S
o, taking a deep breath and ignoring all the naysayers, Mo and I head north to Marree and the
beginning of the Track. The 80kms of gravel to get to Marree is solid and smooth and relatively easy riding.
I’m beginning to wonder what all the fuss is about. I meet the grader along the way and realise that I am
riding on pristine virgin surface and that this is the best it is ever going to be. The grader driver tells me
that another Main Roads team is working on the Track getting ready for the tourist season.
A night at the historic Marree hotel; a weather check; a road condition check and we’re off up the Track
proper. 600 kilometres of unknown challenges and adventure awaits us. The plan is to do three hops of
200 kilometres which will take us to William Creek, Oodnadatta and Marla.
Just 5 kilometres north of town, I overtake the graders which means that they have not yet done the road
ahead and I will be facing some interesting surface conditions. The day throws a little bit of everything at
me: wonderful smooth shiny stuff; horrible stony stuff; slippery sandy stuff and corrugations deep enough
to shake the fillings from your teeth. At one point I hit a dry river bed and was thrown into the full arms
flailing, tank-slapping wobble, convinced I was going to hit the deck but Mo recovered and I couldn’t
believe my luck at staying upright.
After 5 hours and just 120 kilometres, I called it quits for the day at Coward Springs bush camp. Here I
relaxed in the natural spa created by the bore, easing my sore muscles until the horror of the Track was
forgotten. I revised my estimate and time schedule thinking that 100 kilometres a day might be a more
realistic aim.
That night it rained. It turned the Track into soup so I resolved to stay put for another day and wait for the
road to dry out. It rained for two more days.
I relaxed in the natural
spa created by the bore