Day 23 : THURSO to JOHN O GROATS PLUS - and back to THURSO : It's a WRAP

25 September 2012

Miles : 44.35

Average Speed:

Hours:  8.30 am - 2.30 pm

Feet up : 2369

Feet down : 2391



Yep, it's true - as of about 2.30 this afternoon, WE ARE DONE!!!!!!!!

There were weather warnings for severe gales in this region today, so we were up early and out of here. And indeed it was very very windy. Technically a Nor ' Easter,  it was either right into our faces, or coming in from our left side. The ride was really very difficult, and the main tasks were to actually make way, and to avoid getting blown over, or into the path of an overtaking vehicle.

We battled on, taking numerous little mini rests, and constantly reminding ourselves that it was just a revolutionary matter i.e. one revolution of our pedals after another until we got there, just like all the other miles we have done. Around about Mey, which is famous as the location of the Queen Mother's Castle of Mey, it began to rain heavily, just to add to our misery. ( By the way, we had thought of visiting said castle, but it went on the list of things to do next time with a car!!!!)

Somewhere along the way I found myself having a very unexpected thought. When we were on the olive grove, I would have nightmares about gorse, that pest of a plant imported into NZ from Scotland - for the uninitiated it is a thorny, well nigh impossible to get rid of plant that spreads like wildfire, and whose seeds sit dormant in the ground for up to 60 years - turn your back, and it's away. Well, there I was struggling along being grateful to the hedgerows for any kind of protection, when I realized that the hedge consisted of gorse! You never know what's going to happen!

Single digits on the mileage signposts now - a long way from the guy in Devon with his notice saying it was only 870 miles !!!!!!

We chose to continue past John o Groats to Duncansby Head Lighthouse, another couple of extremely wild miles, where the wind was positively ferocious. Had to walk the last hill, nearly getting blown over, and eventually arrived.

Leaning back into the ferocious wind.

Suddenly there was a young man from a camper van parked there asking if we would like a cup of tea. Yes, we said.

What a lovely mini event - a young couple with their two lovely little boys aaged 2 and 3, on a vacation. They had seen us along the way and taken pity!!!!! We had a delicious cup of tea, sitting in the front of the campervan, sharing chocolate coated cookies with the boys. The van was facing straight out to the very wild sea way down below, rocking and rolling in the wind. It was wonderful and most appreciated.

Back to John o Groats for our piccie. By this time we were mentally "on our way home" and the weather continued to be awful. It is a very commercial place, like Lands End.  So of course when we found the signpost for the obligatory photo, it turned out to be manned by someone demanding money for them to take our photo or a donation to take our own. (We think there may have been other options but were too much wanting out of there to explore !)

There were no fellow tourists to take a photo of both of us together, so we quickly took one of each other and were out of there.

Here at last

Well, we just zoomed home with the tail wind. It took us exactly half the time to get home ..... We just whizzed by all the little places whe we had stopped for a rest on the way out. (at one stage we were so knackered JST actually biked in to someone's yard to shelter by the side of their house!)

                             JST biking past the church where Jan De Groot is buried.

And then we were back in Thurso.

No big champagne scenes - just up to our room, then down for our celebratory beer and shandy, and then our warm bath etc. - the usual!

                                                         WELL DONE TEAM !!!!!!

So there we are!!!! Perhaps at this point it is a bit difficult to actually comprehend what we have done. But it is gradually dawning on us, and we are really pleased and feeling very accomplished.

Tomorrow we catch an early train to Inverness, stay overnight, and then Thursday a day trip all the way to London. We will arrive at Kings Cross, bike to the Regent Canal, and along the canal back to friend Gerry's until we leave for NZ on Tuesday 2nd 0ct.

In a few days I will publish another post to cover all of that, along with some reflections on the whole event, and some statistics etc.

Til then....................

Posted with Blogsy