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Journal: |
On the road soon after 1:00am, I cycled out of the sleeping
Katherine and turned west on the Victoria Highway towards Western
Australia. The lights were soon behind me and I was once again
riding beneath a cloudless starlit sky. There was almost zero
traffic and it wasn’t too cold. The road was undulating,
though gradually climbing, and it was relatively slow progress.
I stopped a couple of times for sandwiches I had purchased the
previous days and enjoyed the bush at dawn. As the sun rose, a
large dingo sauntered out of the bush to my left, took a look at me,
deciding I was of no consequence, and continued on its way into the
bush to my right.
Soon after, I entered the Victoria River
region which comprised deep red rocky bluffs bordering the Victoria
River valley. The scenery was great and offset the
strengthening headwind. The road gradually descended into the
valley and then followed its floor until finally crossing the
Victoria River adjacent to the Victoria River Roadhouse (187km).
I arrived about 10:45am and had a late breakfast sitting on their
verandah watching the world go by including the tourists and a
National Park Ranger organizing a burn-off of grass surrounding the
roadhouse. Wherever, you go up here, it seems like they are
deliberately slow-burning the undergrowth, and the smell is familiar
and occasionally tedious.
From the Roadhouse only had 92km
to go to Timber Creek, my target for the day, but the very warm
weather and gradual ascents made it hard work. I arrived about
3:15pm and took the opportunity to do a load of washing as well as
my other chores. Dinner was a hamburger and chips, and I
bought sandwiches and other supplies to get me to Kununurra (228km)
the next habitation en route. I may be camping by the roadside
tomorrow night as there doesn’t look likely to be any accommodation
where I will be. I’m planning the usual very early start
tomorrow morning, especially since I recall the first 200km tomorrow
is very exposed and prone to be very hot.
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