Bicycling along "The Savannah Way" and water purity...

In 3 months I will be bicycling between Cairns and Darwin - with a few
side trips. Self supporting and purchasing supplies as available and as
needed.

Has anyone reading this travelled this route AND know anything about the
state of the water in the streams/rivers between (say) Burketown, Qsld
and (say) Roper Bar NT?

I WILL have plenty to keep me going regarding food etc, but I can only
carry so much water. The supply of H2O along the Savannah Way is
different than that supply on the highway between Port Agusta and Darwin
- different route and different situation.

So far I have not found any information on "the web". If I get no
information here I will just have to start telephoning the Police and
caravan parks/inns along the way and (hopefully) get reputable advice.

In the worst case scenario I will just burn up a bunch of shellite each
day and boil the H2O.

Hope to hear from someone with experience and useful advice.

Ken
Canada

Ken

I suggest you get in contact with the Cairns BUG http://cairnsbug.org/
.. Each year, there is a charity ride between Cairns and Normanton ('The
Gulf'), so there would be a few folk up there who are familiar with the
first part of the route for cycling.

You might also want to post on a caravaning or 4WD list - this is a
popular route.

A friend of mine who has spent his life as a 'ringer' (cattle worker)
in that area drinks a glass of water everywhere he goes. The idea is to
toughen his gut. His parasite load could be rather interesting to a
medical microbiologist.

Donga

Donga wrote:

A friend of mine who has spent his life as a 'ringer' (cattle worker)
in that area drinks a glass of water everywhere he goes. The idea is to
toughen his gut. His parasite load could be rather interesting to a
medical microbiologist.

Donga

I just finished reading the newspaper "clippings" that my mother saved when
I went overland from Paris to Dacca - and back. I remember those days:
totally prostrate with "liquids" coming out of the mouth and anus......
That was 1975 - Afghanistan was wonderful then, but Burma was BRUTAL - and
wretched on the internal digestive system............

It is now 2006 and I am 58 years old and bicycling. Been there, done that
;-) I will check with the CairnsBUG folks. Thank you for the "heads up".

Ken
Canada

HughMann wrote:

If you are going to do side trips I strongly advise that you constantly
notify people /police of your location and health. Dont want yet
another search for someone not lost or worse, someone dying hundreds of
km away from where thought to be.

Good luck, you have chosen the best part of the year.

Thanks Hugh!!
Last year I did a LOT of telephone calls - to Police and others in Borroloola
and in other places. Yes, it is important to let "the coppers" (THAT is
nothing negative - they are really friendly folks who are there to: Help,
Assist and Enforce) know where you are going and when you expect to arrive.
EVERY Policeman I spoke with was really helpful regarding the notification of
saltie crocs, and other bits of local information... That was last year. Now
is now so it sounds like it might be time (in May and June) to make a few
more calls... just to get the latest info. I promised my wife and boys that i
would leave a string of telephone numbers for Police and caravan parks and a
timetable so they could leave messages. No, I don't think I will spend a
small fortune on a satellite telephone. I WILL stick to the road. Looking at
it on Google earth is quite the site.... There are LOTS of folks driving
daily along the Savannah Way.... heck, even the route to Cape York is not
"empty" nor is the road west of "The Olgas (NT) through Giles (WA) and SW to
the WA goldfields (Kalgoorlie).

I will travel ONLY in the daytime. I want to see things..... Night time is
for sleeping and listening to my satellite radio ;-).

Ken

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your offer. Yes, please put me in contact with your friend. I sent
you a private message to your address - but it bounced. hence this public
announcement. Send me an e-mail if necessary. My addy works. :-)

Ken

Ken
You can hire satphones in Cairns - not cheap, but presumably less than
buying one.
Donga

Donga wrote:

Ken
You can hire satphones in Cairns - not cheap, but presumably less than
buying one.
Donga

Do you have any details? Web addresses/telephone numbers so that I can
"investigate further"? Send a PM to me if necessary. Thanks for this
information - it MAY be quite useful...'

Ken

Ken Pisichko Wrote:
Hi Tom,

Thanks for your offer. Yes, please put me in contact with your friend.
I sent
you a private message to your address - but it bounced. hence this
public
announcement. Send me an e-mail if necessary. My addy works. :-)

Ken
Ken,

Sorry - I can't find your addy so can you email to
casurina99(remove
and I will put you in contact. Remove junk to reply.

Tom


--
casurina99

Ken Pisichko wrote:
Donga wrote:


Ken
You can hire satphones in Cairns - not cheap, but presumably less than
buying one.
Donga


Do you have any details? Web addresses/telephone numbers so that I can
"investigate further"? Send a PM to me if necessary. Thanks for this
information - it MAY be quite useful...'

Use google groups to search this usenet group for sat phones. They are
discussed regularly.

Is a satellite phone really necessary? It is not all that remote you know.
We travelled along the Burketown/Roper Bar road (Savannah) last year.
Although there was not a lot of traffic even on the quieter days there would
have been 15 to 20 vehicles! I think a sat phone is just another burden to
carry. You arent going cross country are you Ken?
Kathy