Distance today 121km at 23km/hr average
TOTALS: Distance 5711km. Donations $7840.09. MDays remaining 57. Deserts: Sturt Stony, Strzelecki, Tirari, Gibson, Great Victorian. Tracks: Birdsville Development Road, Birdsville Track, Oodnadatta Track, Red Centre Way, Great Central Road, Goldfields Highway, Wiluna North Road, Marble Bar Road.
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 630pm on Wednesday the 21 July 2021
I’m saddling up to the hugest serve of chips, sauce and salt. It’s a staple at roundhouses. They’ve just been cooked and their bloody delish so I’m devouring while I post. It’s a lot earlier than normal but the plan is to be in bed by 830pm and up early on the road. 7am would be great, 630am would be better. But my track history means I’ll do the best I can. 🤣
I hit the snooze button for over an hour this morning so I was happy to be on the road by 8am after a slow start. I savoured the last of our camp while I finished my cuppa. Camping amongst desert red rocks, spinifex and burr bushes was up close and personal with our desert regulars and it was nice to appreciate how much I’ve fallen in love this landscape.
It was 20kms to the junction with The Great Northern Highway. We turned north and that’s us for the next stint to Halls Creek.
The scenery at the junction was showing off with towering outcrops. A camp was calling but we’re on a mission to get some kms in the legs and tyres. Our first stop was in our sights, just a further 100km on to Pardoo. Time for some peddling 🤣
At 45km we crossed over the de Grey River. Another fabulous spot to camp. The River is grand with water and sand beds. It was birdlife haven. I stopped on the bridge to take in all in. Starlings we’re swooping from under the bridge, pelicans were waddling on the sand beds, goshawks were hovering for lunch and jabiru were strutting their red legs. One jabiru flew right over us with his legs dangling; ‘what a handsome set of pegs you have!!!’ There we’re heaps of campers taking advantage of the rest area along both sides of the river.
The scenery changed to floodways and low lying shrubbery for the rest of the day. The days are getting warmer as we head north. It seems a long time ago now that I was riding in my thermals.
With 10kms to go, we stopped for our last water break and stripped down to the bare essentials for the last haul to Pardoo Roadhouse.
The Roadhouse was a welcomed site in the afternoon shadows. The staff were welcoming and let us camp for free to support our cause. The generosity of campgrounds is always a highlight at the end of a long days ride. We also got a donation from Todd. He’s travelling with his partner from Perth and heading up to Broome for the full moon weekend. Broome is famous for its ‘Stairway to Heaven’ each full moon. The moon reflects across the low tide puddles and creates a staircase effect. Enjoy Todd and thanks for your $20.00
We camped under a gum with a pair of galahs nesting above. Galahs are the sweetest birds and very busy pruning and preparing their nests for spring. They were chatting away while I set up camp over sunset.
After a delish shower it was time to think dinner. The roadhouse closes at 7pm so I moved out to the table and watched the road trains come and go with their lit up doggies. They’re the aeroplanes of the outback and an impressive sight especially at night.
Early to bed. Night and talk soon xx
The 10 desert challenge 