Red Earth, Warm Hearts, and a Hot Road Ahead

Daily miles: 35.4 | Total miles: 8,869.72

My alarm rang at 5:30am. I went to the kitchen, made a coffee, enjoyed the peaceful morning, and packed up. By 7am I had left Fraser Range and was back on the highway, ready for another long day, hoping for more good surprises along the way.

After about 10 miles, I stopped to put on my sunglasses and gloves—and who should appear but the entire group of friends I met yesterday at Fraser Range. Jan walked over and asked, “Do you need something?” “What do you have?” I replied. “Freshly cut veggies,” she said. Yes, please! Ron handed me ice-cold water (perfect, especially with tomorrow forecast to be scorching hot). Mary gave me apples, and Terry appeared with a Coke and two bananas. Life is good. Their kindness filled me with gratitude—hugs and goodbyes until Perth, where maybe, as someone joked, we’ll have an Aussie BBQ together. That would round off this chapter beautifully.

Soon after, I entered Dundas Nature Reserve. The earth has been turning red here and there, but now it stretched out to my left in a vast expanse—deep red sand, dark red patches, scattered green bushes, and bursts of pink flowers. I wished, once again, that I were a geologist to truly understand the origins of this striking landscape. The sun was already warming up, and I had to keep moving.

Along the way, I met Paul, a cyclist from Australia who is pedaling his way all around the continent. Encounters like these always add a spark to the day.

By noon and into the afternoon, the heat really set in. I focused on eating and drinking enough as I moved steadily forward. I’m nearly at the end of the food I brought for the Nullarbor stretch, and looking back, I’m glad with what I carried—but even more grateful for all the food shared by strangers along the way. I could have eaten more in roadhouses, but veggie options have been limited (understandably so), and fries and burgers aren’t really my thing. Instead, the timing of meeting people who offered just the right food at the right time has been almost magical. Thank you to everyone who nourished me on this journey.

Just before 5pm, with the sun still blazing hot, I reached a parking lot. That was my cue to pitch the tent and do the usual camp chores. Tomorrow will be a challenging day—the forecast says 36°C—so I’ll start early. Thankfully, I was able to book a room for tomorrow night, which makes things a bit more relaxed.

Dinner was simple, and I have to make a small correction: the fresh veggies from earlier weren’t beets, but celery, carrots, and purple carrots. My time for beets will come again.

Take care, Andrea