Lily and Tim get wind

Day 8. 17/9/11: Burra Gorge to Orroroo

The wind kept up all night and most of the morning, but eventually, we bade farewell to the magnificent trees and drove north, to Orroroo. Nothing much to report, really: a cruisy day: went through Burra, stopped off for lunch in Peterborough. Lily had a burnt Anzac cookie and Tim had a yo-yo biscuit that tasted like dust, and the music selection ranged from "Bad Medicine" by Bon Jovi in the cafe to a track by Adele in the IGA. Love a bit of variety. First day with no running, paddling or riding, so catching up on blogging and reading: and hope to be more on top of it from now on!

I guess the one thought that has stayed with me the last two days is, as we get closer, the distance we're planning to run gets a little more real. It's really cool, but bizarre to be driving across this massive open country and looking at this wide wide horizon, with a long silhouette of low mountains way off in the distance, and to think that we're going to run from one end of the horizon to the other, and then some. Makes me smile.

That's a fly, not a beauty spot

Arrived in Orroroo on the day of the footy and netball grandfinals, and despite the fact they lost, the locals in the pub were a fantastic bunch. Young, old, babies, grandparents, but mostly kids who'd been at the netball and footy.  Maybe we left too early to see it turn pear-shaped, but the atmosphere was really welcoming. The barman (owner, Dad of the other barman) was funny, generous and cheerful - sharing our disappointment that there were no desserts on the menu, but saying that there used to be: his wife used to make pavlova, but he used to eat it all, and then he became diabetic, so they changed the menu. It was that kind of sharing, easygoing, honest place full of people laughing and stil being nice to each other. It was impressive, and seemed to match a lot of what was happening around town: the work people had put in to the presentation of businesses, the quality of food, even the paving, the rows of shady trees and park benches on the central nature strip running down the main street.

Tim at the pub in Orroroo

We went for a walk after dinner and as I peered in to check out the score in the AFL finals, we said hello to the people sitting outside the other pub having a smoke. "If you want dinner, you'd better get in quick 'cause the kitchen's closing in a few minutes." This woman's first comment was smiling and thinking about whether or not we'd had dinner, and didn't want us to miss out! Not the usual first comment two city blow-ins usually get from a local who's had a few beers and is sitting outside their country pub. And Lily's meal (a plate of vegetables and chips) cost $4! And a lemon squash and a glass of red wine: $4! Good, cheap night!