Distance today 72km 14km/hr average
Total distance 3713km. Donations $5962.09. Deserts 3/10. Days remaining 86.
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 6pm on Wednesday the 23 June 2021.
The time difference for WA kicked in today and it’s odd being so dark and early. It’s good heads up about travelling time. A 330pm finish allows us 1 hour to set up camp before sunset o’clock which is about 4.40pm.
It’s a beautiful evening with the moon just a couple of days before being full.
It seems a long time ago when we had the last full moon and lunar Eclipse on the Birdsville Track. There’s so much light which is awesome because I’m in Ninja mode camped by the roadside behind beep beep bushes. Not much need for the head torch with the moon so bright and comforting.
The westerly wind that was blowing a treat today has backed right off which has made for a more comfortable night under the moon and stars. It’s very cold but and I have all my gear on including the gortex jacket and pants to cut out the air. I’m toasty warm and settling in for a cosy night. It’s very appreciated being off the road and tucked away out of sight but still close to the roadside for easy access in the morning. It’ll be an earlier start now with the time difference and still allowing 8+ hours of riding to chip away at the kms for the day. We need to be on the road between 7-730 latest. But it also means earlier to bed so all good.
We woke this morning with blue skies a frost brrrr. Justin and Ian had ice in their tents and they had to wait out defrosting time before they could pack up. 🤣 I managed to avoid the frost being under the awning which was a bonus!!! It gave us another chance to have some chats and hugs goodbye with the family. I really enjoyed their company and it was a real plus while we all waited out the rain yesterday.
Ian has leant me his leatherman tool to have pliers so I can undo/tighten Banjos tyre valves. The silicone makes the valve a bit tight to undo and my finger strength is non existent so this helps heaps. It’s an old favourite of his so I’m blessed to have use of it for the rest of the trip. He has given me his address to post home when we’re done and it’s a bit special to have his help and trust. Thanks mate xxxx
Paul and Lin arrived at Warakurna Roadhouse during the night and popped over to say hi while I was packing up camp. They were warm hearts and very excited about our challenge. My phone was charging so Lin used her phone to do a selfie and texted me the photo. Their message with the picture was “Lovely meeting you. Cherish your time. Stay safe
You will smash it. Love Paul and Lin
Good luck” I promise fine folk. The resident dingo, ‘Friday’ visited while we were talking. He’s very skittish but took to Lin immediately and started jumping around wanting to play. He could obviously sense her safe beautiful soul as could I. It was lovely meeting you both too.
The ride today was pretty tough going with a strong westerly headwind and soft road conditions. The road is already getting chopped up after the rain with a fair amount of local traffic.
One car from the Wanarn Community stopped and the family were very curious about our bicycle challenge. It was good for me to have this positive contact. The community is 80km from Warakurna and there was lots of local people travelling the road.
All the cars exchanged big waves and smiles of hello and it helped to settle the nerves and feel a respect for the community members.
I passed a point of interest on Wiki camps that said there was Telstra service at that spot. It was time for a break and with 1 bar of reception, called my family to say hi and check in.
While I was talking with my partner, ‘Marty’ from Wanarn pulled over to check I was okay. He works in Wanarn and was keen to ensure I get to Warburton safely. He said most of the locals are good folk but there’s always a few exceptions and to make sure I camp tucked away from view of passing cars. He gave me his mobile and said to text him when I’m in Warburton to let him know I got their safely. It was a comfort to know he has my back. Thanks mate. He also said to look out for snakes as this area is known for king browns that can come out looking for sun during the colder months. Super good tip and will do to be sure!!!!! I imagine most will be tucked away for the winter as snakes do but I’ll keep a keen eye out for the sun seekers xx
‘Phil’ from the local fire brigade also stopped on his way to Warakurna and said he would check in on his way back to Warburton to see if we needed anything. We had just stopped and started setting up camp for the night when I saw his car approaching. I popped out and waved him down to let him know we were okay and he shared a few bottles of water. He reassured me that our camp was nice and hidden and got the name of my blog to share with his colleagues and mates on socials. Thanks for the support mate xxxx
It was a good experience to set up our first ninja camp and see how discreet the tent and Banjo can be. The tent is bright orange and not the best of colours for that purpose so I’ve used the dark green and black tarps I have on board to camouflage the boy and our camp.
It takes a bit of time to set up so I need to get off the road about 330 to be safely tucked away by sunset. Today was a good experience and I’m feeling a bit more on top of the different way we need to travel safely on the Great Central Road.
It was so nice to get off the road this afternoon and set up camp in time to enjoy the sunset and bird o’clock. We did a little under the 75km planned but it was good enough and a positive day overall. It is definitely next level out of my comfort zone but that’s what I’m here to experience so bring it on!!! Time for dinner and early bed. Talk soon xxx
The 10 desert challenge 