the ferry is very steep. 20 m before I begin to cycle very slow. It works good. I am the onliest guest on the ferry. The ferryman wishes me a save tour, when I pass him and push my bicycle up the small hill at the riverside.
No sign stands in the road. I believe that I am here anyhow wrong. But to me was told that I shall continue my ride on this side. Again the morning sun shines from the cloudless sky. Thus I cycle further with a nasty feeling. Ordinarily I should have gone eastwards. However, by the shade of the trees I see that I move westwards. On my map I can recognize a small bend. Thus it goes on.
And really, after a long, very wavy journey I see the small sign Waikerie. I am correct on tour. If I come there very early, I will consider if I can cycle further on.
In the beginning I cross vacant and wild scenery, later I find wine plantations. This looks very good here! But if I remember of South Tirol in Italia and their wine plantations, these vineyard owners have no notion of the fact that the wild desires with many sheets must be cut off, so that the strength goes only to the grapes and the sun to the berries. The wine plantations pile up. Those of which I take a photo are red bunches of grapes. Later the wine plantations remove in orange and then grapefruit plantations.
Now I reach the Murray River again and see him quite deeply on the bottom to the left flowing through wooded area. The Murray River is the lifeline for whole South Australia. All people and animals here are dependent on it.
However, the plantations are not close to each other, but are interrupted by wild areas.
Suddenly I discover by the first tree row some young people and an adult who do something and talk. This is interesting for me. I turn round, push my bicycle on the other side of the street, put it down there, take my camera, go to them and ask: „May I take photos here?“
„Yes, you may do it. Where are you from?“
„From Germany.“
On it the adult asks in the young round: „Who of you is from Germany?“
These are three persons: a young girl and two young men. All persons here clean freshly garlic onions from the roots and the dirty external cover.
First I go to the girl who smiles friendly and inviting at me. We both talk excellently in German. I take a photo of her and promise to send this photo to her parents. Likewise I do it with the both diligent young men.
The men tell me, that they are working here since the last year and wish to earn much money, to move as tourists the last weeks through Australia. But they earn so very few money. All will go away by paying for their room and meals.
I comfort them and mean: „Soon the grapefruits and the wine are ripe with which you can earn much more money.“
They smile obsessedly. They came from Germany to Sydney, from where the work successively is assigned to them. But they will hold out certainly! Thus I cycle further.
In a service station I interrupt my journey. I have a longing for ice-cold drinking chocolate. With the businessman's woman and her granddaughter I come to the conversation, because I carry my bicycle helmet on the head. That what I am telling to them about my tour here in Australia is very interesting for both ladies.
From the 70-years-old lady the grandparents came from Germany. Unfortunately, I forget to ask them where they lived there and why they have emigrated at that time. These both ladies can neither speak German nor understand it.
And when I tell them about the cut-off head which one people found on the beach of Rottnest Island, they tell me that it was a 10-year-old girl who found this head in a bag. Later one found out that this man was full of drugs. This lady does not know any more. Thus I leave this gas station and have to cycle only 10 km to Waikerie. Every now and then I see to my left hand on the bottom the Murray River.
I still create these last kilometers and cycle on a very nice caravan park which unfortunately is more expensive, also $ 10 more than the others. I received under high trees a grass place and have put up my tent immediately. Now I am answering all my birthday congratulations at a board in the laundry and write.
At the foreign workers in the backpacker hostel
23.01.2013: Waikerie – Renmark: 90 km
In the middle of the night I awake again from the cold. This time I do not become warm again. At 5.00 am I get up tiredly, roll up my base and find out that my sleeping-bag is sweated in the area of my feet. To be protected against the moving cold wind I had put the end of my sleeping bag into a pocket. Therefore my feet became wet. Thus I put down it outdoors on my bicycle in such a way that the wind can dry it.
Yesterday under the board this spider already hung. Whether it is toxic, I do not know. It hangs still expectantly under its net and waits for new food. I do a big curve around this board. From now all boards or benches are suspicious to me. Everywhere such a little animal can lurk. But I will still get used to it. Nevertheless, the people here also live with it – why I not also?
Drawn with new clothes completely, I return to my tent and pack everything on my bicycle. And when I want to lay the round, blue cool box on my porter, occurs to me that I cotransport 2 l of water in it still since Perth. Why, actually? Nevertheless, the water was intended for the Nullarbor. And, nevertheless, this area lies, fortunately, already behind me.
And over the day I drink at most 1 ½ l. Why do I still struggle under a load, actually, of it? I get out the water bag and water with it a tree. Unusual easily the round, blue cool box can be laid on my porter. Now I will put in it all my food. I then I can get at this better in the breaks.
Thus I take the street to Renmark under my wheels with the beaming morning sun and 16 ° C. The street is quite wavy. But on account of my baggage relief I can come uphill pleasantly easily. Pulling the bicycle helmet deeply in front in the forehead, the sun does not blind me. It curls up excellently. Waikerie is surrounded by endless wine plantations. I stop again to have a look at the grapes. Deep-blue! I take a photo of them and go on. Later I stop again to see whether here hang yellow grapes. No, also deep-blue. I nibble a small berry of it. It melts as sweet as sugar and juicy on my tongue! A whole grape walks in my pannier for the evening. Without bad conscience on account of many grapes which hang there on every wine plant I cycle happily further.
In a place I find a shop, in which tires are sold. This reminds me of my brother Helmut, who was the master by profession of cars. Therefore, I know that here intelligent and vigorous men exist. I stop and push my bicycle in the big foyer.
A man sits in his open office and looks completely surprised at me who stands with my bicycle helmet on the head and the loaded bicycle in the hall. He comes with expression to me. And then I explain him my bad luck and show him my lowrider suspension which is twisted to the right in the front wheel. Only 1 cm still exists between my traversing wheel and the metal curve.
Quickly I take the small panniers and the handlebar bag from the bicycle and leave to him my bicycle. He does not need long to know what is to be done against it. Immediately he pushes the bicycle in the next hall in which his colleague is occupied with a big trucker wheel, asks him to come, to knee down in such a way that the front wheel is got caught tightly between his knees and turns on top my handlebar.
And suddenly my lowrider suspension sits again properly!!!! A miracle!!! I illuminate both men and thank them. For them it was only
