Day 131

Date:- 23 July 2010
Distance:- 83.72 Km
Distance to Date:- 7284.5 Km
Start:- Mary Pool Rest Area
Finish:- Ngnamban Rest Area
Comment:- Dingoes were howling through the night and a four legged animal ran past my tent about 2.30am in the morning. I did have a good sleep though. There were about 50 - 60 vans camped here last night.

I was up at 5.45am and on the road by 6.45am. Overcast day with an east south easterly wind of 5 - 10 knots and increased as the day progressed. It was cool enough to put my wind jacket on for the first 15 km. Very pleasant riding conditions.

Clouds started to burn off about mid morning and the day was starting to warm up.

About 38 km out a sign pointed to accommodation. Larrawa Station was offering Nature Stay Accommodation for tents, caravans, or a bed for the night.

Stopped for my break 40 km out about 9.30am and then had a good run all the way to Ngumban Rest Area arriving about 11.45am.

Not much shelter from the wind but spectacular views through the gorges. Set up my tent, had a cup of soup for lunch then did my diary.

Through the afternoon vehicles came and went. A couple of tour buses stopped so the passengers could stretch their legs. Had a good chat with the second tour bus driver who filled my empty water bottles and offered me a cold stubbie of VB. That went down very nicely.

Had tea about 5.30pm, washed up and into bed by 6.45pm. It gets dark early and it was too windy and cold to sit outside, so to bed it was and listen to the radio and the footy match between Hawthorn and Saint Kilda. Woke up a few times through the night and the wind was still blowing fairly strongly. There were 7 caravans and three tents oversighting here.

Tomorrow it will be Fitzroy Crossing.