Day: |
Half Day 21 and Day 22
|
Date: |
Thursday & Friday, 9 & 10 August 2007
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Accommodation |
Cabin in Fitzroy Crossing
|
Summary |
Riding from Warmun (Turkey Creek) to Fitzroy Crossing
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Start Time: |
7:00pm Thursday
|
Finish Time: |
7:20pm Friday
|
Daily
Map Kms: |
452
|
Total
Map Kms: |
6,118
|
Map Kms To Go: |
8,293
|
Map Kms ahead (+)/ behind (-) schedule: |
0
|
Daily Odometer Kms: |
na (flat battery)
|
Daily Average Speed: |
na (flat battery)
|
Weather: |
Very cold at night and very warm and sunny during the day.
Moderate easterly wind.
|
Nutrition: |
Roast chicken and vegetables for dinner. Sandwiches for
brunch. Chicken Parmigiana for dinner.
|
Encounters: |
Met the couple from Newcastle (unforgiveably, I have forgotten
their names) who introduced themselves two days ago after seeing me
several times during their campervan travels. This time they
spotted me having a break in a rest area and came over and offered
to top up my water bottles and give me a cold can of Coke. I
gratefully accepted both offers. Also saw plenty of kangaroos
hopping across the road in front of me during the night.
|
Highlights: |
Brilliant starry night with meteors, no wind and barely a sound.
|
Lowlights: |
Labouring mightily in the last 200km and then not being able to
find the motel I had booked. I set off down the road it was
supposed to be in on arrival in Fitzroy Crossing, but after bumping
along the sandy and corrugated for about a kilometre with no sign of
lights and one carload of hoons racing past yelling at me, I decided
to try a different nmore expensive lodge where I got a cabin.
|
Daily Pictures: |
Here |
Daily Podcasts: |
Here &
Here &
Here &
Here |
Journal: |
I didn’t feel great when the alarm woke me at 5pm to prepare for
my 24 hoour ride to Fitzroy Crossing and, despite a nice meal at the
roadhouse, I still had a dull headache as I left hoping it did not
grow into a migraine. I really am operating on very little
sleep and heavy workload and am probably on the edge. My hope
was get to Fitzroy Crossing by Friday night which would put me on
schedule and then have two relatively low kilometre days to recover
from the exertions of the past week. It was already dark as
I started cycling, but not very cold. Happily, my chafed areas
seemed to have recovered and I had no problems sitting on the bike
saddle. Despite plenty of long gradual climbs, I felt I was
making good time. There were plenty of kangaroos ambling
across the road in front of me and I barely missed hitting one. It
was another brilliant starry night and I enjoyed the quiet time in
my rest breaks. After midnight the temperature began
dropping rapidly and I made several stops to add more clothing but
still got cold, especially whenever travelling fast enoughto
generate any wind-chill. It was the coldest night I had struck
so far on the trip. Eventually, I reached Hall’s Creek
(162km) at about 3am and cycled quietly through town. There
were still a number of people wandering around town and occasional
shouting. I decided I would be wiser to take my next rest
break out of town, which I did. Around 4:30am I began
getting very sleepy, as usual, and after nearly falling off while
dozing, decided I had to have a short nap. I got off the side
of the road, spread out my groundsheet and immediately went to sleep
despite freezing temperatures. I woke an hour later to find
the sky lightening and quickly packed up and hit the road, still
shivering from the cold. However, around 7am, once the sun had
risen a little way the temperatures rose markedly and by 7:30am I
was riding in a T-shirt. It promised to be a warm day.
There were less hills after Hall’s Creek and some long flat
stretches. It was scrubby cattle grazing country with
occasional rocky outcrops, big escarpments in the distance many
red-earth termite mounds of all shapes and sizes. As the sun
rose the easterly wind sprang up and I got some tailwind assistance.
It was just as well, because I was starting to fade again. I
had some sandwiches I had brought with me for lunch at a picnic area
on the Mary River and then began the last 180km which turned into a
bit of a saga. Not only was I very sleepy, but my legs were
felling very tired and my motivation was low. I broke the
journey into 20km sections, stopping for a brief drink and snack at
each. I finally reached Fitzroy Crossing where, after some
difficulty, I got a cabin in a sort of resort and ordered a take-out
dinner from the bar. I haven’t been able to buy any food for
tomorrow’s 227km trip to Willare Bridge, so will start a bit later,
maybe 6:30am, and get breakfast and some supplies at a roadhouse on
my way out of town. It means I won’t get to Willare Bridge
until around 7:00pm, but does mean I’ll get a longer sleep tonight.
I’m glad to be right on my 53-day schedule and looking forward to a
couple of easier days necessitated by the location of the various
roadhouses.
|
|
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)
|