Day 22 Glendambo to Bush Camp #2 121 K / 75 Miles

Once we headed out of Port Augusta we added significant load to our pack out. Water weighs in at 1Kg per liter. From Port Augusta onward we will be carrying an additional 6 liters of water each, or calculated into pounds, an extra 13.2 lbs of weight. When I returned from our 2012 trip, I measured my entire pack weight including just one, 3 liter Camelback, and it came to around 60 pounds. I am now carrying the additional 2. So this can give you some idea of the loads we are hauling. Additional weight for our food can be factored in as well as we can no longer rely on any other roadside sources for lunch or evening meals.
Over the next two days our target is Coober Pedy. Coober Pedy is an opal mining area about 155 miles from Glandambo. We are anticipating a rest day there as we have been riding steadily since Port Pirie. This stretch will have to broken into 2 days unless some miraculously strong tailwinds develop to push us along. Even breaking it into two days, this will require some strong days given the headwinds that have persisted.
The next few days will probably have very few photos as the scenery has become rather monotonous and unremarkable. Generally, red earth, and coverage ranging from a barren rock strewn landscape, to short scrub then more moderate height scrub make up our days. The view from the road reminds me of my travels in Malawi, except there are absolutely no people, and no villages. It is hauntingly empty save for other passing vehicles.
We are in the Woomera Prohibited Area, and signs warn not to deviate off the right-of-way. Included in the area is the test range for Austrlia’s nuclear weapons between 1956 and 1963. We have encountered many military convoys throughout the day including artillery pieces, tanks and armor on trailers. We made 75 miles today, our best mileage day yet. This was despite a mild headwind. We made our bush-camp secluded in some moderate scrub along the east side of the Stuart Highway. We treated ourselves to a small campfire with the available wood scrap lying around. No “Smores” however….