Sunday, 12 August 2007

Donga (basic room in prefabricated hut) at Roebuck Plains Roadhouse

Riding from Willare Bridge Roadhouse to Roebuck Plains Roadhouse

7:00am

1:00pm

127

6,472

7,939

0

Very warm and sunny

Big Brekky for breakfast.  Pie and pastie for lunch. 

Ken and Val, the tourists from Singleton (back near the Central Coast) travelling in a campervan pulled up alongside me again today.  They have seen me about every second day since I left Queensland.  They are finishing their trip at Broome (30km from here) and wanted to wish me luck for the rest of my trip.

Opening my morning snack, which was supposed to be one of the very nice fresh chocolate chip muffins I had seen at the Roadhouse this morning, and finding that the very concerned lady behind the counter there had slipped in an extra one to keep me going.  A much appreciated random act of human kindness.

None really.

I woke about 5:30am after another luxurious seven hours of sleep, packed and went in to the roadhouse for breakfast and to purchase some supplies for my relatively short ride (127km) to my target for the day, Roebuck Plains Roadhouse.  I decided to try and avoid dallying and get there around lunchtime so hit the road about 7:00am peddling west on a mild and very sunny morning.
 
After crossing the Fitzroy River, the road was much the same as yesterday for the whole morning’s ride – long straight sections, mostly flat but with some gentle ascents and descents, dry-looking scrub and low trees on either side, sun beating down, and some controlled burning going on in some areas.
 
I divided the ride into roughly 40km sections and, apart from a brief unscheduled stop to catch up with Ken and Val from Singleton who were crossing my path in their campervan for the last time, made good time and arrived at Roebuck Plains Roadhouse right on 1:00pm.  I checked in and was given a room in a Donga (prefabricated construction worker-type housing).
 
I spent the afternoon catching up on some chores, washing and e-mails with the football on TV going in the background.  It was nice to have the feeling of some free time especially since it is probably the last time for the trip.  The ride this morning, though short, was thirsty work and I will have to make sure I carry sufficient fluids for tomorrow’s 289km ride to Sandfire Roadhouse.  There is nothing in between and it will be hot as usual.  The roadhouse here doesn’t have a great selection of food that is good for the road cyclist in hot weather, so I have stocked up on jelly beans, etc.  Having been told here that Sandfire Roadhouse closes at 7:00pm and, having recently been partially burnt down, doesn’t have much of a range of food either, I will aim to leave earlier than usual.  It seems like the next few days are going to be tedious for a number of reasons.  I have also had no luck booking accommodation beyond tomorrow night and may end up sleeping rough multiple times.  I’m almost looking forward to getting down south where it is still winter and there are fewer tourists and no mining boom.