Day 113, Monday, 20 July 2009

Distance travelled – 54 km
Avg speed – 21.5 kph
Max speed – 33.4 kph

Threeways Roadhouse to Tennant Creek and return

Normally when we select a caravan park to stay at we also check the proximity of the closest supermarket as we take a lazy attitude to riding further than we have to, three kilometres is usually our maximum limit. Today we rode 54km to do our shopping for the next week.

On our way into Tennant Creek we stopped at the old Tennant Creek Telegraph Station for a look around. Built in the 1870’s as part of the Overland Telegraph Line that linked Australia to the rest of the world, the station retransmitted all incoming messages onto the next station on the line. In those days it took more than 7 hours to send a message between Melbourne and London.

One of the interpretive notice boards tells the story of James Murif, a cyclist who arrived at the station in 1897 “half starved from his hazardous journey”. Murif’s journey puts the “brave” comments we get into perspective.

Birds of prey returned today so not sure where they have been.

Zoom into the map and use the 'Satellite' layer to see our new location.

Tennant Creek Telegraph Station

Tennant Creek Telegraph Station

Previous Report

Next Report

Top