Day 106

Date:- 28 June 2010
Distance:- 65.23 Km
Distance to Date:- 5263.5 Km
Start:- Avon Downs Rest Area
Finish:- Soudan Rest Area
Comment:- (All times from now on will be Darwin Time)
After I completed my diary I went for a walk around the Rest Area and over the road to the Driver/ Reviver Stop. Had a couple of cups of coffee. Electric Jug supplied as well as tea, coffee and biscuits for a small donation. Spoke to a couple of other travellers before ringing Evon on the payphone near the Police Station. I had to reverse charges as the phone only took phone cards or reverse charged calls.
Then it was off to bed.

I had a rather restless night. I don’t know whether it was uneven ground or too much coffee or too long in bed. Not much reception on the radio either. Some cattle nearby were very noisy also something was upsetting a horse.

Up about 6.30am and had breakfast over at the Driver/Reviver Stop. Saved getting the Metho stove out to boil the billy. Packed up and on the road by 8am.

A SE wind of 5 - 10 Knots and increasing as the day progressed to about 15 - 20 knots. It was a bit of assistance on the west ward direction and a bit of hard work as I travelled SW. It was a side wind. It was quite cold due to the wind, but a cloudless sky and a good road.

You can see the road ahead winding gently to the left and then to the right and over gentle rises. Its wide open plains, almost treeless except for some bushy scrub. A few cattle visible grazing in the paddocks. Stopped for my break about 10am about 35 km out.

Arrived at the Soudan Rest Area about 12.30pm where there were a number of caravans parked for lunch. A couple of people came over and asked the usual questions and one of the gentlemen invited me in for a cuppa. A nice retired Dutch couple who were travelling to Darwin gave me a couple of sandwiches and a cup of tea and it was gratefully accepted. We said our goodbyes and they were on their way.

While I was sitting there another car pulled up and another couple from Frankston pulled up for their break. Had a nice chat and they gave me some apples and oranges, again gratefully received.

Cooked my tea and had another cuppa, and then my diary. Again I have no phone coverage contrary to what Telstra say.

Tomorrow I hope to ride to Wonarah Bore (4) about 88 km from here.