My original plan was to stop at Mary Pool, but I quickly realised I’d be arriving just after midday – way too early to spend the rest of a sweltering day at a dried-up river road stop with no services other than a drop-dunny. So, I decided to make Halls Creek my destination and leave Derby ASAP.
The trip was hell – so hot – staying on 39 for most of it. I was stopping regularly to drink hot water (tea-bag hot) and dousing my shirt again… but not at the expense of drinking water.
My earlier comments about the scenery changing constantly were still relevant.
About 50km east of Derby is another boab – HUGE!
I thought I’d stop for lunch at Fitzroy Crossing, but soon changed my mind. I filled up at the skid-mark and kept going – stopping some 50km down the track on the side of the road for some fruit, muesli bars, water, etc. It was too hot to each much else.
The Fitzy river actually had water in it… I’d passed lots of dry river beds.
Re: the scenery – not that I was paying attention – I was more worried about my physical wellbeing. It was a struggle. I would have liked to stop mid-trip, but that would leave me stranded in worse conditions. I really had no option but to persevere.
I called into Mary Pool to see what it would be like… I imagine quite nice with a bit of water running. I think I made the right decision not to stay – very dry, but lots of shade though. Maybe some other time. The cows livestock seemed to like it:
When I was a kid in primary school (at Kalgoorlie) I went on a goldfields tour. It was a LONG time ago, but Cue left itself an impression on my mind that it was the arsehole of the earth. That perception changed when I stayed overnight in Cue on the first night of my holiday… leaving a new place yet to be named that title.
It’s Halls Creek, with its skid-mark back up the road at Fitzy. I wonder why these places actually exist – I’m not sure of their purpose. I guess at the very least it’s to keep a population to allow cars to be refueled so they can leave.
The local caravan park had a pool:
… but I decided not to use it cos, well, I had another 66 days of riding ahead of me and a bout of gastro, parasitic infections, and pink-eye would not go well. So, it was a cold shower instead. I’m not sure what the temp was, but it hadn’t dropped much – there was a breeze, but kinda like the one you get with the door open on a fan-forced oven.
Let’s just say – today would the one to beat for the “worst day of the trip” award.