So after 9 days, 1200 kilometres, some hard days, some long days and some very windy days, I have made the crossing over the Nullarbor, from Norseman to Ceduna. To be honest I can't really remember much, and it all went very quickly but the Nullarbor really isn't as desolate and boring as its made out to be!

After leaving Norseman I had a good fast day to Fraser Range. It's a place I had read about and been recommended but as I was having a good day I thought about carrying on. I'm glad I didn't as Fraser Range has to be one of the nicest places I have been to in Oz. The sign on the road referred to it as the 'Fraser Range Oasis' and this made me dubious as normally most places are a complete dust bowl but it literally was an oasis. Surrounded by limestone hills the area has it's own microclimate. The rich wet grasslands are a complete contrast to the dry bush that surrounds it, which is why it was a working sheep station and had been so for a long time. The campsite was amazing, the owners had put so much care and thought into the site and surroundings. As I got there so early I spent the rest of the day taking pictures of all the old agricultural buildings and the animals. I won't go on too much about it but if you ever get the opportunity to stay at Fraser Range, DO! The next day was a short hop to Balladonia roadhouse. Balladonia is known for being the crash site of sky lab. I turned up and was surprised at how modern the building was. The cafe was really good, it had wifi and a pool! The Nullarbor wasn't going to be too bad after all. It was really surreal sitting in a pool next to the only building for miles watching the road trains go past. I sat in the pool contemplating the next day which was to be my biggest challenge yet. I wanted to reach Caiguna which was 189km away. Caiguna is at the end of the famous 90mile straight but Balladonia was a further 40km away from the beginning of the road, meaning a 180km day. My biggest day on the bike so far had been about 130km so this was going to be a massive effort...

I set off early. At the mouth of the straight sits a pile of rocks inscribed with messages in different languages from people who have crossed and the famous shoe tree (a tree covered in shoes). I set about finding a rock to leave a message, but had no spare shoes to offer up to the Nullarbor Gods. The day was going fine and I was making good progress, I was averaging 20.2k an hour with a slight headwind. With 67k to go I took a break in a rest stop, my left calf was unbelievably tight. I was trying to stretch it out when a caravaning couple pulled up and made me a cup of tea:) By the time I left, the headwind was viscious and my speed dropped down to below 15kmph. I was adamant I wouldn't stop so pushed passed the last rest area where I could of camped. The last 40k to Caiguna was a real battle, the sun was setting, my legs were heavy and I knew I would be cycling into Caiguna in the dark. The bush is a scary creature that comes alive with noises and rustling at night, and with only a tiny head torch I kept on grinding out kilometre after kilometre. I was beginning to get concerned, I was constantly looking and expecting to see light from Cauguna roadhouse but after every kilometre it was just more darkness. After passing the 90 mile road sign on the other side of the road I knew I had to be close but I still couldn't see anything! After sometime I entered a dip and finally saw the warm glow of a petrol forecourt. I had done it! After nine and a half hours on my bike I had completed my first 100+mile day and the whole 90 mile road in one go. I Once off my bike, my whole body had seized up. I could barely walk let alone stand and my voice was horse. I quickly purchased multiple sugery drinks to stop myself from fainting. As I climbed into my tent, I thought to myself that there is no way I would be able to do the 150k the following day, before slipping into a sleep coma.

The next day I awoke and was amazed to feel fine, my muscles felt loose, my left calf had fixed itself. I began to think I was in some cyclist limbo and I had actually died the day before. I only had a short 60km day planned so hopped on the bike to Cocklebiddy. Two hours later and I had arrived. Yes, two hours! I had a decent tail wind for the first time and covered 64k in 2 hours averaging 32kmph! I wanted to take advantage of the winds, so I pushed on for another 90k to Madurah. The wind dropped slightly but I was still going strong. The scenery between Cocklebiddy and Madura was pretty nice, winding roads in open grasslands- it's what I am imagine parts of Africa to be like. It was also the only section where I saw some wild life that was alive. I came across two emus and I'm my excitment started shouting "emus, emus, emus, two emus." What looked like the female ran behind the larger male who stood his ground and starred at me. He looked as if he was thinking, " I could have you", in a Scottish accent as well. I also came across my first wild snake on the road, it slithered off pretty quick. Back at Fraser Range the owner, a crazy south African had showed some kids his semi wild/pet python. I didn't quite understand their relationship! The kids' dad asked what the snake was called and in a typically dry, emotionless south African way he had replied "snake!" Made me chuckle... Anyway, something I hadn't expected as I pulled up to Madura, was that the land just falls away from around you. I was sat on top of a shelf which dropped into a huge platue that was never ending. It was spectacular and that was when I knew I was in the Nullarbor. It was a amazing ending to a great day and I was a day ahead of schedule! All you need is the wind!

The feeling didnt last though because the next day as I pulled out of Mandura roadhouse I knew I wasn't feeling it. I couldn't focus or get into a rhythm and it was a 115k hard slog to Mundrabilla. One amazing thing did happen whilst I was cycling, a massive eagle flew with me for around half a kilometre. It was no more then 10 meters above me. I could see him checking me out. I wondered in which way was he checking me out, was I his potential breakfast or was he just interested in me. Any way it was just one of those experiences that makes you smile. The following day was even worse than the previous- I had heard the wind during the night and got up to my tent slapping me side to side. The day involved a 250 metre climb over 3k, back up from the platue that I had descended on to at Mandura. It was a long 4 hours cycling in a s***ty headwind before I finally reached Eucla. I was now near the coast again and could see the sea. Eucla was really nice and had a good restaurant and caravan park overlooking the sea. As I was checking in, something caught my eye behind the counter. There was some mail addressed to me. I was completely baffled and confused in my knackered state and said to the lady as if trying to confirm to myself, "that's me". At least I think that's me and I'm him. The lady read the back of the card which read, " please keep safe + pass on to Luke (skinny, looks Dutch) when he passes though at the end of March." Jenny!!! It was a weird sequence of events. If the wind hadn't been so strong I wouldn't have stopped at Eucla, as I was planning on reaching the border village between WestOz and SouthOz. The letter had also only arrived a day before me. I grabbed a drink and sat down in the cafe to read the card from Jen and found some chocolate eggs inside, yummy....

Jen's craziness lifted my spirits which had constantly been blown away by the headwinds. For now I was good, I was sat a day away from the border and nearly half way across the Nullarbor AND I had chocolate. I was even happier when I saw a mobile phone tower and ran to my phone. I was able to speak to Jen and my bros but then I was sad because I found out arsenal lost. What are you doing arsenal, its QPR, sort it out!