Day 9

Tuesday December 2nd, Day 9:-

(no photos, sorry - on dial up internet!)

I'm up at 5am and following a quick goodbye to the lads, I'm pedalling by 6.11am. It was freezing last night and my sleeping bag was damp (probably from the Dead Horse experience - and if you are new to this blog, that's not what it seems - please read day 6!). It's a clear morning, but cold and I have 4 layers on!

Early morning tends to be pretty calm wind wise. This is so for 45minutes, but then the North-westerly rears up again and my heart sinks - back to battling along the Monaro freeway. 55kms north still to go to Canberra, ouch

The road continues with its excessive undulations, and after 42kms I can take no more and pull over and collapse on the side of the highway. I drift in and out of consciousness - a combination of a poor nights sleep, general tiredness and 5 bottles of XXXX! I lie there for 15mins until I am woken by "You OK?" - a bloke has stopped on the highway to make sure I'm not dead! I sit up, brush the 200 insects/arachnids off and contemplate what to say.... "Yeah fine, cheers" - he can tell I am lying, but he acknowledges and drives off.

I force myself back on the bike and battle the next 13kms into the centre of Canberra.

Canberra is clean, modern, efficient and spacious with wide boulevards and open spaces. It gets bad press as being dull and full of bureaucrats, but I take an instant liking to it - probably because I can stop pedalling for a while!

I go straight to Capital Hill, where the Australian Government is based, and I book onto the tour. It's air-conditioned and it doesn't involve expending energy so I am happy. I treat myself to a birthday lunch in the government cafe and sit outside on the roof eating chicken pasta.

Still got 70kms to go to Tarago, my destination for this evening. I spend 3 more hours swanning around the capital, putting off leaving for as long as possible. Eventually, I can put off the inevitable no longer and I set off again and head north. The wind has moved around to the west and there is some respite...

...at 8.15pm I draw into the small, rural, unassuming town of Torago. I head straight to the 1 pub and order a 'little Cascade'. Whilst I miss my pint of real ale, you can't beat an ice cold schooner of Aussie lager at the end of a hot and tiring day! The menu has a mixed grill with steak, chops, sauasges, eggs, chips, etc, etc. for $25 - bargain! I order 1, but the barman tells me Tuesday is chef's day off - doh! He agrees to 'cook' me a cheese toastie though.

The pub is quiet and I chat with Peter (barman) "it's where Toyota filmed the Toyota Torago advert" he tells me. I'm impressed.

I do my usual 3 questions to try and get a bargain rate room:-

"Looking to put my tent up, any ideas where I can?"
"You actually do rooms here, do you?"
"Not that I'm interested, but what do you charge for a basic room?"

"$35? I'LL TAKE IT!" (15 pounds with brekkie, bargain)

...there's no way I can be bothered with the whole tent thing tonight!

START:- Michelago, 6.11am
FINISH:- Torago, 8.15pm
AVERAGE SPEED:- 16.7 km/h
MAXIMUM SPEED:- 76.7 km/h
CYCLING TIME:- 7hrs 40mins 23s

TOTAL DISTANCE:- 975.0 km
TOTAL TIME:- 59hrs 36mins 3s