Day 4: Riverton To Clare

Oh the joys of riding on a rail trail. No hills to climb, and a good surface. Pity about the wind. It was a very easy ride today, with the temperature being much cooler, and the distance only 45 kms. We started the day with a great breakfast at Riverton. Whilst I was devouring yummy pancakes, the very fast rider from the previous day rode past. He's probably at the Flinders Ranges by now!

We stopped at Auburn for a cold drink and managed to meet up with Didy and Mick, who conveniently took our panniers onto our destination just outside Clare. Ray had booked a cottage off the Reisling Trail. Just as I was enjoying a day of no hills the last 6 kms to the cottage consisted of nothing but. We even managed to get in an extra hill as we overshot the cottage entry path and had to retrace our steps up a bloody great hill.

We have spent a very relaxing evening with Didy and Mick, who provided dinner and ice cold champagne. The cottage is in the middle of nowhere with great views. After a thunder storm tonight, it has become much cooler, and we look forward to a day of no bikes or heat tomorrow.

Coming out of Riverton we encountered a huge forest of weeds. As it happens the swamp oak is now a registered weed in South Australia. This weed forest was about 3 klms long but apparently the authorities will not be wiping it out because the forest is surrounded by farmland, so the chances of these plants spreading are virtually nil.

Vistas...

More vistas... Grapes, barley, grassland, more grapes and barley, plus some other stuff which looks like weeds bit apparently is not.

The one bike race Brenda is sure to win

This alpaca wanted some attention but because they can be very dangerous according to Mick or Di so the poor little thing didn't get a pat (or get to bite us and gore us viciously). ALong the trail and number of sheep flocks have a few additional alpacas. they seem happy to hang around together but behave completely differently. As soon as we approach the sheep skeddaddle quick smart, whereas the alpacas really want to see what is happening and want to get involved.

We met Mick and Di on the way to the Windmill Cottage, so they took this shot of the intrepid cyclists who had just completed the scaling of an imposing hill. Only a couple more to go at this point.

The bloke who owns the cottage is a native plant nut. He has planted thousands of natives on the property.