Day 5 - Rankins Springs to Lake Forbes 195km
Today: 195km
Total: 1067km
Halfway!
Very early start today for the entire team as we had to drive 55k to our starting point at Rankin Springs. That meant sitting down for breakfast at 5:30am. Not so bad for the kiwi contingent as they’re still on NZ time.
Quite a chilly morning, at 9 degrees so a fast start in high gear just to warm up. Roads were tree lined so took even longer for sun to warm us up.
The first 50k seemed to fly by even with the head wind. Quick stop for second breakfast thanks to Pauline in the support vehicle then back on the road with the ever present sou’easter. Did we mention we were heading south east! Still, Sam provided a great lead out for the team anchor!
It turns out that the road we were on is a little known Silk Road as most vehicles, in both directions, were 4x4s towing caravans with grey nomads at the wheel. I guess they were all intent on zipping along to the next caravanserai to get the prime stall for their next stay!
Lunch was ready for us 10k out of West Wyalong at the 110k mark. Our support manager found yummy pies and treats which were greatly appreciated. A 40 minute break then we were off again on probably the worst road so far. Heaps of road works, little or no shoulder and rough as. Our poor butts took a hammering. Ouch!
Today was aways going to be a short day at only 195k so we made good time and arrived at Lake Forbes around 4:30pm.
Whilst rolling along we increased our knowledge for truck names. Readers will recall roadies and longies; but we now have cabbies (cab with no trailer), stubbies (short trucks), tommies (tankers), hazyies (loaded with hay), cattlers (with cows or sheep), rattlers (empty cattlers), oh the mind doth wander!
Off to the pub tonight to celebrate the halfway mark. Yippee yahoo!
