5th August - Alice Springs, the Journey Continues

We met at Alice Springs airport with bags full of clean clothes and freeze dried meals.  The two Qantas flights actually arrived early.  We hailed a taxi and were just about to take off when the cabbie spotted a couple of nice sorts and asked if we would share the ride.  We agreed of course.  The Cabbie made a 50% bonus on the fare so we were all happy!

We were worried the batteries would be flat on the bikes and we were relieved when they both started up with no problems.  We shifted our gear into the accommodation provided most kindly by Chris and Alex Fior.  Colin has a small perspex screen to fit to the DR and this was soon accomplished once the missing nut was found on the floor of the workshop by Alex's welder.

We rode into the CBD to have some lunch and do a bit of shopping.  We also filled up with Caltex Vortex 95 - both tanks and three petrol cans - a total of 66 L which cost us nearly $110.  We will fill up at Yuendumu before tackling the Tanami Track, but that amount of fuel should get us the 600 kms to Billiluna, which is the next fuel stop,  We also have to take or collect enough water along the way.  Colin has a water filtration kit that will be able to treat bore water as long as its not salty.

Then we returned to Cameron St to start working on how to load up the bikes.  Alan has brought a new system to carry the fuel cans that kept falling off on the first leg.  Alan's rough mate in Sydney made up a hanger system out of a couple of old soft panniers attached to the outside of his hard panniers.  We'll see how they go once we start hitting the Tanami's infamous corrugations.

We plan to leave Alice at 9:30 tomorrow after a hearty breakfast and aim to be at Tilmouth Road House by lunch time and Yuendumu in the early afternoon.  Colin is interested in buying some Aboriginal art if it is good enough.