World walk blog Australia 5

 

Before leaving Norseman at the start of the Nullarbor I stopped at the towns information office to check on conditions ahead. The friendly, but alarmist woman who worked there gave me the 'idiot boy' look. A look that suggested I was yet another fool on the road. I heard about Japanese cyclists who staggered into town as they hadn't taken enough water with them, well there is only so much water a biker can take. I was sure I heard about these cyclists when I was running the Melbourne to Darwin route four years ago. Then the lady mentioned that roadhouses are suffering a shortage due to a drought and the taps on water wells are usually vandalized. If none of that kills you, the road trains surely will seemed to be the attitude. I have noticed that many Australians like to play the drama queen, and talk about how difficult everything is, especially the dangerous roads. The reality is that Australian road are so safe, little traffic. I have a shoulder to walk on in addition to a wide gravel verge. Whatever I die from, it won't be boredom. Everyone is courteous. Except one man in the town park who pushed me too far when he said... " So I suppose you also take a ride in people's cars?"
"Never, that would be cheating for I have walked every land step since Dublin." Was my reply.
"But why? Surely you do when nobody is looking and nobody would know?"
Well, I would know and that's all that matters. And he persisted a third time. At that stage I just called him an idiot, to which he replied that I should understand the Aussie humour that he was joking. So I asked him if I called him a pervert would he think it was a joke..
"Well that's different" was his reply.
"Why?" I asked. No reply, some things you don't joke about.
On the road towards Balladonia I was loving it, walking along the start of the Nullarbor. After my rest day I needed the road like an artist needs a canvas. I walked four solid days, enjoying myself so much. My body was like a begging bowl, begging for kilometre posts. Four days and 192 were rolled off. Temperatures fluctuated from 20-25 degrees C and sometimes a cooling tailwind.
Trees and bushes lined the road and sometimes provided welcome shade. Each night Michael and I cooked our dinner in picnic areas or parked at trail heads just off the road where we pitched out tents. One night it rained heavily and I cooked the dinner out of his car door. Each night we cook pasta and add either a can of beans, spaghetti or our favourite, corn. I usually get walking around seven am while Michael packs up the camping gear and boils up water for our thermos's. I used to have breakfast before I left but that was such a waste of time. Often I sat there for almost an hour. Time just vanished once I took out my phone. Now, I walk straight out of camp and onto the road, just grabbing a few biscuits and some water for the road. After about eight kilometres Michael catches up with me, then I take my breakfast. Better time management.
I haven't seen any kangaroos. I reckon the reason is just like Russia I am traveling along the main road. Had I drifted into the minor roads in Russia I would have seen brown bears there. Likewise, I am told there are many kangaroos on those minor roads in Australia.
After my 50 kilometre day I was not impressed by the Balladonia road house. The management wouldn't even fill out thermos's. Camping wasn't allowed in the truck stop area, everything seemed to be 'Can't do' So, I will always remember Balladonia as ' Can't do town' However, I had a great chat with one man called Doug and his wife Lynn who invited me to their room for coffee and he filled up the thermos, I didn't really need him to but he insisted. I keep meeting decent people who stop to see if I am okay on the road. This morning a couple invited me over to their campfire for breakfast as their RV had broken down and they were waiting for a tow truck. I also met an eighteen year old Belgian cyclist who was looking for work. He plans to cycle to Sydney. I asked him what he wanted to do after that and he didn't know. So I asked him what country did he want to see more than any other in the world. It was Nepal.
" So fly there an cycle home!" I suggested. He thought it a great idea and is considering it.

Next leg will take me four days to Caiguna. About 1,000 left on the Nullarbor