Port Broughton to Moonta – water and navigation errors

Port Broughton residents are getting excited about Christmas and have installed a Christmas tree and a gingerbread family. Breakfast offerings were limited but we found a cafe that did pretty good bacon and egg sandwiches.

We were caught short of water yesterday so bought a bottle of water from the Snowtown IGA for $1.15. While eating curry at the roadhouse we thought it best to get another bottle but the price there was over $5, so back to the shop again. We ran low before reaching Port Broughton and filled up at a farm house. This morning Ian’s bidon could not be found, and once on the road, too far to turn back, he remembered that the extra bottle was left behind, chilling in the fridge. We topped up from a garden tap in Tickera and made it to Wallaroo without expiring from thirst.

The Mundoora Arm

Our first 20 km today were on the bitumen as far as Bute Boundary Road which took us west to the coast of Spencer Gulf.

This was a good road most of the way with some sandy sections that were not welcome.

We then turned north along Coast Road, not sandy, to the small town of Tickera.

Tickera is the Crab Capital of the Copper Coast – get your crabs here! There is a boat ramp, neat houses and streets and a few fishing boats just offshore.

Still life – cyclist’s morning tea and RAA map

This house in Tickera had pumpkins and zucchinis planted amongst the kangaroo paws and a great view of Spencer Gulf. After leaving Tickera, we intended to ride along Myponie Drive, a coastal road beside the gulf, but our turn off was not signposted and we missed it leading to a navigation error. We were in sight of Wallaroo and took Point Riley Road, only to discover that this road did not go through. We then had to backtrack about 5km. Grrrr! But at least we had a tail wind on the backtracking section.

We found our preferred drinks in Wallaroo (mine was pink!) and made it to the bakery, opposite the silos, just before they sold out of pasties.

The wheat crop has been harvested – all the paddocks are bare now, so Wallaroo has mountains of grain everywhere. A big ship was being loaded via this conveyer from the silos.

The Old Wallaroo Road was a long straight stretch to Moonta. The roadside gum trees are doing their best, many ragged and bent from constant wind. This one had bees swarming in its hollow. Although we had widespread rain across South Australia a few days ago, there is now little evidence of it apart from water lying in a few lagoons and the occasional waterhole in a creek.

Moonta Town Hall

The Cornish flag! We dined at the Indian Grill, run by a Sikh family who arrived here only three months ago. Highly recommended! We are staying at the Cornwall Hotel, an old sandstone building with a wide balcony and front bar full of regulars. The rooms and facilities have been recently updated. We are paying less for 2 nights here than we paid for one night in Clare where everything was booked up, leaving us few options.