Day 45 - Roma

Day 45: Wednesday August 24
Roma 87km

It was a good ride. I had 45 kilometres of rain to Muckadilla. It then tried to rain the rest of the way, but was basically dry.

I was very wet and stinky when I arrived. Don't believe what they tell you about fabrics that breathe and don't make you wet inside the coat: I'm looking at you Gore-Tex. It's not true if you doing any sort of heavy exercise. What the fabric does is minimise temperature loss, and stop the falling rain chilling you too much. At the end of a day's riding the inside of the coat smells like ammonia, and if you don't wash everything it will soon stink to high heaven. So I've been to the caravan park laundry and my clothes are drying in the brilliant little studio I am in. They will be dry enough to wear in the morning.

I stopped at Amby for two pies for morning tea, and had lunch off the bike at Muckadilla. It was quite a fast ride from there-- often over 30 kilometres an hour. The day's average was 18.4.

Tomorrow is a much longer 144 kilometres, but like today, there are little towns to break up the ride. There's no caravan park in Miles, where I am heading; both got greedy in the mining boom, and then went broke according to a farm stay place I spoke to. Apparently I can camp at the showgrounds. I need to get the tent out, as it is still wet from the little bit of rain at Tambo.

I saw lots of cropping country today, including the first cotton crop stubble, but only took one photo on the road on account of everything being bagged up for the rain. (All that should be dry, is.) There have been stray cotton plants growing on the roadside since Barcaldine, which shows just how much the traffic spreads seed!

Leaving Mitchell for Roma

I pulled the front gear cable out of the stay by hooking it on the headlight bar as I was getting th bike out of my donga this morning, so I had no front gears. A bloke at the park held the bike for me while I reset the cable. I need to adjust it a smidgen, as a small rub has developed on the front shifter.

I was attacked by a magpie on the way into town this afternoon. He stuck with me for several minutes. Unusually, he wouldn't go near the top of the helmet. However he compensated by keeping on trying to peck at my face, coming in from the side. Not pleasant!

I've bought tea, just making it back from the supermarket before a last gasp rainstorm. I've charged all the lights-- I rode with them on today, uploaded the GPS, and have packed what can be packed. Up at 5 tomorrow.

The view from Roma after I arrived. Still some rain to come!