DAY 24 Wagga to Holbrook via Mangoplah 82kms
Cycling through the riverina is a delight. Most of this country I have ridden on horses droving cattle so it is awesome to be going slowly over it again. Am in Holbrook tonight, arriving about 1pm after a very early start from Wagga riding 82kms… as the temperature was creeping up to 40 today it is very hot. I thought I absolutely wanted to get here before the ‘extreme’ part of the day. (However that’s relative, it was stinking hot from about 9.30 am but I just keep peddling and putting aside the discomfort , for e.g. being hot enought to melt, flies by the million,
'fashion of the road'
stinking rotten roadkill that smells for 250 m either side of it’s ‘resting place’ everywhere, rough roads that shake the life out of my spine! head winds thumping into me, good thing aobut the head wind is it keep the flies out of my face! but slows me down heaps, and of course constantly feeling thirsty-I have a drink but could just drink again straight away. Am drinking Gatorade and water but am thirsty, thirsty, thirsty! . Any way all the above are ‘grist for the mill’ for this budding long distance cyclist….I have now ridden over 1100kms..one turn of the pedal at a time….and I love it…..I”m constantly assessing what I’d do different next time in relation to both the riding, fundraising and awareness raising. I love visiting the schools and in particular primary schools where the kids are so ungaurded and enthusiastic. yesterdayJoe and I went to both Wagga Wagga High school to whole of Year 9, the group were terrific, a bit shy of asking questions but very attentive. Terry Willis the Year 10 coofdinator did a great job of organising things for me. This followed by Curves Gym in Wagga where I met Jodie, Analise and Kim who are thinking up creative ways to do some fundraising and also selling some ride4acure merchandise. After this I then drove out to Narrandera public school. Joe does a great job operating the power point, and passing out ‘freebies’ to kids who ask interesting questions.
Today is Veronica’s last day driving, tonight at 8pm Sam (my nephew,Veronica’s son a ged 22) is taking over the ute wheel for the week. Sam is driving up from Taradale in Western Victoria. Then unbeleivably next Sunday Esther will be back and I’ll be riding my final week. It so feels like just the other day I started out from Kempsey and here I am 13 days off completing the ride!
Veronica going for a spin!
Esther is riding this weekend at Yass Rodeo, barrel racing on Lena (Hannah’s mare). They’re going really well as a team and great things are afoot! Esther also has her good eventing mare Diva with her at Wagga and is getting involved in the jumping scene locally now. She’s only a stone’s throw from the 3* course at the university.
Am gonna have a ‘chillax’ for a couple of hours. Already just had a dip in the pool here at the Top Tourist Caravan Park at Holbrook where Trevor and Sharon have generously donated a nights site fee to ride4acure, also gave us a well received cold bottle of lemon, lime and bitters on arrival! Ahh how tasty that was.
I’m continually heartened by the great people I’m meeting on the road. Very Blessed.
