With only 2 more cycling days in the outback, I decided to go on my own again, although the strong headwind would have made riding easier in a peloton. However, chances to see wildlife when riding alone are much higher than riding in a group. I left camp earlier than usual to be ahead of most of the other riders. Right after leaving Woomera I spotted a group of Emus in the morning sun on the road to Pimba. Unfortunately a fast approaching car and a rider, who imitating a scene from the last movie we saw – blowing a whistle when our racers speeded past us – made the emus run into the open field. Turning onto the Stuart Highway the wind was really blowing into the faces, making progress very slow. I continued my pace, although I was invited to join another group, as I was on my mission today. The slower speed made scanning for wildlife a bit easier. Soon I spotted another emu family with 2 adults and 10 kiddies.Approaching another big salt lake opened a fantastic view. It was as if the ocean was already in sight. I decided to walk into the bush field to get a much better view down onto the lake. Coming closer to the edge I saw a movement and a kangaroo disappearing into the valley. Soon there were 4 large red kangaroos on the scene, which I enjoyed to follow and watch until they disappeared in the horizon. The 30 minutes walk into the bushes had paid off with this encounter in front of a stunning lake. It made my day I could could continue to lunch and into camp with more focus on breaking the wind. Camp is at a really nice spot overlooking a range of flat mountains, but also a bit noisy, as there are to cattle grids on the road, and a lot of trucks and cars running over it.

Most of the riders decided to directly continue to Port Augusta, the next rest day location, and just 67 km more to go. They really miss the best part of the tour, the nights in the bush, with fantastic sunsets and night sky. However it is everyone’s right to sign out from the tour and find more comfortable places to sleep.

Tomorrow is the last day in the outback. Just 62 km to reach the southern coastline of Australia and 3 cycling days away from Adelaide.

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Today was an easier day. Wind still not completely favorable, but not as strong as the days before. Temperatures are also rising again. I was riding solo again; thought there might be better photo opportunities going on my own again. Going my own pace and not organizing a peloton, it was also easier for me to scan the fields for wildlife. And I was right. I saw a ‘desert crocodile’ in the morning and some ‘mad’ cows. However before arriving at the lunch stop there was not much more, in a real deserted, vast land, with almost no vegetation. But at lunch the landscape changed again. Snow white lakes appeared out of the red plains. Our lunch stop was at Lake Hart, a stunning salt lake, which invited for an extra tour on the white, flat surface. It was as if cycling on a glacier, but much warmer. With only about 50 km to go after lunch, I was leaving at last, even after the sweep. I was lucky that day. Several Emus crossed my way and I could take good photos. Another big lack appeared later and I walked a few 100m into the fields, to get closer to the edge and a better view. Before getting into Pimba I made a sad encounter of a kangaroo. When I passed it it looked as if it was hiding in the ditch, watching me, even greeting me. I turned around and could not believe my eyes. It looked like a funny setup. But then I was shocked, when I saw a slight movement. The pour animal was breathing and the head turned all of a sudden, to follow a truck, that was approaching and passing us. Then I realized that the kangaroo must  have been recently hit by a car and severely hurt, with broken and dislocated legs and probably a broken spine totally unmovable, except its head. It didn’t show pain, but was so helpless with a facial expression that asked for help or relief. It was so sad to see this, but nothing I could do. During the 4 weeks ride through the outback, we saw so many road kills, more dead than alive animals, however this was the most touching view of a kangaroo that was between life and dead.    

Only 2 more days and one bush camp in the Outback before we hit the coast line of South Australia at Port Augusta. We will soon miss the quiet nights and lonesomeness of the outback.

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Another hard riding day. The wind was so bad, that riding in a group was the best. I was trying to form a peloton, but it wasn’t very well functioning and fell apart soon. Soon I caught up with another group and reorganized it to better work as a team. Somehow the groups seem to be competing. As soon as one appears at the horizon the other is chasing it, until it is caught and passed. Thereafter the just passed group accelerates to overtake the former again, and so on. Even in a peloton there is some competition of a kind ‘I can go faster in the lead than you’, causing the speed to ever increase. Chances to recover are not taken. Instead the easier conditions are used to further increase the speed and get other to their limit. The pack tends to fall apart and one has to do the work to keep the sheep together. After lunch I was alone with 5 women, when the last guy left the peloton and went ahead. But I managed to keep them together and we arrived together at the new campsite.

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It wasn’t the expected tailwind out of Coober Pedy. In the contrary, a storm hit our campground the night before and the wind changed directions again. Everyone was busy, securing the tents and flies. The change in wind directions came along with a huge temperature drop. Compared to the previous days, the temperature was down by more than 30°C. I was riding most of the day solo again and enjoyed the first kilometers out  of Coober Pedy, with some photo stops at the mines. But soon the conditions became worse. The wind got very strong and gusty, later rain set in. Luckily I packed my raincoat the night before an got some protection. I rode with Henry and Doug, who had a slow leak and needed to pump up every 15 km. Lunch was still in the heavy wind and with wet clothes I felt real cold. Refreshed with 3 sandwiches and fruits I continued the afternoon part. The weather improved and became sunny and warmer, but still very windy until I arrived in the bush camp. I setup tent in the bushes, well protected from the cold wind. The movie was canceled as the conditions did not allow the setup the equipment and nobody would be sitting and watch in the cold. The night was clear, but cold.

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After my sunset photo I joined a group of 5 riders for a peloton. The first 58 km were quickly mastered with a 10 minute rotation. Then I dropped out of the group to take a 1 in a million chance for a photo I was waiting for, since we were riding the outback. A lizard was sunbathing on the hot tar, when suddenly disturbed by our approaching bicycles. Luckily it only escaped to the the shoulder of the road, where it was perfectly hiding camouflaged between the rocks.  I got off my bike, camera ready, assuming it would run away from me. However it was quite the opposite. The lizard kept posing for me without fear. I really had to ‘touch’ it to make it move and take a video. I spent quite some time with it, and lost contact to any group for the whole day, which meant another 100 km of solo riding. Coober Pedy is the ‘capital’ of the Opal miners. The whole area seems to be turned from bottom to top. The dugout rocks pile up like huge termite mounts, but not as beautiful. We changed camp sites in Coober Pedy, away from the underground camp, closer to town. I rented a 4×4 with Michael Coo to drive to the Painter Desert for the sunrise. This means another 3:30am wakeup on a rest day. And it was said, their might be rain tonight making the drive on the 100km dirt road to the Painted Desert a real fun ride.

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Easy going all day. Unfortunately the pool at the roadhouse was a bit filthy, thus no swim after the heated ride. French fries were great at the restaurant. Another movie night, this time in apartment #11, made available by David J.  Thus no flies and other bugs that would spoil the movie experience of ‘The Chef’.

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