Posts Tagged ‘Australia’

Day 428. 78km. Devils Marbles – Taylor Creek

Posted: August 15, 2016 in Australia, Cycling
Tags: , , ,
6

I didn’t sleep last night. The tent was shaking and flapping in the gale force winds, and I lay supporting the frame from gusts in all directions. The rest of the day I was like a zombie staggering on – pushing against the strong winds and dreaming of sleep in a warm, wind-free place.

Devils Marbles

Devils Marbles

When I got up, Clement’s tent was gone – he’d dismounted it to prevent the wind from destroying it. Mine was only held in place by my panniers placed at the four corners.

The weather had changed. Stronger winds and colder. A few rests at roadhouses (including an alien roadhouse) was an attempt to regain my will to continue. I was never motivated today, though, as the road was absolutely dead straight and flat into the wind, and I was quite simply tired.

Stuart Highway

Stuart Highway

Day 427. 128km. Threeways – Devils Marbles

Posted: August 14, 2016 in Australia, Cycling
Tags: , , ,
4

‘We eat kangaroo, emu, goanna,..’
‘How do you kill the kangaroo?’ I ask.
‘Shoot it,’ he replied, ‘or run it over.’ He chuckled.
Waiting for Clement in the supermarket in Tennant Creek I had a short lesson on bush tucker.

Devils Marbles

Devils Marbles

A group of aboriginals were hanging around the entrance to the supermarket, so I went and started talking to them while Clement was shopping. They told me of bush bananas and bush oranges. They told me how to cook a kangaroo, and they told about the bush version of marijuana. Clement is keen on cooking a road-kill kangaroo (if it is fresh). Now I know how to cook it..

After Tennant Creek there was an awful lot of nothing. The road was dead straight which plays on the mind. Clement ran out of water for the first time (I gave him some of mine). In the dry he doesn’t drink much less than me (compared to 1/5 of what I drink in Indonesia).

We arrived at Devils Marbles just as the sun was setting. They are very beautiful.

Devils Marbles

Devils Marbles

Day 426. 81km. Banka Banka – Threeways

Posted: August 13, 2016 in Australia, Cycling
Tags: , , ,
0

It used to happen to me a lot just after she died. Doing something else, thinking of something else, and bang. I would burst into tears. That was in 2005. And it happened to me today. I am nearing where I grew up, and nearing where her ashes are scattered. The scenery looks familiar, and suddenly I was transported to that hospital room. The last time I saw mum alive – in 2005.

Banka Banka

Banka Banka

I guess noone noticed my contorted face behind the sunglasses. They pass by quickly anyway. The scenery rolled past, and I was in another world.

Our start was late, after having a glorious hot shower, and then talking with almost everyone in the camping ground. We met some other cyclists today – one was from Thailand and has cycled 100000km over 5 years. That puts everything in perspective.

The thai cyclist

The thai cyclist

We only made 81km today to Threeways before chatting with a French cyclist and 2 French backpackers. Tomorrow will be a long day – shopping in Tennant Creek and then on to the Devil’s Marbles for sunset.

The gang at Threeways

The gang at Threeways

Day 425. 117km. Gravel Pit – Banka Banka

Posted: August 12, 2016 in Australia, Cycling
Tags: , , ,
2

Standing on the side of the road with Clement’s shorts pulled down, I carefully wrote 40,000 on his bum with black marker. He then preceded to remove all his clothes while cycling as the evening blue turned to indigo in the sky. I joined him and we cycled naked in the night, the amazing panorama of stars above us, and the truck drivers shining their bright headlights at us. And we sang – ‘Un kilometre à poil, ça use, ça use..’
Celebrating 40000km for Clement in outback Australia.

40000km for Clement

40000km for Clement

Today was awesome. It’s great to be alive!

We met some cool people at our lazy lunch stop (after 60km of headwind). ‘Just go up and say g’day!’ said Peter, as I told I wanted to know more about aboriginals, their culture and their knowledge and wisdom of this land. ‘They just want to be taken as they are, as people.’
I know he’s right, and it’s an obvious thing to say and do, but it gave me the courage to do it. I had a short conversation with an aboriginal as he walked past our picnic lunch spot. He was from Elliott, and coming back from a trip to Tennant Creek. It will be something I do forward. Like maybe many white Australians there is a barrier – maybe a subconscious fear. I want to break this barrier. And I will

Today had vista panorama views – over nothingness. Complete, wide and immense – nothing. Cycling through this I feel happy, and I feel free.

Stuart Highway

Stuart Highway

Stuart Highway

Stuart Highway

Sunset orange

Sunset orange

We were welcomed with open arms in the camping ground at Banka Banka and had quite an alcoholic evening around the campfire feeling happy with life.

Day 424. 131km. Dunmarra – Gravel Pit

Posted: August 11, 2016 in Australia, Cycling
Tags: , , ,
2

We all live on a sphere, rotating on an axis as it spins around a star. This gives us the different climate zones, and it gives some zones seasons. Clement and I are cycling away from the equator, leaving the tropics, and heading to Adelaide – now in the middle of winter. With every day and with every pedal stroke the heat ebbs away – its an amazing transformation.

Stuart Highway

Stuart Highway

The morning was chilly, and beautiful as we cycled through the scrub and the sky changed from black, through the deepest shades of purple, to its bright daylight hue. We also saw a landscape transition – quite abruptly – from savannah trees and dry grass to short scrubby plants. Distances feel even greater, and objects on the horizon that seem so close are well over 10km away – and take forever to reach.

There are reports of more cyclists on the road. Today we passed 2 Americans on reclining bikes, more cyclists are to be met ahead.

American cyclists

American cyclists

Our morning was spent covering 100km to Elliott – everyone told us to leave it as soon as possible. Well, it was our water and midday stop, and we stayed there for ages. Three hours later after a big feed, some phone calls and chats with backpackers, we headed off into the late afternoon and evening to camp in the absolute middle of nowhere – a place with a perfect view over the myriad of stars.

Evening tree

Evening tree

Day 423. 145km. Larrimah – Dunmarra

Posted: August 10, 2016 in Australia, Cycling
Tags: , , ,
0

I love to have a beer with Clement,
I love to have a beer with Clem,
We drink in moderation,
And we never ever ever get rolling drunk.. (just a bit tipsy)
The optimal formula – sunrise start, 90km and then lunchtime beer on an empty stomach in the Daly Waters pub.

Lunch time at the Daly Waters pub

Lunch time at the Daly Waters pub

In the morning there is not much wind, and it is lovely and cool. The 90km rolled past all the way to the famous pub in Daly Waters – a few houses in the middle of nowhere.
After the solitary beer I fell asleep, and, on waking, (a little bit too) merrily ate my lunch, and three hours later, we eased back onto the bikes.
Just near the pub is the Stuart tree – John Macdowal Stuart engraved an S on it when he passed in 1857. I’m blown if I can see the S. Maybe it’s a scam..

The Stuart tree

The Stuart tree

We had left it a bit late to ride the remaining 55km to the next water stop, so we just went, hardly stopping, and arrived in the twilight.

Day 424. 140km. King River Rest Area – Larrimah

Posted: August 9, 2016 in Australia, Cycling
Tags: , , ,
0

‘I would fight to protect my country and my family,’ he said – the 65 year-old hippy with his feet up drinking beer out the front of the country pub.
‘You guys are from Europe – it’s going to shit. You should be there working for your country. Paying taxes and working hard.’
Our mate was working hard cleaning the toilet once a day in the Larrimah pub.

Larrimah hotel

Larrimah hotel

‘I’m not from Australia,’ he said. ‘I’m from..’
‘New Zealand,’ I interjected.
He seemed disappointed. ‘Yes.’
We heard all about Kiwi (aka Kevin). Every detail. He didn’t let us say much, though. He still thinks I am from France.

Today was planned to be a day eating kilometres. Early in the morning and late in the evening the wind is weak, and we can make some ground without sweating much. A lunch-time dip in the Mataranka spring pool was great before another long grind against the wind to Larrimah.

Bitter springs

Bitter springs

Stuart Highway

Stuart Highway

Day 423. 82km. 30km from Katherine – King River Rest Area

Posted: August 8, 2016 in Australia, Cycling
Tags: , , ,
0

And there she stood, the Chinese girl dressed in her pink nightie and high heels on the side of the road next to the camping area. She followed us after changing her attire, and watched in fascination as we set up our tents. We took a shower (improvised using a drink bottle) in front of her for a bit of titulating amusement. ☺

Our Chinese friend

Our Chinese friend

Today was a day of meeting interesting people.
We crossed a solitary Japanese cyclist with minimal luggage. We had just completed a shopping spree for food for ten days, and our panniers were very very full. He just had two small back panniers and that was it. I don’t know how people like him do it.
We met a very friendly park ranger at Cutta Cutta caves who helped us out with food, water and information as we had a rest in the air-conditioning.

The park ranger

The park ranger

The Katherine hot springs were surprisingly nice. Lovely warm water flowing over rocks into a string of pools. It was perfect for removing 3 days of accumulated dust and dirt.

Katherine hot springs

Katherine hot springs

And then there was the road – straight and onward through the wooded dry landscape. Not many kilometres, though – we spent too much time shopping and relaxing in the hot springs.

Stuart Highway

Stuart Highway

And we slept next to Ned Kelly (aka Tony Abbott).

Ned Kelly

Ned Kelly

Day 422. 119km. Hayes Creek – 30km from Katherine

Posted: August 7, 2016 in Australia, Cycling
Tags: , , ,
0

Cycling down the long, endless road, I was wrenched from my podcast by a toot. This was not a car – it was from above. A helicopter was flying above us. The toot could only have been for us. We were the only ones there. Outback cycling in Australia.

The Stuart Highway

The Stuart Highway

Today was cycling into the wind from resthouse to resthouse – between 30 and 50km apart. We ended up in a hidden little camping area and got chatting to a French couple. They’ve been travelling around Australia and New Zealand for several years, and had lots of stories to tell. They told of the road ahead. It is long, with a lot of nothing. I am looking forward to it.. ☺

Day 421. 135km. McMinns Lagoon – Hayes Creek

Posted: August 6, 2016 in Australia, Cycling
Tags: , , ,
2

His friend came up from Adelaide. It’s cold there. She said she will keep on driving north until the butter melts. Many people are heading north. For us, the weather is cooler, but for those coming from the Adelaide winter, it’s hot. And, yes, the butter melted.

The butter melts

The butter melts

We sat in front of their caravan, towed by the Nissan Patrol – our first ‘grey nomads’. They’d come all the way from Perth, through Adelaide, and were heading north to Darwin. They gave us water, and then some more, as we talked and talked. The time flew by. The plight of the aboriginals was a big topic. It is true, the ones we have seen are in a bad way. History has left this people drunk at the bottom of society, and there seems no way up.

The road was straight and mostly flat and we made good speed until a slight wind picked up. We are camping in a little river bed next to a camping ground and pub. It was lovely cooking outside, and watching the stars. The outback is beautiful.

A long way to go

A long way to go

Older Entries
Newer Entries