No compote of summer fruits with honey or yogurt, no muesli either. The breakfast board specials menu at the Caiguna Roadhouse offered the more traditional: Sausages, onions and gravy, lambs fry or savoury mince. Aahh the memories along with the nausea came rushing back, of Sunday night meals my overworked Mum would knock up when I was a child. Always able to be extended with the addition of what ever was on hand, so as to feed an army of hungry and ungrateful children.
“So what will it be hon?” asked the waitress.
“Just toast and tea please.” I could see the disappointment on her face, so I added: “For a start and we will see where we go from there.” Let me tell you , we weren’t going anywhere.
Clear skies with a strong tailwind, my chance to shine today, however it was only a short ride of 65kilometers to Cockelbiddy. I toyed with the idea of riding a little further then free camping somewhere. It was too long a day to ride the further 100 kms to Madura so I decided to stay at Cockelbiddy which turned out to be a really good choice.
As I was setting up camp the winds increased, the sky grew darker and I knew what was coming. Securing my tent and panniers, I indulged myself in a heavenly hot shower. Clean and refreshed, I sat in the roadhouse drinking tea as the heavens opened, a real downpour, afterwards made complete with a another double rainbow!
On the road I kept an eye out for camels, but they weren’t keeping an eye out for me. I moved my head from side to side open mounted scanning the horizon. I must have looked like one of those arcade clowns at the Royal Show. I crossed into another time zone (not The Twilight Zone but similar). The Central Western Time Zone. Advance clocks 45 min, said the sign, a sure indication I’m heading east.
My bike computer tells me I have ridden over 2000 kms since leaving Perth just over 3 weeks ago. Not bad despite the rain! My experience thus far has been somewhat different to that of the first person to cycle across the Nullarbor, Arthur Charles Jeston Richardson who said it was “1000 degrees in the shade”. Audax Australia, have an award named after him.
I’m happy for the South Westerly’s to continue, just without the rain please ! 
Cycle Touring Australia and Beyond 
Thanks friends for your wise words and encouragement
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Reading your journal with a wry smile on my face because I’m wondering at what stage of this trip will you start craving multisyllabic conversations and chuckling to myself. You write beautifully and I enjoy your adventures from the warmth and safety of my bed and the warm body snuggled up beside me.
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The voices never stop, I do chuckle away to myself, today I was writing letters to the editor, all harmless I’m sure
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Hey nick, Madura might have the same menu delights on offer but I found a lot of the road houses made half decent salad sandwiches which I tend to live on when travelling across the nullabor. You’ll love Madura pass. A mountain in the middle of nowhere and the plain stretching out below for miles. The vastness is breathtakingly beautiful. Enjoy.
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Hi Steph , camp set up , then I went for a walk back up to watch the sunset over the Roe Plains at Madura Lookout , glorious !
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I wouldnt worry about the camels nick.the aroma eminating from you would be similar ( the perfect disguise) if you are serious about the sardine combo for gods sake stay away from the baked beans or you will be unable to cope with yourself,keep peddling.
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All good Brother , Solo long distance cycling has its own particular pleasure, when I find out exactly what that is, I will let you know !
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Yeah, not a real lot of choice in the breakfast department.
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Thanks Eddie , All part of the adventure I guess
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