Theaussiechallenge Post # 91 Kyancutta

Day 114 27 days to go. Distance today 125km total 10437km. It’s 7.50pm Monday 29/10/2012 Kyancutta. It’s on dusk now and super bug o’clock with the flies easing to an abundance of mozzies, moths and other winged insects. It’s the other side of bush camping and definitely not the preferred time of day for anyone a bit sensitive to the creepy crawlers of the outback scrub. Whilst I’ve been a bit desensitized by this stage of our travels, it’s still has an eeeeeeek factor for the chick in me, so the coils are blazing a smoke haze to hide behind. Being dusk time, my thoughts go out to what I read today about the ‘dinosaur ant’ where there was a model out front of the Poochera roadhouse. I got a photo in front of the ‘little critter’ to share with you the size and a bit of trivia….. “Ants first evolved when solitary wasp ancestors began to live in groups about 100 million years ago in the age of the dinosaurs. Remains of the first ant was found in the scrub at Poochera in 1977. The dinosaur ant resembles the standard ant in looks but was approximately 2 metres in body length and 4 metres including legs. Oh my deary!!!!!! Colonies lived deep in the soil. A nest contained one single queen and up to 100 workers all daughters of the queen. Each night on dusk the workers would leave the nest to forage for food. It’s on dusk now so a ‘thank goodness’ thought for the ‘extinction’ element in this instance!!! It what would otherwise be a tricky time of night for Rube and I !!!!!!!! Rube just butted in and reminded me that I’d be most likely the tasty roast on the dinosaur ant dinner table 🙂 It’s been a really great day ride enjoying the sights and smells of the wheat fields. This section of the Eyre Highway is called the wheat belt with all the towns dotted along built around huge silos. We woke this morning and watched the workers loading the road trains with grain. Cool to see in action. It was 40km to Poochera where we had our first break. Just outside of town a fella we met in Ceduna, Greg, had seen us on the road and pulled up to shout me a coffee at the roadhouse. We spent a couple of hours chatting about travels, routes and life in general. He’s from Shepperton, Victoria and also a special Virgo-ian celebrating his 60th birthday on the 6/9. Greg was easy good company and I hope all goes ok with your family business mate. Thanks for the coffee and company and I may hear from you soon x Margaret who ran the roadhouse, was an endearing woman very interested in our challenge and familiar with White Ribbon. She asked for a photo with Rube and I and donated $20 before waving us off. She’s keen to get online and follow our adventure. Our next stop was at Wudinna where I met Ian, also cycling from Sydney to Perth. He shouted me a diet coke and we sat for an hour exchanging cycling tips and stories. Ian was very interested to know my background and connection with White Ribbon. He was so encouraging and supportive and I wish him all the best in his own adventure westwards. Keep safe mate and savor all those unplanned surprises the next weeks have installed for you. We watered up at the local bakery there where the lady happily filled our bottles. Thankyou!!! It was only another 13km to here and we arrived just before sunset in time to set up camp and settle in for the evening. It’s already 8.30pm and I’m taking a bit to get used to the extended daylight time. I’m usually not far off crawling into buddy at this time so I’ll end it up there, clean myself up with a wet wipe or 10, and find something yummy for dinner before zzzz’s. We haven’t scored a cash donation since day 107 so thankyou Margaret for yours. It’s nice to keep that tally ticking over. Cash donations $2505. Talk soon x