Blog 136 Belladonia to Caiguna

13th February

Set off at 5.30am, sun obscured by a sheet of low lying clouds, not a patch of blue sky. The temperature was cooler but a wind had collected an energy and it blew hard across my face. I didn't know it then but I wold be riding the next 2000 kms into a hard headwind demolishing my best schedule. While a a huge amount of autonomy still resides in the project, as we get closer to the last third of the ride schedules planned weeks ago are starting to firm up. Yamaha want me to visit the world headquarters in Iwata south of Tokyo on the way to Los Angeles. Still to be completed is the central and eastern regions of Australia, New Zealand, USA and Europe.

Bit of Information

Eyre Highway is a 1,664-kilometre (1,034 mi) highway linking Western Australia and South Australia via the Nullarbor Plain. Signed as National Highways 1 and A1, it forms part of Highway 1 and the Australian National Highway network linking Perth and Adelaide. It was named after explorer Edward John Eyre, who was the first European to cross the Nullarbor by land, in 1840–1841. Eyre Highway runs from Norseman in Western Australia, past Eucla, to the state border. Continuing to the South Australian town of Ceduna, it crosses the top of the Eyre Peninsula before reaching Port Augusta.

I reached the 90 mile straight (the road stretches for 146.6 kilometres (91.1 mi without turning, and is signposted and commonly known as the "90 Mile Straight") and after 30 miles rode into a pull off area to cook myself some food. Badly needed to eat. Cooked up the contents of a can of braised steak and onion mashed up with potato and onion, followed by a slice of apple. Not tasty but it was nourishing. Still on the 'straight', this section between Balladonia and Caiguna includes what is regarded as the longest straight stretch of road in Australia and one of the longest in the world. What takes 90 minutes on a motorbike took me all day by bicycle. No turning, not a single corner. Pinball straight, a route designed by ruler.

The 90 Mile Straight (Longest single stretch of straight highway in Australia)

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/df3d33_0a4245d3608a425ea3e3569e52091c94/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

The Roadhouses are the roadside services that supply travellers and truckers with whatever their needs and other than the toilet stations and 24 hour stopping areas there is nothing in between. Just bush. Birdlife that tweet my arrival and sometimes fly alongside me until they scatter to the blue bush. From the roadside birds and ants are the only wildlife I see.

Map of the Day

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/df3d33_234c12d3d04347018581133e01b099c4/1080p/mp4/file.mp4