scratch and sniff

Woah! Another CRAZY day. I'm in a cool backpacker hostel in Adelaide, South Australia, after pushing on yesterday through the wind and rain.... about 700 kilometres ride in all, with slight detours. Dunno what that is in miles, but my saddle soreness suggests a lot!

I left Port Fairy wet and tired, and stayed that way pretty much all day, because the rain kept coming back for me each time I'd just about dried out. All my gear, clothes, etc, was drenched too... hence coming here, where there's a laundry, drying area and warm rooms. Russell's parked up down the street and round a corner. Hope a night all alone in the big city didn't faze him.

Even though I knew this country was VAST, you don't truly realise how big until you're here. The roads yesterday, when they were drier and I could see, stretched on for mile after mile - long and straight generally, with bends only where the natural features were clearly too much of a problem. The end of the Great Ocean Road had me quickly into deeply forested area. You reach the crest of a hill and the vista ahead was mile upon mile of rolling hills, covered in managed timber land. And massive trucks, three times the size of those back home, ferrying the lumber. The land then gives way to wine growing country, and again, mile upon mile upon mile of vines, as far as the eye could see, and then you know stretching much further beyond too.

And then it was into more open countryside, mainly flat, lots of fields and cattle and sheep. Massive farms. Everything's on supersize scale - you should see the tractors! Lots of signs warning of kangaroos and koalas crossing the road, but I didn't see any. They were sensibly staying warm and dry somewhere.

So, into Adelaide and it's good to be here after a couple of tent days. Sorted myself out and went to a sauna last night to warm up and ease my aching muscles, etc. ;0) Decided I'll stay here the day and another night as there's lots to see, and because I bypassed all yesterday's attractions to make progress. Need a day off.

Scratch and sniff by the way are my room mates - noctural creatures indigenous to this environment. Cool blokes anyway, but NOTHING was going to stop me sleeping last night!