David's Journal Entry

We managed a wonderfully early start this morning, primarily as a result of being so well-rested. We were up at 6am and ready to get on the road for sunrise. The only snag was an unusually short ocular migraine, which thankfully had receded before the first pedal stroke. Two cereal bars and a slug of water followed the necessary ablutions and we were off. 

The strong headwinds relented part way through the day, only in the sense that they became crosswinds, which were no less challenging to deal with. We were pushing through a consistent 20kmph wind with gusts exceeding 40kmph. Unsurprisingly, what had originally been slated as a 136km day was very nearly curtailed into a 60km leg as we pulled into Banka Banka Station for some respite. We should have made it to Banka by 11am, but given the slow going it was much closer to 1pm. In the end, we pushed on and managed to put in a 90km day to make it to the surprisingly inviting (given the name) Attack Creek.

Mike is not feeling well, which has also slowed our progress. He was in bed by 6pm this evening, so hopefully a 12hr sleep will help him recover from whatever the problem is, as another day rolling at 10-15kmph would be far from ideal. He really struggled to get going again at Banka Banka and we have discussed the option of getting him a lift to Tennant Creek or even Alice so he can rest for a while and I can meet him there. We have some contingency plans, but if he is genuinely unable to continue I will carry on regardless, once he's sorted, although I am hopeful it won't come to that. 

The vista has changed and we are on the fringes between seasonal tropical and semi-arid zones. The vegetation seems to alternate between the two frequently. The whole environment is reminiscent of an Attenborough documentary. It would be barely surprising to see a herd of antelope moving through the tawny grass or a lion pride lazing among the acacias. The topography is so very flat and at times seems to stretch out to the horizon in a way that looks unreal. The cameras on our phones don't really capture the scope or scale, and perhaps the drone would fare better but the winds make this an impossibility at the moment.

What could have been a dull evening spent thinking about how much I would like to teleport to see Eileen and the boys (albeit just for a hug, before teleporting back - I have chosen to be here after all) was saved by Rinnie and Rob, a child psychologist and PE teacher respectively, who hale from Adelaide. An evening spent star gazing, drinking hot chocolate and eating an abundance of fruit salad by an open fire was as excellent as the conversation. I look forward to finding a similarly remote spot in a couple of weeks' time, once the full moon of tonight has waned into a new moon. With a cloudless night and the right location the stars should be epic, by my reckoning we will be somewhere near Coober Pedy which could be just about perfect.