Sandfire roadhouse 11/11/2014 - 25/12/2014

 

My time at Sandfire roadhouse with Marlieke was interesting. It was good to rest up and take a breather after my cycle trip in Japan but also being stuck in such a remote location of Western Australia under immensely hot conditions with not much to do was difficult. 

Marlieke and I picked things up from when I last saw her in the Philippines and I was immediately introduced to the few people who worked at the gas refueling/food stop. 

Most facilities were available to us and staff were allowed to eat what they wanted from the kitchen. 

Firstly upon arriving and as I was staying for free I felt obligated to help out around the place to pay for the expenses of room and board and as such I helped out Grant, the soon to be son in law to the manager of the place (Ken). Sandfire was so isolated that it ran off the grid and multiple generators were run to power the site and as Grant was a mechanic he had me help out repair and maintain some of the noisy machines amongst cleaning other general maintenance jobs. 

This I enjoyed very much because Grant had a vast knowledge of engines and mechanics and I learnt a hell of a lot from him. I now know how to repair a radiator and several other components of road going vehicles. 

One of the other big jobs I helped out with was the harvesting of mangoes from the small orchard beside the roadhouse, at first I enjoyed picking the fruit one by one from each tree using elongated snips and with only a few mishaps of falling from the branches when pushing my reach to the less accessible ones. All was good and well, I felt like I was working enough to pay off Ken for the accommodation and food until I broke out in a rash 4 days from initially picking them; you see, when you cut the stem connecting the branch to the fruit a fine mist is released into the surroundings and as it is very acidic it can cause skin irritations. Despite being told to wear long sleeves and cover up as much of my body as possible it was 43 degrees plus. Also I thought that i was impervious to the rash at first until I spent several nights itching myself to sleep where the rash had spread covering my body from head to toe. It wasn't until my eyes became infected and inflamed when I was able to get a ride into Broome to see a doctor to get my dose of steroidal medication which including a topical cream and some pills. It took only a day for the medication to take affect and less than 3 for me to completely recover. 

This is a warning for those who plan to pick mangoes, cover up your skin because itching yourself to near death and the extortionate cost of the prescription medication is not worth it by any means.

I took advantage of the opportunity of being out and away from the rest of world in regards to light pollution with my photography and managed to experiment with star trails as on a clear night (it often was)  the Milky Way was visible. 

Several hours of exposures I was able to get some very nice shots. 

Sandfire being located where it was it was rare for rain to fall here and often the storm clouds would pass around the area where I could capture the Lightning illuminating the dark clouds. See pics below. 

Sandfire, being nestled in the middle of nowhere, 300km from the closest shop actually became a likable place to be. The 6 weeks I spent here zoomed by and I can honestly say I will miss it, a comfortable place where Ken was kind enough to supply us with all we could possibly need.

Some of the animals around Sandfire

 

Lightning and Startrail shots

Watching the turtles lay their eggs on 90 mile beach

 

 

Why I came here!

 

10/11/2014 - Cycle Touring Bonus Trip, Broome to Sandfire, WA Australia - Day 2 of 2

 

The horizon on fire as the sun rose

Distance cycled: 112km to Sandfire roadhouse. 
Average speed: 17.3km/h
Moving Time: 6h32m
Elevation Ascended: 280
Total Distance on Current trip: 322km
Distance until I have cycled the circumference of Earth: 8,397km
Money spent: zip

Humid, hot and sweaty; all things that are not conducive to a good nights sleep and why I packed my stuff at 2am to get that early morning start to get to Sandfire roadhouse to see my girlfriend and to avoid the potentially body cooking heat of the midday sun.
Obviously at 2am it was still dark but in the distance there was a mysterious orange glow illuminating some dark clouds hovering above. I thought little of this thinking perhaps it was a small oil refinery that was burning off the excess fumes but as I cycled closer to this glow I soon realized that I was very wrong; not only was there no oil refinery located in such an arid landscape in the middle of nowhere and what I thought was a simple exhaust pipe for an industrial excavation was a gigantic bush fire now viewable from the road illuminating the early morning sky as if it was the early morning sun.
Cycling along the road seeing the bright strip of fire along the horizon was initially intriguing and of course I stopped for photos but as I continued receiving a slight whiff of the smoke from the fire and having not seen any other vehicle on the road for the past hour I got a little worried. My only feeling of relief was the fact that the wind was blowing the fires devastation in the opposite direction to the way I was cycling but of course meaning I was tackling the harsh headwind.
After tens of kilometers I eventually passed the view of the fire and the only the glow was just visible as the sun rose.
Spurred on to see Marlieke in the roadhouse where she worked  I pushed on  but at one point ran out of water however a kind man stopped to give me a frozen bottle from his eskie (cooler) - pure heaven!
It was an arduously extreme day but eventually I made it, with a  kiss for Marlieke still drenched with sweat and stinking up everything in close proximity I nearly passed out on the table outside the roadhouse, my it was great to see her again. :)

The fire I cycled by not far from the road on which I was cycling

And 330km later I made it to Sandfire

09/11/2014 - Cycle Touring Bonus Trip, Broome to Sandfire, WA Australia - Day 1 of 2

Distance cycled: 210km from Broome hostel to rest stop on highway.
Average speed: 22.4Km/h
Moving Time: 9h22m
Elevation Ascended: 343m
Total Distance on Current trip: 210km
Distance until I have cycled the circumference of Earth: 8,520km
Money spent: Shopping yesterday and a night at the hostel $55

 

 

Here I am now in Western Australia having taken three flights and 30 odd hours of traveling time from Japan to visit my girlfriend in a roadhouse in the middle of nowhere where she works.
I flew into Broome where I assembled my Bicycle and although delirious from the shear amount of traveling I kicked it about town looking for a thrift shop to purchase a few things I needed to endure the heat and the 321km to Sandfire roadhouse. Also because I had to dispose of much of my belongings when boarding my first flight in Osaka because I was over weight by 4kg I needed to pick up some important things like a bike pump and water bottles which I bought at the local bike shop where Andrew, the owner of the place, was happy to give me a considerable discount on these items.
Having been almost a decade since I was last in Australia it was great to see all the products i remembered from when I was last here like Shapes (flavored chips), Solo (lemonade), Maxibon (ice-cream sandwich), the variety of Cordial (flavored syrup you add to water) and a bunch of other things. I would have bought them all but unlike these items that have not changed the prices have, and considerably too. The aforementioned Maxibon I remember was $2.50 max
But was $5.00 at the service station.
Honestly the prices for anything and everything were ridiculously extortionate; perhaps this has something to do with Broome being more of a tourist destination  but still fuel (not that I need it for my bike) was listed at $1.75, 50c more than when I was last in the country.

The beach in Broome is a major highlight of the town and i saw nothing of it as when I eventually made it to the hostel I crashed out hard in the dorm room.
It was a 4am start to cover as much distance as I possibly could before the heat was unbearable but getting up at this time was ideal because there was no traffic on the road and the sunrise was beautiful even offering a rainbow in the storm clouds that passed over the town only a few hours before hand.
So, it was hot, straight and boring but I was able to cover a considerable distance, I wanted to hit the 300km mark today but the wind and the time it took to repair a puncture made it not so conducive. Still, 210km is an admirable effort in these conditions and exactly the maximum distance I have covered in one day, on two occasions, once in Vietnam from the coast of Vietnam to Saigon and from Thunder Bay, Canada heading east.
I encounter lots of happy helpful people, I was offered a short ride to a farm when some South Africans saw me on the side of the road fixing my tire which I accepted and filled up on water and some Yorkshire puddings they offered me.
Also a trucker driving a road train which by the way are very frightening because they are three trailers long and the rear trailer sways 6 feet either side. When you see one coming the best thing to do is to get off the road. Anyway this trucker, Nathan gave me a bunch of good and some cold drinks which were -needless to say- heavenly.
My tent at the moment is like a sauna, the heat of the red dirt is cooking my back but without doubt I'll be able to sleep because I am undeniably exhausted.
The night sky is so bright here, in the space of a couple of minutes I saw two satellites and a bright orange shooting star.
I can barely think right now and so I am going to sleep.
Only 120km to Sandfire! Can't wait to see Marlieke.

Sunrise views in the morning

Trying to make the most of such a boring straight road

 

The very frightening road trains where the last trailer can sway 6 feet either side

Some quick advice for those who are going to cycle Japan.

 

Wireless (wi-fi) connections are not as readily available as you would expect in such an advanced country but wifi access can be found at 95% of Seven Eleven's; Apps on an iPhone or android will work without signing in, however browsing the web you need to make an account but no conformation is sent to your email so make up an email address and you will have 60 minutes of use.
Note: if you cannot read kanji make sure translate is working in your web browser. Google Chrome seems to work best. 

The Japanese people can be friendly but are hesitant and somewhat nervous around foreigners, they are likely to tell you that they don't speak English but likely they will know more than your Japanese if it is to be as poor as mine.

The Japanese are extremely courteous on the roads to a point where it is damn right irritating. Generally they drive tiny hatchbacks but will sit driving behind you for hundreds of meters until they find the opportunity to pass leaving a line of backed up traffic behind them. They have more than enough room to pass you but for whatever reason will not overtake despite their cars are half the width of the lane. These are normally older people and women.
There is nothing you can do to avoid this and was my main pet peeve especially when cycling on main roads.

Cycling through neighborhoods is not so bad as the roads will be empty, I don't know where everyone disappears but you are not likely to run into anyone at times during the day, This will get you off the main roads and perhaps stumble upon a nice park or even camping spot away from the loud traffic.

Camping is possible pretty much anywhere, no one is going to disturb you and is not illegal. Just be aware of wild animals ie. Wild boars and Bears (Japanese alps)

You will find the people in Kyushu friendlier and more open minded than the 'ants' in and around Tokyo. From my experience the further southwest I went the more smiles you received from people seeing a fully loaded bicycle.

Garbage bins are hard to come by and I found that only the convenience stores had bins so carry plastic bags for waterproofing important documents and gear and to store your garbage for disposal. Everything you buy comes in a plastic bag (except supermarkets where you have to pay for them).

Japan is not easy to do cheap, fruit especially is very expensive and if you thought rice was cheap here, it is not.
Do try the plump Japanese grapes, all my childhood I wondered why artificial grape flavor tasted nothing like grapes, here though they taste exactly like the artificial flavor.
Supermarkets offer precooked noodles for cheaper than the dried 2-minute ones but you will need to add a stock cube to the mix and vegetables to bulk it up and make it flavorsome; pasta and pre packaged pasta sauce can be reasonable too.

Nothing is spicy here and I wasn't able to find a decent chili sauce so bring your own if you like a little spice in your food.

Tunnels are dangerous, loud and frightening and occasionally they do not have much of a shoulder to cycle on, I recommend taking the scenic bypasses, these roads will not be well maintained but will offer breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. Be warned too, take it easy on the downhill at times because you may take a sharp corner and find debris or very slippery algae on the road (I fractured a rib).

You will be taking ferries between islands and the extra cost of taking your bicycle is good and always available (car ferries only).

Treat yourself to sashimi and other amazing foods here I especially recommend 'Uni' Sashimi which is sea urchin - one of the best things I personally have ever eaten.
Also if you have money to spare tantalize your taste buds and experience Kobe beef (in Kobe) it is world renown for a reason.

Don't freak out, heated toilet seats are common here and does take some getting use to and when you leave you wonder why we don't have them in the western world.
Also play with the buttons beside the toilet, they control a variety of things that you will only experience in Japan.

Bring a good sleeping bag, I cycled in the autumn with inadequate sleeping gear, the coasts are fine but to really enjoy Japan go up in the mountains where you might have a secluded road to yourself but the altitude difference can bring on a chilly night.

Japan's road network is great for touring on skinny tires as I found that 98% of the roads I cycled on were paved, use a good map or GPS navigation system it will prevent you from cycling up the side of a mountain only to find a dead end, however if this is something you want to do - go for it!

Onsen's are Japanese bath houses which generally tap into thermal vents from beneath the surface which is ideal to soak your tiresome muscles in and of course bathe; they are not expensive at around ¥300 a pop for a maximum of two hours.

05/11/2014 - Cycle Touring Japan - Day 42 - A well rounded final day with the addition of eating the best beef in the world.

 

Distance cycled: 170km from Kyoto through the mountains to Kobe and back to Osaka.
Average speed: 20.1Km/h
Moving Time: 8h22m
Elevation Ascended: 3234m
Total Distance on Current trip: 3,545km
Distance until I have cycled the circumference of Earth: 8,745km
Money spent: $110

Today brought a wide blend of cycling highlights and issues that I have experienced throughout Japan over these last 7 weeks with beautiful mountain scenery, some rain, annoying traffic, secluded stretches of beautifully maintained roads scything through the mountains connecting to tiny seemingly uninhabited villages and of course a near death experience.

I left The hostel in Kyoto taking full advanced of the free breakfast they offered eating more than my fair share of toast, totaling 8 slices and several cups of coffee. I knew I didn't want to eat much as today was a treat, something I have been wanting to try ever since I heard about it, it is of course Kobe beef.
For those who don't know about Kobe beef it is a renowned delicacy found only here in Japan known for its flavor, tenderness, fatty well marbled textile and the extortionate price.
More on this later though because as you can see above I peddled 170km so expectedly it was a long day, a day that even though I'm writing about it two days after the events I am still aching.
I climbed over the mountains west of Kyoto, I could have taken the easier route and followed the river to Osaka and further to Kobe but I had cycled that route twice already and as you know I personally prefer the mountains.
It was a bone chillingly brisk morning and I had nothing more than a t-shirt and a thin sweater to keep me warm.
Eagerly awaiting for the sun to force its way through the residual morning mist I kept my body warm by cycling hard, really hard. It was a delight to cycling with a single pannier half full and my handlebar bag meaning I could open the taps and cover distance faster and easier than I am normally use to.
I had a vague idea of which roads I should take to Kobe but I knew whichever path I took in an westerly direction I knew I would find some epic cycling roads, and that I did, secluded and perfectly suited for my bike to climb and descend the mountain passes.
I found a beautiful location beside a river and thermal spring where the blood red and golden leaves of autumn were coming into play where I rested and took photos.
Continuing on I skirted a lake and hit up some high hills before rapidly descending to sea level and to the town, or should I say city of Kobe.
This downhill run wasn't without peril though where I was keeping up with the traffic sitting behind the car in front giving myself space to brake on the now wet asphalt if it were to be necessary to do so when out of the blue a (excuse my language) Fucking Asshole tries to overtake me on a corner, on a bicycle you have to take the corners wide especially with the conditions at the time. If I had my panniers on he would have certainly clipped me.
Now, like in much of Japan I can keep up with city traffic often traveling faster than all of the vehicles so at the next stop when I caught up with him I was so infuriated I wanted to smash in his side window. His blank reaction-less face expressed nothing to my gestured anger and now I do regret not removing his keys from his ignition and tossing them the river in the valley below.

Moving on, so Kobe beef, what's the beef about Kobe beef? With a long list of stringent specifications for Kobe beef to be the authentic product it is an art in it's  own right, hence the price tag.
But was it worth it? Damn right! For the best beef I have ever eaten it was an experience like no other, it melted in my mouth like nothing else, the marbled fat between the meat dissolved into the flesh when cooked, which was not barbecued in the conventional methods; while the meat is being seared to perfection a tray is  heated to the temperature of hell on a huge burner, it is then layered with a bed of sliced onions, garlic, some spinach and crispy deep fried fried, the sliced filet steak and topped with herb and garlic butter  with more sliced onions placed on top (both white and red). Here's the fun part, immediately after all ingredients are added to the now glowing tray the chef splashes on oil and red wine which engulfs the food in flames and within moments the tray is placed in front of me on a wooden placemat still searing - does that sound good or what. I ordered a glass of wine and some garlic rice to compliment the dish and even though the size of the steak was pitiful (for me at least) I was surprisingly satisfied upon consuming all the scraps on the tray, even the onions and garlic that had fused to the metal tray.
Kobe beef is NOT exported out of Japan so I believe that this experience for me was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity and 100% worth the price.

The day wasn't over yet, I was in Kobe and I had to get back to Osaka 50km away and what was worse was that it was now dark and raining.
Reluctantly mounting my bicycle again I set off into the night towards Osaka which involved crossing multiple bridges using the pedestrian/cycle paths (stairs) as the highway prohibited bicycles, besides I wouldn't want to be on a busy road at dark and even though my pace was slow I wasn't putting myself at risk of dying on my last day of cycling in Japan - one time is enough for the day.
Eventually and exhaustedly I arrived at the hostel knowing that my bike trip here was now over and what a day to finish on, not only was it the longest day of cycling on this trip but also the furthest distance covered.
Japan, as a country for cycling you have been epic! ... now I don't want to finish up this post by saying anything bad about its people but I will say that in these two months traveling as far as I have I never felt like I had connected with you like I had in other Asian countries like Indonesia and Thailand.
I will also mention that if there is anyone wanting to travel but safety is a concern than this is the place to visit, in no way would anyone visiting here have any problems with security.

So, thank you Japan for not robbing me!.. Even though you are a very expensive place to travel around.

On the mountain road from Kyoto to Osaka

YUM!!!!!