My name is Brando Yelavich and I’m currently cycling self supported from the most western point to the most eastern cape across the centre of Australia to lead by example and empower others to take care of their own mental wellbeing. I decided to not put the cover on the tent last night, that ment I woke up looking up at the cloudless blue sky. Dylan was out of the tent before me this morning and had stoked up the fire to cook his breakfast. I ate a mixed berry radix meal to fuel me through until lunchtime. We packed up pretty fast and were on the road ready to go by 0830.
My bike is so wobbly and I'm still getting used to difference after moving everything around. I was in the front to begin with, I had my headphones in and was listening to my audio book. The sand dunes had a-lot more vegetation growing on them than they did when we first entered into the desert. It is beautiful out here.
Dylan and I had a few friendly debates about wether eating meat has negative effects on your health and if genetics had anything to do with it. At the end of our chat my opinion was that eating to much meat is not good for your long term health but that eating a whole tub of peanut butter every 1 1/2 days is probably not good either. All about balance and moderation!
When you have someone to talk with time seems to go very fast, before I knew it we had been riding for 3 hours and it was time to stop for lunch. As we were eating a train of camels and their bull meandered past us, even though they are considered a pest I love seeing them out here in the desert.
When we left it was hot, I looked ahead and everything was blurry because of the radiating heatwaves coming off the red desert dirt.
I reached the first mountain/hill before Dylan and decided to get off my bike to walk to the top. I expected him to stop when he got to my bike but Dylan kept on riding! He must have really been in the zone. I hurried up the hill after him then zoomed down the other side where Dylan was waiting at the bottom. I put my headphones in and played some music. You wouldn't believe your eyes if you came across me riding while listening to some good music. I dance and ride the bike with my whole body doing big zig zags, because life to short to live in straight lines. I go into my own wonderfull world when I have music in my ears. I lost sight of Dylan quite fast an because I was in my own world, I didn’t actually stop until I got to Mount William this was the spot I wanted to camp for the night.
When I checked my GPS Dylan and I had covered 69.7 km. I got off and waited for Dylan to come around the bend down on the road for 25min, I must have been riding a bit faster today. We were both tired and lay down in the dirt for a rest. I spotted a huge plume of dust coming off the road about 30 km to the east. It was going to be the first car we had seen all day. As it got to where the turn off was it stoped and pulled in. All the faces were familiar, it was the three men and woman who were visiting the local Mungilli outcamp where they harvest sandalwood. When my trailer had broken yesterday they drove past us and had stoped to say hello. The Mungilli outcamp is about 25 km out of our way but I'm considering checking it out. We will see what tomorrow brings!
All the passages got out and the guy who was siting next to the driver came bounding around the truck and said “did you order uber eats because your samosas have arrived!” It was so wonderful, I actually couldn't believe in the middle of the desert and we were eating hand made Samosas cooked by a Fijian lady from the outcamp. Those people were absolute legends! We started cooking our dinner about an hour later after watching the sun set. It was so quiet all I could hear was the faint sound of my water boiling in my pot. The desert silence was broken by a pack of dingos or dogs a few hundred meters away from us who began to howl and whine before a fight broke out, it went on for a few minutes then dwindled. We sat around our fire again appreciating the silent night. Remember, life is just experiences. Be aware and make them count because tomorow may never come.
Can,t believe u are peddling across where we drove #Smoky60Series , we did not notice the deep sand. good on you from a fellow cyclist who founded Pedal,Power in Ccanberra in 1975
i have found it very tricky to navigate your site on an ipad. Very slow to refresh..
You boys sure looked like you were enjoying your Samosa's.
Ahhh....another lovely start to my day reading your blog! "Life is just experiences"...too right! Happy travels you two from an envious Kiwi sitting in an office in Gloucestershire, UK :)
The highlight of my day reading your blog. There you are out in the desert but there is always something of interest. Samosas from nowhere. How delicious they must have been. A group of camels and in the evening wild dogs or dingoes. Luckily no snakes or other nasties.
A message of thoughts from Dylan on occasion would be nice too.
Keep up the good work.
Yip balance and moderation is what one needs to always be mindful of in all areas of life! Your writing is so inspiring- I just wish that Dylan would share more about the ride - he too is so capable but tends to keep his travels and adventures too close to his heart!