Simply cycling around
Another lazy day today and I enjoy :-) I wish I would have some connection or Wifi here to update my blog. Steve asked to the roadhouse and the woman said it’s broken. In fact we can see the Wifi signal but we can’t use it. Rah! For once, I’m on a good spot, stay a bit longer and there is a problem with internet. Bad luck! Or maybe it’s good luck. It means I should not think about my blog and just do nothing!
It’s about nine o’clock now and my tent is under the sun but that’s fine because it’s not that hot yet. See, no one around here. This is a pretty nice day as usual up here. No clouds in the sky, more than 30 degrees during the day. The stuart highway is just behind these trees and we can hear and distinguish the traffic from here but I don’t really bother. Just behind my tent there is a big cage with five birds in it. They look like parrots. On the left side, outside of the picture (I like saying that as it’s very useful to describe something which is not visible :-) there is a tiny swimming pool. And the shadow coming from the bottom of the picture is the toilets and showers.
I always feel better when I’m next to water. So I found the best spot here! My tent is pitched 2 metres far from that water tank :-) I could not be closer. Well, physically I could but it’s not mine :-) Yesterday night, this rest area was full! it’s now 9:30am and nearly every caravan has left but a couple arrived already. The turnover is quick! I’m not going anywhere today. This is a rest day. I’ve washed all my clothes using as less water as I could. I enjoy reading and doing nothing. This is holiday!
Joy and Graham have a group of friends with who they organise some kayaking two to three times per month. This place is well known for its dolphins. We have been really lucky today because we have seen maybe 8! Two of them jumped front of us! They were completely out of the water!
Surprise after surprise, after the worst 30 kilometres I’ve done yesterday. My day turned out to be a lucky one. In fact, I was ready to find my spot for the night and went out of the McDonald’s where I met Anthony. He asked me where I was going to sleep that night and proposed me straight away if I was interested to stay in house with a fire wood. How can I refused an offer like this? :-) Anthony house sit his daughter’s place for the night and it’s 3 minutes away from where we met. I’ve followed him driving slowly to his place and we spent the evening talking about Australia’s famous places.
Today, Anthony proposed to guide me around Mount Gambier and treat me as he said “like exchange students we had”. I’m completely fine with that :-) We started early and visited until 11am to go to the library. Then around 4pm, we came back to his daughter’s place to collect our stuff and I was on my saddle again! What a nice day!
What is that? Today I’m working again but differently :-) Peter’s job is Printer. But he uses a very old technique called Lithography which not much person use today. He is the only one who does that in Victoria and they might be 5 maximum in the whole Australia. Using that technique, you can print from a stone or from a metal plate. So, what I’m doing today is I’m graining a stone to get rid of the old drawing. Then someone, certainly an artist, will be able to draw on that stone again. I’m going to explain the process of gaining only because I did not see peter printing unfortunately.
After 10 days of cycling, I allowed myself to have two days off! And in the same time, I’m visiting Wendy and Peter at their place in Brooklyn. They proposed me the guest which is a caravan. That’s cool, I like that :-) Today Wendy is working, Peter as well so I’m working too! I’m working on the content of my blog. I’ve finished all the “Step by step” maps since New Zealand and the New Zealand page as well. I’m working on the Australia page which I will finished soon. And I’ve complete the “Gear” page. I’ve added the menu onto the top when the window is big enough. Finally I’ve corrected few graphic elements here and there. Lots of work done!