Day 4 – Port Augusta to Venus Bay
Today was supposed to be a relatively short one — less than four hours of riding. The storm had passed overnight, leaving behind post-storm winds that were lively but nothing like yesterday’s gale-force punishment.
First order of business: find a measuring cup. I’d packed octane booster for the upcoming Nullarbor stretch but, in my infinite wisdom, forgot the cup. After a quick detour to acquire one, we fueled up and hit the road. The plan looked simple: quick leg-stretch at Iron Knob, brunch and fuel at Kimba, top-up at Wudinna, and roll into Venus Bay before 4:30 to check in, rest, and enjoy an early dinner. Easy, right?
Naturally, things didn’t go quite according to plan.
The “quick stop” in Iron Knob turned into a 40-minute history lesson. Once a booming iron ore mining town, today it’s tiny but proud. Their little museum was a gem — complete with a sweet elderly curator who greeted us warmly, offered coffee, and seemed genuinely delighted to have visitors. We left with a souvenir and smiles, a reminder that sometimes the best detours aren’t on the map.
From there it was on to Kimba, the halfway point across Australia. I’d planned brunch at the quirky Little Coffee Pot, but apparently I can’t read opening hours — we arrived five minutes after they shut at 12:30. Luckily, Eileen’s Café rescued us with delicious sandwiches served by wonderfully hospitable owners. A quick selfie at the “Halfway Across Australia” sign, a fuel stop, and we were back on the road.
Leaving Kimba gave me a crash course in risk management, motorbike edition. Kangaroos and other wildlife love to test riders’ reflexes out here, so spotting a Toyota 4WD ahead, I decided to tuck in behind for safety. The driver, however, seemed convinced I was a stalker. He sped up, slowed down, swerved — maybe trying to shake me off. My bike, naturally, stuck to his tail without effort. Eventually I got bored and decided to overtake. Just as I was about to throttle past, my phone/GPS screen went black (forgot to plug in the charger). I pulled over to fix it — only to see a police car pull the Toyota over moments later. Had I overtaken, it could have been me copping the fine. Once again, luck was firmly on my side.
Wudinna was uneventful by comparison. We stopped for fuel and coffee, but my order for a strong latte and a short black somehow became a sugary latte and a long black. Maybe my Armenian accent threw them off. At least the bike looked photogenic waiting for me outside.
Finally, we rolled into Venus Bay around 5:00 PM, plenty of time to check into the Beachfront Tourist Park, drop our bags, and head out for dinner at the Venus Bay Licensed General Store — the one place in town for petrol, alcohol, groceries, and dining. Except… on Tuesdays, they close at 2 PM. And today was Tuesday.
Luckily, the Tourist Park receptionists moonlight as excellent cooks, and they whipped up dinner for us. No wine, but we didn’t go hungry. Afterwards, we strolled to the Needle Eye lookout, where the contrast hit us: on one side, our cabin looked out over a peaceful bay; on the other, the Southern Ocean hammered the cliffs with 3–4 metre waves, roaring like distant thunder.
In the end, it was a day of small surprises, lucky escapes, and a beautiful finish by the sea. Short in distance, rich in stories — just the way I like it.