Day 29 Erldunda to Stuart’s Well 109K / 67 Miles

Day 29 Erldunda to Stuart’s Well 109K / 67 Miles

We are all very stressed by the sour flavor the ride has taken. The introduction of David Isitt has provided some relief in the tension between the rest of us but we are all feeling the wear taking its toll. We decided that Alice Springs would be a deciding point regarding the tact and strategy for the rest of our ride. It would also be a rest day.
Today was hot, and the headwinds persisted. Today’s heat reached 30 C or about 86 F. While it is a dry heat it sapped our energy. Everyday I have written about the headwinds. I know at time it seems and ongoing complaint. Wind direction was something we had researched long before booking our flights and the Australian weather service wind charts for our dates of travel and points along our route had shown prevailing winds from the south which should have aided us on our journey. Out of our 29 days and all the miles/ kilometers we have accumulated, only about 100 miles or 160 kilometers have been with the wind. From our projections we are about 1 week behind where we had planned to be. The goal of reaching Darwin within our time frame is in jeopardy and our joy in the journey has left us for the moment.
David Isitt has been a breath of fresh air. He is a positive and outgoing person. He works among aboriginal tribes in social and disability programs. While now living in Australia, he is a native Kiwi and like David O has a background and love of the outdoors especially in mountaineering and cycling.
With the heat we took our time as the shorter distance allowed us some degree of relief. David O would tell me later that today was his worst day yet. He is actively trying to manage the back pain while pushing on. I don’t think I would have his fortitude given the same situation.