Bike SA Annual Tour 2013 KI - Relaxation, Rain and Remarkable Rocks

Sunrise

Ah, a rest day! Theoretically a day to recover from all the trials and tribulations of the previous days. A chance to dry out, take stock and recover. More importantly, a chance to sleep in! It didn't quite work out that way as I still woke up at sunrise and needed to leave the tent, however I was clever and grabbed my camera on the way out. 

Early morning visitors

 
I was lucky and captured (badly) some of the early morning visitors to the camp site. Apparently they were much closer earlier in the morning, as Rory, the coffee man, took a picture of a wallaby as it bounded past his tent! After a pleasant early morning stroll around camp, I went back to the tent and enjoyed the warmth of my sleeping bag for another hour. Quite a luxury.
 

Man of leisure

Eventually the sound and smell of breakfast encouraged us to crawl out of our tent. Nothing motivates more than the smell of bacon and eggs! Breakfast was enjoyed at a leisurely pace as Mr Carl and I discussed what to do for the day. Mr Carl was a big fan of the hibernation plan whereas I was keen to get out and see a few bits a pieces. Still there's something to be said for a relaxed pace to the day and after a gorgeous hot chocolate, I made the call to ride down to the visitor centre.

Awesome display at the visitors centre

Mr Carl decided to stay and undertake domestic duties (mostly cleaning his bike), while I enjoyed the morning sunshine and spun the 7km or so down to the visitors centre. It was a lovely ride and strangely enough it felt good to stretch the legs. You would think I'd have had enough riding, but a short spin in the sunshine felt glorious and the stress from the previous day melted away.

Relaxed geese

The Flinders Chase National Park visitors centre has an amazing information area which covers the geological, biological and cultural history of the island. The display manages to interlace the three components to create a compelling story of the Island. Well worth the ride out there. 

Not so relaxed goose

I also managed to squeeze in a quick wander part way down the platypus walk, encountering many of the Cape barren Geese who frequent the area. I suspect the geese are somewhat acclimatised to humans, at least they didn't seem in a hurry to get off the path! The walk included some great information and representation on the mega fauna that used to inhabit Kangaroo Island. I didn't manage to get too far, cycling shoes, even mountain biking ones, aren't really designed for hiking, but the walk was a nice way to enjoy the morning.

Pretty flower

I headed back to camp with the theory that I might be able to catch the one o'clock bus out to the Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch. While I was grabbing a bite to eat, I managed to convince Carl to jump on his bike and head out to the visitors centre as it had been such a lovely ride. At this point in time the weather was still clear and sunny, so he agreed that he ought to go, chucked on a pair of knicks and a jersey and headed off. Shortly after, as I was sitting, waiting for the bus, I noticed the temperature drop and the wind pick up. I realised then that while I might have had a lovely ride in the morning, Mr Carl was likely to freeze.

Before the storm

 The one o'clock bus eventually turned up and I headed out to the remarkable rocks. Many people had ridden (and in some cases were still riding) the 22km out there, including Brett, and as the bus wound it's way up and down along a spectacular road I appreciated the hard work it had taken for them to get there. As the wind picked up and we passed numerous cyclists struggling on their return journey, I couldn't help but be a little bit grateful that I was in the bus.

 

After the storm

The first stop for the bus was Remarkable Rocks, a stunning geological formation with a remarkable ability to channel wind. At least that was my experience as I tried to get photos and not get blown away by the gale force winds. I had just about taken all the photos I wanted when a squall started to blow in from the south west. Watching it approach the rocks was mesmerising and I wanted to capture it on camera. What I didn't account for was the speed at which it was travelling, even a short sprint back to the bus left me soaking wet.

 

We then headed over to Admirals Arch and the seal colony that inhabits it. There were still many cyclists making there way back through the gale force winds and squalls and I was really glad that I was in the bus. 

 

Hiding from the wind

On arrival at Admirals Arch the rain continued to fall so we decided to wait it out as we had all had our fill of getting wet over the past couple of days. After about 10 minutes it squall passed and we headed out, trying not to lose hats or our footing in the wind. Eventually I made it to the leeward side of the formation and much like the seals camped out there, enjoyed respite from the wind. I think I was a little bit sick of the weather by this point in time and grabbed a couple of shots before heading back to the bus. In my defense, I had been there before many years ago, but it was nice to be offered the opportunity to visit the colony again.

More Flowers

After a slightly humid trip in the bus, as most of us were more than a bit damp, we arrived back at camp. Surprisingly I was mostly dry by the time I got out of the bus, which was a nice way to end the trip. Mr Carl had also survived his ride, suffering more from being cold than anything else, managing to miss most of the rain. The Taj was also still standing, which was impressive given the afternoon winds.

What can I say - I like flowers!

Mr Carl and I hibernated in the Taj for a while, before waiting for a break in the rain to head into the eating area for tea. We chatted and made blog notes until tea was served, enjoying a local wine with dinner. It was a good night to be celebrating too, as the weather forecast for the next day promised little in the way of rain or wind! With this pleasant news ringing in our ears and feeling rather worn out from the days excursions we headed to bed, unfortunately missing the talent show, though by all accounts it was a good night. Curling up in my sleeping bag I felt a sense of relief that we had come through the past three days of poor weather relatively unscathed and that things could only get better from here.
















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