11 Nov End of the line
Hi everyone – It’s been a busy and tough few days on the road and unfortunately I’ve reached the end of the line from where it is safe to press on.
As soon as the new parts arrived In Cunnamulla, I was on my bike and riding as hard as I could west. Over the following 5 days, I managed to clock up more than 600kms. Amazingly, passing through only two towns over that distance! Unfortunately, the further west I’ve gone the heat has gone skyward with temperatures hitting high 30’s and early 40’s with an early onset of the summer heat. There is also less water around when, with the hotter days, I’m needing much more. I was elated to have crossed the Strzelecki Desert to Innaminka (what an amazing place to be on a bike), but the scarcity of water and hot days now make it quite a challenge. Innaminka is an very remote settlement (read mostly a pub and roadhouse), with around 400kms to the nearest town. With these temperatures, it isn’t safe to press ahead with the amount of water I can carry and the low levels of traffic on the tracks. I’m disappointed not to get to Birdsville and beyond, and that will have to wait until the cooler months. It really has been an incredible adventure and I’m left in awe of the beauty of the remote Australian landscapes.
All in all around 1,500kms of cycling and still scratching the surface. Thank you everyone for your support on this journey and for the support you’ve also shown to Child’s Play in their important and rewarding work. Here are some photos, which I hope capture a little of the amazing experience of pressing west fr Cunnamulla to Innaminka.
Charles
