Rig road-Expedition Dust day 86

I woke up to the sound of a dingo, it was howling and carrying on. The sun wasn’t up yet so I rolled over and went back to sleep. Ben woke up before me and went to get some photos of the beautiful desert landscape. I packed up my gear and then walked to the tin building on the top of a a near hill, I wanted to investigate it. It was a hot shower powered by thermal water from under the ground. I couldn’t believe I was having a hot shower in the morning and that it was provided by nature!

I ate my radix with Ben then started moving. Just as I set off I spotted a Dingo diging in the sand. They are such beautiful creatures, it looks like it was the same one I came face to face with yesterday.

Riding is very different with a vehicle following along, I’m trying to get over the constant noise, it’s just a very different adventure crossing with one than without. I’m still riding my bike and carrying my gear, but it just feels like the silence and solitude of the desert is gone. As I got closer to the turn off I started battling a predicament, the vehicle owner Peter and I had a conversation last night and he told me he’s not comfortable talking his vehicle along the rig road because he’s never done it before and would like to take the French line. But all I know about the French line is it has very steep sand dunes and has been absolutely destroyed by four wheel drivers over the last few weeks. Where as the rig road I have put huge amounts of research into and know it’s going to be easier on the body and bike.

I played on the options all morning but when I came over the last sand hill before the turn off to the Rig Road I dreaded having to have a conversation with Peter about it. The first sand dune on the French line looked completely insane so it only took me a moment to come to the conclusion that I was going to take the rig road. The conversation with Peter went down well he said he will follow me wherever I choose to go. However I could tell he was a little nervous about my decision, I took peace from the fact that if it’s easier for a bike it should be easier for a truck.

I took off along the Rig road, It was great except for the wind that was now in my face, at least the sand wasn’t as soft as it had been. I wound it’s way around the dunes, I put my music in and just span for an hour. The rig track goes south from the turn off for 13km then turns east and heads along to the WAA line. After an hour on the bike I had reached the turn east and could see the vehicle stopped. I could feel there was a problem well before I actually heard the problem!  Peter approached me and said he’s not going to have enough fuel to make it to Birdsville!! That’s a big problem considering there’s only desert between here and there! I don’t want to even think about that as a problem! I’m riding my bike across the desert and have everything I need to get myself across, the vehicle isn’t my priority so that’s something they are going to have to manage themselves. It’s stress I don’t need to think about.

 A black four wheel drive came along the road the opposite way to the way I was travelling and stopped. I asked for some advice on the route I had chosen to take and they informed me I had definitely made a wise choice by comparison when I decided to take the Rig.

Peter got talking to the bloke who was driving and next thing i know the kind dude offered him some fuel. I said thanks for the information and charged off getting another 5km done before setting up for the night. I sat around the fire hoping that I don’t end up having to support the vehicle... don’t know how long my legs would last towing a truck with my bike! I ate dinner and enjoyed a cheeky rum with Ben around the campfire before getting into my sleeping bag and drifting off to sleep.