Having enjoyed my trip by mountain bike from Sydney to Melbourne in 2004, I decided to tackle a longer trip in 2005 and the idea of riding from south to north through the centre of Australia had a lot of appeal. I love the vastness and isolation of the Australian outback and this seemed a good opportunity to enjoy both.

Adelaide to Darwin MTB - Wycliffe Well to Tennant Creek

Day: 013
Date: Monday, 5 September 2005
Start: Wycliffe Well
Finish: Tennant Creek
Daily Kilometres: 132
Total Kilometres: 2064

Journal:
Got up at 5:30am after a reasonable night's sleep and set out at 6:10am as the sun rose.It was cool but promised to warm rapidly.  Again there was a headwind so progress was just steady.  Around 8am I reached the Devil's Marbles where the family had camped on our round Australia trip.  It was pretty in the early morning light.  As it got hotter and the headwind rose I became less enthusiastic about two big mileage days tomorrow and Wednesday.  North winds were forecast to be strong tomorrow and it was going to be hot all week.  I stopped for breakfast at a rest stop after 45km and then settled into an enervating slog in the wind and heat on long straight stretches into the shimmering distance.  Although it was tough, this was typical weather for this area and I enjoyed seeing at its best.  I decided to revert to my original schedule and just aim for Tennant Creek today.  I made it shortly after 2pm and checked into a motel near the centre of town.  It was baking hot and the town had a run-down feel.  I wouldn't want to be posted to the Westpac Bank here (my father was once a bank manager)!  I bought some supplies at the supermarket and later went around to the take-out and ordered a pizza for dinner which I ate back in my room.  I over-ate and over-drank, though need the fluids, and went to bed at 8pm with indigestion.
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