DAY 54 - WHYALLA SA

WHYALLA SA

DAY 54

PORT AUGUSTA - WHYALLA

86.41 km

Total Time: 07.30 – 13.00 (5h 30m)

Time on Bike: 4h 10m 12s

Max. Speed: 43.3 km/h

Av. Speed: 20.7 km/h

I wheeled out of Port Augusta this morning with a full moon setting in the west.

This happened at about a similar time that the sun was breaking over the cold blue sheets of cloud behind the Flinders Ranges and casting some golden light on a brand new road ahead.

A model May autumn morning was on order as I encountered the mightiest road junction in Australia for the first time.

The top of the hill is where the Eyre and Stuart collide before parting ways for nearly 6000 collective kilometres in either direction.

An exciting thing it is too – all the human adventures and dramas and experiences that have taken place beyond here and to imagine for a moment if they could all gather in this one location and share but just a few.

It is truly an overwhelming feeling.

My particular calling this morning was the Eyre Highway.

Not quite to Perth as the sign says, but it is the gateway to my own personal adventure on this very occasion.

The opening 30 kilometres was my first taste of genuine outback cycling.

It is simply stunning.

The territory is so vast and wonderfully open – the ancient red earth was glowing fresh in a new morning light with the highway but a frail silver ribbon rippling across the surface and into the infinite.

And this is only a taste.

Another inherent and relentless feature of Aussie Outback culture from Port Augusta onwards are the phenomenal Road Trains.

B-Doubles with 8 extra wheels is what they are and they are my newest highway acquaintances.

I am gradually warming to the concept of 42 wheels running straight over the top of me.

34 just weren’t quite enough – I feel as though 42 would do a much cleaner job.

Joke as I may, though for obvious bloody reasons they are not to be minced with.

Not because I am particularly scared of them.

It just makes sense that the potential for catastrophe just got bigger.

My mood however is a happy one as I sense this threat as barely superficial - the majority of truckies have in fact been good little boys and I must give overall credit to their behaviour towards me.

There has only been a single instance of a close call – about 1½ km north of Jerilderie NSW – my number was nearly called, just not quite loud enough on this particular morning.

An odd instance of impudence along the way as well, but the way I see it, this is inevitable……

I took a swim in Whyalla this afternoon and will be heading further south to Cowell tomorrow.

The sums are already tallying the return trip to Port Augusta to a fairly even 1000 km.

200 of these will be down by tomorrow evening, so I’m happier than ever to keep taking my time as there are some potentially very pleasant places to encounter along the way.