Day 65 77 days to go. Distance today 125km total 5211km. It’s 7pm Monday 10/9/12 Bush camp 2km sth Karratha shell Road House. Do you know how much I love posting and this time of night no moreso than tonight after what’s been a bit more of a tricky day. There’s such a comfort in it for me and bazar sense of home. I’m sitting in between Rube and the Grasshopper with my cuppa and all cleaned up wet wipes style and now posting you fine folk in a comfy space. It’s so lovely knowing my family and new and old friends will be reading this and it’s my connection with you yay. This part of WA is proving to be a bit trickier. It makes me appreciate how spoilt we have been with the facilities in the rest areas up to now. The same facilities here are a bit skinnier as we’re finding. All good but with plan B done up this arv to figure in more roadhouse and campground stops. Water is one of challenges so with the tweaked itinerary Ive allowed to stay where water is available or in between roadhouses where we can water up for the next day. Fully watered up we carry now 8 litres and that see’s us through the day and overnight. Then at a couple of places over the next 2 weeks we’ll have to carry an extra 4 litres to cover the next day as well. But Ive figured out how that can work so on paper it works and that’s a goof start. I like this part of the challenge and again reminds me what’s most important at the end of the day. Foremost that Rube and I are safe and sound at the end of the day. Secondly allow for water as the vanners are not reliably around. This seems to be because the places to stay overnight are off the trunk road and along the coast 10 to 20km off at dirt road access points. There’s also sights inland and many have opted to take this road to check out those National Parks. The Camp’s 6 Australia book said we could camp at the Shell Roadhouse at Karratha but when we got there this arv were told that they no longer allow this as it’s too dangerous with the amount of Roadtrain traffic in/out of the place. And that’s an understatement!!!!! Since leaving Port Headland yesterday the number of roadtrains have at least doubled. This means it’s been pretty full on managing the constant passing both ways with the wind they generate. Rube and I are definitely staying positive but with the truckee wave working overtime when safe to do so. I know that good karma means good road safety and the essential ingredient to ending the day safe and sound with anything else bonus steak knives. This is our first principle and it works and keeps us smiling with all ten fingers and toes. The folk at the roadhouse pointed us to Karratha which was backwards 10km to the turnoff then another 7km into town eeeeeeeeeek. Time for a can of Persi Max. I think the lady felt sorry for me and gave it to me as a freebie thankyou x I inhaled it and gathered myself together for the trip back. About 2 kms into it I spotted a travel bus that had pulled up 50m down a dirt road. This may be a better option. I spoke to the folk and asked if I could camp nearby which worked for them yayayayayaya. I dropped the trailer and went back to the roadhouse to water up and returned to set up camp double yay. This gave me the chance to reshuffle the itinerary and we’re felling happier with how the next days look to Perth. I’m feeling allot happier now having some predicable stops that allows for water and safe places to stay overnight. The days are mentally tougher for the time being so it’s good to have a reliable stop to aim for to help chip through the day. While at the roadhouse a fella donated $10 but didn’t want to hand round for his receipt so we have our first Mr Unknown carbon copy in the book very funny!!! But thankyou anyway Mr 🙂 Before leaving the rest area this morning we also received a donation from Brian. He’s a 71 year old dear fella travelling by himself in his van with a Posty Bike attached to the back. He was telling me the history of these bikes which was really interesting. Apparently there’s lots of posty bike clubs across Autralia and the motor cycle is sought after by many for it’s quirky reliability. Posty bikes came about in 1975 when Honda made a contract with Australia post to design a reliable bullet proof machine that could take the weight, go all day without a splutter, start first time round and run on an oily rag. Hence the 110cc Red Posty Bikes that are pretty much nowadays as first designed back in 1975 with the contract still going strong. Australia Post run them for 25 000km then sell them to the public on auction that’s why they’re a real commodity when folk score them. Brian thinks that Honda may have started selling them direct to the public about 12 months ago but the design’s different and not the real McCoy that clubbing folk so love. I really enjoyed our chats this morn and found all this stuff interesting. It was nice to have him wave us off and wish us safe travels. Likewise mate and thankyou for the $5 donation. Along our travels today we stopped to take some great micro shots of a patch of more desert peas amongst other wild flowers and beautiful landscape backdrop. I also met a very curious gecko who was happy to he held for some pickies or maybe too shi# scared to move 🙂 We popped him back in his sandy terrain which he blended so beautifully in his camouflage color. Nature’s so clever isn’t it? This part of our travels seems very long stretches and the countryside vast with floodways a dominant feature. They must get such full on water pass through here during the wet given the size of the dry river beds that we cross during the day. So that’s about us for the day and time for dinner and beddy byes as I’m pretty weary from the day and looking forward to an early night. I checked out the photos before including the sunset shots we snapped here and they are pretty cool. I look forward to uploading this next lot when I get a chance to share with you fine folk. With the $15 donations from Brian and Mr Shell Roadhouse Man that makes the total now $1579.35. Talk soon x PS I almost forgot Rube’s rear tyre valve had a blow out today so we had a character building exercise changing her tube by the roadside contending with the windy gusts of the passing road trains bugga but all fixed and sorted. It’s my beloved job to look after my girl cause she soooo looks after me 🙂
Another day ends
and tomorrow awaits
full of anticipation
for all it will bring
and the challenge ahead
as we cycle our beautiful Nation.
Another day ends
and a new day will break
full of the color of life
in every surprise
and adventure ahead
as I dream of tomorrow tonight.
shecyclesolo 