Solo motorcycle camping adventure roaming across Australia S2 Episode 8

After leaving Seduna and the heavy rain, I continued west. I'd chosen a road that had the coast to start with. Then, I picked my way through a series of dirt roads, making my way back towards the air highway. I was hoping to start to see patches of blue sky, as a forecast was for clearing skies. Then, I spotted a patch of blue. Then more. Finally, it seemed I'd gotten past the last of the weather system. I'd made it to Penong. I thought of camping on the headland close to here, but the new weather forecast wasn't looking good. So, I thought I might see if there was any other options available in town. So, I went to the caravan park. So, I checked the weather again and it's going to be worse than last night. This new front of rain. The original thing I thought, oh, I'll just camp on the peninsula. But last night, the water got under the top sheet and up in. There's a bit of wet on the mattress. So, air mattress. So, I got here and the guy said, oh, there's a caravan here for 50 bucks. And I said, that'll do me and it's got a shelter. So, I can change my tie here and I can dry everything out to go across the Nullarbor. I checked out the caravan. I wasn't expecting much. A bonus was, it also had power. So, I could charge everything up. It'll do. It'll do. So, my sleeping mat did get wet last night or this morning when I was packing it up. One or the other. Anyway, it's wet. So, luckily I can dry it out now. I'll check my sleeping bag as well and anything else. So, tomorrow night's Dry sleep's always nice. So, just the toes a little damp on the sleeping bag. It was really windy. So, I'm gathering the rain hit the ground and then just got under the cover and then into that end because that's the end all the wind was coming from. Obviously, my head wasn't wet but the foot end of the tent was. It's the drying time. I thought while I was here might as well dry out the tent as well. Might actually, yeah, get a lot done. I mean, I was planning to do one of these somewhere. I guess this is as good as anywhere to basically get everything in order. Those sort of things. Might even, yeah, everything dried off pretty quickly. So, I'm going to go and explore. And right outside the caravan park was the first spot to check out. So, I thought I may as well start with the obvious and have a look at the windmills. This is the biggest comet windmill in Australia. Comet's the type with all the fins and the back little thingamajiggy. I'm sure there's a more technical term than thingamajiggy but you know what I mean. So, this one's named Bruce. I think from the guy who donated it. It's 35 foot or just over and that's a bit over 10 meters. That was a funky one over there. This one's from the Anna Creek station. Famous cattle station. It's got this leverage here so I can pull the fins in and out. So, when you need to turn or not turn when it's blowing or not blowing. So, that's the Penong Windmill Museum. Next, I wanted to check out what was on the peninsula where I was originally planning to camp. From the highway you take a left at the school. I was soon on dirt. Then I passed some of the greenest fields I'd come across on this trip. The road got a little bit rough just before and I came across the salt fields. I approached Point St Clair Pink Lake which is a salt lake and happens to be right next to Lake Macdonald. So, you get this unique situation where you have a pink lake next to a blue lake which makes for quite a stunning vividly colored sight. I continued on dodging the potholes until a rather large sand dune came into view. You know me. Can't help and stop and take some images. Just saw the light crossing the sand dunes. Looks pretty cool. How's the pink and blue lake I guess? Riding right down the middle of them. Something unique. This little spot's got a few things. Plus common windmills. I rode over the crest to see Port La Hunte which is on the eastern side of Point St Clair. I've come all the way here. I may as well walk down the jetty. Jetty used to be longer and had a bend in it at the end so the boat's bow would be pointing into the current coming around the headland. There's no one around. It looks like this might be somewhere to swim. The whole outside's covered by nets. Looks like there's some holes in some of it but swimming pontoon nets probably keeping the men in grey suits out. And there's some big ones around here. Big big big white pointers. That's sharks if you hadn't cottoned on. There was a tragic incident here in February 1975 where a young boy saw him out to meet an incoming crayfish trawler as he was collecting crayfish for his mother but was taken by a great white shark. This was the reason for creating the swimming net enclosure. How good would these timbers be if they were refurbished? I mean they're doing great as a jetty right now. I thought what a great little white mellow spot. So if you're going to go across the Nullarbor it's worth a stop. I'm quite stunned this area isn't more popular. Especially for taking a break before crossing the main section of the Nullarbor. I headed back up the hill then I spotted a sidetrack and as you know you should always take the sidetrack. So I turned back around. I'd made my way around the western side of Point St Clair and its white cliffs. Let's see what this beach is like. Technically that's a beach. My way back to the... Definitely always worth checking a little side roads. Most of the time you won't get anything. Every now and then you get a little beach. I left the peninsula and made my way back through the sand dunes. Just one more quick stop at the sand dunes again. I just don't think I got a shot last time. So this time the sun's out. I'll see if I can manage it this time. Although the sun's not the best spot now. Timing. It's all about timing. Okay. What I've been dreading. Time to swap this tyre over. Should take 15 minutes. Could take up to three hours. Or till tomorrow. Hopefully this one comes off easily and goes on easier. I get it. To make sure the tyre stays on it has to be designed a certain way. For a machine in a mechanics shop it's a breeze. For the average Joe with the basic tools in the dirt it's a bit of a mission. I find it easier to extract the axle if you have something underneath the tyre to take the weight off it after you've removed the nut. Don't drop that in the sand. I find if you get the chain on the outside it's easier to get the wheel out instead of leaving it in there. Pull it under the beam first then over the top. Watch out for that. So the easy part's done. Pulled the tube out of the way so I could pry off the other side of the tyre from the rim. Before I put the tyre back in I was checking for flats because I thought I had a slow leak and I found it. So I do have another tube but I might repair this one first. So I had to wait for the patch on the hole to repair and dry. So I'm gonna now attempt to put the new tyre on and this is where it gets tricky because it's very easy to pinch it and you start all over again. The only lubricant I had was soap so I applied it to the bead of the tyre to help get it on. I forced the tyre on as far as I could with my hands so I keep the tool use to a minimum and less chance to pinch the tube. So got it on. Now let's see if I've pinched it. Hopefully not. Oh by the way from the last ride I did this one I have upgraded. I have an electronic, well battery-powered pump. Slow but it gets the job done. I don't want to put it on because if it's pinched I'll just start again. Okay let's get on with it. Got it all back on. I'm hot and sweaty. Gonna need a shower. Put some air in it at the fuel station just up the road and then hope like buggery in the morning it's still up at the same pressure or it's going to be a frustrating morning. Went to the service station and they had a pump and they had the handle separate. Went and got it and it wouldn't connect. It just kept slipping off. So back to this. Lucky I brought it. I found out also that the next town's 70 or gas service station is 76 kilometers. So I'm just going to make sure this gets to there. So I'm going to try and pop this up now. Hopefully enough pressure. Oh and by the way there's thunder and lightning coming in that storm that's running across. It's all happening. So I'm going to put this on and hopefully I can get to 40 psi or 38 I think it says. Job done. It did it. So I'll recharge it now because I can because I've got power for next time. Hopefully there won't be a next time. I can always hope. Well there is a storm coming. Rolling in. It's like a front just. Oh this was a good decision. I was in for a stormy night but at least I wouldn't be dealing with it in a tent.