Day 11 – Salt Creek to Miningie 62 K / 38 Miles

Tonight we’re at the Backpacker’s Hotel above the Miningie Pub. It was another short mileage day, into a brutal headwind, complemented by a large dose of cold rain. It is definitely winter in Australia.

Our progress is getting a bit depressing. We are all really starting to feel the pressure to make up time. Our flight out of Darwin is 2 AM August 10. For all practical purposes August 9. We will also need a day to disassemble and pack the bikes once we locate boxes or are able to purchase some from Qantas. So we need to be there by August 8 minimum. We still have 1,951 miles to go. We need to average 65 miles/day with no rest days.

Today was the worst day for my knee. Despite Aleve the pain came on earlier than in days past. Same symptoms. When I am off the bike, there is absolutely no pain. I can stretch out my right thigh periodically during the day for some temporary relief. I brought only a limited supply. Ibuprophen will have to do.

Tomorrow weather forecast brings us hope. There is a call for the winds to shift 180 degrees overnight from WNW to SSE with speeds up to 12 mph during the day tomorrow. If my knee holds out, we are hoping to make progress. We had hoped to be able to take a rest day in Adelaide, but with time constrained and weather to our benefit, we are seeing what advantage we can take, if my knee cooperates.