For over a week I stayed with my great hosts Greg and Tarnya in Alice Springs. After being reunited with my bike I had decided to continue cycling towards Sydney. The legs simply wanted to get going again! The trusty Bianchi looked a bit dusty when I found her in Gregs garage, but we quickly managed to shine her up.
After 14.000 km some cracks had appeared on the rim of the back wheel. Since there is 1500 km to the next bike shop from Alice Springs, I certainly wanted to get it fixed before leaving.
Greg is also a radio amateur (call sign VK8GM). During the weekend I took part in the annual CQ World Wide contest from his place. The local newspaper even stopped by and made a story out of it. This time not about the cycling, but about radio.
The contest went well. Looks like we will be number one in Australia and three in Oceania.
When I put in the bike for repair I was told it would take up to a week before the needed parts would arrive. I was surprised when the bike mechanic called after a few days to tell me that the bike was ready. It meant I could be cycling the next day!
The question was if I was ready to face the outback crossing down to Adelaide. I remember I had the exact same feelings of excitement the day before I left Darwin on the first half of the Australian trip. At that time I had also been nervous, but after a few days I realized I loved cycling the outback. I’m hoping this will be the case again.
After a last dinner with Greg and Tarnya I said goodnight early in what would be the last night in a bed for a while. I didn’t manage to fall asleep early though, as there always seemed to be another thing to check on the internet. Mobile phone coverage and internet is another thing I don’t expect to find during the next week or two.
Therefore, stay tuned!
