Posts Tagged ‘Pooncarie’

Day 13. 125km. Pooncarie – Menindie

Posted: October 24, 2020 in Australia, Cycling, NSW
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‘Be off the dirt roads by Friday – the heavens are opening up!’ warned a lady yesterday who stopped to give me water.
‘What’s the road like to Menindie?’ I asked the barman in Pooncarie.
‘Rough as guts!’

The road to Menindie

The road to Menindie


It was 125km to Menindie, 100km of which was a dirt road. It was hot, there was a headwind and the road was bumpy and had soft sand and corrugations. And there were flies. I felt tired today and just wanted to get there.

The road to Menindie

The road to Menindie


The road passed close to the Darling River (Australia’s second largest river) several times. I had hoped for a swim, but it was hard to get to and not very inviting.

The Darling River

The Darling River


I’m having a day off tomorrow to watch the heavens open. 🙂

Day 12. 125km. Belah campsite – Pooncarie

Posted: October 23, 2020 in Australia, Cycling, NSW
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Early to rise and early to shine – to get to the visitor’s centre by 9:30 for the Great Wall of China tour. Today was a slog to get to Pooncarie, leaving Mungo at 1:30pm. I did it, as I am now sitting in Pooncarie.

Pooncarie

Pooncarie


The 70km tourist loop of Mungo – also recommended for cyclists – continued its corrugated way, throwing in short sand for good measure. It was very peaceful and beautiful, though, passing along it in the early morning light.

Morning corrugations

Morning corrugations


Morning corrugations

Morning corrugations


When I heard the Great Wall of China tour was actually at 11, I raced off to the Mungo Lodge to feed. I caught the tail-end of the breakfast buffet. In the half an hour I had, I consumed most of the calories I needed for the day. `The buffet and… a caramel milkshake.

Walking onto the sandhills that make up the ‘Great Wall of China’, under the guidance of a local aboriginal, you see a lot more. The dunes are alive with animal tracks – painted lizards, snakes, magpies, kangaroos, goats.

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China


The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China


Leaving Mungo at the hottest part of the day, I made my way along 50km of bumpy, corrugated, sandy road. The start was fine, with a tailwind and better road surface. The last part was awful, and I was counting the kilometres to the main road.

The road to Pooncarie

The road to Pooncarie


When the road did come, it was heaven. Perfect bitumen, flat and a strong tailwind. I made it to Pooncarie in time for a big chicken schnitzel. 🙂