Day: |
020 & Half of 021
|
Date: |
Wednesday & Thursday, 8 & 9 August 2007
|
Accommodation |
Motel in Warmun (Turkey Creek)
|
Summary |
Riding from Victoria River Roadhouse to Warmun
|
Start Time: |
5:00am on Wednesday
|
Finish Time: |
7:30am (WA Time) on Thursday
|
Daily
Map Kms: |
515
|
Total
Map Kms: |
5,666
|
Map Kms To Go: |
8,745
|
Map Kms ahead (+)/ behind (-) schedule: |
|
Daily Odometer Kms: |
518.4
|
Daily Average Speed: |
23.81kph
|
Weather: |
Cool to cold mornings and very warm and sunny days.
Negligible wind.
|
Nutrition: |
Big Brekky for breakfast. Sandwiches for lunch. Pizza
and ice-cream for dinner. Big Brekky for second breakfast.
|
Encounters: |
Saw quite a few kangaroos. Had a couple from Singleton who
stopped their campervan near where I had stopped for a break on the
side of the road to tell me that this was the third time they had
seen me since Camooweal and did I have a double? Met a
Japanese guy with a broken bike hitching on the road near Kununurra
who was riding round Australia in the opposite direction to me, but
much more slowly.
|
Highlights: |
Fabulous scenery in the Kimberley.
|
Lowlights: |
Bad chafing from hot weather during day meant that I rode the
entire night standing on the pedals to avoid incurring further pain
and to let the chafing repair itself.
|
Daily Pictures: |
|
Daily Podcasts: |
Here |
Journal: |
I set out a little later from Victoria River Roadhouse than
planned and immediately began to climb in the cold morning air.
However, as the sun rose the day rapidly warmed and I was soon
stripped down to my T-shirt. I stopped in at the Roadhouse
in Timber Creek and ordered a big breakfast which seemed a very long
time being prepared. It later turned out that my order had
been given to someone else who arrived later. I sat at a bench
outside the Roadhouse and sent off my diary, etc., while waiting for
my meal, given that I had wireless reception. I also chatted
with a NZ couple who were travelling the world for a few years.
I didn’t leave Timber Creek until 10:30am, which was much later than
planned with 225km to ride to Kununurra, the next habitation.
The road passed close to the big Victoria River which must house
more than a few crocodiles before it travelled across a vast flood
plain in what had become a very hot day. There were long
straight stretches and the road was very exposed. I got very
warm and sweaty and was drinking lots. It was not until late
afternoon that the road climbed away from the floodplain and into
the hills to the west. The scenery became more interesting
with brown/orange rocky crags and bluffs overlooking desert like
valleys populated with scrub, eucalypts and distinctive baobab trees
with huge white bloated trunks and “bad hair day”-like branches on
top. The higher I climbed the more pasture-like became the
countryside and soon plenty of well-fed cattle were in evidence.
As the sun set, I reached the Western Australian border and was
interrogated by the WA Quarantine officer who wanted to know if I
was carrying any live animals (they were looking for cane toads)!
From there it was 43km to Kununurra which I reached at 7:00pm, local
time, having gained 90 minutes by crossing into the WA time zone.
I found a huge roadhouse/supermarket and had a pizza for dinner
while watching the cross-section of life that visits such
establishments at night. Having failed to fine a room when I
telephoned a few places two nights ago, I resolved to keep riding
given it was 359km to my next target town, Hall’s Creek. By
this time, my backside was badly chafed from the hot sweaty ride
earlier in the day and no amount of Vaseline would relieve the pain.
It became obvious that if I wanted to continue riding I would not be
able to sit down on the saddle, so I spent pretty much the whole
night cimbing into the Kimberleys without sitting down on the
saddle. It was hard work and my knees became sore, but by
daybreak the chafing pain was more tolerable. Dawn broke
over fabulous mountain and valley scenery in the Kimberleys but the
prospect of another hot day and a still-sensitive backside, decided
me to stop at Warmun (Turkey Creek) and book into the motel there
for the day with the intention of beginning riding again at night
and continuing all the way through to Fitzroy Crossing, 450km away
by tomorrow night, which would leave me on schedule. I had
breakfast at the roadhouse, did some washing and had a sleep.
|
|
ADVENTURE LIST
Round Ireland
(2016)
Hume & Hovell Walking Track
(2013)
Via Alpina
(2012)
Australian Alps Walking
Track (2011)
Land's End to John O'Groats
(2010)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2009)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2008)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2007)
Australia Tip to Top MTB
(2006)
Adelaide to Darwin MTB
(2005)
Sydney to Melbourne MTB
(2004)
Three Peaks Race
(2004)
Appalachian Trail
(1986)
Alpine Track
(1983)
|