Beasts in Jungle

May 26th: Larrimah to Daly Waters – 90.5 km

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Day 224

Most days are hot and dry as we are heading further into the outback. We have found that it’s cooler in the end to cover our skin by wearing long sleeves and long pants. If you don’t, the moisture evaporates before it has time to absorb the heat from your body. We put 50 km in by 11am and by 1:45pm we were on smooth level roads. After the long rest in Bali it has taken us the last 14 days to finally feel like we are capable of pedaling all day.

Every grey nomad that we met makes a suggestion about where to stop ahead and when we receive several suggestions about the same place we know it’s a must. Although when we arrived at Daly Waters we were slightly underwhelmed. A friendly but very busy parking manager riding an old mountain bike with a the head of a stuffed animal horse fastened to his handlebars showed us to a dusty little spot without a spec of grass and not much shade. I guess we shouldn’t complain the attendant had the look of an old cowboy, with his wide-brimmed hat and sun wizened face. If his wrinkles were like rings on a tree he would have been over 100.

We were tired though so we shrugged it off and showered and prepared to catch happy hour. This was the first bar we had been in the last 8 months and the best decision we made since leaving Darwin. 3 dollar drafts led to burgers and some real outback culture. Quickly the bar filled up and we were surrounded by tables of grey nomads. They were there for the live performance. We received our burgers which were the size of throw pillows. Probably so you could take a nap while eating it, and a huge basket of fries. Then the performance started. It was an eclectic mix of heartfelt stories, songs, poetry and humor.

As we looked around we realized that we were the youngest couple there by 20 years and the last of our bias towards caravans disappeared. Here were a bunch of pensioners, traveling around the country, socializing, meeting new people, seeing new places. It’s like a golf club but the membership is larger and cheaper and if you don’t like the weather or your company, you leave.  What could be better? We have met couples well into their 70’s braving the dirt tracks, camping in the desert, and having adventures. Albeit in all the comforts of home, but they are some of the happiest, friendliest people we have met, ever.

May 25th: Mataranka to Larrimah – 76.3 km

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Day 224

Temperatures were still around 31 to 34 during the day and we woke up early to take advantage of the cool mornings. Prepared for a long day, we were quite happy to have smooth flat roads and a relatively short day.

We arrived at our destination Larrimah just after 1pm and wondered how we would do with the rest of the hot day. Normally we read on our tablets, but since we now rely on them and are not sure when we will have power, we have gone back to old-fashioned paperback novels. We borrowed 2 from the book share at the caravan park in Katherine. I’m reading Colleen McCullough’s “The first Man in Rome,” and Cher is reading Margaret Atwood’s “A Handmaid’s Tale.” We were lucky to find two decent reads since most the caravan park books exchanges only have tabloids, romance novels or off-roading, hunting and fishing magazines.

The Pink Panther roadhouse/zoo was quite eccentric. We were directed to camp anywhere we wanted on the grassy lawn along the road.

We sidled up to the largest tree we could find and pitched our tent. We were also next to an incomplete bunk house, and an abandoned outdoor barbecue. Pieces of metal, and a makeshift painting table with weeds growing around them revealed that progress has stopped some time ago.

The camp kitchen had two broken kettles that hadn’t been cleaned in ages. Luckily there was an electric hot plate which we could use to fry or boil. We were the only people to use it since it was bought, the aging receipt was still inside when we opened it. However the showers were hot and the water pressure was good. This was the only good thing we could say about this place.

May 24th: King River to Mataranka Bitter Springs – 61.7 km

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Day 223

Our road smoothed out today and we had some moderate head winds. I’m certain that the roads are getting smoother but Cher claims it’s the same. I’m more of an idealist and she’s a realist, which means she’s probably right. With three wheels the road surface makes a big difference in efficiency. We have found that it changes regularly in long sections from coarse and bumpy to smooth.

Just after the turn off for Bitter Springs we found a well stocked, although expensive grocery store and we bought some fresh groceries including eggs and zucchini. We also witnessed a number of aborigines buying boxes of beer. At least 8 people were buying a 30 pack each. This could be for a party but our observation is already biased by what we’ve been told, and by the public drunkenness we’ve seen. Of course seeing twenty some individuals drunk on the street is not indicative of an entire population, but it seemed to us there are some serious problems.

We camped at the Mataranka Cabins and Campground near Bitter Springs, which is walking distance from the springs in Elsey National Park. Within minutes we had set up camp and were in our swim suits. If you are reading this and going there we think it best not to tell you too much about it, but we will tell you make sure to bring some goggles. The water clarity is incredible and Cher said she felt like she was a small fish in an aquarium. I felt as if we had entered a prehistoric pool. Either way it’s worth the trip and the water, fed by thermal springs is right around body temperature.

Now that we had a swim we prepared to do something about Cher’s burned paw. Utilizing our new internet connection, we found that there is divided information on whether to keep or remove a blister depending upon its size, location and time since burn. We had left it for 3 days and decided to drain it. One peer-reviewed study showed that the majority of people who drained their blisters experienced less pain with only a minor increase in infection rate. We sterilized a sewing needle and cleaned the blister with alcohol and Cher did the rest. We then covered it with antibacterial cream and a sterile bandage. Cher was slightly traumatized but it did reduce the pain. Drained in every way we prepared for bed.

When we arrived we noticed a lot little grassy poos around our camp site. I suspected wallabies and made sure to put away our food. Within minutes my observations proved accurate and we were greeted by no less than 5 wallabies sneaking around our camp site. I commented that they looked like giant hopping rats, and Cher told me that the literal translation for Kangaroo in Chinese is “pocket rat” and Wallaby is “sandy pocket rat.” I now wish that was their English name and will try to adopt and spread it. All night the sandy pocket rats hopped around our camp and scrambled through the bush. You adjust quickly and what is curious quickly becomes what is common.

May 23rd: Katherine to King River – 60.20 km

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Day 222

Reluctantly we left Katherine and headed off into the wild. Before we left civilization we decided to take a little bit of it with us and we bought a sim card and now have some email and phone capabilities. We are saving them for emergencies and to take care of banking and such.

With a late start we were happy to have a short day. Cher’s paw blister, from our cooking accident a day ago, continues to grow. It’s pretty gross and since it’s filled with fluid the road vibration is extremely painful as it jiggles the contents. Also the head winds continue and its a constant battle. We stopped at King River, a free rest stop with a large water container which claims “water may not be suitable for drinking.” This is more of a precaution to avoid law suits and we have found the water is fine. Using our water bottles we took a “shower.” We basically got wet, soaped up, and rinsed off. It’s a public affair, but it’s a public spot with free camping. Anyone stopping here should expect at least a couple of hobos.

Most of the spots are quite dusty and it’s hot. We put up a tarp for shade and waited for the sun to set. With few clouds in the sky it cooled down quickly and we were in our sleeping before long. Tomorrow we look forward to another short day with the promise of another fresh water swim.

May 22nd: Another Rest Day

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Day 221

Our calorie party continues with pancakes for breakfast. Unfortunately Cher, intoxicated by the bounty, began giddily flipping pancakes only to let her hand slide down handle onto the super-heated metal. She got a nasty burn. We cooled, cleaned and covered it as soon as possible and already she has a big fat blister.

We stuffed ourselves with burritos for lunch and dinner and Marco cooked us an after-dinner dinner, and bought two bottles of red wine to see us off.

We checked out his tent and we have to say that it was quite luxurious. He has a fan, a computer, and a large covered sitting area. I caught a large beetle, one of the many large creepy crawlies that we can’t identify. Having finished two bottles of wine I had to make a run to the bathroom and was fortunate to have the wherewithal to check my shoe where I found another large creepy crawly inside my shoe.

Despite the creepy crawlies this was a wonderful place to live. Perfectly clear views of the stars at night, including the milky way, gorgeous sunsets and spectacular sunrises. Living here would definitely add several years to your life, if you don’t have any insect phobias.

May 21st: Rest Day with Steak and Potatoes

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Day 220

While petting and watching the curious cows just on the other side of our tent, Cher couldn’t stop thinking, steak for dinner.

We made the 12.6 km trip back into town and bought more groceries stocking up on the fresh things we don’t usually have, like vegetables, spuds and eggs. One of the benefits of many Australian caravan parks is camp kitchens. You must provide the utensils and cook ware but they provide grills or “barbis” kettles, range tops, microwaves and even refrigerators.

Cher cooked 2 perfect rare t-bones and when we placed them in our dishes they spilled over the sides. Filling our small plates normally comprises an entire meal, and we were giddy at the prospect of so much meat. Steak is extremely expensive in HK but here it’s 1/4 the price.. Whcih makes sense since the steak in Hong Kong is imported from Oz. Regarldess we didn’t eat much meat in Hong Kong nor the rest of southeast Asia. Meat here is cheap which also explains the broad build of many of the guys and gals we’ve seen piling meat on top of meat at the check out line until it fills the checkout conveyor belt like a herd of cattle squeezing through a canyon. We also grilled potato wedges and by the time we were done we realized our salad would have to wait for tomorrow.

While we finished we met another Marco, alos from Italy, working here on the gworking holiday visa program. He was kind enough to make us some “real” coffee to digest our dinner. He explained that he was pretty much the only one who used the kitchen and offered to let us use his cook ware. Cher and I decided to stay another day. How could we leave, tomorrow we we’re making pancakes!

May 20th: Edith Falls to Manbulloo Homestead, Katherine – 76.16 km

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Day 219

Food! Oh how we stocked up! 4 bags of pasta, sauce, baked beans, onions, oatmeal, muesli, sausage, salad, sugar, coffee, and bread, all the necessities and more. We barely noticed anything else on our ride into town. The magnetism of the supermarket pulling at our empty steel bellies dragged us in. We felt as if we were hardly peddling, until we realized that we never intended to carry this much groceries in our panniers and had to carry it to our campsite.

We intended to stay just out of town at a place called Springvale, but when we got there it was closed. Hoping that the out of town camp site, Manbulloo Homestead, wouldn’t be closed nor overpriced we pressed on for another 10 km into the setting sun. We were not dissapointed. We pitched our tent along a field filled with cows and horses and took hot hot showers. We both immediatlely agreed to take a rest day there.

May 19th: Pine Creek to Edith Falls – 68 km

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Day 218

Everyone we talked to told us that Edith Falls was the ants pants, and they also told us it was only 50 km away. Physically out of shape and mentally prepared for a short day, we looked forward to an easy pedal and an early swim. Battling a constant headwind made today feel twice as long and when we arrived at the turn off for Edith Falls, we were sad to find that we had another 20 km to go. When our path cut close to the river I tried to convince Cher that there couldn’t be any crocs here and we should camp early by the water. Later when taking a closer look at the water I didn’t dare go to the edge. Which we later found out was wise.

We arrived after 1pm and were directed to our little patch of grass to set up the tent. It’s a nice spot, and for 25 dollars a bit pricey, but we were here to see the falls. There are several pools that feed tumble down into a main pool, all free of crocs because as we were told, crocs don’t climb. Within a minute we set up camp, stripped and made out way to the main waterfall.

Although the waterfall isn’t that impressive, the deep cool, clean waters were pure bliss. We swam the 200 meters to the fall and back, the water becoming deep enough that you can’t see nor touch the bottom. Perhaps it’s because clean fresh water was such a scarcity over the last several months, but it felt like such a tremendous luxury to be able to swim in such a large pool of extraordinarily clean water. Locals claim that you can get a swim and a drink at the same time. With it’s source in the middle of a national park, there is some amount of truth to this. Regardless, all our aches and pains subsided and we had energy for the 30 minute hike to the next falls.

We read a lot of blogs about this cycle ride few talked about the number of little oasis that we’ve found along the way. Either it’s our slow style or loss of endurance after such a long break in Bali, but with the heat and the wind these little spots have kept us going even when our food is short. But since we can’t live on water alone we are both excited to get to Katherine, where there is a large grocery store. It seems that we eat more oatmeal than any other food and I had it as “dessert” tonight when our pasta ration failed to fill me up. We may be thin when we are done but our cholesterol will be great.

May 18th: Hayes Creek to Pine Creek – 57.6 km

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Day 217

We hoped to find a bread this afternoon and were unable to due to the lack of grocery stores, and have have now added a new favourite to our list of cycling meals – peanut butter and jelly oatmeal. We’ll repeat the recipe later to make sure it wasn’t just the hunger that made it delicious.

Coming from Asia we didn’t really prepare for the wide open spaces by planning where and when we would buy food. Many of the stores at the RV parks we come across don’t carry groceries. When they do, it tends to be more expensive. We found food at the gas station in Pine creek and loaded up on beans, eggs, sausage and bread.

Looking for a cheap shower we rode out of town to a RV park called Pussy Cat Flats. For what you get it’s not really a great deal. A field to put your tent with a little shade and a shower is all you get for 14 AUD. We did have access to a fire pit and plenty of wood. Cher did the laundry while I made a fire. We quickly cooked and devoured a package of 8 sausages, on toasted bread topped with baked beans. It was a feast. This was the most meat either of us had eaten in one sitting in the last 7 months. We were both full and content, although after an hour our stomachs were a little uncertain if this was good or not. In the end we got to keep the sausage and we did our best to wait out the 35 degree heat of day before crawling into our tent.

May 17th: Adelaide River to Hayes Creek – 58.55 km

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Day 216

Last night was the coolest night we’ve had in months. Our well shaded spot radiated very little heat in the night and the clear sky let much of the heat escape. The only downside to our spot were the constant strange noises coming from the bush in the night. Cher was kept awake by a large animal crashing around in the thicket near our tent, fearing the unknown many eating monsters in the dark. I on the other hand slept so deeply that when I woke I didn’t know where or what I was. Cher didn’t have too much to worry about, guessing from the poop it was probably a buffalo. With the exception of crocodiles and dingos, I don’t think there are any other predators we have to worry about. We do have to worry about water and we returned to town to fill our bottles. Taking our time we made banana pancakes for breakfast and got started by 9am.

With a strong head wind, some rolling hills and a rough surface, we made slow progress. Much of the roads we’ve encountered give a good amount of road vibration. They seem to be made of gravel laid over tar and steamrolled in, so it’s not as smooth or fast as asphalt.

Although as promised Haye’s Creek lived up to it’s name and after setting up camp in quiet grassy spot we went for a swim in the local water hole. Cool, clear and crocodile free with a dangerous rope swing, it was perfect. Spots like this really make you forget all the little challenges of cycling.

May 16th: Noonamah to Adelaide River – 78.2 km

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Day 215

Eager to get on the road yet not fully adjusted to the time difference, I woke up at 5:00am and was bustling around in the dark. I had breakfast made by 5:30 and tried to wake Cher at 5:45. I was afraid it was going to rain and wanted to pack before it came, but I really should have worried more about waking Cher a full hour before daylight.

We ate in the dark as the mosquitos devoured us, and were packed and ready to go by daybreak. We did get to see a wonderful sunrise. These open expanses are like living on the sea and you get both wonderful sunrises and sunsets.

Since the rest area in Adelaide River has a public shower we decided to camp in the bush. We stocked up on what little groceries we could find at a small store near the gas station and cooked dinner in a nearby park. There we saw at least 2 different kinds of parrots. There is such an incredible diversity of birds that we see at least 5 a day and have no idea what they are. We later made our way out to where a free camp is marked on our map. When we arrived there was nothing there but we did find a historic railroad site under developement which had a nice level spot hidden away in the bush. Cher saw her first walaby which ran through our camp. We finally felt that we had arrived in the wilderness.

May 15th: Darwin to Noonamah – 49 km

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Day 214

Eager to get on the road we woke up early. Not that we could have slept in. We spent the night in a pool of sweat with the temperature becoming slightly cooler at 3am and rising again sharply at sun rise.

We headed into Darwin Town Center and found a Woolworths with surprisingly low prices. Still, it was very expensive comparing to prices in Asia. Peanut butter and jelly, oatmeal, pasta and sauce, sunscreen and an adapter for the Australian Plugs, rang up to a total that would have lasted a month in Indonesia. Still getting used to the prices here. On the main street we found a camping supply store and picked up a bottle of Shellite, also known as naptha, white gas or Coleman fuel, depending on which country you are in. We’ve been using gasoline to cook in Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand, and it was a dirty fuel. Our stove has become a bit clogged and a bottle of white gas will help clear out the fuel lines. I was happier than one might expect at finding fuel and returned with a smile on my face and a strut in my step. My dreams of bean burritos, and sausages were now much closer. In less than an hour we had everything that we would need for the coming months and were heading towards cooler weather.

Darwin is hot and humid. With temperatures around 34 and humidity at 90% we were motivated to move south. My research had shown that after about 900 km, temperatures at night would dip into the teens, and the climate, although still warm, would be arid. Every day for the last 3 months we have been soaked with sweat from start til finish, and any change would be welcome.

Cher is not keen on the upcoming cold temperatures. We are products of our climates. Cher’s hometown Kunming, also known as the town of “eternal spring” has perfect dry cool weather year round. I on the other hand from the North Eastern US, prefer change and variety. I stand a better chance of being happy with the weather and Cher will have fleeting happiness in the transitional seasons. Regardless she adjusts quickly and with our down bags, living out of a tent, cool nights will be a change that we both look forward to.

We followed a bicycle path for the majority of the day. Soon after we get on the highway, a police car pulled next to us and warned us that “a house is coming” and asked us to pull over. Not fully adapted to the Australian accent, we were puzzled by the warning. As soon as we pulled onto the side, a truck loaded with a full size house drove by, the front porch missing Cher’s head by 1 foot. Cher found the incidence amusing but I was horrified. We will be keeping a close watch for the large vehicles on the road.

We made it to our first RV park by 3pm. Noonamah is basically a flat patch of grass behind a gas station with a bar and restaurant. At reception the hostess told us not to be shy or ashamed to enjoy the “geriatric strip show” at the bar tonight. We were curious but without at least a dozen cold beers in the budget we passed and did our laundry, cooked dinner and showered instead.

Our neighbour was from the Netherlands on a holiday working visa. He was living out of a tent because his earlier roommate was a drunk and this was an affordable solution. His tent was more like a small shed, with a screened in front porch, a full inflatable bed, t.v. and a little refrigerator out front. Our neighbour on the right was a horder. Her little RV was nearly invisible inside a pile of odds and ends and tarps. Her 12-year-old girl who swore like a sailor, but who was also incredibly polite and asked us to let them know if they were too loud.

We were then visited by sweaty 60 something tattooed man on a bike who asked if I was from Texas, but was disappointed and walked away when I told him New York. He later returned and warned us about road trains, a tractor-trailer with up to four trailers on the back. He advised us that our trikes looked like a couple of boars and that the drivers “don’t care about killing pigs cause it won’t harm their truck none.” I thanked him, and promised we would continue to pull off the road when they pass.

Although quirky, everyone was very friendly. It seems that these wide open spaces attract a variety of free thinking individuals, and maybe that’s why we are here.