Day 26: Windjana Gorge to Birdwood Downs

August 13, 2022

I set my alarm for 5 this morning in anticipation of a big day. I was actually reasonably efficient and rode off at 6:15, before the sun had peeped over the cliffs. Being camped somewhere with a toilet, plus not having porridge helps. I ate my last mandarin, which means I only went one day on the Gibb with no fresh fruit (thanks to the APT tour!)

I rode the stretch back to the Gibb again in long shadows with the sun low at my back and the moon ahead of me. But there were no cows this time and much more daylight left. There were not many cars. It was much stiller than yesterday, damn it, but still a slight tailwind. I passed a car just finishing fixing a flat tyre. They were supposed to be heading onto the Gibb but were now going back to Derby for another spare. I thought about asking them what tyre pressure they were running then decided that would not help the situation. I was trying hard to concentrate on the road and not have my first mechanical problem in the last 20ks of dirt. About 5k from the road I saw an apparition that again turned out to be Ralph. He had camped last night at Lennard River. We only had a brief chat as I wanted to keep going and he was going to pass me in his car later that day anyway.

The last bit seemed to take a while, predictably, but eventually I got there and pulled up behind two caravans putting air in their tyres to put air in mine too. I thought this was funny but they didn’t even notice I was there til I was about to roll off and then asked if I wanted any air. You’re ten minutes too late to the joke, buddy.

Then I was back on the tar, reacquainting myself with my highest gears! It wasn’t quite the flat straight road with a tailwind that I had hoped for but it was close. I had hoped for plains like I’d seen from the road yesterday but it was quite scrubby.

These bauhinias are covered in twisty red seed pods but I’m afraid there’s a bit too much sunshine and the colours look washed out in photos

Eventually I got some plains, look at all that bitumen!

Without corrugations to think about I amused myself taking photos in my mirror

I also counted how many pedal revolutions in a kilometre (380 in my second highest gear, in case you’re wondering) and tried to ride with my arms out like a plane. This is quite hard with front panniers especially when they’re not that well balanced cause one held most of the food.

I haven’t seen any pelicans on the Gibb and then there’s one here in a scummy pool with heaps of cows

About 55k out from Derby, I got overtaken by a white 4wd which slowed down and pulled into a parking bag ahead. But I didn’t recognise it. Then I heard a tooting behind me and Ralph also pulled into the convenient parking bay. The other 4wd turned out to be Karen, from Wyndham Caravan Park, who had decided against doing the whole Gibb with Rick but come up to Tunnel Creek and backtracked to Mt Barnett. She has a car fridge and gave me cold water. Ralph gave me some crackers. Rick apparently got two flats around Ellenbrae and waited to order in some new ones so is now on the Mitchell falls road. This has got to be one of the biggest coincidences of the Gibb, that we all converged on that parking bay at once! Ralph also gave some chain oil as I’ve run out. Pro tip: you will need way more than usual on dirt.

Buoyed by this encounter, I set out in a wind that was swinging around to be a little more cross/head. There are white markers every 5k across the whole Gibb although they were often illegible or hidden by grass. But the final 60ks they’d replaced them with stakes beside the road so at least I knew how far I was going. This meant I knew it was 10k of interminable uphill through an avenue of flowers wattles which was quite pleasant although began to feel a bit like purgatory as every heat mirage solidified into more wattles and more upward slope. Eventually I paid my penance and got off the tiny hill and popped out at Birdwood Downs. I hadn’t thought it was 10k out of Derby but it’s 17. I also thought it had a bar but it does not, not even any cold drinks. Still, it had phone reception and a shady lawn and a camp fridge. I drank some warm hydralyte by which time some water had cooled down in the fridge.

There is a white peacock, as well as heaps of chooks, annoying roosters and guinea fowl

Today's ride: 130 km (81 miles)
Total: 1,717 km (1,066 miles)

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