The sun rises, and at one point I notice two emus running alongside the road. I slow to about 40 and keep pace with them for a bit, then wave farewell and speed back up to 110. I stop at the two watering points I talked about yesterday, and make sure they both have water for Yoshi and his friend... I would find someone to phone if they were dry.
The landscape is barren and flat, with low saltbush scrub and nothing else. I can see why people refer to it as a lunar landscape.
When I hit reserve, I am just past one rest stop, with 60km to town and 30km to the next rest stop. I estimate reserve will give me 28-30km more distance, and slow to 90 to conserve fuel and make it to the next stop. I do not want to be transferring fuel on the roadside, with traffic going by, I would prefer somewhere undisturbed and protected. I make it to the rest stop and siphon the fuel out of my auxiliary can and into my tank. No mouthful of petrol this time, practice makes perfect. Getting to this stage has been my biggest worry for the entire journey, and now I have plenty of fuel to get to the next roadhouse. It represents the completion of the remote section of my journey. From here, I am back into civilisation, at no risk of running dry or being stranded. I was out of the deadly heat and exposure... with the act of closing my refilled tank, I had symbolically completed the loop of my journey into the outback. A sense of elation fills me as I repacked the auxiliary can and put my gear on to ride, with my iPod on I break into the Engineers' Dance of Victory. Anyone driving by would've had a bewildering sight, this leatherclad being with a black helmet and black visor dancing away in the desert to its own internal rhythm...
The dance of victory complete, I head on. It isn't long before I see my first salt lake, then another and another, some part filled, some bone dry. The countryside gradually becomes more hilly, and before long I am in Port Augusta. It feels weird to be stopped and waiting at traffic lights. The last time I had seen some was in Alice Springs, 4 days and 2500km ago.
It seems strange but the ride goes quicker when I have the earplugs in than when I have the iPod playing. I keep myself entertained doing mental calculations of fuel efficiency, average travel speeds, and estimating arrival times by extrapolation, and seeing how close I get them. I also think over the various dramas in my life and make or revisit decisions on how to handle them when daily life resumes, and mulling over my multiplicity of projects and where to go with each. I must write them down so I don't forget them.
I make it the Ongs' place, San's aunt, uncle and cousin, in Adelaide at 6:30pm. They are very welcoming and accommodating, and it is great to meet them at last, after many years of hearing about them. They take me out to a delicious Chinese dinner, and then I retire for the evening, planning tomorrow's activities.
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