David's Journal Entry

A stunning sunrise started a relaxed day and we flew to Alice in easy strokes. The stops came naturally rather than by kms or the need to rest, instead they were marked by occasions such as passing through the Tropic of Capricorn and over the Highest Point on the road between Darwin and Adelaide. We raced into Alice where our first stop was the Post Office so Mike could send some items home and collect still others. Unbeknownst to him WBR had shipped us a cycling jersey to thank us for our efforts, although sadly the joy of seeing him open his surprise was somewhat tempered by the fact that his other parcels had yet to arrive. Thankfully (and fortunately) they arrived later in the day, so we returned to collect them and what could have been a genuine problem was avoided.

We arrived in Alice knowing that a cousin of a friend of Mike's was prepared to put us up for the night. An extraordinary offer when one thinks about it. Naturally, we availed of his laundry facilities and showers with abandon. Our planned dinner with our host, Paul, was somewhat stymied though. As we arrived at the 'Jump Inn', Paul was called into work, an occupational hazard for a Flying Doctors pilot. He was required in Tennant Creek to do his part in ensuring the successful delivery of a baby. We continued to eat in his absence at a rather trendy venue which wouldn't have been out of place in Shoreditch or Newtown. The array of craft beers was excellent but the much celebrated 'bau' was a pale and pricy imitation of Malaysian 'pau'. 

Upon return to Paul's accommodation, we found ourselves locked out. After some deliberation, we ended up soliciting the help of two sets of neighbours, and we eventually managed to find our way in with a little fence scaling and a spare set of keys. After which it seems fair to conclude:

1. It is always okay to ask for help

2. Often circumstances are beyond our control

3. Paul is helping bring a new life into the world, our vagaries are irrelevant