June 27: From Port to Shining Port
Although I’ve encountered many unexpected surprises in my trips through five different continents, today was a first in terms of a narrow miss with a sprinting emu as well as an unexpected stop at a medical clinic. All in all, the trip south from Port Agusta to Port Lincoln along the Spencer Gulf was a delight.
Waking up this morning, I concluded that I could no longer ignore my swollen, red, and hot to the touch elbow. After packing up the bike, I visited a local pharmacist who took one look at my appendage and directed me to the doctor next door, who kindly prescribed some antibiotics for my reaction to what was either an earlier insect bite or cut.
After downing my first two pills, I hit the road on the Lincoln Highway, traveling first across the Joy Baluch AM Bridge and then weaving my way along the coast and inland through the towns of Whyalla, Cowell, and Arno Bay.
The rich, deep hues of red, purple, pink, orange, and brown present in so much of the arid land on both sides of me were captivating. Yellow and light green tufts of dry grass were sprinkled in the foreground of the orange tinted dirt, and a variety of colorful buttes and plateaus rose up around me.
Just past Whyalla, while studiously keeping to the speed limit, a large, gangly emu sprinted out in front of me, hopping across the road in a few large strides. Mindful of the fact these beasts can turn on a dime, I kept my eye on the animal’s whereabouts as I skirted around it, having already seen several kangaroo and emu carcasses on both sides of the road.
Entering the little town of Cowell, I was treated to my first glimpse of the renowned Australian silo art – a towering and colorfully created collage of a camel, a middle-aged man, and a bird in flight painted on three large grain silos. What a pleasant solution to what might otherwise be a rather large eye sore.
Continuing south, the landscape became greener, the sun came out in full force, and more of the distinctive flat-topped trees (perhaps eucalyptus cameldulensis) made striking pops of grey, black, and dark green silhouettes against the rolling verdant farmland.
Checking into my hotel room in Port Lincoln, I discovered an unexpected bonus – the hotel I am staying in is just across the street from the port and my room window looks out on the water. What a great day on the bike!
