What a good day… when you start with a goood breakfast and the wind is helping you!
Ok, the very first moment was not sooo funny: As I had washed my clothes yesterday evening, I had put them outside of the room to dry. That part in front of the cabins were as well “mosquito-protected”, so I thought it shouldn’t be a problem to let the stuff dry there.
In fact, when I wanted to grab my cycling throusers and shirt and socks, they were full of bugs (the animals, not computer errors! (-;)… I shaked everything well, took a deep breath and put it on, even if it was not 100% dry.
After everything was packed, I went for breakfast. My stomach was full again and ready for a long day. And it was worth it: The wind had changed and the road was all sealed! 🙂
After 25km, I had my first few droplets of rain… even not enough to refresh. Later the same. As the last days, the landscape changed quite much. Thanks to the good season I had choosen (not to hot like in the summer, not to cold like in winter and just after a rain-period), most of the plants were green and/or had grown. Thanks to the wind, the little ups and down of the street were not to bad. Once, I could see the pump-tower of a petrol station. Many times the indication of the direction to petrol field were indicated. At 13h00 I reached “half-way”: 1500km! :-)So after 178km at a speed of about 25km/h, I finally arrived in Eromanga, which is as well living from the oil.
I placed my tent at the Eromanga Hotel and could have a new “other” experience: After the sulfur (or better the SH2) smelling baths of Chile, I had now the diesel-smelling shower of Australia. The water is coming hot out of the ground and has the smell of “oil”. They have done several test on it and “it should be no problems to use it”… I did not drink it, of course. The interesting part: it has something of taking a shower with water and body lotion. My skin and hair are feeling very soft 🙂
But the nice part of the day were not over:
-The Hotel was organizing a BBQ (because they were some many workers from the drilling companies)…
-I could refill my water bottles with rain water (of course, adding some chlorine pills)
– Some women from the hotel spent 35 AUS$ to the WWF (which I will pay with when I ‘m back, of course).MANY THANKS
That was a real cool day… we will see, what the weather will be tomorrow…
Cheers, Georges
The day in numbers:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/78474060
Cool to read that you made the half way, this impressiv and we are proud that you are on the right pace.best regards Peter for the whole BREAG Team