The Cold Morning and the Decision to Ride
The morning sky glowed faintly red as the world slowly woke up.
My breath turned white in the cold air, and my muscles still carried yesterday’s fatigue. Outside the tent, it was about eight degrees.
With trembling hands, I boiled water on my burner and forced down a warm meal.
“Let’s go,” I told myself, climbing onto the bike once again.
Strength from a Small Kindness
On the way to Mount Gambier, about 50 kilometers ahead, I stopped to rest at a small convenience store.
There, a woman I had never met looked at me kindly.
“Would you like a coffee?” she asked.
She handed me a steaming cup. It was more than just coffee—it was kindness in liquid form.
That simple act warmed me from deep inside. The fatigue I carried began to melt away, sip by sip.
Riding Along the Old Railway
Soon the path turned into a cycle lane built on the remains of an old railway.
The faint trace of rotted sleepers gave the impression of riding through time itself. My tires rolled quietly over the ground, as if stitching together the past and the present with each turn.
A Warm Welcome in Mount Gambier
At last, I reached Mount Gambier.
🗺 Mount Gambier: A city near the border of South Australia and Victoria, home to about 29,000 people. The second largest city in South Australia after Adelaide, it is famous for its volcanic landscape, mysterious Blue Lake, limestone caves, fertile farmland, wine, and dairy. A place where history, nature, and hospitality meet.
Waiting for me was a kind gentleman. As soon as I entered his home, he said, “You must be hungry. Eat,” and laid out a warm meal on the table.
Later, he guided me through the city—the Blue Lake glowing mysteriously, volcanic craters, limestone formations, and even hidden spots known only to locals.
By sunset, he took me to a restaurant. I held my wallet, ready to pay, but he simply smiled:
“Don’t worry. Just enjoy.”
Gratitude, humility, and something deeper stirred inside me. To receive kindness like this—without asking, without reason—felt less like chance and more like a gift of life itself.
