The Tour Down Under continues to swelter...

For those of you who find cycle racing tedious (philistines!) then read no more. However, for devotees like Kate, Kim and me it is magic and we were there at the final stage of the Tour Down Under: the 90km Criterium that sweeps around the centre of Adelaide.

Unfortunately, the temperature was already climbing into the high thirties (expected max. 43) as we drove to Adelaide in the stifling heat that never let up all day. Once in the city, we strolled along the roadside trying to find some shade and positioning ourselves for the first glimpse of the riders: this is always tremendously exciting. And here they come.....

And then closer,

and then they tackle the bend.

There were 20 laps in all, so we took it easy and watched on the big screen for a bit, then resumed our spot at the barrier. The peloton is strung out a little now and the riders are so close to us. Everyone is cheering and clapping as they speed past.

The heat was really getting to us so we had to stop for a cool milkshake and fizzy drinks. As an aside here: Kate gave her water bottle to an elderly lady who was just about to collapse in the heat. A security guard came and called an ambulance, but the woman gratefully accepted and demolished Kate's water. We were amazed at the lack of consideration the organisers gave to the public in response to this appalling heat. There were no places to refill water bottles,  no shade in the 'village' apart from a few sails in one small area, and no stalls selling drinks along the route; in addition, many cafes in the city were closed - did they think spectators wouldn't eat or drink???

The cyclists took care of themselves with drinks...

and food...

Here a rider is having a bit of a stretch by crouching down, though he doesn't seem very comfortable to me.

While this rider is keeping his cool and looks so at ease.

Round and round the route they went. It doesn't look like it in this photo but they are going really fast. I couldn't recognise anyone at the speed they were going.

I like this next photo: two riders at the front are chatting; one behind is crouching; one on the right further back is going into his jersey pouch for food. 

I wonder what they were talking about?

Eventually, there were only two laps to go... then one ... and excitement mounted. We watched as they came down the last stretch as they were sorting themselves out for the final sprint, though they still had a while to go here. 

But everyone started positioning themselves.

Just as they rounded the last bend near where we were standing, four riders crashed, but no-one was hurt - probably more annoyed and embarrassed as they quickly sorted their bikes out and rejoined the race!

Then I abandoned my camera to the cheers, cow-bell ringing and clapping as we followed the sprint on the big screen. In a flash it was all over. Kate and Kim were dropped off at the airport and I drove back to the relative cool of Encounter Bay. The Tour Down Under done for another year.

A sweltering Tour Down Under

I was so looking forward to this year's Tour Down Under. I was initiated into the world of cycling last year when I strolled into Victor Harbor to watch Stage 3 as the riders did three laps of the town in pleasant mid-twenties temperatures under a cloudless blue sky. It was a great day and I have been a convert ever since, following all the European Classics and Grand Tours on TV (while Steve remains steadfastly indifferent to the lure of the races with their tactics, the riders' incredible reserves of physicality and the gorgeous scenery).

But what a contrast was last year to this year's stage. The temperature was already hovering at the 38 degree mark as the riders left Adelaide in the morning. Wisely, the organisers decided to cut two laps of Victor bringing the race to 120 kms. Sadly for us locals, we were only to glimpse the riders twice as they whizzed past.

The upside was that daughter Kate and her husband Kim were in town. However, as determined as we were to cheer on the riders, we too succumbed to the treacherous heat.  Somehow (with a few bottles of water under our belt) we managed to last the distance until after the presentations.

The town was suitably decorated  (I love these racing kangaroos) and even forced poor Kate to pose with one.

We first needed to find a good place to position ourselves for when the riders came to town. It was a rather forlorn welcome for them as there were NO spectators save a few foolhardy people like us (whereas last year the crowds had lined all the streets 4-deep). But the bridge and nearby trees were decorated with colourful bows!!!!

We walked ...

We sat...

...we stood.

Finally, some action: the forerunner  to the race is the 'caravan' of sponsor cars which is always good fun to see.

 And then the police....

 and the helicopter hovering to alert us to the riders' approach...

... and here they come. I am now beside myself with excitement. They are certainly burning up the road. They have already ridden around 100kms in 40 degree heat, yet they look determined and professionally 'cool'.

And, just like that, in the blink of an eye, they have turned the corner and disappeared.

We followed the route to the finish line to try and position us as close to the barrier as we could for when they re-appeared for the final sprint, though with Kim's height of 6'7" he was not unduly worried. We figured the riders would reappear from their lap of the town and environs in about 15 minutes.

The commentators kept us informed and soon we were scanning the road for a sign of the riders.

 I decided to put my camera away and enjoy the finish. So no photos from me. World champion Peter Sagan raced right past me at around 70 kph and it didn't register. They whizz past so quickly before you even feel their presence. But Kim managed to effortlessly video the whole of the sprint finish from his phone, even panning to show the riders as they sped over the finish line - the dirty rat!!!!

We gave support to those at the back of the race as just finishing on a day like today was a feat in itself.

 And Kate hammered on the barrier as is the custom.

We had to wait a while for the presentations to give the winners a chance to cool down - while we were getting hotter and hotter as we stood in the open with the sun pouring down on us. Were we mad?

But it felt good to join the cheers as the winners received their trophy, a bunch of flowers and a toy koala! Here Italian Elia Viviani receives his bounty as today's first-over-the-line winner.

South African Nicholas Dlamini won a sprint AND a mountain climb.

Living legend Jens Voigt was a presenter. He is a hero for Kim who has even named his cat Jens.

Australian Caleb Ewan was a popular winner in the General Classification category.
 

We limped back to the car and collapsed in air-conditioned comfort back home. A fabulous though devilishly hot adventure. Later, we saw film of some of the riders jumping into the bay after the race for a well-deserved cooling off.

An excursion to Port Elliot

Although the sky was an overcast grey, we set off for a wander around the lovely coastal village of Port Elliot just down the coast from us.  I always love a visit here, strolling past the old sandstone buildings that convey a sense of times past, popping into the secondhand bookshop for a browse, perusing the homewares and posh clothing at Coast By Design and ending up along the coastal walk. And that's just what we did on this visit.

First up, we wandered around the current railway station, built 1911. Even though it was holiday time and a Saturday,  the Cockle Train that runs from Victor Harbor to Goolwa was not running so the station was deserted; (the train gets its name from the train that used to take day-trippers who flocked to Goolwa to gather the cockles at the beach).

I am cheating here as this next photo is from an earlier visit, but it was so exciting to see the Cockle Train coming round the bend (and it was all I could do to stop singing Johnny Cash's 'Folsom Prison Blues' with the lines ' I hear the train a'comin rollin' round the bend.')



This hotel was originally called the Railway Hotel, built in 1868 and situated just down from the station.

We were now strolling down The Strand, the main thoroughfare in Port Elliot that goes from the main road right down to the coast. I'm always interested in old Social Institutes - those buildings that were built to foster a love of science, history, new inventions, reading and entertainment for the masses. They flourished in the mid-1800s and onwards. Here is Port Elliot's contribution to enlightenment, the Library and Institute Hall constructed in 1880.

I love the warm honey-coloured bluestone and the obvious attention to detail.

Using similar material is the tiny 1879 Council Chambers, with the 1920's war memorial in the background.

To the left, Steve takes a shot, while to the right is a front-on view.














While many of the old buildings survive, some places are reduced to a wall, some foundations, or one building instead of the many that once occupied the site. Here, all that remains of the post office site is the wall and an adjoining building.

Here's a lovely touch of art imitating art.... the 1970s classic film 'Storm Boy' was recently remade and Port Elliot was chosen for a number of location shots. A full sized mural of the Rosella parrot circa 1950s was painted onto the Jelly General Store for the movie.

The cottages and gardens are lovingly cared for and impart a seaside ambience that visitors love and admire.

I find it inexplicably sad and cannot find an answer to explain the wilful demolishment of so many similar cottages to make way for this set of units near all these lovely homes.

A little further on and my faith is restored with these magnificent reminders of the days when Port Elliot was the place to go for summer holidays to avoid Adelaide's bustle and heat, and boarding houses abounded.

We were getting near the end of The Strand by now and came across the former Obelisk Croquet Club. In the background you can just see the 1853 obelisk erected as a landmark for shipping.

Look closely to see what is perched on the top of the obelisk.

We descended some steps and below us we could see what used to be the ladies'-only beach. A nearby plaque tells us that the Harding girls - Mary, Doris and Daisy - were regular bathers here in the early 1900s.  Men had already been given the right to bathe at nearby Horseshoe Bay (but only if they were wearing a suitable bathing costume and with a policeman on duty). I walked down the steep steps to the beach and soaked up the atmosphere for a while, noting that it was indeed secluded from the Bay, so women would have certainly felt free to bathe in peace.

Back up the steps and onto the coastal walk which meanders along the coast giving us wonderful seascapey views.

We then returned along The Strand, taking in the 1910 post office (now an art gallery) ...

the stately 1864 St Judes church built of locally quarried bluestone...

 ... and found time to do some last-minute browsing.

A great day and a place we'll return to often. We noticed that there's a new wine bar just opened that we haven't been to yet........