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Report of a self-supported and self-planned bicycle tour on the famous Birdsville Track, Australia. Monsoon rains added an unexpected degree of difficulty...

Summer, Sun, Sand and Mud - cycling the Birdsville Track, Australia

Waltraud
2004-03-05 13:53:55

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for us, to make our way in the heat and fight the track.

There are several bores along the track which were established as water supplies for the cattle. Most of the time, water is boiling hot and a bit sulfuric. Not ideal for drinking, but it is suitable. Most of the bores these days are closed with steel tubes which lead to a far away farm. Most of the time there are no taps directly at the bore. At one of the bores, however, we not only found the desired tap, but also a shower – water of 80°C at temperatures of 50°C! No problem, it's good to wet the clothes, but ten minutes later things were dry again. The cooling effect works also with hot water…

It's not a desert, it's a swamp!

We are building up camp at the dry river bed of the Cooper Creek. There's a few trees giving shade, but unfortunately we are also welcomed by a number of mosquitoes. We were not prepared for this. Long sleeves protect a bit, and we soon disappear into our tent. Why are there mosquitoes in the desert? They require water… From now mosquitoes will be our daily companions dawn and dusk. That night we see a thunderstorm with rain north of us – the direction we are heading for. Luckily we stay dry that night.

We soon see and feel the result of that nightly rainstorm. The track is muddy, mud is on the bike, mud is on the panniers, mud is in our face. The further we go north, the more the desert looks like a swamp. It is virtually lakes that have accumulated in the lower elevations, and the track runs right through them. We need a new technique to pass these water holes. The first rule is to never leave the track made by a car, the second rule is to go through with as high speed as possible even though one can't see how deep it is, and the third rule is to try to hold the front wheel in straight. We are grateful to be using the Speedhub gearing system which allows immediate shifting in all situation. Sometimes ...