Day 23 Coral Bay to Minilya Roadhouse 98 km

I packed most of my stuff last night so I was out of the hostel at 6.30 am. After a quick visit to the bakery next door for coffee and sandwiches I was on my way. The wind was still trying to blow me back to Broome but my legs were fresh after the rest day so I made steady progress.

There were some windflowers around the Coral Bay turn-off but these were the only ones all day. For the most part today’s scenery was scrub. The 1st 20 km was just spinifex and not trees at all. After that it was scrub.

I passed this memorial to a local cowboy. Sadly roadside memorials are fairly common on Australia’s main highways. This one was more elaborate than most.  It even had a seat so you could sit and contemplate.

There was also more roadkill on this stretch of road. Plenty of dead kangaroos and wallabies, as well as 1 dead emu, and a dead snake. I also saw 2 live feral goats. Add that to the feral cat I saw a couple of days ago and you could assume  things are out of control. There were signs up in a couple of places advertising poison baiting for wild dogs. I haven’t heard any dingoes on this trip yet.

About 10.00 am I spotted another cyclist coming the other way. Chris is cycling around Australia for Beyond Blue. We had a nice chat. He is towing a bob trailer and had fishing gear so he is taking a very relaxed approach. Unfortunately I forgot to get a picture.

Not long after meeting Chris I crossed the Tropic of Capricorn. I can’t remember if there was sign when we crossed it going up the East coast 3 years ago.

After almost 70 km I arrived at the Lyndon River Rest Stop and pulled into the shade shelter for a rest and lunch. I cooked some 2 minutes noodles and ate some crackers. I had already eaten the sandwiches 20 km earlier. It was 1.00 pm and I had made steady progress but still had 30 km to go.

While I was sitting there Dianne and Al pulled in. They were surprised to see me on my own as I had told them I was meeting Tony at Coral Bay. I updated them and they told me that they had enjoyed Exmouth but that Tracey’s dog had been attacked by a bull terrier and seriously damaged. Tracey too had lacerations that required suturing. Al had helped fight the dog off.
Just after Dianne and Al left I saw Tracey go past in her van.

After lunch the wind lessened and I was able to go a bit faster. 5km after rejoining the main highway I reached Minilya Roadhouse.  I could have gone to the Rest Stop just past the river and camped for nothing but I decided to camp at the roadhouse for $15. This way I could get a shower.

The camp park was only had a couple of caravans in it. I had my choice of sites with nice grass.

Just after I set up Sue and John arrived in the caravan and parked nearby. Sue offered me a cup of tea and we had a nice chat before I cooked dinner Mexican Tuna and Beans with Mexican Rice. Excellent!

After dinner I bought some chocolate and some fruit and enquired about drinking water as the camp park only has very smelly bore water. I was told I would have to buy it. So apparently it isn’t just the bore water that stinks here. Unfortunately it is 140 km to Carnarvon so I have no choice but to buy expensive bottled water.