Quoted message said:If you have access to the Ntional Geographic archives, there were a few extended articles a few
years ago by a guy who did the circumference of Australia. It sounded like quite a challenge - hot
temperatures, strong winds, long distances with no facilities, gouging prices even for water, sand
storms are items that come to mind that he reported.
The author was Roff Smith and this appeared in December 1997, February and April 1998. Roff wrote
the book Cold Beer and Crocodiles describing his journey (and from quick net search seems to write a
few more).
Some of my experiences Roff's items above:
Quoted message said:hot temperatures
I got lucky. This also depends on season, but didn't exceed 38 C on my ride and only once or
twice over 35C.
Quoted message said:strong winds
I was surprised to find how much of the outback has low scrub vegetation. I had expected more like
the US southwest with low plants. Definitely some winds over 8 months, but nothing unusual. I
believe Roff found himself in a tropical cyclone (which can be bad).
Quoted message said:long distances with no facilities
The distances are larger. If you stick to the main roads, then I found longest gap between
roadhouses to be ~300km or a two day ride. If you go on tracks into the Outback then becomes much
larger. Also, unlike the US southwest, those roadhouses are all there is (e.g. no power grid, they
generate their own power no other facilities). As consolation, since there is mostly one sealed road
this is the one with traffic. I always felt like if I got into complete trouble, I could wait beside
the road and an hour or two someone would drive by.
Quoted message said:gouging prices even for water
Water was frequently more expensive then petrol. The US $ was stronger but many other prices were
reasonable.
Quoted message said:sand storms
Fortunately missed these.
Other adversity that I did encounter included:
* Long distance between bike shops. For example nothing between Katherine and Broome. I cracked a
rear rim, and also a frame on the trip. Fortunately, I was able to duct tape the frame and ride
~300km and the cracks on the rim also held for ~300km.
* Bush fires. Nothing too close, but large parts of the north is burned each dry season.
* Travel disruptions. 9/11 and the demise of Australian airline Ansett made travel more
difficult for some.
I would also recommend reading some of Andrew and Joanne Hooker's journal at:
geocities.comCycleTouring.htmlOpen ↗ They just completed a trip around
Australia on recumbent tricycles.
--mev, Mike Vermeulen
p.s. my journal mvermeulen.comaustralia.htmOpen ↗
