Back on the road for four riding days to Alice Springs.
Fewer termite mounds now, but they're still with us...
So are the flies - they don't bite but they're very annoying, in your eyes, ears, nostrils, and they like to gather on your back and get a free ride...
There reportedly hasn't been rain around here for six months. Amazing how green the desert looks...
...even more amazing to find frogs living in it...
We had a 'fun' handicap 50 km time trial on the second day.
En route we passed Wycliffe Well, Australia's UFO capital...
The TdA crew even provided an official finish line...
The handicap system worked well for Rae - he managed to win the grand prize of one night of air conditioned accommodation.
That night was in Barrow Creek where there is an old telegraph relay station from back in the 1930s when this was the overland telegraph route between Australia and England.
Barrow Creek is known as the site of a massacre of aboriginal people in the aftermath of tensions between them and white settlers. Iviolence the other way...
The hotel had clearly seen better days, this being the solitary toilet/shower for the ladies. No photo of the men's, it wasn't pretty...
Surprise... we all gathered at the bar which had lots of character...
...and a friendly bartender...
...who apparently followed Dutch football... Henk and Louise, this is for you...
Back on the road... here's how to keep fruitflies out of your house... post a sign...
...and remember, it hasn't rained here for 6 months...
...but when it does, it really comes down... the flood level markings are serious...
...and the other hazard out here, yesy, the enemy is US!!...
Nice location the next night at a place called 'Aileron', although I was disappointed that it didn't have rudders and elevators
They had a kangaroo in the compound... not sure of the whole story, but he seemed to have been injured at some point so maybe he wouldn't stand a chance in the wild. Apparently he shared the compound with a mate until the mate jumped the fence and hasn't been seen since. He seemed to crave attention as he was always following people around and liked to get stroked...
When he moved, he used his front arms and tail together, lifting the back legs. However, he could still hop around...
Th next day saw us crossing the Tropic of Capricorn...
...and passing the highest point between Darwin and Adelaide... all downhill from here?
...and into Alice Springs for three non-riding days during which we'll go to Uluru (Ayers Rock) and King's Canyon.
Wow, that is a great picture, thanks - good to see that Feyenoord is appreciated so far from Rotterdam! It takes away a suspicion I have about the local radio station. When Feyenoord is playing, they always read e-mail messages "from [ fill in typically Dutch male name ] in [ somewhere far away and exotic sounding ]" who claim they're listening to the broadcast on the Internet, and who ask a question or make a comment on Feyenoord, always spot-on. I was wondering if they make that up, but they're probably not: those messages could come from that bartender!
ReplyDeleteWe are enjoying the other photos, too, and we'll keep following your journey. Good luck with the heat and the mileage on the next leg!
Louise