Day 4 - Balranald Plus to Rankins Springs NSW 220km
Today: 220km
Total: 872km
From the middle of nowhere to Rankin Springs – a journey of 220 kilometres. That was our challenge for the day, and we were ready for it.
Before first light, we left Balranald and our supporter drove to the roadside starting point. Andy rejoined, and we watched the sunrise as we assembled our bikes. It was a cold morning, but the promise of adventure and breathtaking vast scenery kept us warm and riding, or maybe it was the promise of flat easy roads.
The Sturt highway continued to supply us with some of the flattest roads we had ever seen. Stretching for over 15 kilometers at a time, they led us into gentle corners only to open back up into long straights on repeat. The landscape was vast, with nothing but countryside as far as the eye could see. We encountered only a few trucks and weekend traffic, making the experience even more surreal.
Our first stop was after 70 kilometers, past Hay and on to the B64 highway. We refueled, applied sunscreen, and set out again, with another 96 kilometres to go before reaching Goolgowi, that would be our overnight stop.
On the way, we had an unexpected sprint section with a mob of emus, reaching a speed of over 36 kilometers per hour. It was a memorable moment, and we were glad to have witnessed it. I’ve a new appreciation for emus, as a birds that live in groups, as we never found one alone.
When we arrived at Goolgowi, we took a well-deserved 10-minute power nap. It was the first chance we had to rest properly, as all our previous stops had been brief and standing-room only.
Andy suggested that we could do another 40 kilometres in the afternoon, which would be a great finish for the day. He was feeling renewed and ready for more after recovering from a piston blowout the day before. Maybe it was that power nap or maybe the sugar water, either way the man was back!
As we hit the 40-kilometre mark, we met our roadside support, Andy suggested we could finish the remaining 20 kilometres to Rankin Springs. However, we soon realised that the last leg of our journey would be anything but easy. The hills were waiting for us, and we had not encountered any throughout the day. We pushed on, up and down, with a big climb at the end.
Finally, we arrived in Rankin Springs, exhausted but elated. We had completed the day's journey, together as a team. It was a day of adventure, with unexpected moments and challenges that tested our limits.
We cannot wait to see what the next day will have in store for us, likely more civilisation and more hills.
