The Home Stretch: Cycling Across Australia, Northam to Merredin
My latest bicycle touring update from Australia: after cycling over 8,000 miles across the world to Australia from the UK, I’m now on the home stretch. Cycling across Australia. Northam to Merredin. 99 miles. I think this part of my journey is going to be a lot tougher than I thought, especially if this headwind persists! I’ve had it all day again. And I’ve had varying reports on whether it will stop or not. A man at the campsite said that the prevailing wind blows from the east, which I hope is wrong. Somebody else said that it’s the windy season. And the landlady in the motel tonight said it’s usually still!
The cycling has been pretty boring today, and I’m not even in the Nullarbor Plain yet. The few villages that I’ve passed through were like ghost towns. All there was was the tumbleweed blowing down the high street! I’ve stopped at a couple of roadhouses to stock up on fluids and snacks, and they’re certainly not cheap. But then, is anything here? I’ve seen plenty of parrots and some grey and red birds that remind me a bit of a pigeon, but I don’t think they are.
Bloody Police
I got stopped by the police this morning and got a fifty-dollar fine, bastards! It was for not wearing a helmet, which I knew was the law. I was just hoping to get away with it by playing the dumb tourist. It didn’t work! But if it’s the law and the fact that I’ve now got a fine, I suppose I’d better buy one. There were no shops around today to buy one, and all the shops are closed tomorrow. Sundays are like Sundays used to be in England, with everything closed. I’ll just have to wait until Monday. I hope I remember!?!
Tour Information
It’s been years since I took this ride, but the memories (and the data) are all archived:
- Photos: See my photos on Flickr
- The route: View my journey around the world
- Videos: Check out my YouTube videos
- Tour page: Ride overview
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