Stage 61: Australia / NT

Alice Springs to  Desert Oaks Rest Area
Date: 11-09-2014 Time: 06:54 h Σ Time: 345:22 h
Distance: 169 km Σ km: 7250 km Temp: 20/39°C
Up: 324 m Σ Up: 71551 m Down: 490 m
Calories: 2827 kcal Σ kcal: 157790 kcal  
Conditions: The first of 4 desert camps of the tour.

After 3 days without cycling, except for grocery shopping in town, it felt good to be back in the saddle again. We were quickly out of town into a crosswind. Dana, Charles and I formed a peloton for the rest of the day, helping each other to break the wind. It were long 93 km to the Stuarts Well roadhouse to have a cold drink and stack up with food and beverages for the desert camp. Not much time and opportunities for photos on the road, as that would mean to leave the little group and struggle through the day on you own.

Gerald bought a battery powered LCD projector and a sound bar during our rest days in Alice Springs. A well made purchase to have desert camp entertainment when nothing else is around or to do. The movie of the night was ‘Mad Max’ filmed in locations in the outback and on the Stuart Highway, perfect to fill in the things we did not see on the highway. There are more movie treasures in our box for the forthcoming desert night in Southern Australia.

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