Dancing with the Wind and Flies

Daily miles: 28.72 miles | Total miles: 8098.08

Last night I had another lovely evening at the bar, chatting with locals, listening to their stories, and soaking up the small-town atmosphere. Jeff and Karen, who run the hotel (which currently has no rooms available), kindly let me sleep in the little utility room where I had stayed before. It had a washing machine, microwave, kettle, cupboard, table and chairs — a perfect improvised sleeping spot! Just one door away were the bathrooms, so I had everything I needed.

When I entered the pub at 4pm, the wind was howling outside. By the time I left around 8pm, it had calmed down, only to return with full force around 3am. Even inside my little room, the wind roared so loudly that I had to put my headband over my ears to sleep. I still slept really well — there’s something about a perfectly flat concrete floor that makes me happy. I love these improvised arrangements, they always feel like five-star moments because of the creativity involved. Thank you, Jeff and Karen!

My alarm went off at 5:20am. After two snoozes, I got up, packed my gear, brushed my teeth, and applied sunscreen. By 7am, I was on the road, walking into a warm, windy, overcast morning. The sky was heavy but kind, only dropping about three raindrops before the sun took over.

The wind kept most of the flies off me, but they all gathered on my buggy instead — I counted about 70 of them at one point! When the wind died down, they came straight for my face and hands. It became a little game of endurance — wind means relief, calm air means flies everywhere. At some point, I put my headnet on and had about 20 flies sitting right in front of my face. As soon as the wind picked up again, they were gone. A real dance with the flies today!

A highlight of the day was when Byron, a friendly young man, stopped his car to ask about my journey. He filled my water bottle, gave me a drink, and we took a picture together — with flies all over us, of course. His spontaneous kindness totally made my day.

When I finally arrived in Wirrulla, I was grateful that I’d brought food with me, since the general store had already closed. At the hotel, Lisa welcomed me warmly. She reminded me that I had called her two days earlier, saying I’d arrive then — back before wind and pain slowed my plans. Luckily, the hotel was open today and I am the only guest. She is even making me some homemade daal for dinner tonight.

It reached over 32°C today. Out on the road with the wind, it didn’t feel too bad, but in a sheltered place the heat was intense. By the time I arrived, my mouth was dry, and that cold Fanta from the bar was absolutely heavenly.

Tonight, I’m just happy to have a quiet room with no wind and no flies. Ceduna is getting closer, but there are still miles to walk — and I’m ready.

Thank you all for following along, and thank you, Wirrulla, for the kindness.

See you tomorrow, Andrea