Wednesday 3rd October - Ceduna to Poochera for the weirdest hotel so far.

Wednesday 3^rd October

Shoveling salt to a conveyor to load onto a waiting ship.

Outside the cabin we used last night. It was remarkably like a freight container! 

About to start riding after the rain stops. 

Has Steve Backshall been here before me?

The flies don't bother me when riding but when I stop they gather on my hi viz gillet.

The second Frenchman we've seen running from Sydney to Perth. 

They picked the right direction for the wind.

The smart sign at Poochera. 

As it is a short run today we go to the beach front again and look for plovers. While we are out it rains heavily and we return to the cabin to pack. Due to more rain it is after 9 am that I eventually set off on the A1 passed the small airport (one feeder liner in) to the east. See the first big road junction where some traffic goes down the Flinders Highway to the Eyre Perninsula on our right. Pass Backshall Road (as in Steve Backshall)

At first there is a sidewind with occasional drizzle and it is cold again so no hardship wearing rain jacket. Later the wind increases and becomes a headwind again. Mostly rolling agricultural land with some open woodland by the road sometimes. I find a displaying and singing Brown Songlark and Mandy sees a Pallid Cuckoo but it has gone when we go back to the spot.

Have lunch at Wirrulla in the only shop/PO/café. It is a not very good steak sandwich with Coke drunk out of mugs. Chips were good though and we are probably the only business that day as it is off the main road. There is a town jetty built as a joke in the millennium.

After lunch it is 45 km of wind in your face hard graft but at least the sun is out now. See what I think is a cyclist in the distance but it is another French runner coming the other way. He is a friend of the man we saw a few days ago. Odd that they are not running together. This one looks less happy.

We stay the night at the 1930s Pochera Hotel. Interesting chap runs it as a pub. Food is limited and served by a grumpy woman (doing all the work) and the three locals drink from cans and chat to mine host. Breakfast and coffee is taken in a large garage area just off the bar where he keeps his pride and joy – a Harley Davidson. He bought this place a few years back and the question has to be “Why?”  I don’t know what he paid but the previous owner must be pleased to have moved on.

139.3 km today in 5 hours 49 minutes – an average of 23.9 kph. Total so far 2271.89 km