traffic - the 'C' roads.
As opposed to the 'eff' road we were on yesterday! and we all know what the 'eff' stands for! honestly that road has really scarred me for life I think!
It is flattish to Apilla and we are rolling along countryside that is mainly crops. They don't look the greatest and not sure if they have had enough rain through here. Most of the crop, no matter what it is, is about the height of my ankle, so 5-7cm high. Some is a litle taller but not by much.
There are plenty of windmills again today.
We have a cuppa at Apilla and then continue on to Jamestown. It is a gentle climb out of Apilla with an absolute munter at the top - around 300m of around 7-8% - I had to unclip in case I had to dismount and walk it! Alas we didn't and it was a nice gradual down hill on the other side. Not exactly flat to Jamestown but not exactly hilly either. I would say it is more rolling but not hard hills and the cross tailwind helped us!
We get to Jamestown just on lunchtime and the park is nice, with new facilities, great camp kitchen with all the modern appliances and the showers are set in there own small buildings - 1 for male and 1 for female and the laundry in another building between the 2. The park even supplies bath mats which is a lovely treat for me - I usually have to balance on my jandals as the concrete is usually freezing! But the bath mat was certainly welcomed!
You can see the facilities in the photo below as the unpowered section is beind them!
We are on grass again and that is definitely a lovely treat and it is so soft to kneel on when you get in and out of the tent as opposed to the gravel or sand we usualy have to camp on.
Tomorrow, weather permitting, is Burra.
Today's ride: 67 km (42 miles)
Total: 7,148 km (4,439 miles)
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