wiljen's adventures: The Beastly Easterly

17/09/15 Moodini Rest Area to Mundrabilla 92km

Our bodies were saying no, but we don't have enough water or food, to stay put. Besides, the wind has changed and it will be like this for a couple of days. So nothing for it but to just do it. We're not out to break the speed record, just to get across.

Porridge with Nippies Banana milk was not too bad, and the morning was very pleasant, so we packed up and got going by 7:30am. The easterly was only light, but we struggled from the beginning to get much over 15kms/hr. It was gusting, so we were gear changing all the time to try not to wear ourselves out too soon.

Hmmm, this is a bit harder. I'm actually working pretty hard.

The morning was hard work, and we took a break after less than 20kms. Will was taking the worst out in front, but it was difficult anywhere, with the wind being very confused as to exactly which direction it was coming from. Everywhere but west! We tried to stay positive, and not worry about our extremely sore bums, or stiff arms, or tight calves, or caning shoulders.......just keep the wheels turning.

Some horses in their luxury transportation. You see all sorts of rigs out here.

This part of the highway, is pretty darn straight. Just like the longest straight we'd done already, but without humps, or changes in landscape. Just the ridge and the plain, and the straight white line. When a bend came along, we got confused. Betty didn't know what to do, and almost chucked me off when I told her to change direction slightly. Luckily, there were only a couple, and they directed us into the wind more.

Come on team Wiljen, you can do this. Let's push on.

After 50kms, we stopped for lunch, we were shattered. There was a roadside park, not a good one, but we parked up and whipped the little chairs out under a spindly tree, amongst the prickly bushes, and ate our delicious lunch of Vegemite on Mountain bread, an orange and drank our coffees from breakfast. "Wonder what the poor people are doin'?" While we swatted flies and chewed dry bread and Vegemite! "Yeah, we're living the dream!". Followed by hysterical giggling and shaking of the heads. "Could be worse."

Not our prettiest lunch spot, but it was a nice break.

We agreed to ride another 20kms and have another break. My bum was so sore, I didn't want to sit down again, but we did. All the while making up names for the distance signs (MB 40km). Things like Mangled Butt, Mashed Butt, Mega Burger, Many Beers. The wind increased, and I was down to changing between 6 and 7, struggling to get to 14kms/hr. Remembering this road is actually flat.

Looks amazing doesn't it? Just a friggin straight line of pain today.

20 kays done, 20 to go, we stopped again for our last bit of food, some beef jerky and cheese crackers. Not a bad combination, just not enough. On we go again, same shit as before, the knees are hurting, my butt has gone from sore to screaming, and I am now abusing the wind with every swear word I have learnt in my entire life. When it gusts at us, I find myself doing the old Layton Hewitt, "Come On!". Followed by "For Fucks sake, really?". Then I hear Will yelling at the wind "Is this all you got?" "Don't do that Will, gees, this is hard work!" Just as another huge gust hits us.

10 hard more kays to go, so we stop for one last rest, and to hopefully psych ourselves up a bit. A nice grey nomad parked at the rest area came over to see if we needed any water, and we gladly took him up on it, as we only had two litres left, and who knows how long this is going to take. This was it, one last blast to Mundrabilla.

In sixth gear mostly now, as my energy levels were low. I was actually wishing for trucks to come past us so I could get a little push, but they were now few and far between. Except heading west, and they were giving us huge blasts and slowing us even more. Finally, the Big Blue sign of Hallafuckinluya! 5kms to go. We could actually see the bloody roadhouse, around this huge sweeping bend, but it felt like it was moving away from us. Just then Will spotted two kangaroos to our left, they had gotten the heebie jeebies, and were bounding along in the brush along side us, so I dug around in my handlebar bag, while battling the wind, to find Gary Gopro. Got him, and tried to get them on camera. While I was doing this, they suddenly changed direction and started heading across the road in front of us (they had got a way ahead, they were a lot quicker than us), then we noticed a small car coming at us, and she was going to hit the Roos if she didn't slow down, so Will started waving like a maniac to warn her. She did slow down, and she did miss the roos, but I'm not convinced she even saw them, cause when she passed us, she was looking like she thought we were needing help, not warning her of impending impact. Close call.

Big blue sign of happiness. It took us about 20 minutes to do that 5 kays.

We saw another couple of roos off in the shrubs, and two freshly killed ones, in the last two or three kays. There is water tank nearby, which attracts them. Miracle of miracles, we made it! We staggered into the bar and bought ourselves a couple of beers. We would of stayed in a room, but they are full, so we're camped in the tent, eaten in the restaurant and chatted to the locals, a couple of guys redoing the line marking on the highway (who offered to drive us to Eucla), and a young couple doing a working tour of Australia. It was a good end to a really tough day, and it looks like tomorrow won't be much easier, 68kms in the same conditions. Then we can have a rest.