Loves Unchained Mallardy

By -

You try finding a song to go with a picture of ducks! Actually, don't!

The tavern last night was an interesting experience - there were 5 or 6 locals propping up the bar, all drinking like prohibition started at midnight and all with cars parked outside. The language was colourful, mostly just the f word. Anyway, I had a huge steak and chips and crept off to my tent at about 8:30 for a night listening to the wind switch by 180 degrees and turn up to warp factor 11.
My worst fears were realised when I set off in the morning - flat out I could manage 8, that's not a typo...... 8....f******g EIGHT! To make matters worse there had been nowhere to get breakfast and the next amenities were 42 miles away. Bugger.

I was cycling along a glacial valley (ok - a long flat bit with mountains on either side - it might have been glacial), slowly climbing but mostly just fighting a wind that occasionally reduced my speed to the point where forward momentum wasn't possible. It took me 5.5 hours.

At one point I had a cunning idea; I switched my computer to Kilometres and suddenly I was whizzing along at 13. This should have helped a lot but for some reason the distance seemed to increase virtually in proportion.

I eventually got to St Arnaud at 13:00 and filled my face with pies, before doing another 18 miles to Kawatiri where I am camped. In Kawatiri there is...err....a campsite. That's it. Luckily I stocked up in St Arnaud so have everything I need. The photo is of some ducks that have decided to nest outside my tent flap - if only I had thought to buy an orange.

Tomorrow I will either get to Inangahua and start heading south or just stay in my tent - it all depends on the wind.


------------------

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll/Mr Tamborine Man/I Write The Songs

By -
Image
  After an 18 month separation Plum and I are reforming the band for another tour.  The two of us, plus 6 others, are heading up to Scotlandshire for another crack at the North Cost 500.  I should probably introduce the full line-up:   Lead Singer - David.  David is the young(er) pretty one.....brother of John.  David also happens to be my Financial Adviser and is funding this trip (plus a yacht and a cocaine habit) out of what he makes from my account.   Lead Guitar - Nick.  Friend for 50 years.  At school Nick was a keen cyclist and consequently, quite rightly, bullied.  Nick has forgotten more about cycling than I will ever know.   Bass Guitar - Stuart.  Stuart and I worked together for many years; he has powerful legs and can push out big watts while looking like he is coasting.  I hate Stuart.   Keyboards - Michael.  Michael is a...
Read more

If I Could Turn Back Time

By -
Image
If ever you are in the Inverness area on a Friday and looking for a lively night you could do a lot worse than avoid Muir of Ord.  Our hotel, the only pub, wasn't serving food so we walked into town where it appeared that Steven Spielberg had just finished filming some sort of post-apocalypse movie: nothing open, nobody on the streets and the odd bit of tumbleweed blowing along the pavement.  Even the fish and chip shop couldn't be arsed to open...on a FRIDAY NIGHT!  We managed to find a take-away offering a rather odd choice of kebabs and curries (served in pizza boxes for added novelty) and purchased some food which made up for in calories what it lacked in food-hygiene standards.   I recall a meeting where a few of my co-riders and I met to kick around ideas for a group ride.  We considered all sort of destinations....mostly in those parts of Europe where the weather isn't consistently shite.  I'm ashamed to say that I thin...
Read more

Julia's Song

By -
Image
As some readers will know, Plum is no longer Chard's most eligible bachelor.  The lovely Julia has taken on the job that Social Services would otherwise have to do....making sure he changes his pants once a week whether they need it or not and loading routes onto his Garmin.  We are all very grateful to Julia, especially Chards most eligible bachelorettes who can get back on the dating scene now Plum is safely off the market. As we were starting our trip Julia fell, dislocated her foot and broke her Tibia so she is probably missing Plum more than usual. She has insisted that the show should go on so thanks for being such a trooper. Today was another with a shortcut that promised to turn a very hard day into something more manageable.  Some of our group took the high road and others took the low but I had a more cunning idea.....get in the van.  Whatever is ailing me, long covid or acute spinelessness, reached the point where pushing th...
Read more