Day 63 Leonora

Distance today 123km at 22km/hr average

TOTALS: Distance 4153km Donations $6712.09. Days remaining 77. Deserts: Sturt Stony, Strzelecki, Tirari, Gibson, Great Victorian. Tracks: Birdsville, Oodnadatta, Red Centre Way, Great Central Road.

It’s 715pm on Saturday the 3 June 2021

I’m still not able to upload my media files so that’s a bit of a bugga. I was thinking during the ride today that it my be storage thing as my phone is close to capacity. So when I arrived here at Leonora I changed my phones over as I have a spare that’s got double the storage. Unfortunately after all that process, it’s still not letting me upload media files into my blogs. I’m hoping it’s an internet thing and not another issue but I’ll just have to wait and see. For now we just have to manage with our imaginations instead of having the media to help share our story.

I woke this morning early and enjoyed a hot shower to warm up the body for the ride. Nice!!!! I was all ready to head off at 8am when I met Bob and Chris from the Northern Territory. They’re a couple of ‘gold diggers’ enjoying their next prospecting trip in the area.

About 50km out of Leonora town we entered the shire. The road signage said ‘Welcome to the shire of Leonora Gold and Nickel Country – Home of the golden gift.’

There were a number of campers at Laverton who were doing day trips this way to try their luck. Bob and Chris were explaining that you need a mining permit to prospect on any of the sites. There’s mining inspectors that patrol the area. You can get big fines and have your gear confiscated if you don’t have a permit. They said ‘bugga that’ the little gold they find is too precious to then lose. They showed me a picture of the nuggets they have found in this trip so far.

They have 9 little nuggets all under the size of a Panadol tablet that they were photographed next too. Bob and Chris look the part with grey long beards and weathered complexions. But they are full of character with cheeky grins, a glint in their eyes and a wicked sense of humour. I really enjoyed talking with them. Big fun!!!! They joked about the amount of money they spend on gear and travelling they’d be better off just buying gold to invest. But where’s the fun in that!!! They passed me on the road out to one of their favourite spots for the day. Chris called out, ‘you ready for a tow yet!!!’ Maybe next time around mate 🤣 They also shared a photo of a Thorny Desert Lizard they found in some fire wood. I sent the photo onto Dylan as my next mission is to find him a picture of a desert lizard. He was very excited and wondered if they drop their thorny tails to escape predators.

It was after 930am before I finally said my goodbyes as I still needed time to get through my kms to Leonora. John and Sandy saw us off and got a picture of me and Banjo all set to go!!!

It was perfect conditions for riding with blue skies and a cheeky breeze that was on our tail. On our way out of town we passed a patch of desert peas growing by the roadside and stopped for a photo. The desert pea is Laverton’s emblem so very fitting to appreciate as we said our goodbyes and thank you’s for a productive couple of days.

The Laverton-Leonora Road is fully sealed making riding a treat. The boy travelled well with his repaired tube and better tread. The area is mining country and we passed many turn offs to mining sites. The traffic was mostly work vehicles and trucks servicing the mines. We spent the day exchanging waves and thumbs up which kept the good vibes and energy levels up. We divided the ride into 5 lots of 25km and chipped away feeling pretty good. It was nice to be moving gain after a couple of days rest and the body’s always happier being active.

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The countryside was red clay based and mostly barren still with a dessert feel.

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There were large areas where recent fires had gone through. It was amazing to see how it was regenerating with fresh growth at the base of the burnt out trunks. A lady I spoke to at the pub in Laverton made a special mention about about the regrowth on this stretch of road. I appreciated how Mother Nature gets busy rebuilding her handsome natives that flourish after fire.

We arrived at Leonora just before 4pm and happy with our kms and ride for the day. The lady at the campground has let us stay for free to support our cause. So appreciated as always. It’s now starting to get a bit super chill and we’re still to have dinner so I might finish up there. I hope to be on the road by 8am for an early start. We aim to reach Leinster tomorrow about 140km away so an early night sounds the go!!! Night and talk soon xx