The Path Less Ridden

After a two day delay caused by needing to wait for an embassy to return my passport (thankfully with the visa I wanted inside), I finally set off after lunchtime.

A bittersweet farewell with my parents, who understand the ‘travel bug’, but still worry.

And finally underway, with a slightly top-heavy and wobbly bike!

Leaving Sydney itself was uneventful, just trying to make miles.  Although much of the trip is flexible, there are several points along the way where I have strictly set dates and a tight timeframe – this first leg being one of them, to make the shipping cutoff for the container ship out of Darwin, 4,000 kilometres away.

The city and its surrounding expressways eventually gave way to typical rural Australia, with brown but fertile farmland abounding.

Having made 450 kilometres in an afternoon, I found a campsite near the Namoi River in Gunnedah.

Up early the next morning (not by choice, bloody noisy Galahs woke me at 6am), I hit the road again, keeping the hammer down to eat up distance.  The once lush landscape became more barren and stark.

The day almost ended in disaster when the bike choked and died half way between St George and Mitchell – around 100km from each. The bike had hit reserve, about 80km earlier than I expected – likely from a combination of strong headwinds, the heavy load, and the high speed I was trying to maintain.  Nursing it gently, and hunched right down uncomfortably behind the windscreen, I managed to get within 16km of town before it died for good, with the fuel tank as dry as a bone.  Fortunately I was right near a farmer’s driveway, and after a quick walk and an explanation to him and his wife, he generously donated me a couple of litres to make it to town.  Thank goodness for the kind-spiritedness of country people!

With a total of 650km covered today, I’ve managed to find an even better campsite tonight, literally on the riverbank, watching the waterbirds hunt insects as the sun sets.  Another long day planned tomorrow, aiming for Longreach, 615km away.