Apart from the odd night stirring with numbness in my forearms and hands obviously from gripping my handlebars tightly through the strong winds yesterday, I slept like a log in dirt! The winds are not going to let up today, in-fact they feel stronger. Kev and I rode with our heads cocked to the right the bikes leaning into the wind on at least a 15 - 20% camber. Right about now I could use a massage, and, definitely a Chiropractic adjustment!
Bloody hell this is one straight, hot, windy, long ass piece of road!!!!!
Much of the time the Nullarbor is fairly desolate and barren. You do from time to time come across beautiful gum tree groves with their glossy leaves shimmering in the sun and the odd bluff in the middle of nowhere. You do see tire snakes, exploded contents of caravans, abandoned cars, the same ol'people filling up at the next road stations! Many amazing beautiful moments as flocks of galah's pecking by the roadside all take to flight at once, their grey and crimson bodies looking like feathery jewels agains the raw barren land.
We pass through Mundrabilla, and decide to fill up at Eucla, now only 13 k's to the South Australia border. I pull up to the most forward high octane pump and proceed to do the "gas-up shuffle" of kick stand down, bike key off, music paused, open visor, remove sunglasses, remove helmet, place helmet on right mirror, unhook intercom cords, remove gloves, secure under map pocket of my tank bag, hike up and remove my left leg from over bike when all of a sudden from the present strong winds blowing was a NASTY swirling gust that pushed me over…and I was on the ground… bike on top of me and my arm in the water bucket that held the window washing water in it!!! I did not even feel it coming and laughed as I tried to slide out from under the bike and remove my arm from the bucket of water. The station attendant came over and all I could say was.."Mate I almost kicked the bucket!" Kev and the attendant pulled the bike off me and then I proceeded to fill up. I now have a nice dent in my right pannier, some yellow servo paint attached to my bike and a lot more character! Kev pulled out the tool kit, fixed my mirror and we were once again… riding the Plain, taking a wind beating, and cutting up the k's!
We continued our ride, through Border Village and Nullarbor. Kev and I take a small break from the pounding of the wild coast winds and pull off the Plain to take a look at the Great Australian Bight coastline and decide to crack our coconut. We will not be able to take this across the WA/SA border! Back on the Plain we head towards Nundroo. All of the Nullarbor Plain townships are pretty much single dusty roadhouses, so, Kev and I decide to take a detour and head out on a lonely sandy dirt road that will lead us to the coast and Fowlers Bay. As we pulled into the township I radioed Kev, "Can you believe this…Where the heck are we?" Fowlers Bay is a very small desolate fishing township surrounded by huge golden sand dunes. You really half expect camels to crest the dunes as you gaze across the landscape! They do have one cabin style motel and tonight we are going to splurge for a cabin and get out of this wind. Woo Hoo…a bed, sheets, bathroom, kitchen and bonus TV…no mobile phone service though!
Mundrabilla Roadhouse Menu. We packed up from our bush camp knowing that a roadhouse was only 40 k's down the road. Kev and I both had snags and scrambled eggs for brekky. Ready for another day!
Huh??? I only get the Bar Time!
Ok...45 minutes time change!
Alright now I'm really confused!!..45 minutes, back or forward???
Man are the wombats as big as camels?..ha ha h
Coconut contraban!
Testing out our new machete...worked like a beauty!
An awesome windy view of the Great Australian Bight.
Fowlers Bay Dunes
Motel room out of the wind tonight!