Wind, Flies & 40 Miles – Life on the 90-Mile Road

Daily miles: 40.13 | Total miles: 8,748.79

My alarm rang at 5 a.m., and before even leaving my sleeping bag, I made myself a cold coffee. The night had been relatively warm and, more importantly, completely dry — no dew, no wet tent. I love waking up to that.

I packed up and was ready to hit the road by 6 a.m. as planned — perfect! Today was going to be another full day of walking, just like yesterday. It’s Sunday, and I had the privilege of continuing along the famous 90-mile straight road. I was in a good mood and excited to be moving again.

For the first stretch, it felt peaceful to walk alone through this wild, open Australian landscape. Around mile 10, the wind picked up — strong headwinds that turned the day into a battle. Walking against the wind was tough, but I told myself it was good training and maybe even good for my recovery. Still, the constant roaring in my ears was hard to endure. I’d turn my head now and then just to change the direction of the noise, but even that became exhausting.

The wind made pushing the buggy especially challenging — my hands, wrists, and even elbows ached at times. I caught myself wishing I could just walk without pushing it for a while, but that’s part of this journey — the compromises life requires of us.

I waved at all the passing cars, wondering why so few people stop. Maybe they don’t have time, maybe they’re cautious of me, or maybe they just don’t know what to say. Around mile 30, I had already given up on the idea of anyone pulling over — and then, a car stopped.

Out came Len and Danny, a lovely couple who had seen me on their way to Perth and now were driving back to Melbourne. Len walked briskly towards me, asking what I needed. Earlier, I had been thinking about what I might ask for if someone stopped — so I asked, “Do you have a can of beans?” It felt like a strange request, but guess what? They actually had one! They also gave me two muesli bars, two oranges, and rice crackers. Wow. Of course, the food was great, but even more meaningful was their kindness and the short, supportive chat we shared.

Not long after, I was back in the wind — still loud, still relentless — and now the flies joined in. The tiny ones hovered in front of my face, and the big horseflies attacked for the first time on this journey. I’d been told they bite, so I kept swatting them away, especially from my pants, which they seemed to love.

As fatigue set in, I found myself longing for the quiet of the tent — a place without wind or flies. Somewhere in a burned stretch of land, with blackened tree trunks all around, a truck stopped behind me. Jimmy, a kind truck driver, handed me an ice-cold Coke — which I later enjoyed with what I call my “deluxe dinner.”

With more than an hour to go, every minute felt long, and my hands hurt from pushing the buggy. At one point, I saw a little lizard sitting right in the middle of the road. It didn’t move at all, looking completely content. I even invited him to jump on the buggy and come along — but he just stayed there, calm and unbothered.

When I finally reached the parking lot around mile 40, I felt good. My priority was to quickly set up the tent despite the wind, prepare all my drinks for tomorrow, make a protein shake, and organize my things so I could finally eat and lie down.

I’m tired, but my body feels so much better than it did just a couple of days ago. I’m slowly building back up, taking care of my hands and feet, and giving my body the sleep it needs.

Thanks for following along — it means a lot.

Be well, Andrea