July 20, 2022
Day 2: Mathison Rest Area to Victoria River
The rest area turned out to be fine, although a bit whiffy. I enjoyed watching the stars while lying on the tank base and slept pretty well despite the stones.
Most of my fellow Rest Area inhabitants were up and away early, it’s not really a place to linger. I made it out about 7:30. It takes me a bit over an hour to pack up, eat and get moving so I’ll have to set an alarm if I want to get away earlier.
Very soon after leaving the Rest Area, the road dropped down and the country opened up. Maybe that’s why Avago is on the Sturt Plateau. I’ve never really understood it to be a plateau from the east. The riding was nicer with more views, also more cattle which probably contributed to it feeling open.
I stopped to look in total awe down the Buntine Highway, then pootled on along the nice sealed Victoria Highway.
After about 50k, I was thinking about stopping for a snack when I came to another drop off, this time down into a valley between stony red hills and escarpments.
Combined with the tailwind it really felt like I cruised downhill for at least 15k. The elevation difference probably wasn’t that great but it was lovely riding. It was also not too busy. I was so distracted by the delightful winding between hills and occasionally following palm lines gullies that I kept going to the Sullivan campsite in the Judbarra/Gregory National Park. That made it 75ks before smoko in under 4 hours.
There was no one else at the campsite so I sat down by the creek (which seemed mostly just to be a waterhole at this stage) and watched little Willy wagtail type things hunt insects.
I disregarded my lesson from yesterday and headed into Victoria River about 1 again, on the justification that it was less than 20ks and I wanted to get here in time to explore.
Actually I got here when it was too hot to explore by about 2, so sat in the shade eating an ice cream and using the Internet for a while. I had given up on reception when there was no Telstra but then the grey nomad beside me said there’s Optus. I don’t know why. Anyway, here my two SIM cards come in handy.
About 4 I headed up to the escarpment walk which was still hot but amazing. I’ve been watching the hills all day wanting to climb them so to have a track was so exciting. Only one other grey nomad seemed to think so. But the views of the Victoria River valley were spectacular.
I also went down to the boat ramp and pretended my bike was a boat.
Then I headed back to the roadhouse and watched a ringer fly in in a helicopter to get a case of great northern. You’d think if you were going to all that effort, you’d get something better.
Today's ride: 95 km (59 miles)
Total: 205 km (127 miles)
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