🇦🇺 Cycling from Robe: A Cold Morning, A Reunion, and a Roadside Rest

A Cold Morning and a Cup of Coffee

The morning inside my tent was cold—just eight degrees.

It took me a while to gather the courage to step out of the sleeping bag, but travel does not wait.

I lit my small burner, boiled water, and poured myself a cup of coffee. With every sip, the warmth spread through me, slowly waking up my body from the inside.

An Unexpected Reunion

As I was preparing to leave, a familiar figure appeared.

It was the cyclist with the trailer—the traveler I had admired, whom I met before Kingston. We had once said, “Let’s meet again someday.” And here, without planning, our paths crossed once more.

We shared joy in each other’s safety before heading our separate ways.

But later, as I rode back into town, I saw him again. This time, his expression was different.

A Broken Bicycle and Words of Strength

“My bike’s broken,” he said quietly.

The frame was damaged—losing it is like losing the lifeline of the journey.

Yet he spoke with calm strength: “Well, that’s just how it is. This is travel too.”

His words carried a weight, but also a strange comfort. It showed me how people can be both strong and gentle in difficult moments.

He said he would return to Sydney. This time, perhaps we would not meet for a long while. But his parting words, “See you next in Sydney,” stayed warmly with me.

Into the Wind

I pedaled again, pushing into the cold wind.

By evening, I found a small roadside spot.

There, I sat down and drank a Pepsi that someone had given me. Its sweetness seeped into my tired body, a small comfort at the end of the day.

A Day to Remember

Cold air, reunion, parting, and kindness.

All of it slowly melted into my heart, leaving me with the sense that today was a dense and unforgettable day.

Tomorrow, another new landscape will be waiting.