Cycle days 27 & 28 - Broome to Goldwire Rest Area - Far too much luggage

May 28, 2024 to May 29, 2024

Cycle days 27 & 28 - Broome to Goldwire Rest Area

Cycle Day 27 (Tuesday 28 May) Broome to bushcamp = 87km. 2004km cycle toured so far on this trip.

Todays high is around 34 degrees – a bit warmer than Elders forecasted. This morning it was 21 degrees when we got up at 3.30am.

Winds were non existent for most of the morning and then became light and coming from the east and then at around 11.30 it began to swing around to a westerly so we had a slight headwind for about 90 mins.

Despite gettiing up that early we still left later than expected. I think it was because the bikes were so loaded and we went for a sunset swim last night and so we had to wash our clothes/bathers and so we had to collect these from the washing line and then arrange it on the bike so it might dry as we ride (our bikes looked like a Hills Hoist washing line!) and the fact that we were trying to be quiet so we wouldn't wake the neighbours so we were just slower this morning.

We finally got away at about 5.20am and there was hardly any traffic around so that was good. The bikes are very heavy again – I have 7 days worth of food plus a full load of water (just under 20 litres) and so the bike was a little wobbly when I went to start off or riding too slow but once going the colly wobbles disappeared!

So we had an extra days break in Broome (we normally take an extra rest day every 1000km but this one was extremely late as our last was way back in Katherine.) And it was a full on time at Broome that I haven't felt like I am completely rested. Being so far away from town (but that would be the case for any of the caravan parks) and our first 2 days were taken up with restocking our food and packing it all away in the bag. Now Broome is an old fashion place with regard to shopping – yip it closes Saturday arvo and is shut all Sunday (except major shops like Woolies, Coles, Bunnings etc) this doesn’t help us as we need to get stuff done and so it is done all on Monday.

We did go swimming on Sunday afternoon and that was nice but on Monday we were up early and in town before the shops open so we got a few more things from Coles and then the Post Office system wasn't working so we had go back later, went to the information center to buy a map for south of Broome and they have none in stock, went to 1 newsagency and they had no maps! So we then went to the bike shop to get my pedals – I have a skipping movement at the top of the pushdow but Neil said it was the pedals as the right one had movement (although I had no clunking) I said it was like before – the rear cluster need tightening – Neil dismisses that (more on that later!). They had my pedals.

From there we went for a coffee with Mitchell and Lisa (the American couple on a tandem bike going the opposite way to us) and we spent a couple of hours chatting about touring as you do when you meet fellow cycle tourers!

From there we went back to the post office and they were back online and we sent another parcel home – this time our down jackets and a few things we haven't used or could do without! An hours chat helping Jayden with maths at a park and then back to the caravan park via Woolies and to pick up some Noodle meals. By now it was after 3pm so we had our early dinner (the Asian meals were absolutely delicious) and we began to do our chores, we still had to put the pedals on, pack as much of the bike as possible and also fill up the remaining bottles and bladder. We were both exhausted in the end and also extremely hot so we thought lets go for a swim – it was around 4.30pm when we got there and there were heaps of people driving there or already there. We were not sure what was going on, so we went down to the beach and saw hardly anyone was swimming despite it being very calm and the tide was almost out and half way across to Africa. Nevertheless we went in and it was lovely and refreshing. We then realised why everyone was here – to watch the sunset – either from shore or in one of the restaurants or driving on the beach and parking up or 1 of the 8 people in the water (like us!) waiting and watching the sun go down. My first sunset swim (and probably the last – not many available in Bendigo!).

Once the sunset was complete there was a mass exodus from the shore and through the carpark – you could say it was chaotic! Back to the caravan park for our last shower for 3-4 days and some last minute hand washing and then completely tired in bed at 7pm and beginning to doze off at 7.15pm!

So that was our time in Broome - can't say I like the place – we hated the caravan park because we were on a tiny sisiteNeil despised the backpackers as they hogged the kitchen and where absolutely filthy (food left in pots, tables covered in their mess – ah what has happened to respect communal places!) however we did meet a caravaner from Wangaratta who was the spitting image of the footballer Ron Barassi (in his retirement age) now he was nice to talk too.

Yes Broome is not a place I will return too – all that was good about it was Cable Beach – that was a nice beach to swim in.

Here are some photos of our time in Broome

Not sure if this was someone's pet but it didn't seem to mind us

But it was hell bent on tanning his/her double chin!

Cable Beach- not alot of people in the water but heaps working on their tans

It is lovely clear water and no shells or seaweed or rocks underfoot when in the water

Broome has lots of lovely frangipani trees

These camels must live nearby as we would see them in the arvo and again at about 7pm

So todays ride was very uneventful although we had to go back the 33km to the main highway and along the way I casually mentioned that I still have the skipping/movement in my pedals. And I said again I think it is something with the cluster as it is in any gear I am in if I am not putting pressure fully on it – so Neil checked the cluster and there was obvious movement there! “see I told you” was all I could say. So we had to take everything of my bike, flip it over and take the rear wheel off. Neil tightened the cluster and we reassembled the bike and back on the road and what do you know – the skipping has disappeared! I reminded him that I had had this before and he tightened the cluster and that solved it but this time he dismissed it, but that is ok I need new pedals.

At the roadhouse they were doing roadworks but had no one to escort us so we said we are stopping at the roadhouse and that was about 100m away so all good there. We were escorted the other 100m when we left the roadhouse.

From here there was very little traffic as we swung south east and thenh west. It is flat countryand 10km south of the junction you come to a wide open plain that was basically treeless!

I really thought this is what it would be like all the way down to Perth!

This was there for about 20km and then we had trees – very scrubby like wattle trees with other trees that look like they are struggling with the dry heat now.

Surprisingly there were caravaners heading south with us but no where as many as those heading northwards. Only a few trucks today.

We stopped at 1pm and are camped in a water runoff, it has a big tree that gives us afternoon shade.

Cycle Day 28 (Wednesday 29 May ) Bushcamp to Goldwire Rest Area = 70km. 2074km cycle toured so far on this trip.

It was 17 this morning at 3.30am – just a tad too cold to not have a long sleeve shirt on so out came the merino. But by the time we departed at 5am it was a little too warm to ride in. Not sure on todays high but it wasn't the forecasted 29 degrees!

Winds were nothing for bulk of the ride but came up at about 10am and was predominantly gusty coming from the west so a headwind for a little bit but that was not the problem today – we had RAIN!

One thing about getting up so early in the morning and riding at dark is that you get to see the sunrise – not so much that it is in front of you but you get to see it appear in your periphery from the mirror and it can be quite beautiful – of course the camera doesn't do it justice ...

LOL when we stopped to take photos of the sunrise the odds of a car/truck coming both ways are pretty slim – but we had the misfortune to have that occur this morning – oh you should have heard Neil rant and rave about the car destroying his photo opportunity that you would have thought that this was the absolute last sunrise he was going to see... ever! In my photo you can just see the cars headlights. By the time the 2 had past the beauty of the sunrise had pass – there is always tomorrow or the next or the next!

Once it was up it didn't last long – we could see dark clouds looming but not before we saw something weird – a part rainbow so it had just a piece ‘hanging’ in the sky – no land bits or even a curve – just a piece! I have never seen that before

We are in the middle of no where and when we looked at the forecast we suspected we might get some rain today – we just didn't know if we were to get the Broome forecast of thunderstorms and 20-40mm or Eighty Mile Beach forecast of 5-10mm and light rain. After taking these 2 photos I thought we are in for a long rainband!

I put the camera away after taking this photo!

The skies remained dry until 8.30am and then we felt 1 or 2 drops and began cycling but by another 5km

It was steadily lightly raining. There was no wind so it was just falling straight down and slowly everything became wet and heavy. I don't fair very well in the rain when I cycle – I find the rain seeps down through the helmet and slowly drips over the forehead and into the eyes and I find it difficult to wipe it away because of the glasses so for another 25km my life was an absolute misery from having to stop and wipe the face with anything that was dry and then eventually with anything that was still clean and then eventually I just gave up and wished this day over!

The rain was constant but not heavy and you could see the sides of the road beginning to hold on to the water. So it was a given we weren't camping in one of our water runoffs tonight. Fortunately there was a rest area at about our 70km mark or ½ way between Broome and Sandfire Roadhouse so we aimed for there.

So if there was every a day everyone felt really sorry for us – it was today. We had so many toots (all positive I am happy to say) acknowledging us to say “we are glad it is you and not us but we sympathise with you!” We even got toots from the truck drivers either saying the same or “I'm really sorry but the wash from my truck is going to absolutely saturate you even more!” That is all part in parcel of cycle touring!

We got to the rest area and we glad to see that it had bitumen roads in it so we claimed a shelter and no sooner had we began to unload the bikes and young man came out and asked if we would like something hot to drink and we said coffee! Gosh it was such good coffee too – should have known it would be as they were both from Italy and had been here in Australia for 10 years (both citizens now). It was good to have something to warm us up and we were soaked right through. We set up the tent and fly in high ground and then just left it to dry and change into warmer clothes.

When we first arrived - the Italian Australian couple with great coffee were in that caravan!

In dry clothes - eventually we had to put pants on!

It was about 20 degrees but it was cold and we had to get the pants and woollen jumpers out! Neil had his beanie on!

Now that might as well read -19.6 as it sure felt cold enough to snow!

The Italian Australian couple decided to push on to Broome and we just sat in the shelter and ate and watched all come in – we think there is at least another 12 in possibly more. At about 3pm a woman from a bus came over with a jug of boiling water and offered it to us so we filled up our little thermos and then made a cup of tea – gosh it really pays to be cycling and have rain! Normally we don't stay in rest areas because it is hard to wash in privacy – but today the rain did that for us!

You sort of do get internet reception but it is a bit hit and miss and I tried do the blog but it just wouldn't load yet we had great internet for video with Neils family!

We were watching the radar and could see it was slowly clearing and managed to get the remaining things in the tent at about 4pm but now at 5.30pm it is still raining – I think it is a bit more than 40mm!

It is suppose to be clearing overnight and fingers crossed we can move on tomorrow.

It is warmer in the tent than outside under the shelter. I hope our summer sleeping bags will be warm enough

Today's ride: 157 km (97 miles)
Total: 2,074 km (1,288 miles)

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