Day 1 consisted of a 33km ride out of Adelaide to Cudlee Creek. Sounds fine until you hit a hill called Castambul. The ride along the Torrens River cycle way was very picturesque and in no way prepared you for the imminent climb. Castambul rises 600m in less than 10km and from the base it hurts your neck to look up. By the top your legs are burning but the view back is breathtaking. At Cudlee Creek, bike SA was also hosting the "Dirty Weekend", a 24 hour mountain bike challenge. We were fortunate enough to be able to pitch tents and then settle into the bar and watch these tyros churn out laps throughout the night.

Day 2 and the "Dirty Weekenders" were still cranking around their circuit, but our destination was Chateau Tanunda 80km away. We were warned that the countryside was undulating and as we passed through Lobethal and Rowland Flat each climb wore your legs down. Grape vines and more grape vines, yes we were in the Barossa and another phase of South Australia’s varying countryside. We camped on Chateau Tanunda’s cricket ground which is home to an annual international charity cricket match and were treated to some famous Tanunda wines to taste. A black tie dinner was a highlight in the Grand Ballroom, making it easy to forget you were on a 900km bicycle challenge.

Day 3 was a 78km jaunt from Tanunda to Riverton, where we were to pitch tent at the Riverton caravan park. We passed through the towns Nuriootpa and Kapunda whilst seeing sights such as Penfolds Winery and heritage buildings from the old copper mine days. Also, you guessed it, more grape vines. The tracks were very different from the surface of the Munda Biddi Trail. They were shale and quartz in composition and quite often well graded. Thus the surface was excellent for cycling and you could make very good time. A 78km day on the Munda Biddi can be challenging however it was not as daunting on the Mawson Trail.

Day 4 we cycled from Riverton to Burra, a distance of 87km. This was one of my favourite days on the Odyssey as we peddled along the Riesling Trail through the beautiful Clare valley. The landscape changed so much on day 4 as we passed through some beautiful little wineries and then onto some bald hills and flat open agricultural plains. Lunch was provided on top of a climb called the Camels Hump and after lunch an exhilarating 5km of downhill was like an orgasm for any mountain biker. I felt like re-climbing the Camels Hump and downhilling again. At Burra we were hosted by the Burra Football Club who allowed us to camp on their oval and use their clubroom and shower facilities. They opened their bar for us and their hospitality was splendid.

Day 5 was a rest day in Burra and time to catch up with some washing, clean and service your bike or see the sights of Burra. Some decided to ride around town to see the sights but my choice was to keep my bum off the bike seat. Burra is a pretty town with some good pubs and cafes and many small shops with treats and trinkets galore. This town is known for its copper mining history and for the filming of the movie "Breaker Morant".

Day 6 had a riding distance of 83 km from Burra to Tooralie Homestead, a working farm in a region that produces the highest quality Merino Wool in Australia. The cycling today was through more open agricultural country but passing many historic sights such as the birthplace of Sir Hubert Wilkins , an epic Australian adventurer, pilot and Arctic explorer of the 1900’s. Each evening at dinner, Bike SA gave us an overview of the following days ride as well as a detailed historic guide of the regions through which we were cycling. They were very informative and thorough.

Day 7 started with a pea soup fog at Tooralie and some testing mountain biking with almost zero visibility. We had 56km to ride to Spalding. The terrain was stunning and plenty of wildlife spotted today. Wedge tail eagles, echidnas, kangaroos and emus were all seen today. We were also introduced to a dreaded plant called calthrops which is renowned for its prickles and punctures to mountain bike tyres. I was fortunate enough to be running thorn resistant tubes and did not sustain a puncture the entire journey. Others were not so lucky falling victim to the calthrops. Spalding was an interesting town which has the engineering marvel of the Bundaleer Channels. It is also a town in drought with a declining population of around 300 people fighting for survival. In true country folk spirit the Spalding people all provided a dish for dinner and fed the troops for the night. It was our best meal for the trip. In turn they ran the bar in the town hall and we were encouraged to drink our fill. The effort by Bike SA to input into this small town’s economy was very sobering and I see the same effort by the Munda Biddi Foundation towards WA towns.

Day 8 took us from Spalding to Laura, a ride of 83km along the Never Never Range and through the Bundaleer Forest. Again it was varying yet stunning landscape. In Laura we camped at the local caravan park and took in many of the local craft, galleries and antique shops. The Laura people also treated us to an evening meal in the civic centre.

Day 9 was a 57km ride from Laura to Melrose through some single track and a 20km stint through the Wirrabara Forest. We had many gates to pass through today and as per the country rule, leave them as you found them. Melrose is the oldest town in the Flinders Ranges and is unmistakable as you approach it as it rests at the foot of Mt. Remarkable, a huge mountain extending towards the clouds.

Day 10 was another rest day in the pretty town of Melrose. This town is known for thinking outside the box. During tough farming times they have developed 30 odd km of single trail mountain bike runs of varying abilities on Mt. Remarkable and turned their town into a Mecca for mountain bikers. A local businessman has started a dedicated mountain bike shop "Over The Edge Sports" to which I have seen no equal. They host many cycling events and generate tourist dollars for the town with their alternative approach. I shall return to Melrose for the mountain biking there. Again I stayed off the bike on the rest day as I gave my muscles a well earned rest. Others went onto the mountain trails and unfortunately one rider punctured a lung after flying over his handle bars. His Odyssey was over.

Day 11 was quite a flat ride from Melrose to Quorn, a distance of 71km. On the way we passed through a small town called Wilmington and the Richman Valley region. Quorn has many historic sites to visit, but probably it’s most interesting attraction is the local school’s solar powered cycles which have been entered in the World Solar Cycle challenges. We were treated to a viewing of their solar entries.

Day 12 was the longest days riding on the Odyssey, a 104 km ride from Quorn to Hawker. We were lucky enough to sight the fabled Mawson man, a naked cyclist wearing only his helmet. He tore past at our morning tea stop at an alarming speed with men in awe and women drooling. Apart from this superb entertainment the day was about settling into a rhythm, enjoying the wonderful countryside and putting the 104 km behind you. The Hawker caravan park was a welcome sight at the days end.

Day 13 from Hawker to Rawnsley Park was 91km. This was an especially tough day considering we had just backed up from a 104 km day. We are headed for Wilpena Pound and in the real outback. The terrain is desolate and in places very rocky. We were told that this is one place it would be difficult to support you with backup and not a good place to get into trouble. Of course it is where the bottom bracket of my bike failed. I had a 13km walk to reach the nearest help. I was very pleased to see the mechanic at the end of my walk and happy to know he had the part to make my repairs. The landscape through this region was simply stunning as we passed through the Moralana Scenic Drive and the Wonoka Creek. With the Flinders ranges surrounding us it seemed like a pre historic setting we were riding through.

There was time for reflection on the morning of Day 14, our last day. To think of the friends I had met and the achievement which awaited at the days end. The 93km was to be an extremely tough day. The mornings ride circled Wilpena Pound as the sun rose up above this mountain range towering into the heavens. Mid morning was a wonderful 15km of down hill single trail the likes of which I will never forget. It was real mountain bike terrain with some great technical sections. It seemed to go forever. As cycling goes however there is always payback for some downhill. A huge climb from a deep gorge was our punishment and I can honestly say it hurt. The afternoon saw more subtle climbs through the Heysen and ABC ranges to our final destination of Blinman. The Bike SA volunteers and the other finished cyclists were on the porch of the Blinman hotel to cheer us home and the feeling would be akin to winning an Olympic marathon. The last Mawson trail marker is on a post of the Blinman hotel and directs you into the front bar, a welcome place for all who rode. The celebrations continued for many hours, and the longer they went the bigger heroes we became.

My journey on the Mawson Trail was one of the best experiences of my life. The friendships I made and the challenges I achieved were most satisfying. The cyclists ranged from 15 to 70 with an average age of 53. There were 30% of us were women and the ability of the group was wide ranging. Many people have asked would I do it again and my answer is I can’t wait. In 2 years time when the Odyssey is on again I hope to be a starter. I must pay tribute to Michael Bridge and his Bike SA team who were very friendly and professional. Without their organisation and knowledge the ride would not have been as successful as it proved to be. I hope that the future of the Munda Biddi Trail is to host events of this class. I know we have the Trail to showcase and I hope we have a Western Australian organisation that can step up and run the same quality event here. Currently it is organisations from other states that run cycle events that highlight our states jewels. My Mawson Trail memories are golden. Drew