Day 3 Meningie to Bordertown (180km)
Dressed and off at 5:30 for the Meningie hole in one challenge. With most of the town turning out at 6 in the morning some exceptionally bad golfers contributed another $350 to the tour tally. We also met a local shearer who recently became one of only 140 Australian men diagnosed with breast cancer in the last 12 months. He found a lump, checked it out much to the hilarity of his mates and saved his life.
So on the road at 7:30 for one of the tour’s most scenic sections, in the rain. Scenic that is if you can see past driving rain and aren’t shivering with cold. For the 2nd day running this was a tough start. By mid-morning the rain had stopped, the wind had quietened and all was well, apart from the fact we still had 130 km to pedal! There’s very little at the end of a flat, windy 6.5 hour ride that doesn’t ache. Within minutes of arriving the opportunity to wallow in self-pity was cut short by a completely random encounter with a gentleman called Matt Napier. Matt it transpires was walking….bouncing a Sherrin AFL ball…….all the way from Perth to Sydney. All to raise awareness of global poverty.
The other big highlight that put my sore backside in perspective came minutes after my chat with Matt as the last group of riders rolled in with a young lady called Renae at the front. Renae was a 2 day guest rider who had joined the day before but had been badly exhausted in the first day crosswinds and had to pull out for half the ride. She is also a young lady who in August was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She was operated on the same month and is continuing now with heavy medication. She bought and started riding a bike in December, and on April 28 she completed 180 km of hard riding on the back of sheer willpower and guts. How inspirational is that! More than a few tears and more than a few hugs were shared with Renae. She has set the level of commitment for every rider from now until Canberra. Later in the night I would award fellow rider Gary Newton the focus jersey for staying by her side all day & supporting her in her ride to get to the finish.
Evening saw us at the Bordertown Football Club. No cream puff auction but again fantastic community spirit with people paying $30 a head for dinner and all catering volunteered by the local supermarket. Three days of riding is definitely taking its toll and it was a quieter night with lights out well before 10. Monday is a big day with the tour’s first school visit!
Seb from 100things.com attempting a hole in one.
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