Pyramid Hill to Bendigo

 Pyramid Hill to Bendigo/Epsom = 90km
Cummulative distance = 1095km / 20,001
Morning temperature = 16 degrees, daytime high = 28 degrees
Epsom campground = free!

We have made a decision to cut this trip short and so we rode from Pyramid Hill to Bendigo in one long day!
We woke early this morning after listening to the Geelong game last night and then being woken up by a car load of drunks!
Being a Sunday the road was quiet and we went south for about 56km before turning east for 5km then South for 20km and then east for another 9km.
Not a breathe of wind for the bulk of the ride heading south.  This road starts out lovely and in great condition but you continue south after the turnoff to Mitamo and it becomes really damaged - especially on our side of the road and on the left hand side of the lane.  This is due to the milk trucks that pick up milk around the farms and since the road is cambered the milk sloshes in the tank on the left so the road is more damaged compared to the center of the road and the lane going in the opposite direction!
At one of our breaks along this straight road we come across this bull called 'Boort' he even had his own name sign ...

and here is Boort in all his finest glory ...

 a mean bugger isn't he!  Kouta was super excited to see him and really wanted to ross the ditch to meet him!  Since all around here is livestock farms the flies when you stopped where thick and annoying ...

 At about 56km we turned east so we took a break there and unfortunately Kouta had a touch of loose stool, so we discarded his mat in his basket, turned the basket inside out and he sat in that.  Now Kouta has gone through quite a few dog baskets due to this - we are unable to wash it out most of the time so we have to ditch the pooey basket/mats - so Koutas past baskets are scattered all over the eastern seaboard of Australia covered in shite!!!
So we continue on this road, which is being resurfaced so the road was in a state of disrepair but okay to ride.  Along this road, just before we joined the road going south to Bendigo we came across a herd of mothers and their lambs, unfortunately one little lamb was on our side of the fence so we stopped to help it back over.  Off course they all think we are bad and are going to harm it so they all start bleeting and baaing and the little one is desperately trying to get back through the fence so it is Neils job to try and catch it and put it over the fence ...

 lucky for Neil the little one managed to get itself through the fence.
The road from here is on a nice road it is a bit hilly but the legs are feeling strong and find it no problem, actually it is a welcome relief to be riding hills as this means a down hill and so we get time to free wheel and hop out of the seat.
A further 18km we took another break and alas poor Kouta let his bowels loose again, this time the basket had to go and we made a makeshift basket out of this blanket and pegs - He did not like his new arrangement but it will do until we get to Woolworths in Epsom as it has a reject store to pick up a temporary bed for him!
On this road we come across this sign ...

We did consider going via there but we weren't sure if the road was all sealed, so we stuck to what we knew was sealed.  As you get closer to Bendigo the traffic picks up.
We are keeping an eye on the odometer as at the 89km mark we hit the 20,000km of touring since we left work.  We were umming and ahhing as to whether we would get enough kms up, we even thought about doing laps in the Woolworths supermarket carpark just to increase the kms so we definitely would make the 89km ... but that was unnecessary as we made it - Neil just before the Woolworths and me just after it!
Happy to be here in Bendigo and elated we did todays ride with ease!
Next trip - Pitcairn Island!