jamescheetham.net - West Sydney to Cootamundra 2003

Day 6 - Thursday, 20th March 2003 - Goulburn to Bungendore

During the rest day I was able to secure a bike for the rest of the trip. I bought the one that I had borrowed on Monday (Day 3). So setting off at 7:30am, I was able to make a good start. Today was the second longest day, estimated at 95kms.

Leaving Goulburn I made good time to Morning Tea and I got there by 9am. Taking 90mins with a few stops to cover 38kms. I had an average of about 30km/hr. On the way I was shadowing a few cars, and while passing in front of a School, I have a good example of what not to do. Overtake a car turning right. I paid my $45 fine to the MS Society.

Leaving Windellama (Morning Tea), I found out why I had been going so fast. Tail Wind, the only problem being it was now a cross wind, and that soon became a head wind. It was a head wind all the way to Lunch at Tarago, 26kms away. From Lunch (64kms two-thirds of the way), the wind was mainly a cross wind, but it was stil hard going. A few times I came close to getting blown off the road. It was a hard slog to Afternoon Tea where you often had to pedal downhill to get to the bottom. I had a short break and kept going. I was told 15kms, all downhill. Lying Bastard. It started off OK and I was making good time, but the downhill gave way to flat and the odd gentle climb, on a day like today any climb was unwelcome. I made camp at about 1:15pm, I was one of the early arrivals so I was spoilt for choice for a location. I think that if I was still on the Unicycle today it would have been impossible, although there were few climbs, the head wind and then the cross wind would have made unicycling very difficult.