The Climbing Lama: Mawson trail - Day Three - Riverton to Mt Bryan East 5th May 2015

I had planned to camp the next night at the Mt Bryan East school house, a restored school building providing free accommodation for Heysen trail walkers and Mawson trail riders. Originally this day was going to be an already tough 115km from Auburn. Given I was still over 15km short of Auburn, this was going to be a very long day in the saddle!

I woke at 6:20am and started packing immediately. The strong winds continued through the night, but the rain had held off. I'd nearly finished packing when the rain finally made good its threat. I grabbed everything and quickly moved into the covered BBQ area nearby to sit it out.

Drenching rain fell, so rather than the planned breakfast in Auburn, I cooked my porridge and brewed a coffee to wait it out.

Finally the rain cleared and sun returned teasing me out onto the road. I'd checked the radar and could see this wouldn't last but I had to get going. On the way to Auburn, I was forced three times to seek shelter from the passing heavy showers. A couple of times behind trees, the third in a hay shed!

About to get soaked!

Farmer driving by asked if I was okay as a stood in the lee of a tree

A short time later the sun was out again!

With the driving headwind and rain stops, it took me a couple of hours to ride just 18km to Auburn. I stopped at the Cog cafe in town for a large coffee and scone with jam to warm up. Sky was clear again, though wind still hadn't abated.

The next stretch was along the Riesling rail trail and exposed to the now cross winds. Given the easy gradients and good surface, I was able to ride resting my forearms on the handlebars and up my pace.

I blasted straight past Clare and took the right turn off the rail trail towards Burra. The hellish Westerly was now finally fully in my favour and helped push me along.

The surface was soft in places from the recent rains, but with the tailwind it didn't slow me down too much.

Looking back to where I'd come from.

On the next long descent, a couple of kangaroos were ahead. One jumped the fence, the second couldn't so bound in front of me at 44km/hr for a couple of kilometers!

Ever changing scenery and trail surfaces.

Towards Burra I could see dark clouds catching me from behind. Whilst on the outskirts rain again started to fall, right where the trail cruelly made us circle around town first!

I found a bakery still open. Unfortunately no vegie options left so I grabbed a chicken pie and chocolate milk. At least the rain eased and then stopped as I quickly ate.

I had done the sums and calculated if I got to Burra by 2pm, I'd have a shot at making the Mt Bryan East school house before dark and be back on my original schedule.

The rain may have passed, the the wind hadn't. Any of the many stretches of trail which turned back into the wind found me barely moving. On one steep downhill into the Westerly I only just managed to hold 15km/hr pedaling!

A short way out of town, I passed a sight any Midnight Oil fan would instantly recognise. Had to wait a little while for the light to improve before I was happy with my shot.

'Diesel and Dust'

Finally the track turned East. I needed to make up time as I only ended up leaving Burra at 2:40pm; not looking good for a daylight arrival!

The road climbed into the Sugarloaf range and changed from pasture to native grassland and then low scrub. It felt very remote, even though I'd only ridden 30km on from Burra.

I turned North into Dusthole creek road right as the sun dipped behind the North Lofty ranges to the West.

Got the head torch and light out after crossing the Dusthole creek ford... Definitely wasn't going to make it before dark now.

Finally made the Dares Hill Summit road intersection; this meant I only had a few more kilometers back into that Westerly wind to ride.

The Mt Bryan East school house was empty and so had it all to myself! I got the fire started, and had a quick pot of snack pasta pack as an entree. Ben's rice and tuna satchet as main and then hedgehog bought from Burra for desert.