Day 20 - 21

Day 20 Saturday 30 July. I left Wycliffe at 7:45. There was no Telstra at Wauchope despite what the coverage map implies. But there is public wifi at the Devils Marbles for goodness sake! I  booked a room from there, albeit not at the motel I thought I had chosen. Go Expedia, and a small screen!

I lunched  at Bonney Well around 11 am. At one level I was traveling well; there was almost a tail wind today.  It should have been easier, but rough bitumen and a tired Andrew meant that the last 40 kilometres was pretty hard. This would be my most tired night so far, not aided by 7 trips up the stairs to get everything into the room.

I found the trailer tire is bulging, so I will have to change that  tomorrow and put the better tire on.

I don't remember much of the town at all, apart from recognising the church and the hall. There's a music festival on, and the local community cop was helping things by sitting in the bottle shop! Brilliant! It's the sort of town where everything is shut up behind roller shutters on a late Saturday afternoon. 

My cold is slowly improving, but I have some abdominal tenderness from all the bashing around on the bitumen. Lots of this bitumen feels like they just sprayed black stuff on a metal road. I've been riding all over the place trying to find the best parts; fortunately traffic has been low.

Day 21: Sunday 31st July
A rest day in Tennant Creek. In 1982, Wendy, Deb and I came here, with me as student pastor filling in at the Uniting Church. I hadn't even started College! Today I went back. What a brilliant, faithful job Peter Waite and his small congregation are doing. The big doors are open to the street; starting time is even more "--ish" than Trinity Church; spare but elegant theology; incisive, socially aware sermon; everything that's good about the Uniting Church. I was deeply moved and greatly cared for.

Old Bill McLean's great rock slab and core samples communion table still sits at the front of the church, and the Spirit flows. 

I've been to the local IGA and stocked up on my perishable/lunch food to get me to Mount Isa.

It's Harmony Weekend here, the town is hopping, and the current musician on the stage is from Jamieson. People travel a long way-- Jamieson must be halfway to Kalgoorle! 

Now to fix this tyre. I've also discovered since getting back to my room, that my laptop is entirely and irretrievably dead. Not happy. So anything with photos is very slow work.