Distance today 55.2km at 16km/hr average
Total distance 3667km. Donations $5226.80. Deserts 3/10. Days remaining 89.
Note to new readers: I am travelling with my bike who’s name is Banjo. I often refer to ‘we’ meaning Banjo and I. ‘We’ have an amazing support team of family, friends, sponsors and folk we meet each day. But it’s still up to ‘us’ to face the challenge and tackle each day one peddle at a time.
It’s 612pm time on Sunday the 20 June 2021.
We’re camped on the western side of the river bed about 20m from the track at Giles River. The official campgrounds is a bit further up and we checked that out first. But it’s just under a km from the track and accessible by 2WD which there are lots of on the road. The local communities obviously use this road to move between places and I’m not very keen to be visited during the night. So I’m feeling a lot more comfortable where we are.
No doubt we will have dingos visit during the night. There’s already been a few howls come from the other side of the river bed. Last night we had a pack visit our campsite after we all went off to bed. I lay there listening to them yapping between each other and letting out the odd howl. But it was okay. I got to hear the critter as opposed to my fear and I could appreciate we’re all just here doing our thing, crossing paths in this time. It’s a beautiful camp with the moon and stars overhead watching out for us. 🙏
I woke later this morning about 8am to the sound of brumbies running and playing. The girls were still asleep so I made a cuppa and went for a walk to check out the spot by daylight. It was a beautiful time spent for an hour or so mooching round the tracks and appreciating what an amazing spot this is.
There’s a mountain range that runs alongside this part of the WA/NT border. It’s old with rolling segments and outcrops. I can see why the brumbies are here in numbers. They were grazing in the fields across the road and it was super special to appreciate them in the wild.
The tracks leading up to our camp were full of brumby and dingo prints plus mine and the many car tracks that use this spot for their stopover. I felt a real sense of interconnectedness understanding how we’re all apart of mother nature and sharing this time when our hearts are open.
The grasslands around the camp were dotted with juvenile and maturing oaks with green budgies and other birds already well into their day of business. I felt a real privilege to be here seeing another corner of our amazing country and appreciating it for its unique treasures.
I have been a little elevated starting off on this stage and knowing the size of challenge ahead. It was quality time spent and I felt a grounding right here right now rather than focusing on what’s around the corner. Being present is a pretty cool way of being and I felt the shift. One peddle at a time seeing with an open heart and connecting to what each moment offers.
I met Alan from The Gold Coast travelling in his beloved vintage troopie from the 80s. He was a real cool guy. He uses road trips as a way of grounding himself again after work stints out in the mines.
Grounding is a theme that is coming up over and over and especially in the last days. My conversations with Claudia and Lothar highlighted how vital it is to feel a deep sense of safety and stability as foundations to learning, growing and loving. Feeling a sense of groundedness is something I can’t buy or fake. I love the analogies in nature that I have experienced in recent days with Uluru and it’s 2 1/2 kms underground. Also the juvenile desert oaks and how they first develop their roots to the water table before maturing into the adult tree. They’re beautiful phenomenons in nature to learn from.
I packed up camp while the girls went and refueled in town. We met back at the junction into camp and said our goodbyes with lots of hugs and blessings. They are beautiful souls and are playing with ideas where they will set up their next cafe which is their industry. I promised to visit wherever that may be so I’m sure we will see each other again. They have my mobile to keep in touch in the meantime and are keen to follow our adventure through socials. Thanks ladies xx
We got underway around 1pm and soon crossed the border into WA. There was a sign promoting the track as the Outback Way – Australia’s longest shortcut. Not bad for a 1131km track 🤣
The road to Giles River was mixed but we managed to find a path on the shoulder that was pretty flat for longer sections. This made the going a lot better than yesterday and the ride more enjoyable.
The bum cream made an appearance today after yesterday’s effort and it did the trick. The countryside continued alongside the ranges and the scenery was easy to savour. I messaged mum and dad to check the atlas for the range and it’s either the Rawlinson or Murray Range or both. Regardless it’s breathtaking and it was an awesome afternoon ride into camp.
There’s a time difference in WA of 2 hours so it’s only 730 here. But I’m feeling a bit weary and ready to tuck myself into bed after dinner. Around this time of night a cold air creeps in and makes it very brrrr nudging 0-5 degrees. The mornings continue to be on the chilly side and I’ve been cycling in my thermals. This doesn’t really help the chaffing. But it keeps me toasty so more bum cream to do the job without causing wounds 🤣
Onto Warakurna Roadhouse tomorrow. It should be around 50km ish so all going well I hope to be in around lunchtime so I can clean me and the gear and get ready for the next stint to Warburton. That will be a 3 day/2 night ride between services and carrying 10litres of water to manage. We will also say our hellos to the Gibson Desert 👍
Talk soon xx
The 10 desert challenge 