Day 46: Yannarie to Giralia

September 2, 2022

After a peaceful night, I was one of the first to roll out of Yannarie Rest Area, which just meant I got overtaken by all the caravanners.

I don’t tend to check the weather forecasts but Dad had told me rain was forecast, and it was a little wet on the road in places and very humid.

The wind was a bit more cross than tail today, and unfortunately from the west not the east.

The road went over/through a series of east - west red sand dunes

Riding under such clouds reminded me of riding in the UK. The threatening rain finally arrived as I reached the Exmouth turn-off.

However there weren’t obliging café’s every 40k or so like in Britain, only a Rest Area with shelter but no picnic table

I sat on the ground for a while eating a peanut butter wrap and the last of my Oreos. A lady arrived and said “I saw you leave this morning”, and I was like, here we go, tell me I’m crazy. But we actually had a nice conversation, so I shouldn’t be so judgy.

I waited out the rain showers and then headed off into the wind. The road ran between the long sand dunes now. It was quite a struggle.

It took me 3.5 hours to get 40k to the Giralia turn off. That put paid to any ideas of going onto Bullara tonight. Instead I turned gratefully out of the wind for the 4K driveway. I arrived just after 2, when the cafe closed but I saved my requests for drinking water, which they don’t usually give to people but they filled up two of my bottles.

They’ve converted the shearing shed to bathrooms, still with the raised slat flooring. The showers are huge with big windows cut out looking out to the paddock. I was checking these out when a heavy rain shower arrived so that was good timing. Vicky and Steve, who I’d met at Tunnel Creek then Broome Gateway also arrived and we has a nice chat. They had slowed down and given me thumbs up on the road but I hadn’t recognised their car. Again, shouldn’t be so surly, they were just being nice.

After I set up my tent it started to rain in earnest and continued for about two hours. I sat in the camp kitchen and did a jigsaw. Vicky and Steve, who have a rooftop tent, and another couple car camping also took refuge in the camp kitchen and we had a convivial night. Two Stimson’s pythons also appeared to take refuge in the camp kitchen, we saw them go in underneath the floor near the old Aga.

Luckily about 8, it stopped raining and my tent had held up pretty well, although everything was very damp.

Today's ride: 85 km (53 miles)
Total: 3,340 km (2,074 miles)

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