Monday, 4th of April: Somewhere before Wilcannia – White Cliffs (137km)

Hi all,

fortunately, I stood up in a quite good mood – especially regarding yesterday when I was really tired.
So drove back the 1.5km to the main road and enjoyed the bitum instead of the dirt road. Quite a difference for hands and bottom.
Again, it is quite amazing how the landscape changed. Not only in colors, but as well in its profile. When I finally got back to the main road coming from Cobar, there was that last “hill” (20m?) and then a very, very large creek. A creek is where water can flow (some times of the year, mainly after rain) or not. As some months ago, that part was quite flooded, the rivers stand quite high. And very amazing: not only like in Europe where you have a bridge or dam on let say 500m or few kilometers. No.. we are talking about Australia. A dam (or a high section over land that can be flooted) of over 10km! Incredible for me.
It was noon time… time to lunch and fill again the power for my two engines left and right down my sattle (as well called “legs”).
And I arrived at Willcannia. I was looking forward for some quite minutes and something nice to eat. Well… how to describe Willcannia? For me, it was just like entering in the Bronx of the 70s… It is said that over 70% of its population is native (or “Aborigenes”). The houses are a pitty condition, most of the “nice” one have window protection (not Microsoft antivirus – physically made of steel or so). The Kids are talking a kind of “motherfuckerenglisch”. What is to answer to a question like: “Hey, man, can y’ do a wheely (driving on the back wheel) with your bike?” “Yes, of course… I just have 38kg of weight that are not approprieate?? ;o)

Anyway. I ate as fast as I could my Burger and left towards White Cliffs. The wind was again or better in my favour. So the 50m of height difference where hardly or not felt.

Finally, I arrived at the Opal city White Cliffs, where it is so hot in summer, that a some people (around 100-200) are living “under the earth” in old opal mines. I had had the good input to sleep one night there… and I chose PJ’s Underground B&B. It is really, really, really beautiful!
If you are around, go there! You can then go in the back of the mine, where some times ago, people where digging for opal stones.

Wait for the pictures… you will be (hopefully) amazed!

Cheers, Georges

PS: Today in numbers and map:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/77166236