Day 6 (Tennant Creek to Three Ways Roadhouse)

Km's: 25

Time: 4 1/2 hours

Temperature: 43 degrees (Very Humid)

Today we were taking it easy all morning. After the massive day we had yesterday we were both buggered. I'm not sure if I mentioned it in my blog entry yesterday, however the humidity had become a lot more intense about 40km before Tennant Creek. It felt like we had been slapped in the face, as our body's were already suffering in the heat and this just made it worse. There is no room at all for the sweat to escape. 

The caravan park where we have stayed in Tennant Creek has a pool and we took full advantage of that this morning, having used it on two different occasions. I also used the foam roller to do a lot of stretches, however I'm still in a lot of pain. I believe right now it's not the physical toll but more the heat and humidity. 

On the way to Tennant Creek yesterday we saw a Blue Tongue lizard, a completely different looking specie to the one we have in Victoria. It had been hit by a car, and it had about five baby's still inside her. Her stomach had exploded from when the car hit her and you could see all the babies inside. All babies except one had died. It was a real miracle because the mum had been ran over, every baby had been ran over and there was one on the edge of the stomach that had just survived. This lizard looked completely lost though, and must of been waiting for his mum to help him. We took him out of the stomach and let him close to his mum, and he just licked the skin and attempted to walk close to her. I'm not sure how far of giving birth she was, but I assume she must of been very close to it. We decided to take the baby with us in the hope to find a animal shelter for it. Davi, doing veterinarian studies, became particularly attached to it. Since being in Tennant Creek we have had no luck finding an animal shelter and most people have just told us to let it go near a river.  We decided to let him go next to the pool today. When Davi put it down he walked back to us and laid next to us, licking our arms and resting against us. It must of thought we were its carers, it was a beautiful site indeed. We just hope it's alright!

We left Tennant Creek around 3pm in the hope to do about 75 km. About 7-8 km out Davis tyre had exploded due to the heat. At this moment I, and I imagine Davi too, thought the trip was over. I didn't thing we'd be able to find a tyre until Darwin. I jumped on my phone quickly, and fortunately having Internet reception I searched for a sports store in Tennant Creek. I found one, have them a call and was informed they had bigger tyres for more hybrid bikes. Davi's bike is more a road bike but I thought it was worth having a look. We changed a tube on Davi's bike but it soon after burst again. After this I told Davi to walk with the bike towards town and I would cycle there to make it before they closed. When I arrived and had a chat to the man in the shop, he said he'd drive back to pick Davi up. Seemed like a nice guy. It was funny though, as when he returned to the shop an aboriginal lady had walked in to have a look. He said to her "bugger off, we don't sell any water" she responded by saying "I'm not after water, I support North Melbourne and wanna have a look at that jumper" he then said to her "well have a look then get out". It was an awkward moment, as I could tell his actions were racially motivated. I stayed out of it, but have the lady a smile as if I was on her side, she did seem pretty thick skinned though so she must had it before. It is interesting these moments though, as to an average out-of-towner you don't understand the pretext for these types of incidences. One things for sure though, the way white people go about there business out here isn't the right way, and the way aboriginal people maintain themselves isn't the right way either. 

After this we changed the tyres, front and back just to be safe, and then headed 20km further north to the next roadhouse. We've had a good rest here and will now plan to do about 140 tomorrow.

Day 5 (Barrow Creek to Tennant Creek)

Weather: 41 degrees (entering humid country)

Day: 192km

Time: 10hours 25minutes

Probably the hardest day I've had in my life since the last ride going up the north west coast past Canarvon. My body seems to be in shock to this weather, and doesn't seem to be adapting any time quick.

We left the camp area just after 8am, I was ready to go at about 7:30 however Davi was still getting his things together. I wanted to help get all his gear ready but on the bike you pack everything the way you like so that you know where to access everything. Due to this I sat around, as the air got even hotter and the sun started to set in. I was annoyed to do nothing as I was desperate to take off. As the wind built into a solid headwind against us and Davi was ready than we left. I was a fair bit in front of Davi at the start, and there was one point where I could no longer see him behind me. I waited for a bit, turned around to have a look and managed to see him in a distance. When I could see he was on his way I kept going. 

There was a roadhouse about 50km past where we camped, so we were eager to get there by midday, to sit back a bit and get something cold. The name of it was Wycliffe Well, an interesting roadhouse covered in alien and UFO paraphernalia. When we got there the people working claimed to have seen UFOs in the area, a thought you would actually not consider insane if you saw how crystal clear the night sky is out here. We put our bottles in the ice cream freezer of the roadhouse, joking that we would of melted everything in the freezer as our bottles would of been close to 50degrees in heat. We knew however, that as soon as we took the bottles out they would heat up with in a few minutes anyway. 

We were in immense pain as we took off. Our bums are very sore from the seat and our arms and shoulders are in extreme pain due to controlling the bikes with all the weight. Last but not least our legs are feeling tight as well. It made me forgot how much pain I endured during the last ride. 

The next stop after the roadhouse was Tennant Creek, which was 135km further. Due to the heat and isolation I was very eager to make it there. This was partly due to water but also getting out of the sun. I've been drinking local water along the way, however due to high salt content and to what I was informed yesterday of uranium traces as well, I'm not keen on drinking more of this especially when it's full of BPA from cheap plastic bottles. The problem is it costs 5$ per litre of clean water, and I've been drinking 10litres a day on the bike. It's a hard decision I pay for it when I can get it for free. It's a funny situation though, as back in Melbourne I would never have this type of water or drink from hot BPA plastic bottles, but out here I just switch off and go in survival mode.

I told Davi I was keen to make Tennant Creek. We rode together for a bit and after about 15km he had dropped right back. I rode past a rest area about 90km short of Tennant Creek and I was hoping to god that Davi wouldn't stop in there for a break. It was about 3:30 and we had a slight tailwind. I knew if we kept at that pace we might of got into town by 8pm. As I looked back in the distance I realised I could no longer see Davi. I was about 3 or 4 km ahead, and I became very very frustrated. It was no position to stop and take a break as we needed to take advantage of the wind and get into town. I turned around and rode back, into the head wind now, and saw Davi coming back out of the rest area. I explained to him that there's no issue setting our tent up in the dark and for our own good we need to get into town. I said that if he can't see me in front, just to keep riding and I will meet him at the BP petrol station after I try to find a place to set up the tent. Fortunately however, we both maintained the same pace and pushed each other all the way to the end. I was absolutely buggered and so was Davi. We passed the 400km mark in the morning and 500km in the evening. In total we rode over 10hours in heavy heat and headwinds, only having boiling hot yuck tasting water out of crappy plastic bottles. 

We pulled into town around 9:30pm and went straight to a servo for a cold drink. We asked if there was a supermarket but was informed that it already closed. Davi and I were both annoyed with this news, as it meant we would have to spend double on some cold drinks in the servo.

The servo closed up so we decided to sit at the front on the concrete while we had our cold drinks. While we were there an older aboriginal man walked up. I offered him some chips and he sat down next to me. I asked a few questions, such as what the name of Country was where we were sitting. The gentleman informed me that it was "Wirangmu country" or at least that was the way it sounded. He had a strong accent and spoke half of each sentence in his own language. I learnt a few words off him, and he also told me that there were a number of spirits in the area and on the country. It was obvious he was connected to something on a higher level, as he was staring and focusing on things around him. He told me there were "Them women over there" standing in the dark. They were his ancestors and he felt sorry for them because they only come out sometimes and live under the ground. He then looked at me in the face, and then got real close and stared into my eyes and whispered loudly "MungaMungaa". This from what I gathered is the name of the spirits or ancestral women, or women in general. After he said it he had got into a big coughing fit, and responded by saying that the spirits are too powerful and it makes him sick when he engages with them. If I'd never studied traditional culture or dreaming stories than I probably wouldn't blame a person for calling this man schizophrenic, but the knowledge he had was far too great to make that statement. I could see Davi wasn't too comfortable with him sitting there and was eager to get going to the caravan park down the road to set up the tent. Davi left and I stayed back for a minute finishing up our conversation and saying my goodbyes to the Aborigibal man. As I went to take of I fell, along with the bike, on the ground. The man helped me up and then he looked to see where Davi was. Davi was down the road on the bike and the Aboriginal man became angry. He yelled out "NgintaBuka" "Your meant to work as a team, not ride off". I'm pretty certain NgintaBuka meant something in the middle of idiot, dickhead, get lost and maybe another meaning as well. Davi came back and tried to help but the man was not being so friendly to him. I calmed the situation down, but this situation reminded me of something our friend from Red Dust said in Alice Springs. He said to me, once your accepted into a mob, your than a part of that mob and they'll stand up and fight or you no matter what. This man right there was about to get in a fight to make a point for me. This was a good insight into the way certain cultural traits are different, and why Aboriginal communities appear to people in the city to be so backwards. I have learnt to notice that many issues within a community are cultural, and these cultural differences for mesh well with western cultural influences. From what Ive been informed this is also one of the reasons why Liam Jurrah from Melbourne football club went to prison. The man offered to give me some money and I refused to accept.

Davi and I cycled back to the caravan park set up the tents and went to sleep. We didn't eat dinner or drink too much water, as the tap water tasted pretty bad. We sculled the drinks we bought from the shop so I figured they were enough to get us to sleep. Just before sleep however, I started vomiting and feeling very nauseous. I think, or I suppose I hope, this was a result of fatigue and exhaustion. It reminded me of Jobe Watson after a game of footy and seeing him vomit everywhere.  I'm hoping after. Good sleep and some food tomorrow we can recover. Davi seems to be good which is great. I haven't even thought about where we're going tomorrow. 

Day 4 (Ti Tree to 40km past Barrow Creek)

Day 150km

7hours 10minutes

41degrees

Another hot and long day. We left around 8:30 after having a good chat with our hosts from the mango farm in the morning. It reminded me about my previous trip and how many nice people I'd met and then never saw again. Only difference is this time I have another person to share these experiences with and hopefully we can recap on these experiences in the future.

It felt incredibly hot again today, and I was a little worried I wouldn't do so well after having a bit of trouble yesterday evening. Fortunately I got through alright and Davi did too. We stopped after about 100km at a roadhouse and we both had about 5 superdooper icy poles each. They were 1$ each but were definitely worth it. To my good fortune the final day of the test against India was on the television in the roadhouse. We relaxed a bit and watched Australia win the match and not long after we left again. It still seems like Davi doesn't really get cricket, as he laughed when he realised it was the same match I was watching a day before we left for the trip! "A game goes for five days!?", he said to me. 

Now off to sleep as we have found a nice rest area on the side of the road. There's a few German backpackers parked here with there car and there being a bit noisy so hopefully we can get some sleep. A big day with 190km planned tomorrow, and supposedly the weather only getting harder.

Day 3 (Alice Springs to Ti Tree)

39 degrees

Total km: 181km

Ride time: 8hours 52minutes

Today was very hard. It was a reminder of the pain I was going through during the last ride I did, particularly the long hot days up the west coast. The climate feels very similar to the area of Canarvon and Karratha way, the only difference is now my body's not used to it. Today we also passed the Tropic of Capricorn, something I've passed for a second time now. I think I passed the Tropic of Capricorn about 100km north of Canarvon if I can remember, so it would explain why the conditions are pretty similar. Landscape is also a little similar, with the red earth bearing many similarities. The flora differs a bit from the west coast with the species around here more similar to that in South Australia near Iron knob way, probably about 1500km directly south of where we are now. We also saw some big eagles and a few wild bulls. 

We pushed it pretty hard, although we started pretty slow. Our average was around 17km or so coming out of Alice Springs and ended up the ride around 35km to have an average of around 23 km for the day. We stopped after about 90km for a few minutes to fill up our water and then we kept going.

Originally we were meant to ride about 130km and we felt pretty good so we kept going to 185 or so for today. Our plans were to ride to the road house "Ti Tree", as here we could load up on water and get a descent sleep. As we got to about 10 km before Ti Tree there was a massive sign saying fresh cold magoes and "Best mango Ice Cream in Australia", I probably wouldn't of had the icecream but I would've love a sorbet smoothie or something! We decided to pull in there to check it out. We walked into the little shop and were a little devastated that there was no fresh mangoes as the season hasn't started yet. 

A few seconds later I started feeling dizzy and light headed. I sat down for a bit and then when I tried to get up it felt like I was going to vomit. Davi and I sat outside for about 20 minutes just to recover. Davi was keen to keep going to the Ti Tree road house, as I would've been too else I hadn't been feeling sick.

We were laying on the ground at the front of the little store on the farm. It was actually quite funny as a lot of Aboriginal customers were coming through and one of the lady's said "These fellas passed out! Too much grog!".

The owner of the farm saw we were buggered and offered to put us up at the farm for the night. As I started walking it felt like I was going to vomit, so I had to lay down more. I got up to have a cold shower but the best I could get was coldish/slightly warm due to the hot weather hearing the water. I felt better anyway.

After this we had dinner and got to chat to a few of the other guys staying on the farm to. They all seemed like good fellas. Tomorrow off for another 190km!

Day 2 (Alice Springs)

39degrees

Today we decided to stay back so we could check out the local juvenile centre with the Red Dust guys. We were a bit worried spending an extra day here as we have a time limit to ride to Darwin, but it was certainly worth it to stay back today. 

The Red Dust guys picked us up around midday and took us to the prison. Actually, they showed us around town first, showing us the school where they do their outreach program's and then taking us to their shed where they have all there gear. We had to get a tee-shirt and shoes because the prison won't let you in without them. As Davi and I have come with minimal items due to space and weight requirement, we didn't bring any shoes with us. I became a bit nervous as the shed didn't have any spare shoes and we went straight to the prison in the hope they would lend us shoes there, and fortunately they did.

We went in and watched Jonso and Damo play the guitar and sing with the kids. The presence these two have is amazing. The fact they talk to the young kids in a culturally understanding way makes a huge difference, as the kids pay more attention. In the room was also a couple of white fellas helping out. There was an obvious disconnect between the white fellas and the kids though. 

Looking in the room it was both devastating and also eye opening. There were about fifteen kids aged between 12 to 17 just sitting around the room, wasting there time in a juvenile detention centre. A few of the kids looked happy and were engaging with the music. I could see a few of the kids were also a lot more reserved, perhaps a result of there more traditional culture. I noticed a few of the kids in the room having one of the front teeth removed, a sign of initiation. Jonso has had one of his teeth removed, which I realise is excellent as it allows the kids to identify he is a cultural law man and that he is a respected person in the community. When we were sitting in the room I was not sure whether to smile or not as I didn't want to show that I wasn't an initiated man and didn't want the kids to think I was a typical white fella just there for a show. 

I soon couldn't help but smile once the program started. The whole room started by singing along with Jonso. He wrote the lyrics on the white board and broke the lyrics into four parts, so everyone in the room broke off into four groups. We had to come up with a name for the group and then partake in the singing, a fun exercise in itself. At start I was a bit nervous but then realised it was all for fun and mostly for the kids too. A few of the kids got right into it and some others not. We sang the song "Have you ever seen the rain" and I can tell you I'll never listen to this song the same way again. I was very close to crying watching all the kids sing and get engaged. I just wish we didn't live in a world where young kids fell down this path.

After singing this song Jonso then started singing a more traditional song. This song drew mixed reactions from the kids and Jonso later explained why. As we made a few cultural sounds the initiated kids had realised that those sounds are meant for the bush and cultural ceremonies for times like initiation. Jonso explained to the class we're supporting culture and that there were initiated men in the room so we weren't making a mockery out of it. This was another valuable insight into a deep complex life these young fellas live by.

After the prison we went back to Jonsos place, or atleast where he's staying at the moment and had a look at some of his pets. Around his house, which is a massive property is a few snakes, emus, chickens and also a huge lizard, apparently the largest lizard in Aus. 

After all this Davi and I went to a cousin of Jonso's to fix a broken window, along with two of his little nephews. Jonsos nephew broke it and as a result Jonso was expected to fix it. This was another real eye opener. The way they removed the remainder of the window was by smashing it with a hammer, although everyone was bare foot they didn't seem to mind. Surprisingly nobody got a cut on there foot, even the 10 year old nephew who was walking right through the broken glass. Whilst we were putting the window in a few of his cousins and friends were in the house watching us. They were all smoking bongs (way to smoke marijuana) and drinking booze. I'm not sure if they didn't help cause Jonso was expected to fix it or because they were busy getting wasted. After a while we we managed to put the window in and then shot off. 

Understanding Jonsos background and the conditions he's faced gives me an immense level of respect for him. He's a strong level headed genuine bloke with a great energetic nature. He has a great understanding of culture, which is somewhat evident in his high level of initiation. 

Now we will get some food and a few last bits and pieces and then shoot off tomorrow morning. We will say our farewells to Jonso, Damo and a few of the guys from the juvenile centre tonight!

Day 1 (Alice Springs)

39degrees

Total km's: 22km

Wow. It's more than a year and a half since I finished up on my last big bike journey. I have come back for more, however this time feeling a lot more wiser and also having a companion to enjoy all the highs and lows with. We will be cycling from Alice Springs to Darwin. 

Today we flew from Melbourne to Alice Springs, (10th December) and will fly out of Darwin to Melbourne on Christmas night on the 25th. This gives us 14 days to cycle roughly 1600 km's, with today being planned as a day off as we load up on supplies and get our selves ready. 

We have teamed up with Red Dust, a non profit group that provides community outreach to indigenous youth in outback areas. The organisation provides education around alcohol consumption and also healthy living through the promotion of good food and physical activity. When my friend Davi and I heard about this organisation we thought it would be great to try support the work they do, even if we can only promote it to a few people. 

It was a very good day today as we managed to meet up with a few of the guys from Red Dust and also get in a radio interview to help promote the organisation. This was a result of me calling the ABC radio and asking if we could do a story. I suppose I have a bit more experience this time after the last ride I did.

We have decided to stay back again tomorrow, as our new friend from Red Dust has offered to take us out to a local juvenile detention centre. The guys do work with the young fellas there, providing support and being positive role models. They also play music and do art and cultural activities to make connect on a cultural level and get them more engaged.

I'm really looking forward to this and also to see a bit more of Alice Springs. It seems like a great town and so far I'm really impressed. It feels very laid back and has a very beautiful scenery. It provides a feeling of isolation, being in wilderness, yet the desolate surroundings account for a majestic landscape.  

The fella we have met from Red Dust was a true inspiration. In listening to him speak I was almost in awe. He is only young yet gives the perception of an elder displaying a high level of confidence. He spoke about some initiation steps that he's gone through and a number of other cultural histories. He must of truly trusted my self and Davi, as I know this is generally very private information. It was a moment I'll never forget, standing outside ABC radio in Alice Springs listening to the traditional stories of a strong cultural man. The interview went pretty good too, with the two fellas from Red Dust, Davi and I all contributing the interview.

It's a strange feeling, as looking back when I last wrote I was finishing up on the ride in June 2013 and my main concern being focused on finding a place to live. Going on another ride was the last thing I was interested in. Now I have a place that I'm renting and have other commitments in my life, so it's a completely different feeling to the last ride. I am however now feeling a similar level of comfort in the feeling I'm free again. It is annoying knowing we have a set date to return, as the true feeling of freedom is knowing you can go on forever and have no commitments. 

A few of the guys joked about Davi not knowing what he's in for, but I think Davi is a strong guy and will be able to persist. It will be hard, but I feel he has the confidence to push his limits.

Melbourne (Morning of departure for Alice Springs)

The weathers looking ominous further up near Darwin, with thunderstorms and heavy rain predicted. Alice Springs seems a bit more consistent with 40degrees over the last couple of days and yesterday being 30degrees around 2am in the morning. I can see it will be hot and sticky, and also potentially very wet. The thing I'm a little anxious about is how far north it will be when the weather starts to get wet and stormy. My logic is saying it will start around half way up to Darwin, but let's wait and see.

We will stay at a hostel tonight in Alice Springs. I am hoping to find a map up to Darwin when we arrive as I haven't had a look at anything yet (talk about last minute!). We will leave early tomorrow to Darwin as we have only 14 days to cycle up there, which will be around a total of 1600kms. It will be hard to get lost when there is only one road to Darwin, however the thing I am interested in seeing is the distance between road houses where we can get access to water. We will get off the flight around 10:00 local time in Alice Springs, unpack the boxes and assemble the bikes. Once getting all this sorted we will then head into the town where we will load up on supplies. I'm hoping to meet with a local fella from Red Dust. I'd love to find out more about local issues and the great work Red Dust have been doing. After this we will check into the hostel and hopefully get a good night sleep for tomorrow! I'd guess Davi and I had about a two hour sleep last night as we were putting our bikes in the boxes and getting everything ready (again last minute!!)

Great to finally get to the heartland of Aus. It devastated me that I didn't go there during the last bicycle journey, and the fact I had never simply seen any part of the Northern Territory. Strong aboriginal culture, hot and humid, crocs and mossies are the things I imagine to see. Also thunderstorms and floods as we get closer to Darwin.. I will keep you posted.