Tag Archives: Australia

being in Australia

Opals, Missiles, and Vino, Sections, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 65: South Australia

Cadney Homestead to  Coober Pedy
Date: 11-13-2014 Time: 05:53 h Σ Time: 366:24 h
Distance: 155 km Σ km: 7774 km Temp: 19/46°C
Up: 303 m Σ Up: 72427 m Down: 321 m
Calories: 2278 kcal Σ kcal: 166906 kcal  
Conditions: Wind was our friend today. Made it a partially easy but a real hot day.

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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Opals, Missiles, and Vino, Sections, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 64: South Australia

Tarcoonyinna Rest Area to  Cadney Homestead
Date: 11-12-2014 Time: 05:12 h Σ Time: 360:31 h
Distance: 135 km Σ km: 7619 km Temp: 15/41°C
Up: 175 m Σ Up: 72124 m Down: 272 m
Calories: 2339 kcal Σ kcal: 164628 kcal  
Conditions: Good for a solo ride as the wind wasn’t giving too much trouble.

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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Opals, Missiles, and Vino, Sections, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 63: South Australia

Kulgera Roadhouse to  Tarcoonyinna Rest Area
Date: 11-11-2014 Time: 04:55 h Σ Time: 355:18 h
Distance: 126 km Σ km: 7484 km Temp: 16/40°C
Up: 132 m Σ Up: 71949 m Down: 238 m
Calories: 2137 kcal Σ kcal: 162289 kcal  
Conditions: Cool morning, heat turned on as usual. Wind was more to our favor accelerating the ride to the next camp.

Today was the crossing over into another state. We are leaving the Northern Territory to South Australia on our way to Adelaide. Before I started onto the official track I turned into a dirt road at camp for some sunrise photos. The wind seemed to be good to us today, as we turned a bit more to south out of the ever blowing south-east wind. It was a quick 20 km ride to the ‘border’ to South Australia. Not a real border, but huge signs warn from carrying uncertified fruit, veggies and livestock from NT to SA. They want to keep fruit flies and other parasites out of their state. The landscape turned flatter and flatter with occasional small hills. The trees and bushes grow smaller and do not offer any shade at all. We are entering a deserted territory. The distances between roadhouses increases, such that we are forced to camp in the ‘middle of nowhere’. No more cold drinks, no cell phone reception. Just us and occasional trucks and caravans that stop at our rest area. I was riding at the very end of the group. Only Henry and Chelsea were behind me. Good time for photos, as the ride will be not exhausting today. Lunch at 70 km was well placed with lots of food. The 56 km thereafter a bit more into the wind, but not as bad as the previous days. I arrived at the desert camp at 12:30. Brutal heat, no shade, but hot soup and tea. Everyone was hiding in the little shade the van and the canopies offered. Some fellow riders obviously don’t like camping, or the desert and continued on their own to the next town, which is another 51 km further south. However not before they emptied a substantial part of the cold drinks in our cooler box. I think the desert camp and camping at all is the flair of such an expedition trip and not the run for AC cabins in every campsite. However some like it different. Tonight is another cinema night, the only goody we have in the desert besides a cooler box with cold drinks for a while, since Gerald bought the LCD projector.

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Opals, Missiles, and Vino, Sections, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 62: Australia / NT

Desert Oaks Rest Area to  Kulgera Roadhouse
Date: 11-10-2014 Time: 05:00 h Σ Time: 350:22 h
Distance: 108 km Σ km: 7358 km Temp: 15/39°C
Up: 266 m Σ Up: 71817 m Down: 172 m
Calories: 2362 kcal Σ kcal: 160152 kcal  
Conditions: Again a windy ride with constant head- or crosswind.

Who thought it would be an easy, short day after yesterday’s 169km, was told different. The wind was constant against us, keeping us cool but substantially slowing us down. I was riding on my own this day. 108 km is a short distance and even with headwind not much of a torture. Keeping it at a moderate pace will make it early enough to camp to enjoy the pool, cold drinks and food.  The Erldunda Roadhouse at 33 km was to goal in the morning to get cold drinks and snacks after the night in the desert. Thereafter keeping nose to the tar and rolling down the kilometers in an environment that does not offer much of a change. The Kulgera Roadhouse is the most expensive place in Australia so far. All prices for food and drinks are astronomic. This guy knows how to make money with the monopoly he has here in ‘The middle of Nowhere’. However the pool was a real refresher. The water was cool as ice. Don’t know how he get this done. He probably manages to keep it cool from the night temperatures, which are as low as 10°C. Halfway into the night it is time to crawl into the sleeping bag. After dinner we had a few games in the pub. Pool billiard, darts and kicker and the music box playing songs of the good old 60th and 70th.

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Opals, Missiles, and Vino, Sections, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

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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Bike the Outback, Sections, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 60: Australia / NT

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Aileron to  Alice Springs
Date: 11-05-2014 Time: 06:16 h Σ Time: 338:28 h
Distance: 132 km Σ km: 7081 km Temp: 18/41°C
Up: 171 m Σ Up: 71227 m Down: 240 m
Calories: 2176 kcal Σ kcal: 154963 kcal  
Conditions: Tough, as the headwind was blowing gusty all day and slowed down progress to get to our rest day location.

132 km doesn’t sound much to cover on a flat land like the Australian outback. However, if the wind is blowing right into your face all day, it makes cycling a real workout. Keeping the average at about 20km/h was hard work. No way to stretch and relax the legs, always pedaling to not go backwards. I was going the first 45 kilometers on my own, before a group of 4 closed up with me and I joined them to share efforts to break the wind for the rest of the day. At 104km we passed the Tropic of Capricorn and had a short photo and refreshment stop. The last 20 km to town brought a bit of a relief, as it was a slight descend from the highest elevation point on the Stuart Highway to Alice Springs, and the wind direction seemed to have changed.

Camp is at a nice, green and shady place just a kilometer out of town and the starting point for my tour to Uluru and around, during the 3 rest days. I also need to do some shopping, maybe a new camera, as my old D70 is eventually ‘falling apart’, after 10 years of service in the most unreal areas and situations, brought to us by TdA and my other adventure travels.

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Bike the Outback, Sections, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 59: Australia / NT

Barrow Creek to  Aileron
Date: 11-04-2014 Time: 06:01 h Σ Time: 332:12 h
Distance: 151 km Σ km: 6949 km Temp: 21/44°C
Up: 276 m Σ Up: 71056 m Down: 120 m
Calories: 2538 kcal Σ kcal: 152787 kcal  
Conditions: Hot, wind changed from tail- to cross- and headwind before lunch. Thereafter coming from all directions.

It was a quick start from Barrow Springs. I guess nobody wanted to stay there longer as necessary. For the first 30 km we were actually heading west, so we got good tailwind that let us cruise at 30km/h or higher. Conditions changed once we turned back into southern direction. The tailwind turned into a nasty crosswind slowing us down substantial. Right after camp I took some sunrise photos with riders passing by the rising sun, thus I lost contact to all riding groups as they were flying by to fast. Therefore I was on my own again for most of the day. Unfortunately my DLR stopped working after a few more photos – the shutter did not open anymore. I tried to reset the camera several times to correct the error, but no success. Thus I was left with my GoPro and Samsung phone for the rest of the day. There wasn’t much to see anyhow this day, except once in camp, thus not a big problem. I already planned to buy a new body in Alice Spring the next day to have  a good camera for the Uluru (Ayers Rock) trip. Surprisingly the cam worked again in camp. Must have been one of the bumps when riding over the cattle grates that cleared the malfunction. The highlight of the day was definitely the mango ice cream at the mango farm at 104 km (TdA must add this stop to their ‘bible’ for future tours – however, the farm is on sale, hope the new owner will continue the business). Todays camp is a paradise compared to last nights. There is an art gallery associated with it, with two huge human sculptures on the ground and the hill, next to it (photos to follow). A not very happy locking kangaroo is in one of the paddocks with some sheep, with a strange name (‘phuku’ or alike). Some riders told me they have seen 2 wild camels as well. I decided to climb the nearby hill with the ‘Big Man’ sculpture, after stopping at the ‘Big Women with child and lizard’. Their size is impressive. Unfortunately the gallery was closed, so I need to find out later what the meaning of the giants is.

Tomorrow is the final riding day to Alice Springs. Three rest days allow us to visit the Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kings Canyon and other sites, for which I have signed in.

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Bike the Outback, Sections, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 58: Australia / NT

Wauchope to  Barrow Creek
Date: 11-03-2014 Time: 04:41 h Σ Time: 326:10 h
Distance: 111 km
133km *)		 Σ km: 6798 km Temp: 26/44°C
Up: 225 m Σ Up: 70780 m Down: 56 m
Calories: 2548 kcal Σ kcal: 150249 kcal  
Conditions: Skies cleared, hotter and dry. Wind not always to our favor. We gain a bit of altitude towards Alice Spring,
*) 22 km extra to return to ‘the marbles’

The group decided on a 50 km time trial on this ‘shorter’ cycling day, whereas I decided to return to the Devils Marbles for a sunrise photo opportunity. This added 22 extra kilometers to my day and a late arrival in the next camp, Which wasn’t too bad, as the Barrow Creek caravan park is not the first address in the outback. It is the most basic campsite so far in Australia, everything rundown, broken or not yet finished, except the pub, which is one of a kind. No pool to refresh and relax after a long cycling day, but enough cold drinks in the pub.

Since I wasn’t ‘racing’ I had all time of the world to finish the day. I was behind everyone the whole day, including the sweep. The lunch-van paid me a surprise visit, to ‘search’ for me and deliver water and food. Although I ‘signed out’ for the day, a TdA official was a bit concerned about my wellbeing, because I left camp at 5:30am and wasn’t seen thereafter, and there was no mobile signal to keep in touch. I received a lunch packet from Chelsea to survive the final 70km, which I took slower than usual, to save energy for the next two long distance cycling days to Alice Springs.

The  ‘Ufo Capital of Australia’ was my breakfast stop at 18 km. The racers missed this unique location, as they couldn’t afford to stop their race. I was ‘hijacked’ by the aliens and only released after I bought a sticker for my bicycle and a pin for my Australian pin collection, which is the substitution for bracelets I collected in Indonesia.

At the Barrow Creek pub I got another animal for my travelling bike helmet zoo, which Doug mounted to my already crowded helmet.

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Bike the Outback, Misc, Photos, Sections, Trans-Oceania

Navigation Challenges

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Navigation Challenges in the Outback

The Northern Territory Outback introduces some difficult navigation  and unforeseen challenges for the riders to get from one camp to the next. Although we are excellently briefed every evening before dinner with the next stage details, it may happen that one gets lost or feels she/he has gotten lost in the vast and hostile outback. One day I was already cruising along for hours, not seeing a human soul. I wasn’t sure whether I still was on the right path and almost considered to u-turn and retrace from the last known correct  location, when I eventually spotted a bright shining something on the horizon ahead of me. I accelerated to close up to the still little moving neon spots in the far distance. It took me a while on these long straight roads, which make it hard to estimate a distance. Approaching closer I was so relieved to see that it were 2 cyclists. Shirley and DanGOPR6400-001, who were cycling into the same direction as I am, and could confirm, that we were still riding on the correct track and we continued our little  ‘odyssey’ through the dessert and eventually reached the lunch stop from where it was easy to get to the next campsite and reunited with the rest of the group.

Find below the short instant interview I had with Shirley and Dan about the navigational challenges and what difference a ‘Navigational Expert’ can make …

 

and the briefing information on the white board for the day, which caused us some difficulties to remember and follow  Winking smile:
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Bike the Outback, Sections, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 57: Australia / NT

Tennant Creek to  Wauchope
Date: 11-02-2014 Time: 04:52 h Σ Time: 321:28 h
Distance: 117 km Σ km: 6687 km Temp: 15/30°C
Up: 128 m Σ Up: 70555 m Down: 139 m
Calories: 1947 kcal Σ kcal: 147701 kcal  
Conditions: The first cloudy cycling day in Australia. Drizzle in the morning and much lower and comfortable temperatures. However the wind was facing us, and building and riding in pelotons was a great relief.

The weather changed during the rest day. Wind direction turned again to blow strong from south and the skies were totally covered. It rained during the night, and continued to slightly drizzle in the morning, which was a welcome refreshment for the riders. Unfortunate for my ‘a sunrise photo a day’ project there was no sun. So I took the first and only chance to take a photo, when the sun rays briefly broke through the otherwise dense clouds. For cycling the covered sky was a treat. With temperatures at least 10°C lower than on previous days, it was more like cycling in the  European summer. The landscape was not very different to previous days. Only the darker red soil/sand from rain and the smell of the rain made a difference. The first 100 km was just cycling the distance, no other remarkable sights, that would force a stop. I cycled the first 45 km on my own, but joint a peloton that caught up to me for the rest of the day, sharing to break the wind and rotate for recovery. At 104 km the giant  boulders of the place named “Devil’s Marbles” came into view. Time for a photo stop and for exploring the area. Impressive how nature built this setup. All formed by weather and erosion. At sunrise or sunset even more impressive – thus I decided to return to the place the next morning for sunrise, if the skies will clear over night.

The other riders will have a kind of cycling competition the next day– a ‘handicapped race’ – on the first 50 km, which probably allows me to return into the group by lunch and not stay too far behind. Going back to the marbles will add another 20 km to the total distance, which is no problem, because the official distance is only 100 km, early camp arrival guaranteed.

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