Crossing the Australian Continent - 4915KM! | The Oodnadatta Track at Alberie Creek - Sth Aust. |
In 2002 I and a rubber duck I dubbed the "Intrepid Duck" embarked on a 4915Km bicycling trek from Melbourne to Darwin, encountering the unexpected and ended this trek with a far more positive opinion of my country.
With 90 days on the road I was rained on 7 out of the first 10, hailed on when it wasn't raining and faced icey head winds for 4 weeks solid! Along with the weather it was a truely exhilarating experience, I becomming a seasoned traveller for the journey ahead.
After the cosy comforts of Adelaide it wasn't long until I was straight into the Australian Outback. Here I felt, in a sort of way, to be experiencing a new life.
Along a gravel road in the Flinders Ranges, well into my cycling routine, I suddenly met another cyclist Carsten. He a German who seemed crazy enough to be doing something similar to my self.
We travelled for 3 weeks en-route across the South Australian desert, via the rough as gutts, but must to see underground town of Coober Pedy. Here I met one of it's many characters "Crocodile Harry", indeed once the true Crocodile Dundee. A Latvian immigree to this country in the 1950s he became a real wild man and hunter of the giant reptile up in the "far north". Since the 70's he has, like many of this heated Outback town, become an Opal prospector, living in a vast underground dugout home. It more a temple to the female form than a mere house.
It was then on towards the Northern Territory's Uluru, the monolithic Ayers Rock. However before I was to reach "the rock" I holed up in Alice Springs, it became a kind of base for me where I could catch up on some rare creature comforts such as espresso coffee and a regular hot shower.
A bus connection, bike aboard, I travelled south towards Uluru. Aftersome memorable days spent there and catching up with my German friend we made our way on two wheels as much as possible towards Alice. From there I was to trek north alone on the Stuart Hwy, eventually to Darwin some 1800Km away.
Travelling through the MacDonnell Ranges would have to be one of the highlights of "our trek". Watarrka National Park and the stunning Palm Valley are not to be missed for their unique natural grandure. 12Km of 20cm deep sand was not a total deterrant into getting myself into Palm Valley. Other splendid sights such as Standley Chasm were to follow.
During the entire course of this trek across OZ I only had three punctures, but did however have the misfortune to break my rear carrier rack. For the second time on my trek I was forced to hitch, bike and all, 180Km or so north from Barrow Creek to Tennant Creek. The first time had been with Carsten 100Km short of Coober Pedy where we were hampered by strong head winds and dwindled food supply. A family from Sydney in a 4X4 pulling a huge caravan came to our rescue with a lift into town and mobile homemade chocklate cup cakes.
In the town of Tennant Creek, were I was lucky to buy a replacement rack for my bike, I had the pleasure through shere chance to meet my second cycling companion. Simon an Aussie larrikan from Perth doing the full circle of the continent on a comfortable three wheeler recumbant. The remaining three weeks of my journey took us togeather to Darwin, from where sadly I didn't spend enough time at, thus flying home.
We travelled to some interesting towns off the main road such as the cattle station of Newcastle Waters, Daly Waters with its wild and friendly pub and Bachelor, where I would catch up with friends of friends. It is the gateway town to Lychfield National Park. This region boarders the tropical far north with it's permanant rock pools, waterfalls, crocodiles and "Magnetic" termite mounds. Prior to here we stopped off at a place called Robin Falls with perhaps one of the best free camping spots on the trek. |
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