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September 16, 2001
Overland Australia - Update 44
September 16, 2001
Day 55
Most of our updates have been showing the bright side of our days. I am going to write about the downfalls. When I first heard about the expedition, all I could imagine was that for the whole duration I would be having fun - partying all the time etc. I was asked on the first day at the Starkey, what I was looking forward to? I was also asked what I wasn’t looking forward to. I considered this for quite some time, and found that I couldn’t answer the question, as I had no thought that any part of the expedition could be physically or mentally challenging. I was wrong.
There are many different things that can bring me down for example; three corner jacks that don’t puncture only once but over 13 times, and when you find one hole in your tube and you fix it, then you find the remaining 12 holes. When I told people that I was going on this trip, people would say ‘your going to have so much fun’. Fun sure though, I think that it is more a challenge.
I don’t think any of us have an easy day. One of us must get up at 4.30am in the morning, no-one is allowed to sleep later than 5.30am then we re-pack the truck, get on the bikes and ride for as long as 3pm. Though for me the cycling part of the day is the easiest.
We then set up camp, write updates or cook. Go to bed and repeat the next morning. A point that I don’t think many people who haven’t been in this situation before wouldn’t realise would be that in such a small group and not communicating with many people. Apart from the odd station hand or tourist, managers of historical sites, for example Luke from Hermansburg. This lack of communication can get me down. I hate to relate it to television but if it helps you to understand it could be like “Big brother” a reality tv show, that was on recently where people where locked into a house together. Not knowing each other, and not being able to see their families or communicate with them. The difference is that we can telephone our family and friends when we get into a town with a public phone.
Since I was about 12 years old I have had a dream that I would own a Cannondale mountain bike. When I heard that the company sponsors us, I jumped up and down in excitement. Though being out on the road for a while I became aware that you can have the best of the best equipment; and still be capable of buckling a wheel until it looks like a banana because of rather rough roads. Or get a few punctures from riding through a thorn bush just off the track.
Sand and flies have been my main enemies in the last two days. Our other enemy that no-one would begrudge me of saying I am sure; is that when we get into a town we get a few dirty looks from shopkeepers and clean locals. As we haven’t showered for up to 15 days, leaving a trail of sweat, b o, and dirty sock smells behind us. Not being clean doesn’t help us from feeling good about our selves, let alone the rest of the smelly group. All in all we may be having a challenging time, though by saying it is not fun would be wrong. We are going to remember the best of the best times that we had and will still have along the trip. For example… No I am not even going to bother, there are too many good times. I would be here for the rest of the night. Though most of the views that I write about in this report can’t be seen as the whole groups views. They are my views not the group’s.
Joshua
N.B. We reached our antipodal point today (23.47.00S, 131.22.00E) opposite to a point reached on the Atlantic (23.48.36N, 48.37.37W) by the expedition. Now we head north!
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Posted on September 16, 2001 1:22 PM