10 Deserts Solo Cycle Epic

Details -
Distance: 990km
Conditions: hard-packed and corrugated dirt roads
Difficulty: 2/5
Est'd Time: 9 days

This lonely old stretch of dirt road traverses the moon and painted deserts east of Coober Pedy en-route to Oodnadatta and west of Lake Eyre. From Oodnadatta, it's south on the Oodnadatta track toward Lyndhurst. I'm very much looking forward to this strech of track, not so much for the challenges the trail will offer (it's been ridden plenty of times before), but for the unique desert terrain, and the multitude of bird and other wildlife I hope to see around Lake Eyre. Lake Eyre only floods once every 10 years on average. This years' wet season has produced unusually high rainfall. Mother nature will be in full swing. The floods bring their own short-lived ecosystem, but all will eventually return to the sand through evaporation. I hope I am not too late getting there to experience this rare wonder. I'm projecting to be there in mid-late June.

I'll be taking in some side trails from the map below. I'll also be hoping there is some good fishing to be had in Lake Eyre.

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Details -
Distance: 475km
Conditions: combined soft sand and hard packed 4WD roads
Difficulty: 3/5
Est'd Time: 5 days

The Strzelecki track came to prominence following use by a cattle rustler. Back in 1870 Harry Redford discovered this pass and hearded some 1000 head of cattle down to the greener pastures in the south. He didn't lose a single beast. People were so impresses with this feat at the time, he was not convicted. This discovery was some 9 years after Burke & Wills ill-fated travels looking for an inland sea. I look forward to visiting the dig tree.

The Strzelecki track is largely a hard-packed dirt road for semi-trailers and 4WDs, but I'm also expecting lots of sand and corrugations.

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