Cold, cold, cold a good frost had settled overnight with the temperature dropping to -3.5 °C. Everywhere was white over, but snug in our sleeping bags we were feeling cosy (just about!).

Frozen tent

It took a while for the sun to overcome the morning mist and thaw out the frost covered tent so we started later today.

Frosty scene

The road was very quiet and nice to cycle along past green rolling hills off to each side of us (even with very little rain it is green everwhere, in fact this is the driest year recorded since 1966).

12 km on we passed Wirabarra, another small town, very nice just like the rest we have passed through. We did have a minor crisis, there is supposedly one of the best pie shops in the area either here or at Stone Hut the next town and I could not remember. Feeling very threatened (by Janet who wanted pie) we left the bakery at Wirabarra and moved on to Stone Hut where much to my relief the best pie shop in the universe resides.

The sign says it so it must be true

One wild boar and bacon pie and one venison and ale pie later, we can confirm the pies are indeed quite excellent and get a big thumbs up from us. Even the cakes tasted lovely, something for everyone here.

Pie crazy

There is a 7.6 km rail trail from Stone Hut to Laura our finishing point today, this was very well compacted and a road touring bike would be fine on it but not your carbon framed 23 mm tyred race bike.

A good cycle path

Laura is the largest town we have been into since Port Augusta, very pretty and the home of Golden North ice cream since 1923. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura,_South_Australia

Of course they let you in if you are not called Laura ….. We hope

Tonight we are stopping with Trish and Frank, they have a beautiful house here. They made us feel very welcome, after sorting our things out we watched a little TV (that is for a short time not a tiny portable set!). Trish had prepared a very nice meal, only empty plates were left and finally the obligatory Golden North ice creams, and what is not to like about ice cream?

After chatting a while until around 9.00 pm tiredness set in and a comfortable bed called to us. It said “stop typing and go the sleep” so we did.