NQ 2 NT Journal Entry
Day 20
October Creek to Daly Waters
By: Mark “Sharky” Smoothy
Daily statistics
Cars sighted: 17
Distance: 169km’s
Accumulated Distance: 3367 km’s
Average speed: 28 kmph
Riding time: 6:01
Air Temperature: 36 degrees
Humidity: 32%
Wind direction: Tailwind for the first 100km’s, then all over the shop the last 69km’s.
A couple of days ago we went past the 3000km mark for 19 days of riding. I was so tired at the time that I actually failed to notice. Today I was a bit better in the ‘noticing department’ when I took ‘note’ that I felt the strongest since the trip began. This was evident once again when I managed to not sit on Falcon’s back wheel at all for the entire day. Health wise I still have a dry cough but there is definitely a noticeable difference in that I was not coughing as much and my energy levels are returning. Kim is improving each day as well and Kevvy has picked up a bit of a dry cough as well but is not unwell or concerned by it. Falcon, well he is, after all, ‘The Falcon’ and beside a seat worn butt, is in great shape and extremely happy at getting 12 online everyday hero donations in the space of two days. Quite a few from Smiddy riders and that is simply amazing. First you fundraise for the Bottlemart Smiddy Challenge and now you are supporting two mates out of your own pockets. We are truly touched guys and you know we love you all immensely.
So on with today’s stage into Daly Waters along the Carpentaria Highway. Kevvy drove Matt back to the spot where he broke his chain, while Nick waiting for Matt to pass by the camp. Scotty and I got under way about 8:45am. I am rather embarrassed about what I am about to write, but I think it is important that you see that these physical challenges stretch you every way possible, and at times you tend to lose it. That is how it is for me, other people may not be affected, or may be affected in a different way, but like I said before, these challenges are mentally hard for me, and combined with dealing with illness, as well as the huge schedule sometimes things crack, sometimes people crack. Today I did not crack but I lost the plot a little over a very minor incident involving my extremely bad hearing. The incident itself, I do not need to mention, as it is irrelevant and it was a huge over-reaction on my behalf.
Anyway my way of dealing with it from roll out time was to go solo and give myself some space to clear my head. The only problem was I went solo for 70 kilometres and pushed the pace the entire way. We stopped at 70km’s for a break, having averaged 31kmph and Scotty rolled in a few minutes behind me. We were quiet for the break and only spoke about it once we got rolling again. Falcon is such a good mate and really good at handling these type of situations. We talked it through and I apologised for my selfishness for not riding with Scotty for so long. (Definitely not in the Smiddy spirit leaving a mate like that and I am ashamed.) Thankfully Falcon, Kevvy and Kim all understood when I explained my reaction and all was good and we were a happy team again.
Today’s ride started out hot and just got hotter. By the time we rolled into our lunch break in the scrub, under the most pathetic looking tree –the only tree- that the crew could find, it was 1:30pm and the heat was unbearable and the flies even more so. I have a theory about flies and where they come from. When moving at slow speed on the bike flies can keep up with you and insist on getting to know you. When you ride at high speed they disappear, seemingly unable to keep up. But what I noticed is that the northern territory breed of stick-at-all-cost-to-your-face fly is awfully smart. I know this because on many occasions over the past two weeks I happened to glance at the back of Falcon’s bike jersey. What I saw on too many occasions -with my very own eyes- for it not to be true, is that while going slow they were all over his head, then at speed they jumped on his back and got a free ride, until he once again went slow and it was back to the face. So to believe this theory you also need to believe that these same damn annoying -but extremely friendly- flies jumped on our backs when we first noticed them over 1000km’s ago in Croydon. Therefore if I’m correct -and why shouldn’t I be- all flies, at least the ones following us, are from Queensland’s small country town of Croydon! I rest my case!
Two things I need to add about today’s ride, first the roads up here are bloody straight; one straight we measured at 60km’s, in that 60km’s there was 15 horizons that promised the end, only to see another horizon in the distance as far as the eye can see. Very impressive and with the heat shimmer off the road, and also very intimidating in a kind of this-road-wants-to-kill-us type way! The second thing I would like to add is that at the end of the 15th horizon we spotted a slight no more than 12 degree corner. We got clearly excited to the point of warning each other to take it easy and not to overshoot this massive mind-numbing bend. I would like to add that on the other side of this bend was a further 30km dead straight road and that’s all I am going to say about that...
At the end of this straight was our destination, the Stuart Highway and our accommodation for the night, the Daly Waters Hi-Way Inn. Thanks to our great hosts back in Borroloola, we were given the name of the owners here in Kim and Jack Harries. This lovely couple, only married for one year, anniversary tomorrow, gave us two air-conditioned cabins for just $25 each. Later that night we met Jack and he shouted us drinks, gave us discounted meals and entertained us with fascinating stories of his life. Jack and his wife are under 30 years of age; they come from a series of cattle stations and ended up buying into one of the largest roadhouse stations on the Stuart Highway. Jack competes regularly in rodeos and owns eight horses. Kim has never been in hospitality and while she enjoys this complete change of life to running a cattle station, she said that it certainly has its moments. The meals here are enormous and even I struggled to fit it all in, though I did save room for the most humungous piece of amazingly-yummy-very-bad-for-you sticky date pudding and ice-cream. Thank you Jack and Kim for your amazing hospitality.
To end with just a few facts you need to know about Daly Waters. You must visit the Daly Waters Pub, for pure entertainment and amusement value it will be the best thing you ever get to do in Daly Waters for no more than the cost of a beer. Inside there are walls adorned with everything from thongs to ladies bra’s, to every known bank note from around the world, to photo ID’s, to farm equipment, yes farm equipment, and perfectly normal I might add, to t-shirts to football jersey, actually anything you can imagine but wallpaper. I loved it. The pub also lays claim to having the oldest liquor licence in Australia that has been valid since 1893.
Of course there are other great things to see and do in Daly Waters but really why would you go anywhere else but the Daly Waters Pub?
Until my next journal
Take care and cheers.
Sharky