Last day on Aus Route 66

The first hour or so were great. Very little traffic, smooth carriageway and (shh) a tailwind. 15 kilometers travelled at an average speed of 14.9kph which, believe me, is cause for delight and wonder at such good fortune.

Adelaide getting closer. Of course I won’t be travelling the M1 so my route is longer.

The next 15 went by OK but not quite as quick.

Yes. A desert. I believe it was called that initially ‘cos no European crops would grow. Adding trace elements to the soil was the game changer.

I am cycling along the side of the Little Desert today. Still lots of South Australian Blue Gums lining the highway. Just learnt that the River Red Gums follow the water while the Blue Gums follow the road.

House numbering in rural areas starts at point X and the number is the distance from X in kilometers and meters. 4122 is 41 kilometers and 220 metres.

As I rode out of Penola I recall seeing a house number 15,xxx but today the house numbers give me the distance to the end of today’s ride. Keith is point X for the Riddock Highway.

These are huge moths. They enjoy hanging about in toilet blocks.

At the halfway point a Tavern appeared. A Hamburger with the lot went down very nicely along with the tank water I filled the bottles with at Padthaway. From Penola until now the tap water seems thick and tastes of salts. Because it is treated bore water.

Last Resort Refuges appear wherever there is a group of people living.
OK

Electric Cars. Lots of TV chat about this. Here is what I saw today infrastructure wise

Tesla charging station (1 of 2) at the Padthaway caravan park
Tesla charging station (1 of4) in Keith.

“Range anxiety” is, apparently, the worry. That sounds familiar … ah yes, I have that each morning when setting off !

The final 10ks were a bit of a slog. It was now in the low 30Cs and it slowed me down. This is Autumn, it should be cooler!

One of Keith’s claims to fame is the monument to AMP for their support opening up the area. This is it.

Yep. A Series 2 Land Rover on a pole. How cool’s that. I see it and think of the Antichrist in The Gods must be Crazy.

Author: antc1946

Born in 1946 I learnt to cycle about 10 years later. On a bike with rods connecting brake levers to the brakes - anyone remember those? I emigrated to Australia (from the UK) in 1974 and moved to Tasmania in 1984. Bicycles were in my life for most of that time although sometimes they were replaced by motorised two wheels for a bit more excitement. On reaching 70 I decided to stick to pedal power but in 2019 an electric recumbent made an appearance. it's now 2023 and I have 3 bikes. 2 e-recumbents and the Brompton.

One thought on “Last day on Aus Route 66”

  1. Good progress, And Adelaide, not to far away now Another Triumph for Greenspeed Trikes and especially the Magnum.

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