Hell ride

Leaving Glendambo reluctantly, what beautiful people, maybe a return visit during tourist season eh?
A strong head wind torments us all day. Frustration builds as I watch the speedo drop to 12kms per hour, nothing you can do. Keep drinking. Keep pedaling. Keep calm...ggrrrrrrrr. Woww how about this heat hey? Gotta stop. Red faces, nothing to say. Then the most amazing smile heals our hearts, puts us back on teh same page and releases our tears; then Bilyani is gone! Left to continue. The distance required is unachievable, body tired. decisions need to be made, can't think. tired. getting late. Stay or continue... and we're off. Rest area and there is Mike, we interrupt his solitude, but share stories and he inspires a passion for teh land and the wonders of teh desert- no matter how desolate it seems.
6 am rise... more like 6:30. Tea, photos and exchange of details (oh and a top up of water, Thanks Mike... Life saver!).
Already hot tired and teh scenery has forgotten to change. Legs are tired and teh heat is making it hard to make decisions again. Quick 2 min noodles snack stop (thanks Bruce... again), I can just hear him " back on ya bike and toughen up!" The hottest part of the day will be arriving soon and we still haven't covered enough ground!! Where the bloody hell is Coober Pedy? Bikes are dragged off teh hwy and onto the fine soft red sand. I set up the shade and Mel cooks Mi Goreng.
Sun is high, directly overhead. The small trees only offer fragmented shade, nowhere near enough to protect us from the harsh rays of the sun. Lunch cooked and enjoyed. We lay under the haphazard shade cloth I prepared earlier and one last glance at our set up reveals an army of ants taking back their territory! Forced to sleep under a smaller bush. 4 hours till the heat of teh day will subside, sleep is the best thing as tonight we have a lot of ground to cover! Flashy lights ready!

Be xx

onto Glendambo

Standing in eh middle of nowhere, having been dropped off the train. "Don't go this way, go that way", am I in wonderland? Both ways look identical! The mad hatter and teh cheshire cat roll away as we are left making sure we don't head in teh wrong direction. In the distance (coming from that way) a small yellow dot slowly grows bigger. A wave. A few shouted words lost in the empty distance. Warrabe, a fellow cyclist, panniers, water bottles and determination. Exchanging intra-web sites and contact details... joy!
Off the red sand and back onto the hwy, 10kms to Glendambo. What a beautiful arrival, Louise smiles from the counter "you must be the cycling girls, we've been expecting you". New to the business but so at home... will be making sure all know to stop in here and say hi! Rod and louise your kindness was overwhelming:) A nice bed, shower and teh best quiche - only regret was eating it so fast I never got to savour the flavour, next time I promise! A quick trip with Ryan out to a pub in kingoonya - population 8! Such a coo little pub... will be spreading teh word. Ryan I know we won't see you in Marla, so a great big THANK YOU! for your generosity and advice, local knowledge is invaluable!
6 am rise... 6:30... 6:50 packed, breakfast ordered and what we believe will be enough water for a 252km push to Coober Pedy. eeeekkkk!!!

tech glitch 2-HELLO!!!

sorry guys we're not very good on these things.

-jonesy&greg-video wouldnt download, but photos are up!
-Be and Mel have both written 2 blogs in between photos, Be's one is now part of 'older posts' due to photos...check it out, she writes beautiful as.
-trying to get a hold of diamond bruce and mike in alice.

probs wont have net till alice which is another few weeks away...thanks for keeping in touch and comments are the best!!!

see you on the road...at 4am tomorrow...eeeek!!

be&mel xx

prep in a-town

on the way to pimba-and coober

pimba - coober...still

technical glitch

photos below

Be's Blog

Bruce-shoot us an email>? we didnt get yours before we left.

jonesy and greg, trying to do video, might have to put her up in alice, we'll see.

sorrry...

be and mel xx

overwhelming goodness

A week ago in Port Augusta seems so so so far away.Am writing this from underground in Coober pedy, SA.Not so sure what to write.we're in the beginiing of the desert now.Feel like the adventure is just gonna keep happening.Too many memorable moments and Be has shared some of them already...man i dont where to start.i keep thinking about what Kev from Bellingen told me: 'when you start asking yourself -why am i doing this?!! People are right, i am bloody stupid!!' is when you know you are living and the adventure begins. Far out i ve had so many of those moments already!! I had a moment on the way to Pimba-it was so hot and we had to get to Spud's (roadhouse) to sleep. The horizon was everywhere-as the was the sun and saltbush and red dirt, plus the occasional roadtrain. The largeness and harshness of the land hit me. it felt like we were trying to suss each other out, and i wasnt quite sure of the result. im not trying to beat this land-im out to understand. compare that to walking into spuds to an encore saying 'well done!! didnt expect to see you girls tonight after those hills!!' Troy and Classic Dave-brought those spirits way up high. Ryan helped us out with a place to crash THANKYOU! and then a view of salt lakes we never expected and a breakfast cooked by Bruce- aka Diamond Chef, that i will store forever :) Took us to Glendambo , more specialness from Rod, Louise and Lisa @ Mobil Roadhouse, and then back on the road.

20-something km/hr headwinds. we felt defeated and pretty flat.till someone walked over the hill as were stretching with a most beautiful smile.A hug from which i felt so much love transferred and a note to Shinowah (one who walks with the wind) -very apt for the day. thus we realised, yes, its all part of the journey!

under our first sunset with clouds we met Mike from Alice, cooking on the coals.we shared stroies under the stars while sitting in gravel.cant wait to catch up in alice and go bush for a few days!! Mike's calmness in being alone brought a peacefulness to me. At no point have people said we're unable, just that we're either mad or brave!! haha.

feel like everyday im stepping into another level of challenge.to push the comfort level is good.we slept under the stars off the road enroute to Cooberpedy-bit scary-got up at 4am to ride 90km before the heat of the day.Adversity was the word of the day.we got to ampol roadhouse to pick up our next lot of food and could do no more than sit in the shade of datre palm and eat iceblocks.where we met greg and jonesy! would you believe we swapped?!! they stole our bikes and we got booted into the car! well not truly, but they did take our bikes and we were completely spoilt with leg massages from the pro.2 days ehre in CP-ive needed it for mind heart and to restore my peace within.its a lot more mental effort than i had thought..thanks to kids who beep and wave along the way its so encouraging!!

im looking forward to being back onm the road and taking the world slowly.being gracious to let her deal me what she will.

mel xx

Pimba - Coober cont.

pimba - coober Pedy