SA 2020, December 31

I was a bit worried about a very sore hamstring from yesterday's driving, so did a slightly shorter 11 kilometre run in the morning. I went from the hotel up to Blue Lake and around, but didn't realise it was going to be quite so steep during the lake loop, not really what I was hoping for.

Got packed up and departed the hotel for a quick tour around Mt Gambier before heading on to the next destination. Started with the Umpherston Sinkhole which is a big hole in the ground, lots of plants at the bottom and hanging off the walls - not something you see every day.

Umpherston Sinkhole

A short drive up the hill to Blue Lake for a better view, it has quite an impressive bright blue colour, not sure if there is a story behind it. Another drive across to Valley Lake which is more of a blue-green color. There was a small enclosed conservation area that was claiming to have lots of animals to see, all I got was one kangaroo. I hadn't noticed before how loud they smash into the ground when they hop away.

The Blue Lake

Above the lake is a trail up to the Centenary Tower, it's just a small tower building and it wasn't open, so it's just a viewpoint above the town. That was it for Mt Gambier as I had a lot of driving to do again today, and everyday - I wasn't too excited about the amount of driving involved in my plan, but there was a bit of a reason for it, and I wanted to split up the driving as evenly as possible. 

Valley Lake

Time to settle in for a long drive to Kingston SE, a couple of hours and a good spot for a lunch break. Nothing much memorable along the way, a couple of cars driving ridiculously slow like 20+ kilometres under the speed limit. Another dingo encounter, this one didn't even react to the car coming, but it was far enough away to not be a problem.

The strangely named Kingston SE is a standard small beach town, I wasted a bit too much time driving around looking for somewhere to get lunch, then found a good bakery right across the road from The Big Lobster, so I should have just started there. Somehow I forgot to check if there was any magnets for sale at The Big Lobster place before leaving.

The Big Lobster

Back in the car for afternoon driving, getting really warm after being parked in the sun for a while. This time I was a bit more sensible with not driving too long, and had another break in Meningie and then finishing the day in Murray Bridge, after a minor detour past The Big Olive in Tailem Bend.

The Big Olive, should it be The Big Olives ?

The injuries from yesterday all seemed ok, instead a new pain under my left knee which is a common issue, probably from sitting with my leg extended all day. Pretty tired again, but had enough energy to walk up to the top of the main street to find a Mexican restaurant and a supermarket. Back to the hotel again for another BBL match on TV, not sure if any of these games were memorable but it's something to watch at least.

I thought Murray Bridge would be a unlikely place for fireworks, but I heard some going off during the evening, although couldn't see anything from the hotel windows.

SA 2020, December 30

I waited until the last minute due to possible travel restrictions, before eventually deciding on a quick four day trip to the eastern region of South Australia. Leaving after lunch at about 1pm, I was expecting to arrive in Mt Gambier somewhere around 6pm, then I remembered the 30 minutes due to the time zone differences which was a nice bonus.

After the usual slow traffic getting across the city it was good driving the rest of the way to Ballarat. The main traffic signs suggested going through Ballarat to reach Hamilton, while the GPS was saying to go all the way to Ararat first. This GPS often gives weird suggestions which are quite different to common sense and Google Maps, but I decided to go with it.

Just before getting to Ararat I was about to reach a convoy stuck behind a truck carrying a boat, so that was a good time to stop for a break, fuel, and pineapple donut. My lower back was feeling quite sore, but legs weren't so bad thanks to cruise control.

The route from Ararat to Hamilton was quite deserted, just a few cars coming the other way. I should have stopped for another break in Hamilton but decided to go a bit further. The GPS again appeared to give some alternative route through Dartmoor, I was hanging out for a good rest stop that never came. Had my first encounter with a dingo (maybe) that just froze in the middle of the road, lucky no traffic so I was able to quickly drive around it.

Finally got to stop about 25 kilometres before Mt Gambier, feeling really beat up from close to 3 hours of driving. Found the hotel, then got the news I'd missed while driving all afternoon that Victoria's 60+ days with no coronavirus was over. The opposite situation would have been much worse, if some cases had appeared in SA and there was a risk of being stuck or having to do some period of isolation.

I went out for a quick walk around the town centre, past the small Cave Garden sinkhole, and got some food for dinner. Then back to the hotel to watch some BBL and rest for another big day tomorrow.

Cave Garden