 The benefits of being in the bush are becoming more apparent: low light pollution and clear skies enable the magnificence of the night sky to be seen and the sounds of silence and wildlife going about their daily chores. However going to the loo in the middle of the night also provides its anxieties: are there snakes, spiders or thorn bushes on your path to the drop loo in the darkness? Again we were up early and on the road by 7:30am, riding slow in case of kangaroos or emus. First stop being Streaky Bay and a magnificent breakfast and strong coffee in a great location looking over the bay. Seems like a popular place. Today we are heading to Cactus Beach Campgroup, a Mecca for surfers all over the world as the waves breaking over the calcarenite reef apparently produce high class surf. From Streaky Bay we continued west on the B100 which then intersects with the Eyre Highway near Ceduna where we purchased some food and water to fill up our reserve bladders, 6Ltrs, plus our normal water. The temperature again climbed to over 40c on the straight roads as the sun climbed up behind us, thankful that it was not in our eyes, imagining what it would be like riding from West to East. Our eyes still swinging from left to right and back again in a constant motion like a metronome in search for any animals that might present a danger. We stopped off at the Ampol servo in Penong, purchased coffees and more water to replace what we had already drank and then turned south on the compacted dirt road for Cactus beach near Point Sinclair. There are a couple of campgrounds near the beach but Cactus has a better facilities. Linda hopped off and opened the gate on the track and we rode around looking for a suitable spot. As mentioned, it's a popular spot and its first come first served so we were lucky to find a suitable place near a cooking shelter and BBQ area. The wind off the ocean was blowing about 15 knots bringing with it relief from the hot temperatures of the interior we had experienced through the day. The tents we set up, mattresses, bags and pillows laid after a quick change out of our bike gear into shorts and T shirts. We all then went for a walk to stretch our legs and explore the beach. Lobo and Linda had a dip in the southern ocean to cool off and Jude and I went for a stroll down to Point Sinclair where there is a jetty and an enclosed area with a shark net. The sun had just dropped over the cliffs but it was light enough for a swim. After doing so we read a memorial plaque dedicated to an 11 year old boy, who in 1975 had tragically been taken by a shark while swimming out to a trawler to get some crayfish for his mother. If he had lived he would be the same age as all of us. The facilities on the campground are clean, interesting and well maintained and have a wonderful beach charm about them. The stoves were extracted from our luggage and fired up, sounding like rocket launchers as the unleaded fuel heated the contents of the saucepan in a few minutes. Noodles with soup and veg stirred in. Another early night as all of us fell asleep quickly in the cool night air although wakening later to the sounds of a group playing the guitar and singing. Wonderful. Click on images to open
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