Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Water Tanks along the Stuart Highway

I plucked this information off another page. I would give credit to the author, but their home link is damaged and I couldn't find the information. My apologies to the original writer(s)! Anyway, this could be some lifesaving information to future travellers. But as with most information of this type, use it as a reference but don't count on it, some tanks may be empty. Be sure to fill up those water bottles EVERY chance you get! I have added the mileage distance in parenthesis for those of us that no habla metric.

Port Augusta - Darwin Water tanks:
120km (74 miles)South of Pimba. At rest area where railway crosses road.
102km (63.5 miles)North of Port Augusta 3rd parking bay on left.
Pimba Roadhouse
42km (26 miles)North of Pimba. Parking bay on left.
Glendambo Roadhouse
83km (51.5 miles)North of Gendambo. Parking bay with emergency telephone.
160km (100 miles)North of Gendambo. Parking bay with emergency telephone
Coober Pedy
80 km (50 miles)North of Coober Pedy. Parking bay with emergency telephone
112km (70.5 miles)North of Coober Pedy. Parking bay with emergency telephone
Cadney Park Roadhouse
120km (74 miles)North of Marla. Tank in rest area.
SA/NT border. Tank in rest area.
Kulgera Roadhouse
Erldunda Roadhouse
35km (22 miles)North of Erldunda. Tank in rest area.
74km (46 miles)North of Erldunda. Tank in rest area by Finke river.
Stuarts Well Roadhouse
Alice Springs
Conners Well rest area. 93km (58 miles)north of Alice Springs.
Aileron Roadhouse
13km ( miles)north of Aileron. Tank in rest area.
Ti Tree Roadhouse
Barrow Creek Roadhouse. Very salty well water, ask at bar for drinking water. Wycliff Well roadhouse
Wauchope roadhouse. Fillup here if camping at Devils Marbles, a great place to camp but no water.
90km (56 miles)South of Tennant Creek. Tank at Bonney Well rest area.
30km (19 miles)South of Tennant Creek. Tank in rest area.
Tennant Creek
72km (45 miles)North of Tennant Creek. Tank in rest area.
Renner Springs roadhouse
Elliot
25km (15.5 miles)North of Elliot. Tank in rest area.
Dunmarra
29km (18 miles)North of Dunmarra. Tank in rest area.
Daly Waters Junction
Larrimah
40km (25 miles)North of Larrimah. Tank in rest area.
Mataranka
58km (36 miles)North of Mataranka. Tank in rest area.
Katherine
42km (26 miles)North of Katherine. Tank in rest area.
This is last tank before Darwin but lots of small towns or stores where you can get water.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Sexy New Equipment!

I believe that most touring cyclists are at the very least "closet" gear fanatics, and some, like me, are openly obsessed with their traveling gear. I am always on the lookout for the next piece of equipment that will act in either a multi-function or an innovative capacity. A multi-function piece should replace two or more pieces of my current gear thus reducing the total weight of my equipment. An innovative piece of gear is generally something new (or something old-school re-discovered!) that makes life on the road easier or more pleasant.

One this trip I'll be “tour-testing” several recent purchases. However, I always test these items on shorter local trips first to make sure I’m not left high and dry by some worthless piece of crap. I also make it a point to look beyond the cycling community for potential new items… touring cyclists seem to be a forgotten market outside of the immediate genre.

A Crank Brothers 19 multi-tool - http://www.crankbrothers.com/multi19.php is going to replace my Park tool multi-tool; not much of risk taken here. These are widely accepted as an outstanding tool. Mind you that there is nothing wrong with the Park tool, I simply needed a second tool for my mountain bike, and I thought I’d give Crank brothers a try. So I’ve relegated the park tool to the seat wedge of my mountain bike.

For my mp3 player and mobile phone I’m trying the Sidewinder dynamo charger - http://www.modernoutpost.com/gear/details/is_sidewinder.php . This is an ultra light hand cranked charger that will charge most cell phones. I've continued using an outdated iRiver player because it uses standard AA batteries. The trouble with Ipods and their clones is that you must rely either a computer USB or an ac outlet to charge them. I found an Insignia mp3 player with an 8 gig capacity at Bestbuy that has an mini-usb charging port. This is compatible with the Sidewinder and also with a Sunlinq Solar Panel.

The Sunlinq Solar Panel - http://www.21st-century-goods.com/page/21st/PROD/GSE65 will not only charge personal electronics, but also rechargeable batteries, and will even act as a trickle charger on car, motorcycle, and marine batteries. At a mere 7 ounces for the Sunlinq and just over an ounce for the Sidewinder, I’m hoping these two items will increase my self-reliance without adding much weight to my overall kit.

I am most excited about my Luxurylite Cot - http://www.luxurylite.com/ . At only two pounds it actually weighs less than my Ortlieb self-inflating pad! While self-inflating pads are a mainstay of touring cyclists, I have never really slept well on one. To me the term “self-inflating pad” seems like two exaggerations strung together!

When I brought the Luxurylite cot camping with me last fall and I was THRILLED!! It kept me off the ground and it was extremely comfortable. My only concern is that if this thing fails in Australia, I am literally sleeping on the ground… However, when I contacted Luxurylite with my concerns, Bruce reminded me that all his items are unconditionally guaranteed. But to further allay my fears he also generously offered to sell me an additional factory 2nd cot cover at a huge discount, so I think I’ll be ok.

As I mentioned previously, I’m upgrading several of my components to alleviate the need for a number of tools and lubricants. These include:
Phil Wood tandem hubs -
Phil Wood bottom bracket with stainless steel spindle - http://www.philwood.com/
Chris King threadless headset - http://www.chrisking.com/



Finally, because I’m sick of piecing together rapidly disintegrating handlebar tape with electrical tape and duct tape, I’ve switched to Brooks leather handlebar Tape - http://www.wallbike.com/brooks/brookshandlebartape.html . It’s a bit expensive, but I hope that like their saddles it’ll prove just plain tough and reliable.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Itinerary and Camping/Lodging Info

The following is my itinerary along the Stuart Highway beginning in Adelaide and ending in Darwin or south to north if you will. I've included the information that I've gathered on camping areas and lodging both for the reader's edification and also in the event that I should somehow lose this information once I'm underway. I have not included any information on possible side trips, as I will detail these later.

I plan to update and add to this information along the way, including water stops and other bicycle-relevant information. Other travel blogs I've read seem to be a bit vague on the specifics and it is my hope this information will be of help to future bicycle travellers.



Services Key:
W=water C=camping S=shower L=laundry B=bed R=restaurant / bar K=kiosk

South Australia
Adelaide
Adelaide Beachfront Tourist Park (WCSLB): 08-8449-7726 fax 5877 349 Military Rd., Semaphore

YHA
Adelaide Central YHA
135 Waymouth St
Adelaide 5000
Phone: (08) 8414 3010
Fax: (08) 8414 3015
Manager: Anna
Email: adlcentral@yhasa.org.au

Clare
Clare Caravan Park (WCSLB): 08-8842-2724 fax 3447 Main north road

Geralka Rural Farm (WCSLB): 08-8045-8081 fax 8073 Clare and Spalding Rd.

Gladstone
Gladstone Caravan Park (WCSL): 08-8662-2522 fax 2131 Off main north road, west on
Terrace

Wilmington
Beautiful Valley Caravan Park (WCSLB): 08-8667-5197 4.5 km on Port Augusta Rd.
Wilmington Tourist Park (WCSLB): 08-8667-500 4km east of town square

Port Augusta
Port Augusta Caravan Park @ Stirling North: 08-8643-6357 fax 6357 9 Brook Street
Port Augusta Holiday Park 08-8642-2974 fax 6455 Corner of Hwy 1 and Stokes Terrace
Shoreline Caravan Park (WCSLBK): 08-8642-9265 Gardiner Ave

Woomera
Woomera Travelers Village (WCSLB): 08-8673-7800 fax 7700 Old Pimba Rd

Glendambo
Glendambo Tourist Centre (WCSLB): 08-8672-1035 fax 1039 Stuart Hwy

Coober Pedy
Coober Pedy Oasis Caravan Park (WCSLB): 08-8672-5169 Hutchinson Street
Cadney Homestead Park (WCSLBR): 08-8670-7994 Stuart Hwy
Stuart Ranch Caravan Park (WCSLBR): 08-8672-5179

Marla
Marla Travelers Rest Caravan Park (WCSLBR): 08-8670-7001 fax 7021 Stuart Hwy

Northern Territories

Kulgera
Kulgera Caravan Park (WCSL): 08-8956-0973 Stuart Hwy

Erldunda
Desert Oaks Caravan Park (WCSL): 08-8956-0984 Corner of Stuart and Lasseter
Northern Territories

Henbury Meteorite Craters Conservation Reserve (WC): 08-8951-8268

Stuart’s Well
Jim’s Place Caravan Park (WCSLB): 08-8956-0808 Stuart Hwy

Alice Springs
Stuart Highway Caravan Park: 08-8952-2547 Larapinta Dr.

YHA
Corner of Parsons Street and Leichhardt Terrace
Alice Springs, 0870 (08) 8952 8855

Ulara (Ayers Rock)YHA
Ayers Rock Resort
Ayers Rock, 0872 (08) 8957 7888 or 1300 139 889

Aileron:
Aileron Hotel and Roadhouse (WCSLB):

Ti-Tree
Ti-Tree Roadhouse: 08-8956-9741 Stuart Hwy

Barrow Creek
Barrow Creek Caravan Park: 088956-9753 Stuart Hwy

Devil’s Marbles
Devil’s Marbles Conservation Reserve: 08-8962-4599

Wauchope
Wauchope Hotel and Campground (WCSLBR): 08-8964-1963 8km S. Devil’s Marbles

Wycliff Well
Wycliff Well Holiday Park (WCSL): Stuart Hwy 27km S. of Devil’s Marbles

Tennent’s Creek
Outback Caravan Park (WCSLBK): 08-8962-2459 fax 1278 Peko Rd
Barkly Homestead Caravan Park (WCSLR): 08-8964-4549

Renner Springs
Renner Springs Dessert Inn (WSBR): 08-8964-4505 Stuart Hwy

Elliot
Halfway Caravan Park (WCSLB market): 08-8969-2082 Stuart Hwy
Midland Caravan Park (WCSLB): 08-8969-2075

Dunmarra
Dunmarra Wayside Inn & Motel (WBR): 08-8975-9922 Stuart Hwy

Daly Waters
Highway Inn Caravan Park (WCSLR): 08-8975-9925 Corner Stuart & Carpenteria Hwy

Larrimah
Green Park Tourist Complex (WCSL): 08-8975-9937 Stuart Highway
Larrimah Wayside Inn Caravan Park (WCSL): 08-89759931 fax: same

Mataranka
Mataranka Homestead Tourist Park (WCSLBR): 08-8975-4544 Homestead Road
Mataranka Shell Roadhouse Caravan Park (WCSLBR): 08-8975-4571 Roper Terrace
Territory Manor (WCSLBR): 08-8975-4516 Stuart Highway

Katherine
Heartbreak Hotel Caravan Park (WCSL): 08-8975-9928 corner of Carpentaria & Tablelands Highways-Cape Crawford

Pine Creek
Pine Creek Caravan Park (WCSLB mini-mart): 088976-1217 Moule street

Hayes Creek
Hayes Creek Wayside Inn & Caravan Park (?) 08-8978-2430 Stuart Highway

Adelaide River
Adelaide River Inn Caravan Park (WCSL) 08-8976-7047 fax 7181 War Memorial Drive

Noonamah
Noonamah Tavern (?) 08-8988-1054 Stuart Highway

Darwin
YHA
97 Mitchell Street
Darwin, 0800 (08) 8981 5385

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Musing, Planning, and Preparing

It is a bright, sunny, -20F morning in mid-January in northern Minnesota. I am sipping coffee from the comfort of my couch, and enjoying the quiet and calm inherent in an early Sunday morning. The dog is stretched out on the floor, the air is filled with the smell of freshly brewed coffee, and the only sound is that of a muted train whistle somewhere off in the distance.

Immersed in this comfort and security, a solo unsupported bicycle trip up the Stuart Highway through the "Red Center" of Australia seems like a fantastic idea! Just the sort of adventure that allows a person to daydream while pouring over maps full of strange places with exotic-sounding names. A looming departure date also helps to motivate a cyclist to get on the trainer in the basement and help pass the long winter months until the roads are clear and the weather is warm enough to get out and ride without fear of black ice or frost-bite...

I have already purchased my airline ticket (non-refundable), so I am fully committed to the trip. The plan is to fly into Melbourne, sleep off the jet-lag at my buddy Jason's, assemble the bike and catch a lift to Adelaide. From there I'll round out my supplies with some fresh food and water, dip my wheels in the Southern Ocean and begin peddling north (thats "Nort" to you Minnesotans) towards Darwin, Timor Sea, and the equator.

In all I'm looking at a linear distance of 2200 miles, and a minimum of 30 days on the road. However, I'm not on a tight schedule and I'm planning to take this trip at a slower pace to allow myself time to explore and to experience more of the local flavor along the way. I've found that it's too easy to get caught up in the daily mileage and see nothing but the shoulder of a road, and rest areas for a month.

For now I have begun the process of refining my equipment list. I've spread out all the gear on the basement floor, and I hope to end up with a "lean and mean" kit that weighs in at around 35 lbs. This will be a difficult task due to the variety of winter weather in Australia. Historically conditions range from 40-60F in the south with the real chance of rain around Adelaide; very dry with a daytime high around 68F around Alice Springs, but dipping to below freezing at night; then changing to highs in the 90's with high humidity the closer I get to Darwin. And of course this could all be out the window with global warming playing havoc with climate.

In an effort to minimize the tools I may need and thereby keep the weight down, I'm making some improvements to the components on my bike- a 2006 Bianchi Volpe. I've already replaced the stock headset with a Chris King No Threadset. Pat at Outdoor Adventures in Grand Forks, ND is building new wheels for me around a set of Phil Wood tandem hubs, and will be replacing my bottom bracket with a Phil Wood bracket with a stainless steel spindle and of course Wood's sealed cartridge bearings. Finally, I'm considering replacing the STI shift/brake combination for a straight up set of brakes and then adding Shimano bar-end shifters.

This last modification is the result of an experience last summer cycling from Mobile, AL to the Canadian Border. I met a retired couple, Jerry and Shirley Smith from Kansas, riding a tandem in Mississipi. Jerry pointed out that if my bike falls and the brake/shift lever is broken then I'm out luck on both accounts, and that finding a replacement part might be tough. I filed the suggestion away under "not too likely", only to have the bike tip over on rest break and nearly shatter the lever within a few days! Thanks Jerry, I'm listening now!

By making these modifications I can leave the cone wrenches, bottom bracket tools, and grease at home. Of course that type of security comes at a premium, and I had to spend nearly a thousand dollars along the way. On the other hand, I can transfer these high-end components from bike to bike for as long as I'm able to tour, and enjoy the peace of mind they offer for years to come... worth it to me.

I'll be posting my entire equipment list once it's finalized, along with an itinerary. Posting will be sporatic until I hit the ground in Australia, and then will be subject to internet availablity. However, I'll be posting my daily log even if its done in bulk, a week at a time.