then the home animals walk around or cross on the street, I would like to ask you where it is not as hellishly hot at the moment in Australia.“
As a result I receive by email this answer: „Here in Victoria we have only 22 ° C. The animals would be no danger for you. Everything friendly – Kangaroos, Echidnas, Wombats. Only for the cars they are dangerous. Hans.“ “If you come here, it is again also hot. 40+ tomorrow. Hans.“
Then I can start tomorrow my tour safely. Hopefully no Kangaroo or Emu jumps into my traversing bicycle.
17.01. 2013: Quorn – Wilmington: 41 km
When my alarm clock rings at 4.20 am, I get up. Outdoors it is still dark. I am surprised, why the noise of the flush resounds again in the toilet like an echo from outdoors. Yesterday my angel told me that the pink Gallahs copy noises. They are very much intelligent and can speak soon in captivity with right treatment. And outdoors they sit on a huge scale in the high trees. Maybe one sat on the roof of this sanitary arrangement? Why not? I am alone on the camping site.
Actually, I wanted to start in the darkness. My panniers stand ready to departure in the room. But a look to the glass door immediately lets me again forgotten this wish. In the room the light burns. Outdoors it is dark. And what do I see at my glass door? At it many big wing animals are floating around which might come in with pleasure. They have the size of hornets, but look gray. They try to prick themselves mutually with their sting of the abdomen. And there I should open the door?
No, this really does not go. They all would have come in. Thus I lie down on my sofa and wait for the time, until it is light outdoors. And with the brightness there disappear my undesirable onlookers.
Wonderfully orange the sky colours at the horizon. With the ready full loaded bicycle I start at 6.30 am in the quiet morning. I know my street where to go. Thus I leave this friendly place and cycle on a healthy tarred road in direction Wilmington.
Shortly after the sun comes about the horizon and dips everything in her beaming light. Before me spread to itself a flat and wildly covered area. Behind myself I leave the mountains of the Flinders Range. A dead kangaroo lies on the right edge of the road, it must have been started at night. It is not a male animal. Maybe one more young is in its bag?
However, the animal lies on the belly. And I may not turn it. What should I do with a young kangaroo baby? No, this really does not work. Thus I cycle further. The air feels with 26 ° C pleasantly chilly. But with the time the sun begins to fling her igneous glow against me. The today's distance to Wilmington should be only 40 km. And on this distance I would absolutely like to stand the heat.
Every now and then I cross a small deepening which belongs to a river which has dried up, however, now in this season. In the middle of the deepening of the street stands in each case a water level indicator with a water level to 2 m. If I look now to the right and to the left, I see big and old trees on both sides of the dry riverbed. It seems that in the subsoil water exist furthermore, because, otherwise, these earthy and gnarled big trees would have died long time ago. I cycle further on.
Flocks of sheep graze sometimes on the left, sometimes on the right. A flock stands on a plowed up field. What should and can they eat there, remains to me puzzling. Also horses graze on another pasture.
In front of me an other mountain chain has been based. Before it my desired purpose must lie, however, I can not discover it with the best will. A fox laces straight across the street. On the right side a kangaroo jumps in the thicker bushes. In order to take photos it is simply too fast away.
Now I cycle to the next killed Kangaroo. This has got a belonging beat. On this occasion, at first sight it is not to find out whether it concerns of a female or male animal. The intestine lie around everywhere. It looks ghastly. Who will take these dead animals away from the street or eat it up?
Then I put out a single big animal to the right hand ahead on a field. I suppose a kangaroo. No, it turns out that it is an emu. I take a photo of it and further roll on. The heat is still to be bear. Nevertheless, I soon must arrive!
Yes, the crossroad appears and with her the sign Wilmington. Tearing open my eyes after the sign for the caravan park, I cycle in the little town and follow the sign. But before I hold at a small businessman's store to be able to rest there maybe a little.
Outdoors already rule 42 ° C. Inside it feels chilly pleasantly. My eyes suck themselves firmly at a big piece of a water melon. I would like to eat that and can be given them with knife, fork and spoon. Behind the front door there is a board and two chairs.
Outdoors I read also the name to CAFE for this shop. Thus I sit down there and refresh myself in the marvellous fruit. One single poem!
Both dead kangaroos do not go out of my head and I ask the businessman: „Who gets them off the street, or will they go to seed there stinking and dry up?“
"No", he says. „Our birds and the fox do this in completely short time.“
The young salesclerk recommends me the Beautiful Valley Caravan Park. The other lies further in the wild interior. To pass away, no, I have no interest.
It does not last long up to my daily objective. The owner assigns to me kindly a big day room with three tennis tables and a television. Also my bicycle can come inside. Thus I do not need to build up my tent. In it I would be also roasted and everything in my panniers become roasted through. And the thermometer registers me in the room 38 ° C.
In my notebook I receive between my emails a tip how I can cool off in spite of the scorching heat: to hold my head under water and coat the nose thinly with vaseline from the outside and inside, then I shall buy from the drugstore correct water with salt and Nasal saline spray for the nasal mucous membranes.
But I am sometimes again as killed from the heat – even if five degrees less than outdoors – and lay me on the sofa which became opened out by the owner. When I awake again, I tear me together and plan to go to the drugstore to buy for me the nasal spray.
Because this caravan park lies, however, 1.5 km beyond the little town Wilmington and I am too decayed to go free of charge to the town, I enter the office and ask my landlord, who has a white pony as friend, for a drugstore.
„No, here is none, but tomorrow in Orrorroo. Make a handkerchief wet and place it around your neck. Here the small children are already educated for the protection of drying up against the heat so: The parents search small, round little stones for them, they boil them and give one of it to every child in the mouth where it must remain always. With it it is provided for the fact that new saliva is formed over and over again and does not dry up the oral mucosa. Brilliantly, right?“
How I should stand this scorching heat the whole months here, is mysterious to me. In addition, I also can not put back as wide distances during the day as I had planned for it. My bicycle tour becomes a letter with seven seals.
It is 4.00 pm. Here in the big day room in which I am quartered rule also already 40 ° C. I will see, how hot it is now outdoors. Outdoors there rules at the moment the same heat because some clouds have gathered and cover the sun. It is not real to the endurance!! This is why I collect myself a heart, goes to my caravan landlord and ask him: „Do you have for your guests no chill day room?“
„ No. “
„In my big room where I may sleep rule 45 ° C. I can not live there. Is here in this town a restaurant in which I can sit down up to the evening?“
„No,
