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Day Nine : Caiguna to Cocklebiddy 65km

<span>Day Nine :</span> Caiguna to Cocklebiddy 65km

So much for an easy day!

This is the shortest ride of the whole trip and was meant to be like a rest day. I felt terrible and totally drained from vomiting all night and a lack of sleep.

We were riding into another massive head wind. I couldn’t believe it. It felt like I was towing a pallet of bricks. I kept on dropping off from my group and had to stop for a rest every 10km.

At one stage I was hunched over my bike thinking I was going to be sick and Lou pulled up behind me and said to get in the bus. All I could hear was the words from my friend Marco, that if you ever think you are going to get in the bus, just picture that it is full of crows supporters, and after they beat Melbourne by a point, I wasn’t going to get in the Bus. Lou tried 3 times but I refused and made it to morning tea.

I headed off with the rockets, Liz, Rhonda and Dr Joanna, who are the three superstars of the trip. They are all in their late ‘60s or maybe a bit more but I haven’t asked. They have ridden in blocks on the long days, 20km on the bike then 10km in the support van. They have been doing 140km a day on the long days. Absolutely amazing! Age is no barrier.

As luck would have it, we turned a corner and the wind was coming over our left shoulder and it was a little bit of downhill so the second 30km was easier.

We got to Cocklebiddy and had lunch while we waited for our rooms to be ready.

Oh my God! You should have seen the flies, they were everywhere. My arm got tired from waving them away.

Glen and I were scheduled to have a man date and watch the Footy but I went to sleep and didn’t wake up until half time. Now, he says I stood him up. As it turned out, they couldn’t get channel 7 and had to listen to it.

Nothing to really report about Cocklebiddy. It is a roadhouse and has a population of eight people.

Water is a precious commodity, they have a little desalination plant which provides them with water, we were allowed to have a two minute shower. The truckies can have a shower there; it costs four dollars for five minutes. Once the four minutes is up, the water stops. It’s a good idea for teenagers.

We had dinner and I was asleep by 8.30 am.

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