05/01/2023
Thanks to Ash Hall Cycles for getting me back on the road today. What a well-stocked store in Echuca, Victoria!
My rear pannier rack collapsed yesterday (sadly, I was just kilometres from reaching The Australian Beer Museum. 😔) A broken screw meant that I couldn’t ride with my bags, so I used some cable ties to hold the rack in place and handed my panniers off to a kind stranger who stopped to rescue me. I joked that he probably wouldn’t want to steal my dirty laundry (and silently contemplated how upset I would be if I lost my possessions.)
After several nights camping, I jumped online and requested to stay with a cycling family in town, and thankfully they agreed to host me for my first-ever WarmShowers experience. I was treated to a delicious dinner, great cycling conversation and a cozy bed. David and Jodi and their kiddos don’t own a car, as they choose to ride everywhere. They are passionate about travel and soon moving to Canada to continue life on two wheels.
Jodi’s dad popped by, went bag to his workshop to find a suitable screw and then repaired my rack so I could load up and get to the bike store for some final adjustments.
Lastly, Daryl did deliver my bags, he just forgot about my sleeping bag, which rolled under some stuff in his boot/trunk. He had already headed home (to his abode about 80 minutes drive away), so this morning, I took a bus ride to Bendigo to collect it. That little hiccup ended up being another surprisingly wonderful adventure.
I need my sleeping bag for frosty nights in my tent, but it’s the kindness of strangers that truly warms my heart. ❤️