Deniliquin to Jerilderie

Deniliquin to Jerilderie = 90km

Cummulative total = 827km

Whew what a day! We covered alot of kms today and thanks to a tailwind for at least 3/4 of it!

But first let me tell you about yesterday. We initially were umming and ahhhing about whether or not to head off yesterday morning despite the forecasted rain. Well lucky we decided to stay put as it absolutely poured down yesterday afternoon! But it had cleared up by 3pm and so we went for a walk. And unknown to us Deniliquin is actually the Ute capital of Australia if not the world! I was watching the cars while waiting for Neil in the IGA and I reckon every second car is a ute! On our walks around the town we came across this!

It's a mans world in Deniliquin and on our way out of town this morning we came across where the hold the Ute Muster every year around October!

There were even a few "supped" (spelling?) Utes in and around town. Also on our walk around the town yesterday afternoon we came across the court house building. It is a very imposing but impressive building.

and below is a close up of the emblem and columns

Anyway onto todays cycling. We took the quiet road from Deniliquin to Jerilderie via Conargo. And I think being a Sunday and Anzac day there wasn't alot of traffic but towards the afternoon I reckon at least 5 double trailer trucks passed us so they must be moving due to less traffic! It was a flat ride and a tailwind to Conargo, from there the road swings east and we either had a side or tail wind depends on which way the road angled!

It is a very different landscape compared to south of Deniliquin - there was less dairy fields and more open field country. Not too sure what it is used for but we did see sheep and cattle. After Conargo it is very shrubbery and of course 3 thorn jack country! Once we left the rest area at Conargo we checked the tires and Neil picked on out of Koutas rear trailer and said he thought he heard a psssss when he pulled it out. But he thought it would be a slow leak so eventually we may have to change the tube ... well it did go down but the tyre is really strong and to look at the wheel it didn't look flat until you felt it.

So here I was riding along and I thought that it was hard going but I thought it was due to the cross winds. So we took a break on someones looooooooooooong driveway.

Here I am all smiles for the camera but something told me to feel the trailer tyre ... and what do you know it was flat! I even asked Neil as we were riding along if it looked flat but he said it was okay but since the trailer wheel doesn't take alot of weight it is very deceiving and doesn't appear flat!

So we change (actually more Neil ... I tend to get in the way!) changed the tube over and cleared the tyre of any 3 thorn jacks!

I think we always knew that the trailer wheels are more likely to pick up the thorny burrs rather than the bike wheels as the bike wheels are really strong tyres.

Anyway as you can see by the km's done we have probably just done our biggest day yet since September last year! By the 80km mark I think I was beginning to feel it in the legs and the muscles began to get a little tired but we are both feeling okay and think we will head off tomorrow to Colembally which is 70km away ... mind you they are forecasting northerlies which will mean a headwind but I don't think they will be strong.

The campground here is nice, flat and quite big. There are 4 men in the other corner and they are all in their utes and swags ... now I have to say this ... the most USELESS CAMPING ITEM EVER IS THE SWAG!!! ... how very unAustralian is that! They leak in the rain! so why don't they make them more waterproof? ... or is that not "manly" enough! well it is not very "manly" when you run to the nearest laundry and use the drier to dry out all your clothes!!! Yep swags are about as useful as "tits on a bull"!!!