Walpeup to Hopetourn

 Walpeup to Hopetoun = 84km
Cummulative totals = 8123km and 28,124km
Free camping at Lake Lascelles

It was a funny sort of day cycling today ... I found it hard to get into a rhythm of constant speed and peddling.  For 3/4's of the ride today the wind was coming from the east (and not the forecasted north east!) and since the road was generally running in a south east direction the wind was either a cross wind, a cross tailwind or a cross head wind ... it depended on the amount of wiggles in the road!  The last 20km I am happy to say was with a lovely tailwind as the wind finally swung around to the north and it pushed us into Hopetoun.
We have done this quiet road before but from Hopetoun to a bush camp about 4km before Hopetoun last year - do you remember it was on Grand final day and the next day Neil decides that we will ride the 4km into Walpeup to have brekky and I complained all the way and found I couldn't cope with anything on an empty stomach and no coffee!!!
This morning was a little warmer than previous mornings but the short hill out of town was a real killer on the fingers and toes ... point noted I don't like going down a hill first thing on a cold morning!  Crikey both Neil and I were complaining endlessly for the first 30mins that we can't feel our fingers and toes .. we might have to get some gloves tomorrow at Warracknabeal when we pass through!
Our cuppa spot was about 40km along and it is a very lush environment at the moment although they do say the crops of grain could do with a little rain ... but not until we get to Colac!

 this is the road we are on (looking back where we have come from)

 So not alot happens along this road but I did see this bike outside someones farm gate ... a good use of scrap farm machinery parts!

 We get to Hopetoun quite early and the idea was thrown up to continue to another 30km to Buelah as the winds were strong ... but we decided to go and free camp around Lake Lascelles ...

 This is our third time at Hopetoun and the other times we have stayed at the caravan park as it is not a good idea to camp at this lake on a weekend or public holiday as I think it is quite popular but today is Sunday and not many are around ... Here is Neil and Kouta enjoying the serenity ..

We are not far from the toilet block (about a 150m walk).  The toilet block does have showers but they are cold so we both had a very bracing cold shower just enough to get the grime of us ... it would be okay in Summer but late Winter is a bit hard.  Fortunately the day is warm so once out in the sun we soon warmed up!   so it was a lovely afternoon sitting in the sun until it got the better of us and we both had to turn the chairs around away from the lake as the sun was burning us.
the sunset tonight was beautiful across the lake ... but as soon as it went down the temperature did as well.

Tomorrows destination is Minyip but if the wind is strong like forecasted then we may try for Rupunyap