Swan Reach to Morgan

Swan Reach to Morgan = 65km

Cummulative total = 955km

Man it was one hell of a hot evening last night and it didn't cool down until really late. Poor Kouta he couldn't find a cool spot in the tent ... eventually he settled near Neil.

We went for a short walk yesterday along the river bank and saw that there were quite alot of people swimming in the Murray - somehow knowing our luck if we did swim in the Murray we would be one of the unlucky and get sick so we don't really want to risk it! although it was very tempting last night since it was so warm.

This is a photo of one of the picnic areas alongside the murray at Swan Reach - as you can see the table is nearly under water. In fact where they were swimming there was a table almost submerged in the water and they were using it as a pontoon!

One thing I forgot to mention is that while having lunch all 3 off us crammed under a tiny tree trying to keep in the shade we had the cheese all cut and sitting on the bob table and off course kouta can reach the table if he wanted too ... and yesterday he did reach it - Neil had left the cut cheese slices on the edge of the table in front of Kouta and Kouta decides to eat the cheese thinking we are not paying attention and unfortunately I wasn't quick enough and he managed to walk up to the table, lick the top cheese slices and nearly (but not quite) put all the cut cheese in his mouth!!! The poor thing must have been very hungry as he hasn't done that before. So he got some cheese yesterday! There is only one other time he has eaten something before it has been given to him and that was one time we were having a cuppa and kouta always gets 2 schmackos as a treat. So Neil got them out and put them on the ground and of course kouta had seen what Neil was doing and so he waited patiently and Neil decides to 'faff' about and dilly dally along and Kouta got sick of waiting and promptly ate the 2 schmackos all by himself. A few minutes later Neil suddenly remembers the schmackos and can't find them! he soon realises that Kouta helped himself to them and couldn't be bothered waiting for him!

We knew today was going to be a warm day and we wanted to try to get up early but unfortunately Neil forgot the alarm clock (we forgot alot of stuff this tour!) so we have been getting up rather late. But the campground had a few seasonal workers and we thought they would wake up early and they did so we got up just after they all left at 6.30am and it was a cooler morning and cloudy. We set off at just after 8am so we made pretty good timing.

We climbed out of Swan Reach and took a very quiet road that follows the murray (most of the time we could see it) up to Blanchetown.

From Blanchetown you can either jump on the busy Sturt highway and go to Waikerei or take a very quiet road and go to Morgan - off course we took the quiet road.

How quiet was it? well enough to have a cuppa on the actual road!

You can see we are alongside the road in this photo but eventually the ants got to us and so we moved the seats onto the actual road itself - not one car came by.

If you look at Kouta he does what he normally does every morning tea when I finish eating my cake and start on my 2-3 biscuits - he comes up and stares me down, so I have to bite of a piece for him dunk it in my coffee and give him some - he loves it! so I end up with only 2 out of the 3 biscuits and he has the other!

It was great riding today and despite it being our 4th day cycling and a tiring day yesterday we both pulled up ok. Fortunately we had a tailwind so that made it easy going.

Like I said we got to see the murray a fair bit along this road and off course we had to take photos - are you sick of them yet? too bad because here are some more!

the photo above is not exactly the murray river but as you come into Morgan near the conservation reserve is something they call the murray lagoon and off course there is plenty of water and so either side of the road there is a beautiful lagoon. you can see the red algae in the foreground of the photo.

Just after the lagoon you cross over the murray via a ferry and just up the road is the caravan park.

We are here for 2 nights and it is a top tourist park and we think we are the only ones here for tonight! It does have quite a few holiday caravans here so i would imagine that maybe this weekend there might be a few people. It is a well maintained park but no kitchen facilities and the bbq is either $1 for electric or 20 cents for gas. So tonight we are having "rissoles love"