A twinge of sadness came over me as I crossed the Burke River on the edge of the town of Boulia and started heading toward Winton. For I knew that crossing that river marked the beginning of the end.
Winton is 230 miles from Boulia. Reaching Winton means that my outback ride is over. Ruefully, I don’t want it to end.
I’ve had the time of my life being in the outback of Australia. People said that the outback is a large expanse of the same nothingness and that I would tire of it quickly. That didn’t happen.
Every day was a new day. New people, new scenes, new experiences, new thoughts. The last three and a half months have been utterly unforgettable. And now it will be coming to a close. The thought of the outback ride ending brings me sadness.
The genesis of my Australia ride was all about riding the outback. That was my only goal. I would have been happy if my ride ended when I reached the east coast, and I flew home. But in the planning, I tacked on two extra months for an east coast ride. I am less excited about that phase. I simply don’t want it to dilute my memorable outback experience.
But I put the coast ride in to my itinerary, so I will have to figure out how to best use that time. Although there may possibly be less time for contemplation, there’s still scenery to see, people to meet, and culture to discover. From people I have met, I have been invited into the homes of some of them. I’ll try to see if I can route their way. We’ll see what the Australian east coast ride holds.
Still, as I pedal on the Winton Road toward Winton, I can’t help feeling some melancholy at the thought of no more desert. From Winton, my ride will take a little over a week to get to Townsville, the tropical town on the east coast. I will need that time to mentally prepare for the shift.
2 comments
You mean for us back home we can start to relax about your trip? I am amazed of all this that you are doing. Moved by the courage you found . As Ruth would say it who is this Thuan guy?
Saudades .
Author
I am in Winton now, and readjusting my bike. I am set to carry less than half of the water I used to carry. There are more water stops and better grocery stores. But there’ll be more cars, sadly. I’ll still keep sending the “I’m OK” message every day from the tracker.