David's Journal Entry

Leaving good and early in the morning, at the first hint of a sunrise, we were on the road allowing us to make great progress despite the strongest headwinds so far. My legs feel strong now and the familiar heaviness is starting to wane. While still not as strong as Mike and driving a considerably heavier set up I am starting to find a comfortable rhythm and I have been able to take my share of pulls up front, cutting the wind for Mike and allowing him to draft. This is just as well as Mike is starting to show signs of fatigue, his tempo has slowed (which suits me!) and he is showing signs of discomfort, primarily in his hands. He is reluctant to make any small adjustments, although I am not sure why. Doug is proving himself to be a wonderful grand tourer, and I have no such discomfort, although this is no surprise as he was superb when touring Malaysia.

Daly Waters has an interesting and rich history and more than its fair share of characters in the present. From a bar full of bras, donated by 'generous' customers, to the bullhorn-adorned, mobility scooter-driving, horse-towing cowboy who owns the place. We only partially explored the town before having a big feed and heading to bed.

Our location feels increasingly remote now, with an obvious lack of services and infrastructure. The mobile phone repeaters are a strong indicator that signals out here are all but absent for long stretches, and so we have started to use the satellite communicator to let our folks know we are safe and sound each night. There is a nagging doubt that the next few days could be tricky, but I am feeling strong, we are well prepared, and we have built plenty of flexibility into our planning.

What I learned

Today I asked Mike who he would bring along if we had to have a third person...after much discussion and thought he settled on his friend America for her resilience, I chose Kev. I really should get in touch with him more often.