I've made it down the Stuart Highway - and done a week long detour into Uluru (Ayers Rock) Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and Watarrka (Kings Canyon). It wasn't quite as bad as I thought it might be (knowing that the prevailing winds would be Sou-Easters. I had some really shocking days, really demoralising ones when you struggle like crazy and make very little distance. On these days you can't hear anything but the wind buffeting in your ears and you really wish it was over. But then there are other days when it isn't quite so bad. In fact I had one incredible day after I'd visited Kings Canyon. I set a new record for my longest day - one that I am sure will last for the rest of my days. 235km in a one day, with a heavy touring bike!!!!! I was impressed. But I can't take all the credit though, the wind was blowing my way that day. As they say "Make hay while the sun shines" - I just kept riding until it got dark - and then some. From Kings Creek Station all the way to Erldunda and back to the Stuart Highway.
Some mornings got a little cold - both these bottles were frozen.
The bike and Uluru
Me and Kata Tjuta
(Lizard) Footprints in the roadside dunes
Dust storm near Mt Ebenezer (N.T.)
My bike leaning against a road train (some have one more trailer than this)
Grey Nomads - as we love to call them. This lot at the S.A/N.T. border roadside stop. More free stew. Yum!
From Uluru and surrounds it was down into South Australia and what I really imagined the outback to be like. Northern Territory had been a bit of a surprise for me. I had imagined that N.T. too would have lots of nothing, but the nothingness is really all claimed by South Australia.
Around Coober Pedy lots of nothing, then a small break and a little bit of scrub around Glendambo before heading back into the nothingness of Pimba & Woomera.
Coober Pedy mine tailings
RFDS landing strip - A.K.A. The Stuart Highway
A roadside camp near Glendambo (a region of scrub in the middle of a huge nothing)
I was expecting a lot less of Port Augusta than what I saw. Port Augusta town centre is actually a very pretty little place, but the day I left there I rode all day and didn't even make it to the place I planned to have lunch. The road has the southern Flinders Ranges running along the eastern side and they just tunneled the wind straight into my face. Add this to delays when taking 20 to 30 minutes shelter avoiding the rain every few hours and it wasn't a very fulfilling day.
I left the highway at Port Pirie, to go into the town centre and collect a spare tyre and get yet another patch on the tooth I had previously had patched in Brussels and Bangkok. (Hopefully this patch really will last until Melbourne when I can get it fixed properly). Heading south from Port Pirie I was on minor roads with a very green and pretty roadside to Port Wakefield before heading down into Adelaide.
Lots of nothing near Woomera
Down further south the very picturesque Port Broughton
40km north of Adelaide is a little place called "Two Wells". They have a very helpful information centre where I picked up info on where the backpacker's budget accommodation was in Adelaide plus info on Kangaroo Island and the roads to Melbourne. One of the ladies there just couldn't believe that I was going to ride from Two Wells... "...all the way to Adelaide." (all 40km of it). Her co-worker tried to tell her that it really wasn't far compared to where I'd been !!!!!!! It left a smile on my face and it still does when I think of it.
Adelaide, the river Torrens and the Adelaide Festival Centre.
From here I think I'll now head south to kangaroo Island to fill in a bit of time. If I headed straight to Melbourne now I'd arrive before the tenant vacated my house.
