03/18/2010
This wraps up Day 11 of cycling and I feel like we're getting a nice groove going. Packing up our camp site from Cann River took slightly less than 2 hours which is, believe it or not, a real improvement. Our ride was a steady 75km, mostly an uphill grind, but an overcast sky was a nice change from the roasting afternoon soon we experienced earlier this week.
Maybe we were riding on some transport routes today because there were definitely more trucks and semi's passing by us than before. This can get pretty scary sometimes when, for example, you are approaching a tight 2 lane bridge ahead with maybe 1 foot of space on the shoulder. Then you come to realize that the familiar hum you hear from behind is growing louder which means in 3-5 seconds a truck will be passing you. And put that together with oncoming traffic that will lead to all 3 of you - biker, semi, and car - testing the width of that bridge.
I guess it's a good introduction to the famous Aussie 'road trains' we've heard so much about. If you've never heard of a road train before, just picture a semi but extend that by 3 or more trailers. Imagine that 200 tonnes of mass blasting down the highway throwing wind, dust, rock, and other debris in every direction. I'd say this is one of the top 3 things we get warned about when talking about the Nullarbor desert (the other 2 would be the Red Dust and sundry wild animals/insects that want to kill us). If you want more info on road trains, I found a good page here: http://www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/australian-road-trains.html.
It was a hard day on the quads so I've earned myself a good sleep tonight. The folks at Orbust Caravan Park have been so wonderfully friendly and generous. Our lush camp site is all set-up for bed! Thanks for staying up to date with our team and our crazy adventures. Stay tuned for more!
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