What a batshit crazy day I’ve had today and lots of things unexpectedly ticked off the bucketlist! Firstly, I saw a man coming down the Ooodnadatta track on a mobility scooter. This is a hardcore unsealed track that crosses the outback, not crushed and pounded gravel path through a park, but there he was, beetling along like it was the most normal thing in the world! Turns out he lives in Maree and nips up the track a bit most mornings.
I had a quick look around Maree which is really all I could do as it only consists of a few houses, a pub, servo/shop, campground and a railway museum.
Maree was one of the stop on the Old Ghan, but that stopped running and was replaced by a new track in the early 1980s. But you can still see bits of it running along side the road track.
Maree was one of the stop on the Old Ghan, but that stopped running and was replaced by a new track in the early 1980s. But you can still see bits of it running along side the road track.
The track is another one of those places I’ve always been intrigued by, and another thing on the bucket list. It was very slidey though, much worse than yesterday so I just plodded along, taking it steady. Theres not much to look out out there, everything being flat and scrubby, but then out of the blue, two planes planted vertically, tailfirst into the ground. WTF? Turns out to be Plane Henge, some sort of art installation, with other figures and vehicles made out of bits of old car and aeroplane. Very bizarre but an excellent way to spend 30 minutes. There was no entry fee, no office, no nothing, but amazingly as I arrived, five other vehicles rocked up and had a look around.
One of the reasons for coming up this track is to see Lake Eyre, a huge lake in an artesian basin, and unusually, its had water in it for the past few years. But nobody could tell me if it had at the moment. The consensus was not, but I decided to ride past anyway, if only to see the huge brilliant white saltpan that is left when all the water evaporates. The lake is the biggest salt lake in the world, and also the lowest place in Australia, 15 m below sealevel, and next to Lake Frome (near where I saw the dog fence) is the whitest lake in Australia and used to calibrate satellites.
So as I rode over the crest of the hill by Lake Eyre South, what did I see? Water in the lake! Lots of it. Fan bloody tastic. It was quite a way off and I tried to get nearer but it was impossible; far too sandy but I gave it a go and of course, fell off.Unfortunately, Gerty fell on top of me, trapping my legs under the panniers, with me face down, but after a bit of wriggling and much swearing, I got out then set about picking her up. But I couldn’t get a foothold so I had to unload her, lift her, repack and then get onto the harder gravel. Won’t be doing that again in a hurry!
But then I found an obbo place a few kms on, and spent 30 minutes there, taking pictures and eating my now very dried up sandwich.
A couple of hours later, and having seen nobody since Plane Henge, a ginger dog wandered across the road about 100 m ahead. Initially I thought there must be a car nearby parked up for a break but then it it me - it wasnt a ginger dog at all but a dingo. A proper live full on bloody dingo. A wild one.
And now he was circling round to the right of me, watching what I was doing. I was getting my camera of course and also planning the least slidey escape route, should he come running. Seeing him was definitely a good incentive not to fall off again; being chewed to death by dingo is not on my bucket list. but as it was, he just watched me watching him and then sauntered off; too hot to bother I expect.
And now he was circling round to the right of me, watching what I was doing. I was getting my camera of course and also planning the least slidey escape route, should he come running. Seeing him was definitely a good incentive not to fall off again; being chewed to death by dingo is not on my bucket list. but as it was, he just watched me watching him and then sauntered off; too hot to bother I expect.
The heat of the day, the tumble and the effort of riding over rough ground started to have an effect on me and I was longing to get to Willam Creek, my intended stop for the night. But I was considerably perked up by the sight of two tatty old posts and an information board.
It was what was left of part of the old desert telegraph line that once linked Adelaide to Darwin and then London via undersea cables. Laid down by Charles Todd, a pom, it was an incredible feat of engineering of its time and linked Australia with the rest of the world. Todd’s wife Alice was the Alice of Alice springs, and the Henley on Todd regatta - the one held on dry river sand - is named after them too. I hadn’t expected to see that so was delighted at my luck. And of course, the ride into William Creek was all the better for it.
It was what was left of part of the old desert telegraph line that once linked Adelaide to Darwin and then London via undersea cables. Laid down by Charles Todd, a pom, it was an incredible feat of engineering of its time and linked Australia with the rest of the world. Todd’s wife Alice was the Alice of Alice springs, and the Henley on Todd regatta - the one held on dry river sand - is named after them too. I hadn’t expected to see that so was delighted at my luck. And of course, the ride into William Creek was all the better for it.
So William Creek then. The smallest town in Australia with a population of five, and three dogs. Its got an airport with two runways ( which is one more than Gatwick) a pub, a campground and an airline handling all sorts - cattle mustering, government surveys, transport etc, all flown by women pilots.
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