Day 27: Birdwood Downs to Willare Bridge

August 14, 2022

I had a really nice day but let’s be honest, the highlight happened early.

Officially finished the Gibb and managed to take a half decent selfie!

It was an easy ride into Derby in the calm of morning to this sign. I had to take a selfie as it was one of the few times I’ve been by myself on the Gibb! I rode into town, about 6k from the junction. Woollies doesn’t open til 9 on a Sunday. A man in the carpark warned me about theft and breakins in the caravan park. People at Birdwood Downs were talking about that too. It all seemed pretty sleepy on a Sunday morning as I went to look at the jetty first.

Pretty low tide at the jetty. I wasn’t hanging around for 8 hours to see high tide

I rode out the road and had to stop for a massive piece of mining equipment on the back of a truck, taking up basically the entire road. I felt the earth move under my feet. And then had that Carole King song in my head for the rest of the day. Once I was out there I discovered there was a walkway back into town from the jetty.

The walkway led back to some sculptures on the salt flats

People were also haring around out there in 4wds. I followed Rowan Street for a long time from the caravan park to 1 mile dinner camp, where the drovers would rest before herding cows the final stretch to the port.

Boabs should have lost their leaves in the dry but I’m seeing more the further west I come that have only partially got the memo, like this one at the 1 mile dinner camp

Then I had to backtrack to Woolies. I have no good options to lock my bike and all my stuff up so just locked the wheel to the frame and took my most important things (Garmin, phone, wallet) inside. Obviously no one paid any attention to the bike. I went a bit overboard getting fresh fruit and veggies and treats especially cold drinks. I couldn’t easily fit them in so I sculled an iced coffee and a juice in the carpark. The glamour tour continues. I should’ve tried harder to put them in cause not far out of town I stopped at Myall’s bore and the prison boab tree, which would’ve been a nicer place to drink my drinks. As it was I settled for collecting more admiration for having ridden the Gibb.

How many photos of a windmill and a bike is too many? The limit does not exist

The longest cattle trough in the Southern Hemisphere, I hope you’re impressed

boabs and termite mounds have spiritual significance and apparently this one was used to tie Aboriginal prisoners to

It was tough going into the wind. After what felt like ages but was probably less than an hour, I reached the 20k sign from Derby and a sign to the Munkajarra wetlands, 1k off the road. I wasn’t in a hurry so decided I’d stop in. I almost baulked at the second gate, they’re quite a pain to open with a bike.

There was a guy sitting in the shade. His name was Michael, he’s a Derby local. He told me he retired in 1985 which must make him older than he looked. He seemed to come out most weekends and set up and offer anyone who turned up drinks. He even had a spare chair. So I accepted a cold can of zero sugar no name cola and it was delicious. Some brolgas flew off toward the end of the billabong, there were kites circling over head, ibis, grebes and a number of heron things. Michael told me Derby has gone downhill since everyone is on welfare and the police can’t take touch the kids. He used to think it was a great town but he’s been burgled 5 time since in the last three years. I’m sure there’s some truth in there but buried underneath a lot of deep inter generational problems.

I waded out into the middle where the water was cool and clear.

Michael took a photo of me then got me to take a photo of his screen. Bless

After this somewhat surprising (although not as surprising as it could’ve been, Michael was sitting on the bank in his sarong, not naked in the middle which he told me he often does until he hears a car coming) interlude I got back on the road and continued my battle with the wind. Actually a combination of the road and the wind both turning meant it was getting a bit better. A greyhound bus passed me, I’m back with a safety net if I need it!

I reached the Halls Creek turn off, it looked hot, dusty and busy so I was glad of my route choices. Michael has told me that it’s pronounced Will-air, not Will-ar-ay as other people have said which was good cause it fit into my song lyrics: oh Willare, will I ever get there? Eventually I did, actually it was just after 2 so it wasn’t too long. There were heaps of people sitting around outside, turns out the Greyhound bus to Broome had broken down and they were waiting for a replacement. Not a fool proof back up option after all.

I ate a big box of hot chips, an ice cream and drank a litre of Powerade. Then a family I’d seen at Tunnel creek invited me over for a beer - first one since Kununurra! They’re relocating from near Melbourne to near Perth, the long way. We had a nice chat until they went off to the roast dinner at the roadhouse and I went to cook my pasta and pesto with fresh veggies and cheese!

Today's ride: 72 km (45 miles)
Total: 1,789 km (1,111 miles)

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Ben NooneI love your hair!
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