I had been warned about the road between Nullarbor Roadhouse and Nundroo Roadhouse. In particular the area around Yalata, where a cyclist told me he had bottles throw at him. This area of the Eyre Highway is fenced, signs warn against trespassing, you don’t feel welcome. Having camped a kilometer or so off the road adjacent to a designated rest area I felt my unobtrusive presence would go unnoticed. I enjoy wild camping, but I went to bed feeling a little uneasy last night.

The bright lights and high rev’s of the 4WD startled me. I awoke with some alarm, jumping from my tent not really knowing what to expect. It turned out to be a couple, tired from the road with the same idea as me: That is, camp off road as far as possible. They doubled back then set up camp a few hundred meters away. I used my adrenalin and walked around outside and took in the heavens. When my heart rate returned to normal, I crawled back into my sleeping bag for a good nights rest, One things for sure, if you have any fears, doubts or worries ,real or imagined, they will visit you out here.

Where did the Nullarbor go? I asked myself as the hills returned, edged with dry open woodland country. Although not dry for long, the clouds rolled in and the heavens opened up. The wind turned ugly and I knew any trip off the highway now would constitute a mud bath. I pushed on in the rain rolling into Nundroo, soaking wet, where I meet Hero, a young Japanese guy traveling in the opposite direction.

Hero spoke good English so we sat around a table with maps discussing distances, water points, rest stops, prevailing winds and supermarkets. The next one’s in Norseman 1200 kms away!  I tell Hero of an abandoned Farmhouse 30 kms up the road, that would provide him with good shelter tonight.  Hero says he wants to push on further to the closed and boarded up Yalata Roadhouse. I don’t think that’s a good idea. I gave Hero my maps along with instructions to locate the treasure; the  ‘Nullarbor Cyclists Log Book.

I waved Hero off into the rain, then go about getting into some dry clothes. I was drying my wet clothes at the caravan park laundry, when Harry turned up. I had heard about Harry, when I rode through Eucla a few days back. He was a couple of days behind me then. He’s a young guy (19) riding around Australia in stages for MS. He’s pumping out a leisurely 200 + kms a day. Harry and I spent most of the afternoon watching the rain through the roadhouse window while talking about our experiences of the Nullarbor. Harry wants to make Ceduna tomorrow, my initial objective was Penong but who knows, with a strong south westerly I may be able to cover the 148 kms myself .

One things for sure, tomorrow I will see youth pass me by!