Adelaide
Hey ya.
Last day here in Adelaide and I haven't seen much of the city to be honest. Other than motorcycle shops, and camping stores. I've picked up some supplies like a sleeping bag liner (to add 15 degrees of comfort)and gotten my busted foot peg fixed. Oh and new tire, nothing is exciting as new tires - let me tell you!
Next stop is Wilipena Pound in the Flinders Range which is a neat hole in the ground, with some signifigance both geologicaly and to NASA fans. We'll be checking out the possible impact site of a meteor which caused the great extinctions etc.
After that I'm heading north to Maree before heading out on the great Oodnadatta Track, a four hundred mile dirt road passing a huge salt lake Lake Eyre, which may have water in it at the moment - not to be missed! Coober Pedy where people live under ground and then back down to Port Agusta before making the long trek out to the West Coast.
It's gonna be groovy. But I'm sad to be leaving my hostel which is so fility that leave bleach in the bathroom so that you can rinse off after your shower.
It's raining again. "Well it's winter stupid." Yes thanks for that. This is bad....I'm only on the road a week and I'm talking to myself as I write. Yikes.
Anyway, like I was saying it's raining and that allows me a bit of time to plunk some money into this internet kiosk here on Kangaroo Island, south of Adelaide South Australia. I read that KI was a good place to spend a few days, maybe a week and it hasn't disapointed. It's renowned for it's abundant wildlife and rural setting good for getting away from the city, fishing etc. The wildlife is so abundant your hardpressed not to run something over during your stay, which I nearly accomplished in the first halfhour of arriving. I pulled into a parking lot on the bike to find a very shocked and confused looking penguin blinded by my headlight. He ran toward my front wheel as if on a death wish. Luckily I missed him, unlucky for him as he was blinded - likely for hours apparently - and was probably eaten by a ferall cat.
The last couple of days has been really good. I've walked along the beach with Sea Lions, gotten the bike good and muddy along the country roads, seen Echidnas, Koalas, Fur Seals and Interesting geology. I even got to shoot a cannon which would make even the oldest little boy grin. I've met some good folk along the way too. I shoud be moving up to Adelaide over the next day or two where I'll get some work done on the bike and should be able to find a computer capable of uploading some photos of the island.
Till then.
Just Going Out To Streatch My Legs
Ok so it's been a year since i've posted, big deal! Nothing happend I swear. I'd like to do a New Zealend retropspective, but I think a natural statute of limitations on such a thing may be in affect and I may never get around to it. We'll see.
But more importanlty, the present day. I set off from Melbourne just three days ago and it was horribly anti-climactic. I managed to squeeze about four months of preperation into one day and sort of non chalantly headed out on the greatest road trip of my life. At least I think that's the impression I gave my freind Hayden who didn't understand why I wasn't freaking out. Well certainly part of me was, but I left that on the side of the road yesterday...along with a foot peg.
Heidi, Scott and myself got out to breakfast on Saturday morning, and it seemed as though I was being sent off to college or summer camp or something as Heidi pointed out. It wasn't quite awkward but it wasn't comfortable. How many times can you say good luck, write if you find work...or find that you're still alive and have a moment to spare, need to fight off the boredom while broken down. Luckily I am not broken down, merely compeled to say hello. Any way like I was saying it was anticlimactic leaving Melbourne, as Heidi and Scott left their appartment to go into the city as I was changing into my riding gear. Scott was hoping to see me ride off into the horizon and then go about his life, but instead I closed the door to his apartment and he rode into the smog to go to work.
I Didn't get terribly far Saturday; spent a lot of time getting the chain adjusted to the right length and getting used to the bike fully loaded again. I'm massively over loaded too of course, and am triming the fat as we speak,to find a liveable happy medium between manageble and absurd. So many routines to make habit again too, for both safety and to keep time. Gelong and further to Lorne for the night. A pleasant night there with my new tent - broken in straight away with a massive rain shower as I was trying to leave saturday morning. It's filthy now, having spent an evening in a pit of a mudhole caravan park. At least today, monday , along the Great Ocean Road made up for it. Yesterday I was cruising from one rain cloud to the next and frustatrated with a late start, poor mood, and the fact that as I stood up to rest my sore ass my right foot peg dissapeared. There I was gliding along at 55mph , happy as Larry, when a key hunk of metal which I had just replaced the bolts on decides it's time to call it a night. After retreveing it from the road side I put it back on with the original bolts (bent in a prior unplaned stop) I was still carying and I will have to get the mounts re-bored in Adelaide late this week.
I will have picures of the dramatic coastline of Victoria and the great Ocean road soon.Unfortunately my prison cell does not have a USB port to upload photos. My accomidation is the Mt. Gambier Jail (1860-1995) now budget lodge, cell 23...creepy if you're into numerology ... I'll ask the warden about that. I have my own ensuite toilet and sink built into the corner of course, and a continental breakfast. The motorcycle gets to sit in the yard surrounded by 12 ft walls and a razor wire fringe to keep unmentionable parties at bay.
Good night, I'm off to the hole
-Dusty
