Thirst, Trees, and the Magic of a Cold Drink

Daily Miles: 36.3 | Total Miles: 8,318.89

My alarm rang at 6am. The night before, I had felt a bit of a scratch in my throat, and this morning it was still there — dry throat, slight cold feeling. Packing up took forever, especially after a long phone call with my family, and I didn’t hit the road until around 8am.

I made sure to take plenty of water with me since the forecast said it would heat up over the next two days. I was prepared for a night of camping somewhere between Yalata and the next roadhouse. Leaving the gated park felt good — I just don’t enjoy being fenced in.

Not long after I started, I met Scott and Jim, a father-and-son duo headed to Perth. The morning was beautiful. There were so many more trees than I expected out here. Sometimes, standing on a hill, all I could see was a sea of trees and the road cutting its way through, rising and falling in long waves.

Because of my throat, the heat, the wind, and the dust, I was thirsty all day long. I stayed on top of my hydration, but by about mile 10 I was dreaming about a soda — ice cold, soothing, refreshing. Just a few miles later, while pushing the buggy uphill, a car stopped.

It was Toni — a kind soul who asked if I wanted a drink. I think my eyes lit up as I said, “Yes, please — ice cold if possible!” He handed me a Coke can, still icy to the touch, and my heart was so happy. Then he asked if I’d like to try a new energy drink. Normally, I don’t drink those, but today I said yes. We took a quick picture together, and off he went, leaving me smiling ear to ear.

I saved the Coke for later but opened the energy drink after a couple miles. Oh wow — it was perfect. Every sip soothed my throat and gave me new energy. I even poured half into an empty bottle to have later. When I opened it again, the pressure shot the cap off the bottle right before my face — I guess the fizz needed space after all the bumps along the road!

At mile 31, I stopped at a parking area to throw away my trash. I grabbed the Coke, still cold, and thought, this is what will carry me through the last 4 miles. I don’t usually drink Coke, but wow — it hit the spot.

While there, I met Robin, who was standing near her caravan. We chatted briefly, we took a photo, and I asked if she happened to have half a liter of water. I still had some left, but my thirst told me to take as much as I could. She kindly filled my bottle, and off I went.

The sun was beating down relentlessly, even though it was only around 26°C — it felt much hotter. My mouth was dry, and I just focused on getting to 35 miles, so that tomorrow could be a bit shorter.

After passing that mark, I started searching for a campsite. It took about six attempts before I found a spot that worked — pitching my tent in the sand, in the wind, trying to avoid ants. Once inside, I set up, fixed the fly, and hunted down the single fly that had snuck in. It was so hot inside the tent that I stripped off all my clothes, washed the salt from my skin, and just lay there, breathing.

Dinner was Mexican rice and chickpeas, followed by a protein shake and a Canterbury chocolate bar. Afterwards, I stepped outside one more time to brush my teeth and look around. The crickets were singing, making the most soothing soundtrack.

No signal out here — so an early night for me. Tomorrow, we go again.