Geographical Center of Australia, Beer and Hot Spring Bath all in the same day- Awesome :-)
Bitter sweet day for us today. Bitter for leaving the Finke track, but sweet to be getting closer to the Simpson. We filed out onto the course again for the last time and stopped at the old Ghan rail sidings all the way into Finke to have a look and wonder how tough it would have been in the good old days.
Once through the Finke river bed we were into the thriving metropolis of Finke and a stopped for a few photos.
We have to go around 50kms in the wrong direction to visit Lamberts Center of Australia monument so its back into top gear and heading West for the first time. The road was wide and for something different, it was corrugated too! The road into Lamberts monument was an absolute cracker. Fast single car track, deep sand, huge wash outs and blind corners. All of which puts a shiver down Shaymo’s spine.
We all took off and really loved the fast flowing stuff taking turns out front and riding handlebar to handlebar for nearly the entire 14kms of the track. There was some heavy going but it really just meant dropping from 4th gear back to 3rd and holding on a little tighter. We arrived at the center and were shocked to see a few cars there and people milling around the monument. Luckily they were not coming out as we were coming in! We waited for a fair while and only then could we hear the faint putter of the widow maker. Shaymo had been thrown numerous times are there was evidence of bruising and some tears.
We can factor out this scenario in one simple equation.
a² + b² = c²
a² being “Shaymo aboard the Tenere”
b² being “sand and corners”
c² being “severe bruising, maybe even deep vein thrombosis at times”
Anyway, more photos of Lamberts Pillar, some morning tea and we were racing back to Finke again. Shaymo struggled a little more in the first 14kms going out but once the road opened up the big girl settled once more and the throttle was on the stop.
We rolled into Mt Dare for lunch and there was a huge cry for HELP. Shaymo over balanced the USS Missouri at the bouser and down he goes onto the hard pack. The poor lass on the bowser didn’t know whether to try and lift the 209kg monster off Shayme or start CPR on the pilot! Tony came running over again and picked the battered pilot up again for the 5th time today, brushed him off and gave us the thumbs up. The road into Lamberts Pillar really pushed Shaymo to the limit and he was looking forward to the temperate water of Dalhousie springs tonight and hopefully a deep tissue massage from an adjacent camper.
We all had lunch and soaked up some of the atmosphere at Mt Dare and bought a few souvenirs. We couldn’t believe that the water level inside Mt Dare Hotel during the January flood was about 600mm.
On the road again and it was a mad dash to Dalhousie before the sun goes down. We asked the lady from Mt Dare how the road was to Dalhousie, she said it was fine once you get past the gibber section of 150kms. She didn’t exaggerate, it was one of the roughest roads we had been on, gibbers the size of house bricks for the whole 150kms!!!!
At Dalhousie we set up as quick as we could and headed over for a well earned swim in the bath temp water. The swimming hole was a lot bigger than we expected, probably 150m long by 40m wide? And about 38 degrees Celsius. Nice for a while but actually made you more tired than you really are. It was like rush hour at the camp site, we pulled in just after a 14 car tag along tour group and camp sites were not plentiful.
At camp there are signs everywhere not to leave anything laying around as the Dingos will take it, maybe Tony should have read the signs?
Troys 690 is showing signs of weakness, could this come to a head in the desert? Water cooled bikes without the cooling capacity of coolant can only result in one thing? Mechanics worked into the evening to repair the fault and only time will tell.
Another epic day, and a few bruises too
Tomorrow we hit the Simpson and look forward to the next 3 days of sand and dunes
Give yourself a pat on the back if you know what this is!!
Its called Lamberts Pillar and it is the Goegraphical Centre of Australia
Troy in the dead set guts of Australia
The team at Lamberts Pillar
Welcome to Mt Dare Hotel - Yep keen for a beer
Statt quite at home in the old pub
Shaymo delighted
Troy dusty and keen for a drink and some lunch
The corrugations clearly having an affect on Scotty
Mt Dare Hotel
This is our camp site at Dalhousie Springs - DONT FEED THE DINGOS TONY!
The Spring a balmy 38 Deg C
Statt in heaven
Matty is chuffed
Tony very happy
