You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:5)

The Ninnes group travelled from Kapunda through Angaston and Collingrove, so that’s where we turn our bikes this morning. The route out of Kapunda initially follows the Mawson Trail, past views of the open cut mine at Kapunda and then onto the familiar red-dirt, undulating roads of the area. Today John is driving and the rest of of enjoy riding as the scenery changes from the dry, barren surrounds of Kapunda to the slightly more lush vineyards near Nuriootpa.

We almost have the rural roads to ourselves, save the odd vehicle beyond John in the mini bus, but when we turn onto the main road into Nuriootpa it’s a slightly different story. We scurry through the streets of Nooriutpa until we reach the safety of the Barossa Trail. This is a pretty spiffy trail, sealed all the way, with sculptures and detailed intrpretive signs along the 7km length we cycle. (This section of the trail is 13km but we do only the 7km between Nuriootpa and Angaston).

At Angaston we enjoy a well-deserved morning tea at D&MsBakery. The staff are helpful and the food is great!

During morning tea I suddenly feel something in my eye and do the normal things like pulling my upper eyelid out to try to remove it. Pat, a former nurse, leads me out to the mini bus where we have a first aid kit, and flushes out my eye. It feels slightly better, and I assume whatever is in there will work its way out.

If you were going to say a road did what it said on the pack, this road is it. After a brief flat stretch from the main road, the road tilts up. The minute I hit the climb something stabs in my eye, and I complete the climb, lagging the others, with my eye streaming. Eventually the only way I can ride is with one eye closed. No fun!

At the the top of the hill we summon John in the mini bus, and while the others explore the old church, I try an eye bath to see if I can dislodge whatever is in there. When that doesn’t work Neil calls and makes an appointment for me at an optometrist, my and Neil’s bikes get loaded on the trailer, and while the others head off riding, Neil and I drive back to Nuriootpa, where a friendly optometrist removes what is starting to feel like a log from my eye.

I’m vindicated when he tells me that what he took out was vegetative, was embedded and that my description of it being a log was therefore the truth!

How fortunate am I to be travelling in 2026, when a quick drive takes me to medical assistance. Imagine if one of the Ninnes group got a log in the eye or suffered some even worse mishap. An infected eye, perhaps worse? But I fear I am getting ahead of myself on that!

After an ice cream, because I had a ‘procedure’ we drive back to where we left off, then follow the route the others have taken, catching up with them some 15km before the end. They’ve had a lovely time visiting the Eden Valley township, and winding their way on roads that take them up and down towards Palmer.

In Palmer we load the bikes up, a job that seems to get no easier, with plenty of adjustments needed until all the bikes are settled and solid. We’ll be back in Palmer again tomorrow to continue riding, but for now it is a drive to Murray Bridge, then across the river to Avoca Dell where we are staying the next two nights at the caravan park.

It seems that this ride I am destined to not ride more than 40km. I pulled out about half way today, while the others went on and did a magnificent 80km in what was quite a hot day.

Stats for today:

• Distance: 40.77km (my ride only)
• Climb: 466m
• Average speed: 16.4km/h
• Average temperature: 27C
• Moving time: 2:29:36
• See my ride on Strava

The beer picture

At the end of a day’s ride, our tradition is to enjoy a beer, and to photograph it for posterity. Today’s beer picture was never taken. The beer was consumed, but the picture not taken. Tradition broken.

Along the way today:

Click on an image to scroll through the gallery at full size.