Round Australia Bike Ride - Day 083 - Kings Canyon Resort to Curtin Springs

Day:  083

Date:  Tuesday, 22 September 2020

Start:  Kings Canyon Resort

Finish:  Curtin Springs

Daily Kilometres:  219 (click for Julie's Strava and photos)

Total Kilometres:  8497

Weather:  Cold and clear early then warm and sunny

Accommodation:  Cabin

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Egg & lettuce sandwich/Ham, cheese & tomato sandwich

  Lunch:  Tuna & mayo sandwich/Chicken & mayo sandwich

  Dinner:  Beef schnitzel, salad & chips, ice-creams

Aches:  Nothing significant

Highlight:  When the sun finally rose high enough to thaw us out this morning (see below).

Lowlight:  Although it was cold when we left Kings Canyon Resort in the early morning, it was absolutely freezing an hour later, around the time the sky had just a tinge of dawn in the east.  Even after we made a quick stop to add an extra layer for warmth, we were still cold because we did not have full gloves or booties.  Our hands and feet were frozen and numb as we rode along, willing the sun to rise faster.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

For today, we had decided to try and ride the 219km to Curtin Springs Roadhouse where we could get a cabin for the night, rather than go for a shorter distance and have to free camp by the road in our dingo-ravaged tent.  To do this, and arrive at a reasonable hour, we got up at 3:30am and were on the road soon after 4am.  It was very dark, and we could just make out the silhouette of the mountain range that was home to Kings Canyon to our left, but not much else.  We saw one vehicle in the first two hours, so had the darkened bush and road to ourselves.  We were prepared for it to be cold, and it was, but after an hour or two, and particularly in the low-lying areas, the temperature dropped markedly and we were soon freezing.  Even the addition of a layer didn't fully rectify our situation and we were regretting the decision, two months ago when we entered the tropics, to mail most of our warm riding gear back home.  Of course, at that time, we didn't expect to be riding through Australia's central desert at night.

Anyway, the sun did finally rise and by our roadside breakfast stop soon after 7am we were thawing out.  Our route today was almost semi-circular, with the first 100km generally towards the southwest.  We knew the forecast was for strong southwesterly winds, so we wanted to get as much done early as we could before the winds significantly slowed progress.  The winds came as forecast, and not long after breakfast we were struggling against a strengthening headwind with our speed well below 20kph.  Julie began to despair of our ability to reach Curtin Springs in daylight, but I was banking on the wind staying as forecast so that as our route turned southwest and then west, the wind would be neutralised.  Fortunately, the weather bureau was correct, and after 100km, around late morning, the riding became much more enjoyable.

The countryside was also changing.  Now, apart from crossing a few low ranges of scrubby hills, we had red sand dunes from which grew attractive desert oaks.  The fallen long pine-needle-like leaves covered the red sand underneath, and near, the trees like green carpet for a park-like effect.  At a rest stop, a contractor told us the larger trees are hundreds of years old  and also that it was common to see herds of wild camels in the area, but we didn't.   In fact, all day, apart from fewer birds than usual, the only animals we saw were four wild horses earlier on.

Our increased speed, with the wind neutral or positive, got us back on schedule and we turned to the west on the Lasseter Highway towards Curtin Springs (and Uluru) in mid-afternoon with only 50km to go.  To our left the mesa-like Mount Connor dominated the distant skyline and we took a short break at a lookout which also gave outstanding views across some salt pans to the north.

We reached the Curtin Springs Roadhouse at 5:30pm and took an over-priced basic cabin with shared facilities.  I was hoping that it would be cheaper than the tourist hotspot of Yulara, 80km further on and adjacent to Uluru, but it was not, and the slim pickings in the roadhouse store and restaurant were also over-priced.  Like many places, they are suffering from the COVID-19 business slowdown, but I can't help feeling that under-stocked and over-priced offerings are not the way to encourage increased patronage.  Given we are on bicycles, we have limited options, so they got plenty of our money this time around, but as a consequence, I have abandoned the idea of staying here on our return this way after visiting Uluru.  So, in total, they have lost out and I suspect it is the same with other tourists passing through.  Enough ranting!

We did have dinner in their outdoor restaurant (and the food was OK) before heading to bed after a very long, but satisfying day.