Sidmouth to Deloraine (28 April 2009)

Places we end up. Here. Deloraine, Tasmania, Australia, Earth. First, lovely, warm-hearted hosts to say goodbye to. A+ bike rides. Stunning river roads. Mad dogs to avoid. Huge brown ones, leaping over their gate to chase me down the street. Growling at the fence, rottweilers, luckily not jumping over anything. One way to get my heart rate up. And me smiling and shaking my head when they let me get away. Exeter turn off. Hungry cyclist in a bakery can cause a lot of damage to wallet. Turning off onto remote country roads. Paved, yay. Undulating hills. Nearly 30k's and “I'll stop at the top of this hill.” Chanting myself upwards with “I. Want. That. Do.nut. I. Want. That. Do.nut.” Mmm, donut. Shimmering green farm hills with dozens of sheep. Blue and sun and chilly in the shade. A racing cyclist passing me by. Looping back, am I okay, yes I'm okay, just finished my lunch. As he cycled away I gawked and thought, “I want calves like that!” 1500 k's later and my legs do not look like that. More hills to come but I like them now, so it was fun. Dead hawks, twisted, splayed, missing head. Butterflies, grasshoppers, alive, teasing me. Flocks of rosellas and yellow-tailed black cockatoos so close. So stunning. The feeling of fall. Yellow leaves, wind. “It's seasonal.” The smell and the whirring. This isn't Bellingham and I'm not cycling to an apple farm. Memories triggered by familiar scenes. Busier roads and farmlands and don't ask me why I didn't stop at the public toilet in Westbury. Crouching behind my bike on a gravel turn-off. I don't think anyone saw anything. Choc. Mint slice. Happy moments. Before the sun went away and it got cold. 7 k's left to Deloraine. Rivers and this is it, you've seen Tasmania. “Take it in. Take it all in. This is a time that will not come again.” Very aware of my dwindling time here. To Janet's place and searching for the key she left for me. Ravioli dinners and yet another friendly, caring person to spend my time with. Showers, dancing, and sleep with Mr. Sheep, the usual favorite things to look forward to post cycling.
Sidmouth to Deloraine:
Total K's: 76.84
Avg Spd: 16.3 k/hr
Max Spd: 49.3 k/hr
Hours on Bike: 4:41
KM Scary Hill Rating: 2/7