David's Journal Entry

We passed a few milestones today, 1000km ridden, almost £5000 raised (just £40 to go), our first day covering 40km before 10am and 60km before noon (this has been a standard aim of mine since riding the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia in December 2021). In fact, we had done 45km by 10am and as near as makes no difference 75km by midday. This is obviously a good sign that Mike is well on the way to recovery, and no doubt he was also bolstered by a lack of wind. The mild headwinds allowed us to push hard, and I am strong enough now to cut through the wind all day if needed. I was feeling great today, so spent all but the last few kms at the front; we just swallowed the distance.

We finished up about 10kms past 'Karlu Karlu', also known as The Devils Marbles which are stunning and surreal in equal measure. The geology here is something special surpassed only by the sense that this is a sacred place. We are all visitors here. It saddens me to think of the wrenching forces that have dispossessed the First Nations people of their heritage. The contrast between the majesty of Karlu Karlu and the paucity of Tennant Creek is jarring, not least because it is clear that the opportunity for the First Nations people to truly reconnect with what has been the oldest continuous culture on Earth does not seem realistic in anything other than a broad sense. 

What I learned today

1.  It is a good idea to have more than one album on your phone. The sole (accidental) download I have is "Crucible" a cover album of Hunters and Collectors songs. The combination of it being the only music I have and moving through the landscape from which the album was born is a heady mix. I may be indoctrinating myself.

2. It is important to do more than look down the road on which you are travelling. Don't forget to look left and right. Literally and metaphorically!