Theaussiechallenge Post # 85 Mundrabilla

Day 107 34 days to go. Distance today 120km total 8727km. It’s 7.30pm Monday 22/10/2012 Mundrabilla. I’m sitting outside Buddy camped at the roadhouse in a spot I hope is going to be pretty well protected by the incoming storm from the NW. It’s the oddest pre calm as the storms been looming for the last couple of hours. It’s fighting against a wind from the SE making the clouds creep ever so slowly our way. The breeze is a treat against the skin which is still toasty from what has been the hardest day yet. I left Madura round 6.30am and it was already blowing a total gale from the NE. It carried a heat straight of the desert and its been 4045 degrees for the 9 hours ride. I’m in the habit of carrying extra water for the unplanned stuff and thank goodness as the 4.5 liters were inhaled over the day. Ontop of this I scored a bottle of diet ginger beer and iced coffee from a passing truckee called Lindsay who threw in a muffin. He was the only person who stopped today which was surprising given the wicked temps so it was Lindsay to the rescue and his treats are what made the difference. Thank you mate. ‘I’ve got so much respect for you blokes!!!’ was his parting comment after our roadside brief chats. He’s an ex-high school teacher now enjoying a different career and he oozes that truckee charm I’ve come to love so much. The trick today was to avoid heat stress and not go too hard at it to get the heart rate up. This was extra tricky with the headwind and it took us a while to find the right gear to manage the conditions but still get through the kms. By the way we did awesome and soooooooo earnt the $20 donation from Mick when we arrived at Mundrabilla. The folk here have let us camp free and it was straight to the shower to cool off and rinse the gear out. I had some chats with the other folk camping here who are also heading east and finding the conditions wicked on fuel consumption. One lady is traveling by herself with her pooch after retiring last November from Nursing. She’s from Adelaide and has spent the most part of her career doing bush nursing in Indigenous communities. She is so interesting and was talking about the challenges improving health and education standards. It’s time for dinner and some zzzz’s for a 6am start after dropping the key at reception. Tomorrow we’ll aim to cross the SA border at Border Town just after Eucla. All going well this has been our last full day in WA. It seems a long time ago when we we arrived in Kunnunarra at the top end. So much has happened and our challenges have been pretty full on in this wild half of Australia.Cash donations $2485. Talk soon x PS The wind is starting to pick up a now but Buddy’s been bungee’d down well to brave what mother nature has in stall. Let’s see what the night brings!!!!!! It’ll also be Buddy’s first test in the rain but I’ve got my bets on the boy will do awesomely 🙂