Cliffs, Sand, and Sea

Port Vincent to Ardrossan

I left Port Vincent at the respectable hour of 0900, with the master strategy of cycling north so that the wind was at my back. I jumped on the WTY right outside my front door and followed it along the Port Vincent waterfront. Having cycled less than one km, I couldn't justify the indulgence of $6:00 coffee and donuts at the Port Vincent Kiosk, but the temptation was strong.

Unlike Wallaroo, Port Vincent very sensibly stuck their marina at the far end of the beach, leaving the foreshore for everyone to enjoy. I followed the WTY signs past the marina even though I knew this was a walking section (cyclists divert to the road please) and there would be steps.

But it was worth the steps to get to the track along the top of the cliff.

There were lots of opportunities for bicycle posing.

The path followed the coastline through the Port Vincent Golf Club, where bicycles and walkers were firmly advised to give way to golfers.

WTY took me through the Port Vincent Golf Course, sternly admonishing me to give way to golfers.

Black was the new green at the Port Vincent Golf Course.

Past the golf course the track narrowed and got as close to the edge of the cliff as it was possible to be.

Being the awesome cyclist that I am, I walked carefully along the top for a while before bailing the three metres back to the road where I had almost the same views for far less concentration and much less fear of gravity. The Old Coast Road followed the cliffs all the way to Port Julia, with detours here and there out to the cliff tops and little tracks down to clusters of shacks snuggled in gullies and tiny bays.

At Port Julia the WTY very inconsiderately took hikers back to the beach to rock hop around to Black Point, jettisoning cyclist such as myself back to the Main Coast Road.

Not my favourite place to be, but let's get it over with.

The Main Coast Road was not exciting but I took every opportunity (hello downhills!) to sit aboard my bicycle and let the wild (tail) wind do the work all the way to Pine Point where I went looking for ice cream only to be tragically disappointed.

At Pine Point I discovered that the section of the WTY between Pine Point and Rogues Point had yet to be completed and was still, as the sign coyly put it, 'unformed'. Having already experienced the 'formed' WTY and with the day getting on, back to the Main Coast Road I went to play with the trucks and caravans. The WTY and I were finally reunited at Rogues Point/James Well, a fine collection of fishing shacks and holiday houses scattered along the coast.

James Well was named after Mr James, who developed the well for his cattle. This was originally a point of natural seepage, long used as a water source for indigenous folk. As always, history did not mention the opinions of the indigenous folk when some random cattleman came along, dug up their soak hole, and started using the water for his thirsty cattle.

The WTY trail notes mentioned that 2.5km north of James Well was a "sandy gully which may challenge walkers and cyclists."

After half an hour or so of plodding through sand the WTY became sensible again and I had it all to myself, pedaling happily beside shallow sea pools through vivid purple coastal vegetation.

I popped back to civilization at the Parara Bush campground, where back in 2016 six sperm whales beached and died in the shallow waters. This was an unusual event as sperm whale are deep ocean animals and not usually seen in the shallow waters of the Gulf St Vincent. A memorial was built with dolomite boulders representing the whales and information detailing how the Androssan community dealt with the problems of six very large dead whales on their foreshore. From there I pedaled into Ardrossan past the dolomite mine, the wheat stockpiles, the silos, and the port.

The wheat silos dominated the port of Ardrossan, which also exports dolomite from the nearby mine and salt from the Cheetham salt refinery at Price. Despite having all these things to export, the port was very quiet with not a single ship in at the dock.

I settled myself in a sheltered spot above the jetty, ate junk food, and waited for my lift. Roger arrived, having spent a day of gentle exercise and rest in Port Vincent. Purely in the interests of market research he had sampled the $6 coffee and donuts and found them most satisfactory.

We walked out along the Ardrossan jetty and said hello to several fishermen, none of whom were catching any fish. Yet.

Back at the cabin the wind still howled and a new caravan had settled in to camp. The other cabins were still empty, and we still had exclusive use of the ablutions block. The sun set without fanfare in a cloudy sky.

And that was the end of the day.

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Today's ride: 50 km (31 miles)
Total: 1,045 km (649 miles)

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