Day 24

Day 24: Tuesday August 4
Today's wind was worse than yesterday. I wanted 80km, but managed only 70. The last 10 were at 8kmh. I listened to 20km of Jenny and Tyler, and 44 tracks of Leonard Cohen played twice. It's the first time I had music on, and it's what got me through; I'm exhausted.

I'm in off the road at an abandoned repeater station (Wireless Repeater 8500) becuase I did not think I would manage the last 8km to the next roadside stop, which may well just be a gravel turnout with a couple of bins. Up here, I figured there would at least be a fence I could tie two corners of the tent to, or some bare space to sleep "a la swag." In the event, there is an abandoned technical building which is quite clean inside, but I had visions of mesophilioma, and put the tent up instead. it is held down by a sappling, rocks, and me. (Clearing a vaguely rock free patch and carting rocks took nearly half an hour.) It's all up, and I'm inside.

Tent Prep

The finished product.

I chucked out tea because I am too tired to cook and had bread, nuts, and an apple instead. I made up more grain for tomorrow night, and breakfast for the morning.

I am 190km from Camooweal and figure I can do 120-130 on the last day if need be, since I have a room booked for Friday. So I need 70, but preferably 90, tomorrow. It will depend on the wind.

My neighbour for the night. It is singing in the wind.

I had a woman come up to me at Barkly this morning and ask how the Blade was holding up. At my raised eyebrow she said, "I run a bike shop." I said, "You're Yvonne!" which I think won that little encounter. We chatted Avanti for a few minutes.

I wiped the GPS tonight as the data is full and the laptop will still not start. (It needs the battery to die [not removable] and that could take weeks! Someone left the 240 volt charger home -- it has USB C charging-- to save weight, and the 240 volt charger is what is needed to reset the thing.)

The flowering gums have bird life to match.

Why, Yes, Ma'am!  The cows are a little slow out here.