We would have loved to stay a few more days with Martine in Broome, but the heat and humidity were getting uncomfortable. It was time for us to head south to cooler regions…

Aktiviere Karte Deaktiviere Karte

Nevertheless, we were glad for the relaxing break in Broome, because from the roadhouse on the village exit there were long stretches with nothing. And nothing is to be taken seriously in Australia: Until the next roadhouse 297km away (that’s about the distance from Geneva to Winterthur!) there was no kiosk, no gas station, no store, no running water or bodies of water, just bushland of various kinds. For us, this meant buying a week’s worth of food in Broome and filling up with 17 liters of water per person at the Roebuck Plains Roadhouse at the last opportunity. The outrageously heavy bikes were sluggish and difficult to get going, but once they were rolling, they were almost impossible to stop. Of course, the flat terrain and the wind, which reliably supported us in the morning, also helped us to make good progress. Admittedly, apart from two roadhouses, there were few distractions😉.

After five days, we reached Hedland, 600 km away and one of the world’s largest bulk goods ports. A wide variety of ores from the region are transported from here and shipped all over the world. We didn’t find the place very pleasant, because despite the alcohol restrictions in the north of Australia, the drunken Aboriginals people were a depressing sight in public.
After doing some grocery shopping, we left the town immediately and pedaled inland along the Great Northern Highway into the heart of the huge mining area. We were constantly overtaken and crossed by mining trucks with four trailers. As long as we didn’t have to hold the handlebars firmly in both hands, we waved to the drivers in a friendly manner and were given plenty of space in our lane. It was only when an extra-large special transport with a mining truck arrived that everyone, including the much smaller road trains, had to be maneuvered off the road.

Long before we reached the Auski Roadhouse and the turn-off to Karijini National Park, the landscape began to change and treated us to beautiful views of red mesas with green spinifex bushes. In Karijini National Park we spent two days visiting various gorges with wonderfully colored rocks. The many swimming opportunities, which David liked to take advantage of to cool off, didn’t really appeal to me. I always preferred the Swiss way along the rocks in the gorges, while the Australians never missed an opportunity to swim or wade through the water😊.

On the way to Tom Price, we had planned to hike up Mount Bruce. In view of the late morning hours and the bright daylight, we left it at a walk to the viewpoint of the Marandoo Mine, which had been excluded from the national park. We preferred to save our wanderlust until the next morning, when we climbed Mount Nameless near Tom Price at sunrise and looked down on the lights of the Rio Tinto Mine.

We found the village of Tom Price, including the large supermarket, to be exceptionally tidy and clean. This is probably due to the fact that it is almost exclusively inhabited by high-earning mine employees and Rio Tinto wants to make their lives as comfortable and carefree as possible. Our stay in the village was also more pleasant and longer than expected: As we sat staring at our cell phones in front of the supermarket, the union representative Shane handed us his business card and offered us the chance to take shower and wash clothes in his office/residential building. This offer was too tempting for us to refuse😊. We didn’t think twice and rolled up to Shane and his colleague Alister’s after doing our weekly shopping. It was so cozy and sociable at their place that we were happy to let the laundry dry on the line and enjoy a few beers, wine, good food and interesting conversations in the meantime… until we fell asleep in the guest room😊. Thank you so much for this wonderful, unexpected rest!

After the refreshing break with an inspiring change of scenery, we pedaled back towards the coast. From Paraburdoo onwards, practically all mining traffic disappeared from the road and it was just us and the campers driving through the vastness of the fascinating semi-desert. The closer we got to the coast, the more barren the landscape became and the stronger the wind. This prompted us to forgo the 400km detour to visit the Ningaloo coral reef in Exmouth and Coral Bay. Instead, we planned to go snorkeling at Carnarvon.

On the long stretches with over 200km between roadhouses, we met Alex. Ever since Katherine, people had been talking about the young man who was circumnavigating Australia on foot. Because he walks 50km a day, almost without a break, it took us two months to catch up with him😊. Alex pushes his provisions in a wheelbarrow in front of him and wants to raise awareness of men’s mental health with this campaign. When we met Alex, he was trying to water the billy goat “Sid”, who had been with him since the day before. What a charming and likeable duo😊!

Just a few days later, we reached Carnarvon, the supposed banana capital of Australia. However, apart from green plantations and an empty supermarket, this town didn’t have much to offer. A pity, because we would have needed at least one (open) store with snorkeling equipment to venture a look into the sea here. But as it was Saturday afternoon and everything is closed on Sundays, we left the village again after a big shopping trip. Too bad!

The highway was now relatively close to the windy coast. This was particularly noticeable on the first day of riding, when a strong wind blew first over our left shoulder and later into our faces. We had to take off our beloved helmet shades because they were pulling too hard on our heads. However, the wind and its direction became more and more pleasant every day, so that we were soon riding through the monotonous yet somehow charming bushland as usual.

The lack of a headwind had only one disadvantage: the annoying flies in our faces. On the way to Kalbarri National Park, we couldn’t breathe through our mouths or noses without sucking in flies. We even wrapped ourselves in a head net during the ride. After all, the creatures (unlike mosquitoes) keep to the night’s rest and disappear after dark😊.

We had fortunately planned plenty of time for the visit to Kalbarri National Park and the route to Geraldton. The gorges, the lush bushland and the wild coastline with passing whales were magnificent. Apart from that, we made lots of great friends here too. Just like the week before with Christine and Thierry, we were once again able to converse with Michele and Michael in Swiss German. And the Australian pensioner couple Tan and John even gave us two cans of Pepsi with a note about the bikes😊.

From the village of Kalbarri, we headed towards Geraldton against a strong southerly wind. It blew particularly hard in Port Gregory, where we went to see the pink lagoon. From there we headed inland, a little more sheltered from the wind, where the landscape suddenly changed from bushland to huge fields of grain with a few flocks of sheep. The temperatures also became much cooler, so we gladly put on a jacket in the evenings and mornings and slipped into a warm sleeping bag at night.

After 24 days of driving, we reached the sleepy little town of Geraldton, where we were allowed to stay with Sigrid and Philip from Germany. We got to know them while resting in a roadhouse and now enjoy their company, the exchange, the fluffy terry towel, delicious food… Thank you so much for your wonderful hospitality!