Hello from Port Augusta,

As today was to be a short leg, I set the ‘phone alarm for 6:30, planning for a 7:30 departure. However, I was awake at 5:30 (despite an absence of bird-song), and unable to sleep any longer. After a shit, shave and shower, I read until breakfast was delivered, at 7:15.

I was away at 7:35, and headed for Brumby’s, to get provisions for the journey. Despite the sign on their door saying OPEN, and signage stating that they opened at 6:00am, they weren’t! Plan B(aker’s Delight) was put into action. On being informed that their C&B rolls weren’t due to come out of the oven for another 40 minutes, I elected to purchase 3 Ham and Cheese Danishes (1 standard, 1 with pineapple, and 1 with fetta and olives). These were consumed at regular intervals along the way, both with and without coffee. They were delicious; if there was a Baker’s Delight in every town, they would become my standard fare!

I took a diversion from the most direct route to Port Augusta, in order to lengthen the journey, going via Jamestown, Gladstone and Port Pirie, rather than via Orroroo. The hills, golden wheat-fields, and glimpses of the azure blue of the Spencer Gulf during the last part of the journey were in stark contrast to the featureless landscape that I’d become accustomed to seeing.

I arrived at the motel around 1:15pm, after travelling 473km. It’s fantabulous; I’m in one of their 4 star rooms, and it’s huge, three times the size of the room I was in last night, but costing only $5 more! I don’t think I’ve ever had a motel (or hotel) room with a full size ‘fridge/freezer. It’s 3km east of the town centre, and my plan of walking there and back soon evaporated in the heat. I drove in, after refilling the petrol tank, and had a short walk around the shopping precinct. It’s small, only about 3 blocks long, but it had a wonderful feel about it, the narrow, one-way, shaded, main street being lined with many native trees, including Silky Oaks, Callistemons and Eucalypts.

The “Oven Baked Chicken Breast” that I had for dinner was superb.

I’m off to Ceduna tomorrow. The most direct route, across the top of the Eyre Peninsula, is 465km, but after today’s lazy effort, I’m considering taking the coastal route, via Port Lincoln, which is about 750km.

Cheers,
Julian