Dave Byrnes

Adelaide to Darwin by MTB - 2005

Day:	009
Date:	Thursday, 1 September 2005
Start:	Erldunda
Finish:	Alica Springs
Daily Kilometres:	199
Total Kilometres:	1557
Journal:	I got up at 4am feeling quite tired and toyed with the idea of sleeping for another hour but decided I needed to get going. As I set off I realised I already had a headwind plus it was quite cold. I wasn't as enthusiastic as yesterday morning, probably because of fatigue and the headwind, although it was still a stunning night sky and beautiful dawn. It was turning into "Red Centre" country with rocky outcrops and distant ranges plus sandy dry creek beds and gnarled white gums. Very pretty. I spotted quite a few camels at dawn and despite the headwind made reasonable time. I didn't want to stop until the sun was well up because it was too cold. I eventually stopped around 8am for some muesli in a pretty rest stop by a dry river bed. There was a guy there and a big black, but docile, dog. I chatted to the guy and he told me it wasn't his dog. The dog was friendly and the guy, who was on his way to a new job at Kakadu, was reluctant to leave it. Nobody seemed to own it. He said he would call in at Stuarts Well and tell him about it. Later that morning I heard a story on the ABC about the dog which had apparently been left there six weeks ago and couldn't be enticed to leave. I did notice it pricked its ears up every time a car came along. Apparently a nearby station owner is feeding it and hoping it will eventually go home with them. [There was a story about the dog in the Alice Springs newspaper and a copy of it can be seen here.] After breakfast I laboured on to Stuarts Well Roadhouse reaching there at 10:30am and, deciding to have an early lunch, got a pie and pastie, and sat on a bench in the sun watching the world go by. A couple from Newcastle began chatting to me and, it turned out, had friends at McMasters Beach (near home). With 90km to go, I set off on what had become a very warm day with plenty of long gradual uphills and no ability to enjoy the downhills because of the wind. It was a struggle and I was feeling very tired but ploughed on. With about 40km I got a text from Barb telling me about her cracked rib and pleurisy. I tried to call but couldn't get through. I met a cyclist going the other way who was on his first day. i reached the motel at 5pm, very tired, and had a quick shower, did some washing and bought some supplies. Pizza delivered for dinner. Looking forward to a day off.