Thursday 11 January 2007

Adelaide was a wonderful break for us as was staying with Joanne's brother Martin, friends Tony and Ketut and Rob and Helen. Our time was pretty much spent looking around Adelaide, catching up on some shopping, trike repairs (new rear wheel hub on Pip) and spending time with our wonderful hosts. We started our visit in West Lakes near the port, moved into Payneham near the City and eventually ended up at Blackwood in the Adelaide Hills (16% climb on the way). So after being royally spoilt by our hosts, it is time to get back on the road again.

Leaving Rob, Helen and the dogs (Bob and Tim) in Blackwood after a wonderfully relaxing and pleasant visit, we continued on, and following Rob's directions made our way to the Belair National Park. We passed Old Government House and the State Nursery before commencing our climb to the top of the park. The gravel track winds its way through the park, providing views back over the suburbs in the Adelaide Hills, and of course the ocean way off in the distance. Our little jaunt through the park saw us enjoying not only the views, but two Emu's who came to the sideof the road to investigate us and a koala in a tree. We took a break about three quarters of the way up and while looking at Mt Lofty on the next range met a Frenchman out for a walk. We had a pleasant chat, despite his thinking his English was not very good. He gave us a map of the park and off he went. Later on we would find out just how valuable the map would turn out to be.

Upward and onwards we went and eventually reached the end of the track, and this was where we managed to get ourselves sort of lost. We came through the gate and a nice smooth bitumen road went off to the right, to the left there was a small climb and a house with what looked like some gates. Rob's written instructions said to turn right at the gate, but unfortunately we needed to turn left and then right at the gates. Oblivious to our mistake we enjoyed a fast 12 % downhill and came to a main road. Turning left we followed the road and ended up in Hawthorndene, nowhere near where we should or planned to have been.

Sitting in a shelter at a football oval for lunch and then a check of the map (that the Frenchman had provided) showed us that we had ridden through the National Park and then almost back to where we started via another park road! So not wanting to ride back up the 12 % hill we planned another route using the very basic map that we have (we didn't need a detailed one because who could get lost around Adelaide?). Unfortunately for us, our new route was to take us over some of the largest and steepest hills we have ever ridden, beginning with the very long and very steep Ackland Hill Road in the Coromandel Valley. After quite some time we managed to get to the top and then commenced to ride another steep hill towards Longwood. It was on this hill that we climbed up a staggering 22% gradient that was so steep that when we stopped for a break (which was often) our brakes would not hold us on the hill and so tension on the chain was required. Eventually I managed to get somewhere near the top and found a safe place to leave Pip on the side of the road so that I could walk back down a way and give Joanne a push to the top, something I think she was thankful for as she was barely able to turn the pedals.

Just out of Longwood we decided to take Ridge Road, figuring it might run along the top of a ridge and that perhaps provide a campsite. The road provided views to the south and the smoke from a bushfire could be seen not too far in the distance, then the road started to become a roller coaster, incredibly steep gradients (-18%) which provided an exhilarating ride where we both scared ourselves quite a few times (despite using brakes) and even managed at one stage to maintain enough speed (62 km/h) to roll over the top of the large hill on the other side.

Arriving near the Onkapaninka River we found a small reserve with shady trees, a table and rubbish bin. Closer inspection provided just what we were after, some small clearings near the river where we figured we could camp. So with no "No Camping" signs evident we managed to secure a nice spot shielded from the road by some large weeping willows and gum trees complete with a resident Koala.

So despite getting it slightly wrong and taking the scenic route through the hills of Adelaide, we managed to get some hill climbing practice in, scare ourselves with the gradients (in both directions) and still find a nice campsite.

Today's Stats

From: Blackwood

To: Bush Camp on the Onkaparinga River near Mylor

Ride Time:
3 hrs 27 mins

Distance:
35 km's

Av Speed:
10.1 km/h

Max Speed:
62 km/h

Max Altitude:
575 m

Max Climb:22 %

Av Climb: 5 %

Weather: Warm and Sunny 35 deg C.

Friday 12 January 2007

Our campsite near Mylor had provided us with a wonderful place to recuperate from our day of hill climbing and we awoke to find our legs stiff but generally okay. A short half a kilometre ride after packing up and we were at the Mylor shop where we met the proprietor Chris when buying some milk for breakfast. We chatted with him for a while and then went up the road a little to enjoy our breakfast while reading a sign on the area's history.

Breakfast over it was time to try and regain our route, starting with a quick trip down the main road before turning off and up a road full of hills and exhilarating downhills. The hill climbing continued for quite some time and our mind was taken off of our legs (for a while) by the beautiful trees and the birds that we along the roadside. One part of the road consisted of long downhill runs in between hair pin bends which diverted the road around farm houses, thankfully the bends were on the uphill and not the downhill! Once again, we were able to get to the top of the next hill with the momentum from the downhill run, and on most occasions we were travelling at over 50 km/h.

Arriving in Mount Barker we took some ring roads to save going through the town itself and again commenced some more hill climbing on a dirt road. The uphills were slow and painful and the downhills were slow and scary because of the rough surface, corrugations and extremely loose gravel. Coming to a gate near the highway we considered going through it, crossing two lanes of traffic and the island in between and right near a Police Highway Patrol, but a gut instinct not too ensured that we remained on the incredibly exciting and hard dirt road.

We were riding towards the town of Callington and on the back road with its incrediblly long and windy hard uphills and treacherous downhills upon which we found out, our brakes were not strong enough to hold the trikes still when stopped.

A number of turns on the downhills had us approaching hard under brakes and wondering if we had any brake pads left or if we would make it round the corner in one piece, the trike bouncing all over the place because of the corrugations, the front wheels locked and skidding in the loose gravel, our knuckles white through hanging on and our eyes very firmly wide open!

We eventually arrived in Callington and where we enjoyed lunch at the local football oval after buying a nice cold chocolate milk in town and finding out why our gut instinct had been right, the man behind the counter at the shop telling us that bicycles are not allowed on the highway (M1). Leaving Callington we climbed another large hill on the old highway before enjoying a long gradual downhill towards Murray Bridge.

Murray Bridge on this visit was only to be a stop at the supermarket before we headed out of town and North to try and find a campsite along the banks of the mighty Murray River. We rode along the dirt roads that follow the rivers course looking for a good place to camp or a reserve marked on the map, and hoping that camping was possible. Riding though dairy country we eventually came to an area marked as the reserve but the gate was locked. A quick walk towards a house on the other end of the reserve turned out to be a bonus as we were told by the owner that the reserve was a Government Reserve and that we would be able to camp there, entry was via the large hole in the fence near his property. We selected a campsite near some trees and in sight of the water and proceeded to finish our day like we usually do with a coffee, meal, wash and journal entry.

Today's Stats

From: Bush Camp on the Onkaparinga River near Mylor.

To: Toora Reserve North of Murray Bridge.

Ride Time:
5 hrs 49 mins

Distance:
71.6 km's

Av Speed:
12.3 km/h

Max Speed:
62 km/h

Max Altitude:
494 m

Max Climb:15 %

Av Climb: 4 %

Weather: Sunny & Warm. 35 deg C.

Saturday 13 January 2007

In the movie Forrest Gump, Forrest used to say "life is like a box of chocolates - you never know what your going to get", and today was exactly like that. We left our campsite at Toora Reserve after pulling many 3 cornered jacks out of our tyres, thankfully none of which had penetrated and caused a puncture. Continuing along our way we were immediately riding uphill, away from the river and towards a made road, our legs complaining after a couple of days hill climbing.

A few kilometres later we came to the turn off to Mypolonga where after passing through more dairy country, we arrived in the little town. Finding the general store closed we were about to leave and continue on when a man approached us and offered us a bottle of rainwater. We had a brief chat with him before he had to leave for Murray  Bridge but not before he told us to go to his house and get some more, which we did. Leaving Mypolonga we were heading for the Woodland reserve in the hope of finding a campsite, but on arrival all we found was a launching place for the many water skiers, a car park full of cars and trailers, lots of people setting up for a day on the water and the inevitable "No Camping" signs. So after enjoying a coffee and something to eat we headed off to the next spot on our map - Zadlows Landing.

Zadlows landing turned out to be another water ski launching place and again, no camping was allowed. Things were not quite going to plan for our river camping experience, and to make it worse, each place we visited was down dirt road meaning that we had to climb back up to the main road which runs along the top of the cliffs on this side of the river. We stopped for a look at the river and were rewarded with a very nice vista of the river, its adjacent farming and fruit growing which were all wonderfully green thanks to the river and in direct contrast to anything more than half a kilometre away from it.

Riding on we eventually found the road turned to bitumen just as we came into the small town of Caloote. Being near lunchtime we decided to chance our luck at Caloote Landing. We descended the kilometre of dirt road to find around a couple of dozen houses, or "shacks" as the locals call them with the centre of attention being the launching place for the many ski boats and of course, the river.

A chat with some of the locals while looking for a picnic spot, and a small comment about it being hard to find campsites next to the river, ended up with our being told that the whole area here is Government land and that we could camp right there in front of some of the shacks, or pick a spot a bit further up - so we did.

The public toilet is about 150 m away, and our campsite is under some very shady willow trees, less than 10 feet from the river. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, talking to the locals and continually pinching ourselves to remind us that it was real. The track behind us goes nowhere except to three houseboats which belong to locals, and a walk along the bottom of the cliff.

As we fell asleep listening to the river lapping at our doorstep we thought that perhaps a visit of two nights is called for here. Yes Forrest, life is like a box of chocolates.

Today's Stats

From: Toora Reserve North of Murray Bridge.

To: Caloote Landing

Ride Time:
2 hrs 48 mins

Distance:
31.4 km's

Av Speed:
11.2 km/h

Max Speed:
44.5 km/h

Max Altitude:
100 m

Max Climb: 11 %

Av Climb: 3 %

Weather: Sunny 34 deg C.

Sunday 14 January 2007

With such a magnificent view, friendly locals and the desire to have a day off, we decided to enjoy Caloote Landing for a little bit more. Our position next to the river is just magnificent and as nobody owns it we are free to stay as long as we wish.

First thing this morning a local came by and offered us the chance to "freshen up" in either his shack or his houseboat, so after a short walk we enjoyed a nice shower in his "shack", as they all call their homes here and were back at our camp ready to tackle a rest day. Some trike maintenance and website creation for a client was followed by a lazy day next to the river enjoying the river traffic, including the large paddle wheeler the Murray Princess.

Caloote Landing was originally set up as a repatriation location for returned servicemen, following which the buildings or "shacks" were bought up and sold to whoever wanted them. Over the years the area grew and grew to the point that no more building can occur because there is nowhere to left to build. Approximately 50 shacks fill the gully and waterfront area here and the people are the some of the friendliest we have ever met. The question on all their lips when they come for a chat is "how did you find the place?" and our answer has been, "we just stumbled upon it and we are so glad we did"

Today's Stats

From: Caloote Landing

To: Caloote Landing

Weather: Sunny 30 deg C.

For a map of our latest travels, click here (opens a new window)

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