To say it’s a challenge is an understatement. It’s definitely the hardest tour I’ve ever attempted thus far. There’s never a good time to catch Covid and to catch it only 2 weeks before tour commenced and tested negative only 3 days before my flight is the worst timing ever. Instead of letting my body recover and gradually get back to how I was, I plunged myself into a physically and mentally draining 3 weeks of cycling from Darwin to Broome. Adding to that the heat and humidity put my body in further shocks. I wasn’t coping well at all. I got really sick on day 2 and 3 and experienced muscles aches like never before. The whole of my hands were achy to the bones, no amount of panadol seemed to lessen the pain. I couldn’t sleep, I was in agony for few days. Worrying that my conditions wouldn’t improve and that it would increasingly become worse, I contemplated quitting at the end of stage 1. Temptation was high to just stop at Katherine.
16 riding days
But I persisted and continued with the tour (thanks to Richard for his encouragement and cooler forecast in stage 2). I still managed to ride 1620km out of predicted 2200km over 16 riding days. I couldn’t ride for two days (one in stage 1 and another in stage 3) as I was sick from the heat. I’m very pleased and proud to persevere till the finish line. I think it’s still a massive achievement and great efforts even though I didn’t ride the full length.
Thanks to All Trails crew (Richard, Jo and Pete) for their immense support day in day out that make this tour possible. Thanks to the group as well, another wonderful and inspiring bunch of cyclists to ride with! I really admire and in awe of everyone’s determination and perseverance to finish each day’s ride no matter how HOT and hard it got. Thanks for your inspiration! A very special shoutout to Leah & Glen and David Butler for their care and concern, making sure I was doing okay everyday! Very thankful!
Stage 1 is the HARDEST for me – It’s the hottest and more humid and also the least interesting part of the ride. It felt very tropical for me, like being back in Indonesia. Stage 2 is my most FAVOURITE – mornings are much cooler, temperature is more humane for riding. A change of scenery from vastness of trees and dry grass was very much welcomed! And it was stunning! The colourful gorges in Gregory National Park as we enter Victoria River are magnificent and the views continue to impress as we head towards Timber Creek. Stage 3 is probably the most challenging of all in terms of distances covered. And the heat was back on, it wasn’t as humid as stage 1 but did get very hot after 11am onwards. First few days of stage 3 have some of the best views then it got pretty monotonous from Halls Creek onwards.
My MOST FAVOURITE riding day would be from Doon Doon Roadhouse to Warmun Roadhouse. The ride between 36 and 58km through a valley was jaw droppingly beautiful! The sheer volumes of geological formations are majestic and incredible! I’m in awe and absolutely enjoyed and thankful to ride through there. It was REALLY WINDY in the valley but it didn’t seem to affect me because of the views.
This tour isn’t about accommodation and food as already expected. But I’ve learnt that camping and cycling shouldn’t be mixed for me. We have a total of 2 bush camps, 1 station camp with shared shower/toilet facilities, 2 safari tents nights. Others have an additional bush camp in Doon Doon due to limited cabins. Bush camps are a definite NO NO for me. The challenge isn’t just about the ride itself but some of the accommodation too.
This tour isn’t the most picturesque I’ve been in. It isn’t about the best accommodation and food either. But it’s the most testing of all! It tests your tenacity, determination and will to the MAX! So if you’re looking to build your physical and mental strengths, I’d say GO FOR this tour! Otherwise it’s really easy to feel or get beaten. All in all, I’m very grateful for the experience riding through the Australian outbacks, where not many people get to travel to or experience, and learnt my cycling preferences. We rode through the Kakadu National Park, visited Katherine Gorge, rode through stunning colourful gorges in Gregory National Park, crossed the border from Northern Territory to Western Australia, rode through the incredibly vast desert of the Kimberley and finally onto Broome. It was a privilege and I am very thankful.
STAGE 1
Day 1 | Darwin to Annaburroo
☀️🔥🤮🫠 BLOODY HOT. SO TOUGH ITS NO JOKE.
Miss my peloton (Andrew/Glen train)! First 15km on bike path: well maintained, clear of debris and nice wide space to ride on. Then it’s smooth ride to M. T (50km) at Berry Springs. Roads were pretty good so far, few rough bits but in general good. Hopefully it stays the same for another 2000km. Tucked along nicely behind Dave B for a fair bit of the ride. Thanks for the tow.
Not sure if it’s the heat or recent Covid infection (maybe it’s the combination), my fitness is definitely worse than I was in Feb/March this year. HOT. TOUGH. from 70km onwards. BRUTAL FOR THE LAST 40km (after lunch, close to 2pm). Rode with a headache for last 40km! Felt BURNT! Water tasted like hot water. All energy are spent. Nothing left. Had my first flat tyre in 3 years of riding…slow going and went completely flat at the destination. Thanks Richard for patching it!
Dinner and overnight accommodation at Mary River Wilderness Retreat.
“The Ride begins! And what a day to start off with – filled to the brim with highlights, action and adventure. Riding out of Darwin, we follow the quiet back roads as they open up to the Top-End landscape and its iconic burnt patches from recent dry season fires and the fresh green growth of Darwin Woolly-butt, Stringy Bark, and Bloodwood trees that follow. At 50km we stop in at the gorgeous Berry Springs Nature Park, a popular swimming and picnic area with several pools and a small waterfall fed by crystal clear spring water and surrounded by natural bush. We’ll give you as much time as we can here for a longer-than-usual morning tea break for you to refresh before turning northeast and rolling out another 50km before our lunch stop at Wak Wak. Here, you can enjoy the famous ‘Original Jumping Crocodile Cruise’ – yes, the one that you have seen on TV where the croc jumps out of the water to eat the dangling meat held out on a stick by a Park Ranger. This afternoon you are on the home straight with the last 50km into Annaburroo where you can kick back and relax at the Mary River Wilderness Retreat – a friendly and welcoming retreat with lovely grounds, lots of birdlife and a couple of swimming pools to choose from as you relax into your afternoon. Tonight, we have our nightly group briefing and dinner together to celebrate the first day on the bike and the start of our top end journey.”
All Trails
Day 2 | Annaburroo to Jabiru
☀️🔥🤮🫠 HOW COULD IT BE HOTTER THAN YESTERDAY?! 😭🤮🤮
🔥🔥 Only managed to do 56km out of 140km. Feeling sick – headache came back + nauseous 🤢
VERY ROUGH ROADS! Long straight road of nothingness. Patch work on the tyre couldn’t hold up. Tyre slowly going flat ~40km and completely flat at 56km (M. T). No wonder I felt I was going so slowly.
“Today is the day that you hit Kakadu! There is magic in the air as you find yourself immersed in this region of natural beauty and ancient cultural history. The kilometres will sail past as you follow the bitumen that winds through the famous Australian outback landscape. It is something special to be cycling in the outback – the vast sky and land, the harsh environment, the tough animals that somehow survive out here, and the plant life that has adapted to the location. It looks great from the road, but you know that hiding behind it all are the stunning natural treasures that you will discover in the coming days as you work your way through Kakadu. Jabiru is at the end of the Arnhem Hwy as the road turns southwest and becomes the Kakadu Hwy. Our overnight accommodation is the unique ‘Crocodile Hotel’ – one of the world’s most distinctive hotels, shaped (from a bird’s eye view) like a saltwater crocodile. Besides the novelty of the buildings, it’s a great place to stay with plenty of resort facilities, a swimming pool (located at the ‘heart’ of the Crocodile), and a collection of indigenous art including paintings and didgeridoos, some available for purchase. Tonight, we have our nightly group briefing and dinner together at the hotel. “
All Trails
Day 3 | Jabiru to Cooinda Lodge/Yellow Water
No Riding – Feeling sick + recent Covid infection = Not a great time to be riding in this EXTREME HEAT! Experienced very ACHY hands on day 2 to the point of tears 😭 Couldn’t sleep due to the pain.
Nourlangie Rock Aboriginal Cave Art
Dinner and accommodation at Cooinda Lodge.
“It’s a slightly shorter ride today, which you will enjoy after some challenging distances over the last few days. This morning you can take it a little easier before we head out on our 82km cycle to Yellow Water via Nourlangie Rock, famous for indigenous rock art. Again, the scenery from the road is beautiful and so unique to this part of the world, but it’s what lies beyond that will still your heart. Cooinda Lodge is a village style property located beneath a canopy of trees beside Yellow Water Billabong, home to world-renowned Yellow Water Cruises, which we will enjoy at sunset together (included in your tour price). Here you will see crocodiles (from a safe distance!) and birds on the flood plain amongst Paperbark, Pandanus and Fresh Water Mangroves – it’s spectacular. With a relaxed resort atmosphere, take a dip in the pool, check out the local crafts in the store or kick back at one of the bars.”
All Trails
Day 4 | Cooinda Lodge/Yellow Water to Pine Creek
🔥💨💨 Managed to do 106km out of 167km. Stopped at lunch as it got scorching.
Cooler morning. Nice ride before heat & wind picked up. Then things start to go downhill after M. T. (~10.30am). Started to get hotter and windier. Tiny bit of hills in this heat with warm wind felt vomit like. Downhills with headwinds + rough roads = felt a little bit cheated. Couldn’t go as fast as I usually go. No traffic – that’s probably the only good thing riding around here. Always learnt alot in every tours…from this tour I learnt that I dislike flat straight roads. I prefer undulating or even a big climb then a big proper downhill! Long straight flat roads are so boring and so painful for the bums.
Overnight accommodation at Pine Creek Railway Resort. Dinner at Lazy Lizard Tavern.
“We hit the road early, pushing through the kilometres out of Kakadu National Park and towards State Highway One, The Stuart Highway. This is the main road through the middle of the country, starting in Darwin in the north, travelling down through the Red Centre and Alice Springs, into South Australia to Port Augusta near Adelaide. Named after Scottish explorer John McDouall Stuart, who was the first European to cross Australia from south to north. As we reach the Stuart Highway, we also reach Pine Creek, our overnight stop. This was the scene of a gold rush in the 1870’s from which some timber and iron buildings still remain today. Worth a visit are the Railway Museum and the Old Repeater Station.”
All Trails
Day 5 | Pine Creek to Katherine
☀️💨 Bus transfer from Pine Creek to entrance of Edith Falls.
Ride in and out of Edith Falls, ~19km each way. Nice ride this morning. Much cooler 🙏🏼 Ride finished before the sun is heating up again. Headwinds, sometimes crosswinds but manageable. Rough bumpy roads again 😔 The hands/shoulders are taking a lot of the pressure. Then bus transfer to Katherine through the busy Stuart Highway. Doesn’t look fun to ride on with busier traffic and the winddd.
Rest day tomorrow at Katherine. Contemplating whether I should just stop and finish the tour earlier in Katherine. Body and fitness definitely suffers from Covid and is still recovering. I’m struggling so much in this tour more than any other tours I’ve been on. It’s going to get tougher from here on and there’ll be few camping nights too…will be challenging for the recovery before another day of riding.
“The busy Stuart Highway joins Pine Creek to Katherine, but this will not be our cycling route today as we opt instead for more serene surrounds. Firstly, a transfer and ride in and out of Edith Falls, a beautiful swimming and camping area with lovely paperbark and pandanus-fringed pools where we will stop for morning tea. We will then leap forward to the bustling town of Katherine, sitting proudly next to the Katherine River, where we will cycle out on the quieter roads to Katherine Gorge / Nitmiluk National Park. Have a look around and get a feel for the place as you can come out here again tomorrow to do some touring if you wish. By the time we are back in town you will have had the option to ride 40km, 70km or 100km. Named by explorer John McDouall Stuart on his third and final attempt of his trans-continental crossing, Katherine has long been a stopping point with the first permanent running water for thousands of kilometres for those travelling up from the south. The Katherine River is a mixed blessing however, causing plenty of floods and leaving the watermark up to 2m high on buildings all over town, as well as stories of crocodiles swimming down the main street. When you cross the bridge, which crosses one of the thirteen stunning gorges of the Katherine River your mind will boggle at how much water must pass through here to cause a wet season flood.”
All Trails
Day 6 | Rest Day – Exploring Katherine Gorge by Foot & Cruise
☀️😊🙏🏼 “The Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge is located 29km north of Katherine. It consists of 13 natural gorges carved through sandstone by the Katherine River. Rocks and boulders separate each gorge. It is a beautiful natural wonder and is well worth the visit whilst staying in Katherine.” – All Trails.
Did the Gorge 1 and 2 cruise! Glad I did the cruise! Initial plan was just to stroll around but Covid fatigue made me want to sit and just enjoy the views from the boat. Beautiful indeed cruising along Katherine Gorge. The colours are just stunning 😍 Blue skies with greens on the trees and bronze limestones are just perfect combinations 👌🏼👌🏼
The part of NT where the morning/night gets very cold and daytime gets very hot. The town of Katherine itself is rough. People are harmless but it’s a little intimidating and uncomfortable to walk around…So didn’t take photos around town…
“Today is the end of Stage One and the start of Stage Two so some cyclists may be coming and going today as they finish or begin their tour with us. For those who are here all day we will be offering transfers to Nitmiluk National Park/Katherine Gorge where you can canoe, cruise and swim between sheer cliffs to the sandy freshwater beaches of the main gorges and view ancient Aboriginal rock paintings high on the rock faces. Waterfalls and rock pools are found along walking tracks and for those looking for some high-time excitement; you can also explore the area by helicopter (activities are at your own cost). If pre-booking tours at the gorge be aware that our transfer times will have you arrive at Nitmiluk at approx 9.30am and we will depart at 2.00pm so please ensure that your tour fits into these times. Back in town you can visit the Katherine School of the Air, the Outback Heritage Museum or relax by the natural spring-fed crystal-clear pool of the Katherine Hot Springs set in picturesque surroundings with lush green lawns, shady paperbarks and pandanus palms. For those who just cannot stay off the bike, we recommend a visit to Springvale Homestead, 8 kilometres south-west of Katherine and the oldest original homestead in the Territory, built in 1879 by Alfred Giles the former Overland Telegraph linesman.”
All Trails
STAGE 2
Day 7 | Katherine to Mathison Rest Area (O/N Katherine)
☀️💨🔥 Much better weather today. More conducive and made for humans! Although it gets really hot again after lunch at around 12pm.
Quite strong headwind for the whole 100km (20-30kph). Rode on Victoria Highway today. Felt abit better (I think it’s just after the rest day). Got a little peloton going with Leah, Dave B and Dave P. Thanks for looking after me! And slowing down when I went really slow at the climb for last 20km.
M. T. at King River West Rest Area (31.5km). Lunch at Limestone Creek Rest Area (58km). Lunch was self-serve tortilla wrap. Then bus transfer back to Katherine for another night of comfort before we head out into the remote expanses of western NT.
“We are back on the bike after a rest at Katherine and it’s here that we leave the Stuart Highway which is southbound headed for Port Augusta and Adelaide. We will take the Victoria Highway which will point us westward towards WA and Broome. This section takes you into both dry and beautiful country with some nice undulations – as you get into your rhythm it won’t be long before we reach Mathison Rest Area which is where we pull up for the day and transfer cyclists back to Katherine for another night of comfort before we head out into the remote expanses of western NT.”
All Trails
Day 8 | Mathison to Victoria River (O/N Timber Creek)
🔥🥵 Woke up with a headache – Covid fatigue was relentless. Popping panadol like candy throughout this trip. Doing 100km most days just aren’t good post Covid…Too much time on the bike and strenuous activity under the sun.
Bus transfer from Katherine to Mathison Rest Area to start from where we finished off yesterday. Like a minefield coming out of Mathison Rest Area. Roads are rough too for last 40km. Mostly flats with undulations. Much warmer today, started to get very hot again after 11am onwards. The heat in here is unimaginable – exposed, no tree coverage, heat radiates from the ground too. Rode in our little peloton until M. T. at Peckham (52km). Thanks so much Leah, Dave B and Dave P for looking after me again. Then own efforts for remaining 40km as I stopped few times for photos.
Finally there’s a change in scenery! As we enter the Gregory National Park scenery changed from just trees and dry grass to colourful gorges nearing Victoria River, NT’s largest river. It only took 8 days to see a change in scenery. The gorges are stunning. Lunch at Victoria River Roadhouse. Was starving ~10km before lunch. Also, starving ~8km before M. T. So glad we finished the ride at lunch (~1pm). Too hot to ride after!
“This morning we pack up our gear after breakfast and head back to Mathison Rest Area to recommence riding along the Victoria Highway. Gentle to flat grades take you through open and arid spinifex grasslands, until entering Gregory National Park within 40 kms of Victoria River Gorge, where there are some fantastic long to moderate downhill sections. The highlight of the day is the scenery of flat-top mountains and the colourful gorges nearing Victoria River, Northern Territory’s largest River. Victoria River Roadhouse is a friendly place with a stunning backdrop of the red Stokes Range and where we will stop for the day and enjoy lunch. Due to limited accommodation here we will transfer cyclists ahead to Timber Creek for a night of accommodation. Timber Creek is a small outback town with huge Boab trees lining the main street. There are some nice walks, a lookout, a museum at the old police station ruins and a river tour (at own expense).”
All Trails
Day 9 | Victoria River to Timber Creek
☀️🔥 Bus transfer back to Victoria River Roadhouse to start where we finished yesterday. Perfect weather and beautiful ride this morning then it got REAL HOT again after 10.30am. Absolutely love the first 10km – stunning scenery of the colourful Victoria River Gorge and nice undulations made the ride so enjoyable!
Then mostly flat riding apart from a gentle 4 km climb at about the 58 km mark near Kuwang Lookout. M. T. at Kuwang Lookout was so hot…hardly any shades to hide from the sun. Rode in the peloton with Leah and Daves for the last 38km. Great teamwork! Thanks very much!
Camping night tomorrow. I’ve been dreading tomorrow since day 1! And NO SHOWER. There was supposed to be at least a portable cold shower but no more…a little disappointing. I’m not so fussed about sleeping on the tent/sleeping bags but I just couldn’t go without a good shower especially after riding for 100kms. UGHHHH
“This morning we head back to Victoria River to start our ride and cyclists will be rewarded with a superb and generally easy ride alongside the colourful Victoria River Gorge within Gregory National Park as it continues for another 8 km leading out into open country. It is mostly flat riding apart from a gentle 4 km climb at about the 58 km mark near Kuwang Lookout, which overlooks the plains to distant mountains. From here it’s on to Timber Creek where you can keep an eye out for the rare and colourful Gouldian Finch as the area is home to 70 mating pairs. For those who consider themselves a tweeter there is even a bird hide on the Timber Creek Heritage Trail.”
All Trails
Day 10 | Timber Creek to Saddle Creek Bush Camp
CAMP NIGHT 😫😫 UGHHHHH
Great morning, cool breeze but nice temperature only lasts until 10.30am. Decided to finish the ride at 88km. Got too HOT again, could feel my head start to throb. Didn’t want to make myself sick again like last week so it’s best to know when to quit.
Thanks very much Glen for setting up my tent!
“It is a beautiful ride leaving Timber Creek alongside the Gregory River. Named after Augustus Charles Gregory who was the first European to see the magnificent country you will be riding through. Setting off on foot he completed the first trip across northern Australia from west to east, in the mid 1850s. He completed eight thousand kilometres overland, by the time he reached Moreton Bay, on the Pacific Coast amazingly without loss of life to his crew of six. Both the Boab tree (Adansonia Gregorii), and the National Park here, are named in his honour. Tonight, everyone will sleep under the night sky looking out towards the Pinkerton range. With a roaring fire, great company and facilities (even if they are a little basic), we are sure to have a fantastic night.”
All Trails
Day 11 | Saddle Creek Bush Camp to Kununurra
SLEEP DEPRIVED. WHOLE BODY ACHES. TIRED.
Slept marinated in my sweat and dirt from the road, feeling YUCK AND UNFRESH to start another long day of riding (110km). Neck pain, lower back pain, everything just hurts…sleeping in the tent is worse than riding 100km.
Same weather as yesterday. Perfect riding weather then it just got bloody hot from 11am onwards. Stunning scenery out of Saddle Creek Bush Camp this morning then beautiful views along the Beef Road Monument.
Absolutely gorgeous views coming out of the NT/WA border! Great views as we near Kununurra too! Some parts of very rough roads…very sore palms. So happyyyy to arrive in Kununurra to have a great showerrr and nice comfy bed for next two nights! Yayyy for a rest day tomorrow! Can’t feel my body anymore after 10 riding days.
“The Boab trees that seem to have so much character in their squat, plump, almost human shapes, will now have become a frequent roadside highlight. Over the last two days, you will have noticed some beautiful examples with many trees over 2000 years old. These trees were just as big and impressive when Gregory and his expedition team passed through this country over 150 years ago. At around 69 kms we arrive at the WA/NT border and must leave behind all fruit, vegetables, farming equipment and cane toads that you may be carrying with you. Then it is a short walk across the line and we all become 1 1⁄2 hours younger – adjustments should be made to your watches accordingly. Then it is a flat 40 km ride that crosses ‘Golden Gate Bridge’ to Kununurra where we rest up and enjoy the welcome change of a good size town with a beautiful resort hotel and plenty of things to do off the bike. Kununurra is a booming town on the eastern edge of the Kimberley. According to the Mirima Language Centre the name is based on the Miriwoong word “Goonoonoorrang”, which simply means large river, and the vast majority of the attractions here involve water…lots of water. And water means life, amazing flora, abundant wildlife and excellent fishing.”
All Trails
Day 12 | Kununurra Rest Day | Scenic Flight Tour to Bungle Bungle in Purnululu National Park
Did a scenic flight tour over the Bungle Bungle. So grateful I could secure the last seat (late booking) and able to witness and experience this majestic and wonderful nature’s work occurring over many millions of years. I recommend early booking months in advance, if you’re planning to go for the tour, as they’re very often booked out.
Bungle Bungle Range, a spectacular landform of striking beehive dome-shaped sandstone towers and breathtaking gorges. The Bungle Bungle Range was formed over 360 million years ago when sand and gravel were deposited during the Devonian period. The sand was deposited by rivers flowing from the north-east. With the presence of the south-easterly winds much of the year, sand dunes began to form. Gravel was deposited from eroding mountain ranges to the north-west. The combination of this and the sand, formed the sandstone landforms.
The geological formation continued until 60 million years later when the sandstone was now at a depth of about 7km and a period of uplifting and tilting from underlying rocks began. Today, the towering beehive domes are the remnants of what was once a nearly-flat land surface 600 metres above the present day sea level. Archaeological findings have also identified that small groups of cyanobacterium (commonly known as blue-green algae) which acts as a protective coating.
Dinner at Hotel Kununarra, probably the only restaurant that was open.
“Today you can either take it easy and enjoy the day – have a look around town, visit a mango farm, take a swim in the Lake, tune your bike or relax. Kununurra is about 300km north of Purnululu (Bungle Bungles) and is a base for scenic flights out to this spectacular hidden area of world-renowned rock formations. Check out Kingfisher Tours – we suggest either tour number K1 or K2. There are a few highlights closer to town such as the Hidden Valley in Mirima National Park, which provides great views of the area and are similar, although much smaller, to the Bungle Bungle formations. If the landscape looks a little familiar, perhaps it is because the movie ‘Australia’ was filmed in the surrounding area. Today is also the end of Stage Two and the start of Stage Three so we may have a few cyclists coming and going as they finish or begin their tour with us.”
All Trails
STAGE 3
Day 13 | Kununurra to Doon Doon Roadhouse
HOT. WINDY. Stunning geological formations throughout the ride to distract us from the exhausting heat.
No more cool mornings. Hot days are back again! It’s probably already low 20s when we started at 8am. Got really hot from 45km onwards (M. T.). Plus strong headwind from 45km onwards (23kph with gusts of 33kph). Dejavu! It was windy and sometimes wet during Albany to Perth last year. Traffic was slightly heavier compared to NT but hardly comparable to Adl Mel Syd tour. Gorgeous views of rock formations as we come out of Kununurra and throughout the ride. Took too many photos.
Last 10km to Doon Doon was absolutely beautiful too. Rode with the peloton (Leah, Dave B, Dave P, Michael and new member Letizia whom has joined us on stage 3) for most of today except for last 10km as I stopped for photos.
Scored a cabin so no camping tonight!! Woohoooo! So happyyy. Doon Doon is a better camp site compared to Saddle Creek. There’re toilet/shower facilities and grasses to set the tent on. Some of us had to camp overnight as there aren’t enough cabins. So thankful I didn’t have to.
“The Kimberley covers an area larger than the state of Victoria and has a population of only 38,000; it is pristine and virtually untouched. With only one sealed road passing through one of the world’s largest true wildernesses, our route is clear.
It is a scenic route out of Kununurra, crossing the dam bridge, a vital part of the Ord River scheme, which provides the water that gave rise to the town’s existence. After crossing the Durham River Bridge an initial short climb morphs into a longer moderate climb bringing you eventually into gently undulating to flat country, including a 7 km gentle downhill! After 45km you reach the turnoff for the Great Northern Highway which we will follow to Broome. Tonight, we camp at the Doon Doon Roadhouse with lush green lawns and fantastic, recently constructed facilities. Closer to the arrival date we may get a chance to secure some cabins so some may be able to upgrade their camping to cabin accom (price and availability TBC).”
All Trails
Day 14 | Doon Doon to Warmun Roadhouse
🔥💨🥵 Most picturesque ride thus far! But HOT and WINDY!
The night and dawn gets really COLD and the day gets really HOT in this part of WA as we are in the desert. It’s a big swing in temperature. Shorter day. Finished the ride around 12.30pm. Not feeling 100% today so rode in my own pace after 20km with the peloton until M. T. then back with the peloton after M. T. till Warmun.
The views on today’s ride are just stunning! My most favourite is between 36km and 58km, riding through a valley. The sheer volumes of geological formations are majestic and incredible! I’m in awe and absolutely enjoyed and thankful to ride through there.
The day gets so HOT here. The yellowish sand reflects the sun onto us, making the temperature much hotter than it is and soo damn bright! My eyes sting! The cabin I got was surprisingly big and nice. It’s like a proper room but the bed and pillows are very uncomfortable.
“Today we ride a short distance west of the world-famous Argyle Diamond Mine which was the world’s largest single producer of diamonds, producing approximately 20 million carats each year. Argyle has produced more than 865 metric carats of diamonds since 1985, the majority of which are truly rare and beautiful pink diamonds – the mine’s signature stone – destined for the jewellery industry. Though the mine still holds ample reserves of diamonds, mining ceased in November 2020. The decommissioning and demolition will take three to five years and the land will be returned to Traditional Owners as the custodians of Country. We finish todays ride at Warmun Roadhouse, which began life as a stopping point for travellers moving to and from the Halls Creek goldfields. Drinks were laid out on racks and covered with wet hessian sacks to provide travellers who could pay, often in gold, a somewhat cool beverage. Those days are now long gone with good facilities and accommodation now the norm. There are two recommended activities to fill your afternoon: a flight over the Bungle Bungles in a helicopter, which can be booked on arrival (at own expense), and/or the aboriginal art centre based in Warmun community only 2km south of the roadhouse. The art here is unique, using only traditional ochres and pigments. The centre is wholly owned and managed by the artists with 100% of the income from sales going back into the community.”
All Trails
Day 15 | Warmun to Halls Creek
🥵🥱 Long, tough and boring.
Did 116km out of 163km. Stopped at lunch as body got too sore. Cooler temperature than yesterday but got quite hot at around 1pm. First 30km was a gorgeous ride but roads are VERY NARROW and there were a few road trains moving past. It was scary to ride on. Lots of shit bumpy roads today.
M. T. at Spring Creek camping area and lunch at Little Panton rest area. The ride got really boring from 55km to 116km onwards as we are back to trees and dry grass and I had enough of the ride by lunch. Great Northern Highway along today’s ride was only recently sealed (otherwise dirt roads) and very narrow.
