Day 10. Thursday 9 March, 2023. Swan Hill to Robinvale

      Nb1:  This blog is being created by an AI chatbot (ChatGPT)

Nb2: Click on photos to enlarge.

Lucky, lucky us as we travelled 143km to Robinvale from Swan Hill with a cross-tailwind behind us for most of the day.  This allowed us to cruise along in moderate comfort and average almost 26 kph for the day. Robinvale, and its twin town, Euston (just across the bridge in NSW), is home to an Italian population from the southern region of Calabria in Italy. Antonio put out the word that he was in town hoping to find some long-lost cousin who would give him a decent meal of pasta but had no luck.

The morning was the coldest we’ve had yet at a brisk 7degrees and it was definitely arm warmers and jackets at the start.

  

Ms Tradie had her doggie mascot, 'little mate'

all set up and ready to ride with her, which he did all day, snuggled into her shoulder.

The most bizarre incident occurred about 30 kms into our ride.  We were stopped by a most charming lady who introduced herself as QueenBee, head of bee research for the Vic. Ag. Dept. at Swan Hill. It seems that one of her bees had escaped and she was out and about trying to track it down.  And by the most AMAZING CO-INCIDENCE she happened to be the daughter of 'good friends' of PubServ. 

 Her parents, living in Melbourne, and with 3 years notice of when PubServ would be there,TOOK OFF TO QLD ONCE THEY KNEW THE DATE HE WOULD BE IN MELBOURNE EN ROUTE TO CORRYONG.

QueenBee asked us if we could keep an eye out for the missing bee and let her know if we spotted it, but we didn't have the heart to later inform her that one of the group accidentally swatted it 

at morning tea and left it stunned, bewildered and dying in a crumpled heap.

Morning tea, albeit somewhat spoiled by this traumatic incident, was at the lovely little town of Tooleybuc, 50 kms from Swan Hill, situated right on the Murray. 

 Kaybie was much amused by a sign in the coffee shop

and we admired the old cottage

that was for this bloke.

 He’s no longer there but the bridge is and it’s strictly one-way traffic.

No room here for bicycles to squeeze past.

when one of these mosters is coming through

Leaving Tooleybuc it was heads down for the next 40 kms until we were brought to a screeching halt by roadworks, 

until the lights turned green and we were off again.

A park at Boundary Bend was our destination for lunch, and Cocky made a nice little killing here.  He had pre-ordered a box of sandwiches

from the General Store in Tooleybuc, paying $6.50 per round, then flogged them off to the starving cyclists for $10.00 each, making a tidy profit for himself. Some said he was a smart entrepreneur while others described him as a miserable, thieving ba*****d.

There was a more varied landscape along the route today.  This ‘ring tree’ was particularly interesting,

but there were also billabongs

and more typical open bushland and farmland,

while as we approached grape-growing country we started seeing more of this.

  The covers over the grapes, we were told, is to keep the rain off to prevent the grapes splitting and allowing mould to set in which would make them worthless for making wine.  

An intersting engineering feat here as two bicycles are leant against each other with such mathematical precision that they remain perfectly balanced and able to support themselves unaided …..

..... almost. 

Antonio looks on,

musing, "Mamma Mia. Che maledetta stupidità. What they thinka they are doing?"

PIDDLE  AND WIDDLE 

 We can easily see Piddle but can you spot Widdle hidden among the bushes?

Faybie and Kaybie look bemused after learning how much they were ripped off by Cocky for his over-priced, soggy, lettuce and mayonnaise sandwiches – on two day old bread as well!

PubServ has his eyes closed and his hearing aids out

so he can neither see what he’s doing nor hear people telling him he looks a right bloody mess.  

By 2.30 we had arrived

in Robinvale and found our comfortable cabin

right on the banks of the Murray River.

Nurse Sandrino has been treating Ganners' wounded arm

and reports he is making reasonable progress.  She has advised him to increase his daily intake of alcohol from 2 to 3 bottles of wine and to add half a carton of stubbies (just to be on the safe side) in order to kill any bacteria that may still be lurking.  Ganners said that wasn't much more than he already drank daily and would be delighted to comply. Nurse S. warned him that failure to take his 'medicine' could lead to septicemia and possible amputation, at worst, or a severe case of halitosis at best.  

The locals at the Caravan Park kept us amused as they raced the qualifying heats

of the Senior Citizens' battery-powered buggies championship.

After a long day's riding, and following a meal at the local golf club it was

to all in readiness for a trip to Mildura tomorrow.

Selfish Rider Award
Name	Kms ridden day	Total kms ridden	Name	Kms ridden day	Total kms ridden
Antonio	143	616	Ms Tradie	52	242
Chalkie	143	616	Ms Twinkletoes	91	509
Cockie	91	413	PubServ	143	616
Faybie	52	265	SASMan	91	348
Ganners	52	427	Twinkletoes	143	585
Kaybie	52	268

Helpful Driver Award
Name	Kms unridden day	Total kms unridden	Name	Kms unridden day	Total kms unridden
Antonio	0	0	Ms Tradie	91	424
Chalkie	0	0	Ms Twinkletoes	0	107
Cockie	52	203	PubServ	0	0
Faybie	91	351	SASMan	52	252
Ganners	91	189	Twinkletoes	0	31
Kaybie	91	328
·         Includes agreed reduction according to formula.