Cooper Pedy to Port Augusta..

A day in Cooper Pedy

This town is all about opals - and it was like that for me as well.. The landscape that you see at the end of all streets there is deserted and like on the moon - except for signs of mining: piles of dug up material and mining machines. The main street holds a shop selling opals on every corner. So just perfect for finding what I looked for: an opal. Visited 6-8 different shops and found out that the owners had about as many nationalities. A real "wild west" town where treasure hunters from Greece, Albania, Ukraine and Croatia have found a living with these stones. I ended up buying an opal from a guy from Ukraine. It is a so-called black opal and found a couple of hundreds of km's south of Cooper Pedy.

My opal holds more colors in reality..

After having accomplished this mission I took a round on my bike to visit 3 under earth churches established in empty mines. Apparently the miners are quite religious.. 
 I also went for a kangaroo feeding session at a place where kangaroos rescued in traffic or elsewhere are taken care of. There were some 4-7 years old ones and a little just 5 months old baby girl. She was cute having milk from a bottle and could not really stand on her legs.

Dramatic change of weather 

We woke up to cloudy skies and a major temperature drop the following day. First time on the whole trip where it seemed kind of cold - weird.. Went off leading the peloton in full speed and was happy to have my light rain jacket in my bag on the back of the bike. Just at lunch it started dripping and continued into a solid rain coming with wind against us. My fingers lost all feeling and I was cold at arms and legs. A 125 k's day is long and there is time for the weather to change - several times. So we got dry again - and felt fine for once not sweating on the bike. As we arrived at our bush camp the wind caught up - just enough to make the setting up of a tent to somewhat of a challenge - to me at least. So just as I thought that I was all set the tent was taken by the wind and took it's own way over a fence into the bush area behind. I ran after it - but would have had little chance if it had not got caught by some trees maybe 50 meters away. I got it back, put my heavy bag inside - and felt kind of safe. Got ready for the night putting air into both of my mattresses - the old thick one that does not hold air more than 4 hours on the top and the new more compact one underneath. Was tired and wanted a little rest - but no chance - soo much noise from the wind "hammering" on the tent. Went for at beer at the rest area - and went back - more relaxed for a little rest. Passed out and just woke up 5 min. before riders meeting. Stumbled out of the tent and fell over one pole - and broke it. Was fed up and just left the tent as it was. When I looked at it next time with my dinner plate full - it was half lifted from the ground with the poole sticking through the cloth. No chance - just had to go back and get it fixed. With the help of our tour leader Andreas an emergency set up was established for the night. My tent had half it's normal (low) height - and there just was space for me and my things inside - all powdered in red dust! This was the end of my

tenting career - for this section at least. Had one more bush camp left after another 2 days ride and in stead of a 117 k's and a 62 k's day I decided to do the 179 k's ride to go straight to our Spencer Gulf destination Port Augusta.

The continent absolved - efi!

Toothbrush and a couple of other things packed in the bag at the back of my bike,  a hot soup poured down and I left the evening's camp at 2 pm together with Catherine from Vancouver. Her husband Hans is not a fan of bush camps either and actually left the group at Cooper Pedy to go straight to Port Augusta by bus. 

 We started out with a nice long descent, had a little stop at a rest area (brought my Coke+Mars) and ended up with 20 k's of strong headwinds. Arrived after 5 pm. Wonderful to see "real" water.  Got installed in a cabin - and drank the wonderful red wine Hans had ready for us! Something to celebrate: 2.750 k's done from ocean to ocean - the whole Australian continent - and EFI of it on my bike!

Longest day on my bike..

Another desert camp announced - 126 k's - all right. But in the middle of fucking nowhere - no shade but under a little roof - to trees - and just shit and paper from that.. It was hot, there was another 53 to go - but easy decision! Toothbrush and a couple of other things from my bag on the bike - and on we went to Marly's Roadhouse. Spent a great evening: swimming pool, shower, nap and the big grill plate followed by chocolate pie + ice-cream - not to forget reasonable amounts of red wine - wonderful. We had to officially sign out of the TDA trip to do this - but no big deal - just rejoined at lunch next day at 9.30 - and had a sleep in - not to forget!
 Short day yesterday - all ok - another camp night in my tent. And another "wake up" without sleep - do I ever lean it?? Super tough day today. Tired, headwind, up to 49,5 degrees heat - why do I do it? Was really "finito" at lunch - but my ambition to do EFI in Australia and the solid support from my peloton group (see South Australia picture on FB) made me continue.. And I did it: 157 k's where the riding after lunch actually was not as bad as I expected: tailwind and some nice descents going into one of Australia's most important opal mining towns: Coober Pedy. A burning hot desert town where even the churches are under ground as the heat just is unbearable. Opted for a wonderful room/suite that among other things holds it's own washing machine - can you beat that? I ENJOY the comfort big time - what a contrast to the tenting!
 Will go and buy an opal tomorrow - it's the stone of my star sign: scorpion - so I just have to have one!

Bush life south of Alice..

Started out with a long day (169 k's) yesterday. Well prepared after 3 rest days and a good sleep - full of energy.. Left camp already at 5.45 and headed south through Alice Springs. After 4 k's I looked down and realized that I had forgotten my big water bottle in the fridge of my cabin. Always bring 3 1/2 liters water with 2 smaller bottles on the back of the bike.
 Back again - loosing my peloton people - and meeting a locked gate going in to camp. Fortunately Henry, the sweeper of the day came shortly after. Got the bottle and was absolutely last out of camp. That made my day different than planned - but good. Stopped and had a chat with Henry, rode with Ursula and Rae that I catched up with until lunch and went together with Nellie for quite a while in the afternoon.
 The temperature was pleasant as it was partly overcast - actually it was only 17 degrees as we started out. And the wind was in my favor.        
 Came to our first bush camp around 3 pm and met much of the group sitting in the rest area protected from the sun drinking beer or soft drinks. Had a couple of cokes and the wonderful soup that Mark (he took over the job as cook after Jon left in Alice) makes for us to take every day after riding. Found a spot to put my tent (ants and burrs unavoidable) - and it blew away just after. I ran after it and had it fixed to the ground with my heavy bag inside. It is quite unpleasant to get in and out of my tent as it is very low. Also the whole logistics with daily and permanent bag is tough. Did a wrong movement the other day and kind of overstretched my groin. It still hurts when I do certain movements. Not 17 anymore..
 Well the highlight of the evening in the bush was Gerald's outdoors cinema. He showed "Mad Max" from the late 70's going on at the Stuart Highway. I look forward to other movies related to Australia that he will play when we are at bush camps. Had an ok sleep in the tent - it got cold and I went into my sleeping bag first time on the tour - cosy!
 The 108 k's ride today was tough as the wind was against and pretty strong. Luckily I went in peloton again - we were 6 of us and it worked out really fine. Came to a roadhouse already at 12 and put my tent on a nice flat lawn partly in shade. I deliberately did not take a cabin!
 Spent a couple of hours at the rather big and refreshing swimming pool, did my laundry and showered. Rider's meeting at 5 and dinner just after.
 Tomorrow we leave Northern Territories to go to South Australia - but there will not be a big change in our daily rides until we reach the ocean in another couple of weeks..
 Out in the bush tomorrow again..

No riding for 3 days..

Once in Australia experience - 3 restdays in a row.. But still not much sleeping in.. We left for Uluru (Ayer's Rock) at 5.40 the day before yesterday and had a 5-6 hours drive to get to the quite spectacular rocks in the center of this country. First the so-called toothbrush - with a salt lake opposite - then the Uluru ending with the Olgas. It's all unique geological phenomenas created before anything else we know of - older that any mountains of our knowledge.. It's about some material staying back when the rest just disappeared - eroded away over a period of thousands of millions of years.. No matter how old and exactly how - we are talking some uniquely beautiful formations - especially mesmerizing at the crack of dawn and at sunset. We saw Uluru (which is the aboriginal name of the place that has long been called Ayer's rock) at sunset. Turned into a touristic performance with several tour groups (us inclusive) standing with sparkling wine in their glasses and snacking cheese from a table dressed in white tablecloth. It is not the presentation that any from our group favor - but interesting to be an ordinary tourist just for a couple of days.. And the museum connected to Uluru WAS good to see especially because it tells a lot about the aboriginals way of thinking and believing.. Spent the night in a 4- person dormitory with some girls from the group at a very uncharming artificially created hotel village next to there. And stood up already at 3.30 the day after to go to Kings Canyon to do a 2 1/2 hours hike . Fantastic nature experienced hiking  is much more me! That was just fascinating!
 Came back to Alice end of day yesterday and quite a lot from the group went to "Montes", one of the most popular dinner an go out places here in town to "celebrate" Jodi from Alaska's last evening. That was nice: god vibrations in the group and nice food.
 Today I had a long list of to-does and am now ready for bush camping with at new comfy mattress, larger pillow, a sunhat, a mesh against flies etc.. Had a great lunch down town and chilled for some time before I went back to my cabin to get everything prepared for a 5 days riding bloc of long hot and maybe windy days and primitive life out there..

A hell of a headwind

Today we went 133 k's from Aileron Roadhouse to The Winter Sun Cabin and Caravan Park in the outskirts of Alice Springs. Again I am installed in the most wonderful little caravan cabin with all amenities to wish for. Invited "guests" for dinner tonight: Kirsten (a danish doctor living in Sweden) who has only been with us for 2 weeks is leaving and as I really like her we have arranged a little get-together in front of my place.
 The riding was super tough today. Hardest day in Australia - so far. There was a hell of a headwind all morning - to an extent that I got a little headache from it. Happy to be in a peloton - it makes the troublesome riding so much easier. We do it so that everybody (6 in all) lead for 3 k's which means that we cover 18 k's when everybody has taken their turn - a super way to go when riding is boring and conditions not the best. I was really exhausted at the 75 k's lunch stop - but the peloton group made me continue - and the riding actually got easier with the wind going down and changing direction. And after reaching the highest point of Stewart Highway we had a long descent down to Alice Springs.. More than ready for 3 rest days - going to Uluru tomorrow and having a day here before we continue south towards Adelaide. We have done approx. 1600 k's in Australia and are half way to Adelaide. And I am still IFI (Australia)!

Good racing to a "very interesting" campground..

The race was fun. I was camping during the night - and now know for sure that my mattress do not hold air! Well, although the quality of sleep was not the best my spirit for competing did not go down. I was around number 7 to start out of 19 competitors - and really  did my best to be fast all the way.  Was 9 coming in and 12 when it comes to time - happy about that! Was completely exhausted at the lunch just after - we came in before 9 pm after 50 k's of racing - my time was 2.12 something - I think.. That means an average time a fraction higher than the one I gave in.. Went slow afterwards but still arrived before noon to a joke of a campground. Barrow Creak seems to already have gone bankrupt - all bathrooms except two like ruins: smashed mirrors and "capsized" toilets. Old trash all over the place - and a "new" building never finished.. A character of a bar tender + multi tasking person in charge of everything - that explains that absolutely everything there was filthy and nonfunctioning.. Ending with no water the following morning - good that TDA at least supply us with water for hand wash..

From left: Eric (France), Dara (Englan/USA), Mary (Canada), myself, Ursula+Ray (Canada) and John (Canada) behind the  quite peculiar but typical bar - the only place that worked kind of properly at Barrow Creak.

Did my 2nd consecutive day of tenting - and had my first night with a decent sleep at an unshady, sandy campground - had to inflate my mattress in the middle of the night - and started out with legs and arms all itching from the bites of invisible insects.. But had my little fan running and did some reading before I went to sleep - the moon shining full in my tent (just the mesh up - no fly needed) - and later a wonderful night sky full of stars - the most precious wonders of tenting!
 Today we had another 150 k's day - all fine..  Tomorrow we arrive at Alice Springs for a 3 days rest - and will go to Uluru (Ayer's rock) the early morning after for a 2 days trip organized by Ursula, one of the tour participants. Tomorrow we are halfway (approx. 1500 km) between Darwin and Adelaide..

Enjoying a rainy day..

The unexpected happened - I woke up in the night hearing rain and thunder - nice to be in my cosy cabin.. It was not a heavy rain - and the people in tents were not bothered by it.. But luckily it continued after we started cycling (already at 5. 50 am) - just a pleasant soft rain - and cloudy skies.. It was not cold - just like one of the better danish summer days - may be 20-24 degrees - which is very unusual in an area where temperatures reach up in the forties all the time.. So I easily could get a speed around 30 going out on my own.. Later there again came up a peloton - which always is a nice change - and efficient for keeping up speed.

Riding the peloton: Joe, Matthew, Jacqueline and Per..

Fyi..

After 106 k's we reached the so called "Devil's Marbles" - some sculptural big stones - quite beautiful..

Feel small at the "Devil's Marbles"

Rode 116 k's altogether and arrived at camp before noon - and put my tent up!! So giving tenting a try again.. I am all set

 with my fully inflated mattress covered by my soft lined sleeping bag - all fine - hopefully.. We are at a very nice road house at Wauchope - swimming pool, good music, food and cider - just perfect! Tomorrow we have the race.. I signed in with an average speed of 25,5 - if I end up doing that I will get a price: maybe a night in a room. Also by coming in first I of course will win - but even though we have the handicap system I do not expect to. I just participate to have fun. Unfortunately many people take this too serious - only 12 out of 38 entered the race - a shame..