Day 257, Friday, 11 December, 2009

Distance travelled – 66.2 km
Avg speed – 17.2 kph
Max speed – 36.1 kph

Port Kenny to Elliston

Our first 26km of riding this morning was with no wind!!!! With such favourable conditions we were keen to make the most of it knowing that it was only a matter of time before the wind would start blowing. We have learnt that if the wind is not blowing in the morning it will invariably be doing so by the afternoon. So with southerly winds still forecast we were keen to reach Elliston before lunch.

The country between Port Kenny and Elliston is very scenic with good views of the coastal sand dunes and a fresh water lake called Lake Newland. Along the highway there are a number of old cemeteries which are the only reminders of now non-existent settlements that used to service the road between Port Lincoln and Ceduna earlier this century.

One of these old town localities is Colton where there is only the old school house and church still standing. Other than these two buildings and the cemetery there is not much else to the town but since leaving Ceduna we have known to keep an eye out for it. It has become famous over the last five years for a rather unusual roadside stall that sells wood fired oven baked bread. 

As we lingered in the shade of the stall eating some sticky buns the owner and baker appeared to restock the stall. His name is Mark Archer and he first came to Colton in the 1970’s looking for the surf. Whilst he and his mates surfed the coast they squatted in the abandoned Colton schoolhouse. Later when the old schoolhouse came on the market he bought it for  $2000.00 and after renovating it he moved back there. Five years ago after establishing and running the Elliston Bakery he built a bakery and oven behind the old school house and now sells his bread to passing traffic from the roadside stall. Payment is by an honesty box. He told us he always aims to make the best loaf of bread his customers have ever had and with advertising by word of mouth alone he certainly seems to have satisfied that goal.

Armed with a loaf of ‘Colton Baked’ crusty white bread we arrived in Elliston for lunch and sat on the foreshore enjoying the view, fresh bread, cheese and iced chocolate milk. As we sat and admired the view we both seemed to turn to each other and say at the same time – “Let’s stay here for two nights!”

Zoom into the map and use the 'Satellite' layer to see our new location.

Photographing the sand dunes

A fellow chicken!

Colton Baked roadside stall

Mark Archer - the baker at Colton Baked

Waterloo Bay, Elliston

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