May 30th: Renner Spring to Banka Banka – 57.6 km
Day 229
Breakfast went as planned and we were both well fueled. We started quickly but Cher was still losing steam. There were still plenty of hills and we were pedaling into a headwind. Maybe it was the wind. I resolved to check everything when we got in. I suspected the addition of the ukulele was effecting Cher’s aerodynamics and the last time I checked the tire pressure was a long time ago. We passed more crests, shrubs, and grass, and were able to see as far as the horizon when a gentle rise lifted us over the flat landscape.
For a relatively short day we were both weary when we arrived at Banka Banka. The owners greeted us with 2 bottles of cold water and charged us a discounted rate since we were on “push bikes.” We were shown to a nice grassy spot and told that the water here was the best in the region. Banka Banka does it right. Simple facilities, well maintained, clean and functional. Showers were hot, and we had places to hang our towels and set down our cloths. In the camp kitchen we found burners, a hot water pot and a barbecue. It was an oasis.
Our tent set up we began chatting with our neighbors who immediately offered us tea and biscuits. When we began doing laundry our neighbors also lent us clothes pins so our cloths wouldn’t blow away. Then later when preparing dinner we were given a can of stewed tomatoes. I told them they although we were living out of a tent that we weren’t destitute, feeling a little guilty that maybe some one else would be more deserving of such charity, but she just said, “it’s nothing.” Cher and I are taking note and we both think we have learned a thing or two about hospitality. We can only hope to pass it on when we less mobile.
Caravaners maintain a vast social network covering much of this wild landscape and share a great amount of information about what and who’s ahead. We have heard from several people tells us that there was a “chinaman” coming from the South by the name of Jimmy and that if we saw him to say hello. We have also heard rumors of more “funny bikes with 3 wheels.” This evening Jimmy arrived. He had been working as a meat packer and hadn’t learned much English, but being from Taiwan, he and Cher had lots to discuss.
Taking some time to give the trikes some attention I quickly found the problem, low tire pressure. We have been so consumed with finding water and food that we neglected the most basic precaution. I was inflating Cher’s tires to match her weight giving her slightly less to eliminate some road noise. This proved a to be a mistake because even a small drop in pressure made her trike sluggish. I also moved the Uke, which she had with the broad flat bottom over her shoulder, like an extra head, to the back of my trike where it could lay flat behind me covered by my height. With our tires rock hard at 70 psi, we hoped to make it to Tennant Creek the following day. We have been told that there is a reasonable priced grocery store there. We could use some fresh food and fresh legs and would get some needed rest there.
