30 Sept 2003

…well, loosely called a town. A pub and a village store that doesn’t seem to be a store any more. Fortunately they do still do coffee and food.

The ride was the easiest day so far, mostly gravel roads through the forest. Lots of short hills just to annoy….

Spent a few miles being shouted at by black parrots. Big and very noisy. If I stopped moving they quietened down and started again when I moved off!

Fairly ordinary forest for the area, dire warnings about poison (for rabbits & other unwelcome imports?) so not good to venture off the trail!

And now a quiet afternoon to rest and recuperate. Tomorrow I’m catching up with my support crew (Michael B) who is bringing me a new mattress as my not inexpensive one has come apart internally and is turning into a balloon!!! It went bang in the middle of the night and is now very uncomfortable.

Last time I needed to bail out at the same stage to get a new sleeping bag (it was very cold last night and I was very glad of it) and this time the mattress is messing up my sleep which doesn’t help when you’re already tired. Hopefully that’s the end of the equipment gremlins.

And now some photos…: