Cycle day 29 - Goldwire Rest Area to bushcamp - Far too much luggage - CycleBlaze

May 30, 2024

Cycle day 29 - Goldwire Rest Area to bushcamp

Goldwire Rest Area to Bushcamp = 82km.  2156km cycle toured so far on this trip.

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I think todays high was only 24 - which wasn't too bad.  The rain persisted through the evening and when we went to sleep at around 8pm it was just lightly raining.  There were showers throughout the night.  Apparently we had 62mm!

The winds were blowing from the south east today - light in the morning and increasing to 15km per hour in the arvo.

We are about 85km from Sandfire Roadhouse and we get really got internet reception and there is no community nearby so we don't know why we are getting it but we'll take it and I can  update the blog!

So we woke at 6am this morning and got out to a very cloudy day with light showers.  We dragged our food and some of the gear over to the tables/shelter and within 5 minutes the lady in the bus who gave us a kettle of boiling water came out and we graciously took it to fill up the thermos and also for our brekky coffee!  Her and her husband are off to Broome to work for the next 3 1/2 months just like the Italian Australian couple yesterday they too are going to be in Broome for 3 months - in fact both couples do that regularly!

Eventually we managed to wipe as much stuff clean and dry as we could - I made use of the puddles to wash what I could!  Being cooler yesterday and today we have heaps of water now and at the end of the day we have used less than half the water we have carried and we get to Sandfire Roadhouse tomorrow!

We set off at 9am (quite late for us!) and there were still light showers about so I kept the camera in dry storage for today.  Most of what we were wearing were still wet from yesterday - shorts, shirts, gloves, socks, shoes, helmet etc but by the end of the day they were dry - but they all stink!

We had decided to aim for the next rest area at 60km (Stanley rest area) and we can re-evaluate whether to stay there if it is still raining or continue on to find a bushcamp.

I may have mentioned that Neils thermarest has sort of died on him, it has developed a gigantic air bubble but we couldn't get a self inflating one in Broome so we came up with a temporary solution and he will research one online to be sent somewhere along the way.  But today, Neil being the eagle eyed person he is spots a self inflating mattress thrown/blown in some trees on the opposite side of the road so he has a look and yip sure enough it is an Exped brand self inflating mat - what a roadkill!  A bit grotty and we can see one small tear in it so far so at camp tonight he has patched it up and we'll see once at Sandfire Roadhouse if it will stay up - I will keep you updated on his roadkill!

We get to the rest area and the bad weather has clearly passed by so we take the time to dry our tent liner and fly and then continue on for another 20km.  At 80km I was getting weary and it was getting late - 3pm with only 2 and 1/2 hours of light left it was time to start looking for a bushcamp.  It was pretty easy to find one and not in a water run off.  It is easy to see open areas behind the trees and we found this one.

Where the bikes are is the dining area and you can see just thru the tree doors to the main bedroom!
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We set up and realised 1 thing - WE STINK!  Although we had rain on us yesterday that technically is not a wash and we really knew at lunch today that the wet gear full of sweat was a little on the pongy side but we really noticed it when we stood next to each other at the bikes -even the flies didn't want to know us!  So with plenty of water we had a good wash and then the flies appreciated us!

Dinner tonight was nice and warm.

dinner tonight!
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Tomorrow we will make Sandfire Roadhouse and we think since we didn't have a real rest in Broome that we will take a rest day there at the roadhouse.

Today's ride: 82 km (51 miles)
Total: 2,156 km (1,339 miles)

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Sharon O'BrienWow what a great roadkill find, fancy that of all the roadkill of all the places for it to be waiting just for Neil ;) hope it stays inflated xx
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6 months ago
Janet O'BrienTo Sharon O'BrienI think we are up to 8 punctures/holes so far. Today (Saturday) is test day 😜
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6 months ago