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| Cobb & CO Hotel, St George |
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| Balonne River, St George. This is where the Dragonboat Festival was to be held |
11:50 pm last night I wake up to the sound of a fire alarm going. Is the hotel on fire? Stick my head out the door, can't see anything happening. Hotel staff wandering checking rooms not sure what is going on. Apparently the alarm is going off but the alarm panel isn't showing a particular indicator setting it off.
The alarm gets reset. 10 minutes later the alarm is going again. This time everyone gets sent down the fire escape to pavement. Everyone is me and a young American woman who is staying here as well. We stand on the pavement while staff do another search of the premises. In the end it is concluded that dust from the dust storm is setting off the alarm. Back to bed.
5:30 am I'm awake and packing. The wind forecast suggests I will riding into the wind all day. I can't hear the wind at the moment. Yesterday afternoon the wind howling through the eaves of the hotel.
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| Best bakery on this trip - Curry chicken pie was awesome! |
The bakery up the street opens at 6:00 am and I am there at 6:05 am. Coffee and a toasted sandwich sees me on the road at 6:30 am. The road out of town starts out going East for 5 km. The air is full of dust from yesterdays dust storm. I am breathing in the dust, everything tastes of dust.
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| Dusty sunrise |
I turn right towards Dirranbandi the wind is straight in my face - it is fierce, I am only going 12 kph sometimes it is only 9 kph. It is going to be a long day. Riding in this sort of wind requires patience.
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| Irrigated field |
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| Across the road |
St George is a big irrigation area. I pass huge irrigated crop fields and open irrigation channels. At one point I have an irrigated crop on one side and dry scrub on the other. The contrast could not be greater
At 9:00 am I have covered 30 km, I am a 3rd of the way but already I am tired. I find a clump of bushes so I can get out of the wind. It pongs a bit, there are 2 dead kangaroos under the trees. I don't care, I sit in my chair for 25 minutes raiding the food bag for snacks.
The next 30 km seems to go quickly although my speed is no better. I'm back in road kill alley. I have never seen so much road kill before. There are kangaroo carcasses everywhere. More than 1 every 20 metres, the drought has brought them to road looking for green pick but it is fatal for so many.
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| I took this while pedaling! |
There are live kangaroos too, they bound away as I approach looking for breaks in the fence to squeeze under. A young emu runs away bouncing off the fence repeatedly before reversing and running behind me.
I come across a sign "White Guard Dogs" apparently these are "Maremmas" protecting stock from dingos. I can't see any stock or dogs but later I see some sheep in the distance.
12:30 pm still 30 km to go I take another break at a farm gate. I set up my chair and get out the salad roll I bought at the bakery this morning. The flies are horrendous and as usual ignore the fly repellent. I can't stand it so I pack up and get going again.
A large campervan heads toward me on the other side of the road. The passenger is filming me with her phone. They are laughing at me as they pass. I laugh too - only a lunatic would be riding out here in these conditions. The wind has been going 30-40 kph in my face all day.
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| I doubt there are frogs croaking here because of the drought |
I finally roll into Dirranbandi I have been pedaling for 7 hours and my average speed is 13 kph. Straight to the pub and sink 2 schooners. The wind is still blowing so I ask about a room. I'm too stuffed to set up a tent.
Later when I shower the water runs off me brown with dust. I check to weather forecast for tomorrow - it will be windy again.
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