Day 13 Kyabram Creek rest area, Thylungra

Distance today 116km Ave 21km/hr

It’s twilight o’clock, 607pm Friday the 14 May 2021.

Let’s start from where I finished up today. The perfect place for my first fire and how yum. There’s not a sound except crickets and plops in the creek. The locals and visitors into fishing, apparently love catching their yellow belly out here and this spot looks ideal. I’ll settle for an amazing fire soaking up the day and the reality of desert country on the horizon.

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The day started later after chatting to my mum and some other campers. I was compelled to check out the local bakery that did a delish toasty to start the day.

10 o’clock it was on the road

Banjo was more weighted up with two days of water. It was a positive step to start getting used to heavier loads and particular before the roads become unsealed so it’s not too much too soon. This stage out to Birdsville is about adjusting. I have a new moto for the challenge inspired by the Energiser bunny and his AAA batteries. Triple A stands for accept, adjust and adapt. There’s going to be a step up in the riding experience most days from here on in so it’s time for my flexible foot forward. I could feel the difference when I first started the day but as we got into and on with the day it was all good. A little tail wind didn’t hurt either 😉

15 odd kms out the odometer clicked over to the 1000km and very nice milestone to share with you fine folk

The landscape has changed and I got my first feel of desert country. It was a reality check and heads up of what’s around the corner. Very exciting indeedy.

We cycle through the edge of channel country with 36 kms of flood plains; very barren but teaming with bird life.

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This section of road has lots of roadkill mostly sheep and cattle with the occasional roo and emu. The cattle are unfenced so it doesnt end well when they take on the road trains. Roadkill means an abundance of wedge tail eagles. I could spot them from a distance away in groups of up to 6 at a time feeding off the carcasses. They’re a grand bird and epic to watch take like in slow motion.

The sparseness is raw and remote and very real but there’s a beauty in the scarcity

The countryside made spotting emus a bit easier. I disturbed a mated pair eating by the roadside. I don’t know who got the bigger surprise. They ran a short way into the shrub and then followed the roadway for a time. Eventually they cut across the road ahead of me to show off their amazing gait and bouncing bottoms. They can run and so handsome dressed in their finest plumage. I adore emus. I think they were in the pre-mating dating phase :- I wish I had footage to share but no luck getting the camera out in time. It was just beautiful to appreciate nonetheless.

During the day we came across our first sand dune red and stark and stunning

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The main trick today was to keep the flies off the face and they were relentless. I have a sun protection veil on my hat so it came in very handy today and worked a treat

So that was today by far my favourite leg of this stage to Birdsville. Nice to share with and ponder over the embers. It’s also my first big sky of stars tonight and I’m thinking about my family with all my love. Time for dinner. Talk soon xxxx