Day 4

Hot and sunny today. I left Camooweal about 9.30 after another awful nights sleep. Could be something to do with adapting to the outdoor life coupled with, well, being an awful sleeper anyway, whatever it is, its causing me a major headache.

The road from Camooweal to Barkly Homestead was much of the same, featureless, flat, barren, no bends for miles and miles on end. The bike seems to be performing well now I have shed a bit of weight, its now doing about 20-23 to the litre. This obviously greatly extends my range if I keep the cruising speed down to about 80ish, it also puts less strain on everything else.

The cheap chain continues to be troublesome, I have to constantly keep an eye on it by looking down at the floor and checking the shadow it makes as I am going along. It always seems to be bouncing around. Yesterday I altered it by another 2 notches and today I altered it by another one. I hope it lasts out, but if not I have a spare.

After refueling at Barkly I headed for a place called 3 ways. I think this stretch of the road was the straightest I have been on up to now. The first leg was about 50km without bends, then a couple of bends and then another 60km straight followed, how relentless. I checked the tyres at the same time as checking the chain. Indeed, they have started to ‘square off’ very nicely.
Another fuel stop at 3 ways then I was off again heading south towards Uluru (Ayers Rock).

‘Don’t stop at Tennant Creek’ John the bowler advised me before I set off. I reached Tennant Creek and carried on without stopping, ‘Thanks John’ I thought. Just after Tennant Creek I saw a sign for something or other, which was only 5km down a dirt road. Once again, once again, the unsealed road tempted me. I set off down the dirt corrugated road. It nearly shook the bike to bits, so again I reluctantly turned round, beaten again.

The run down to the camp site at Wanchope was more of the same relentless straight roads. A quick visit to ‘Devils Marbles’ was had before I reached the overnight stop at Wanchope Hotel. The hotel had a small camp site in the back garden. Seven dollars it cost, not bad considering it had very good showers and toilets.

A rest in the shade