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Jesse Riley writes from the road in Australia

7 September 1998 - Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

We shuffled through this perpetually booming gold mining town (where 1% of all the gold found in the world this century has been mined) and headed out to the edge of the wilderness, completing the first segment of our journey on foot to Sydney, as part of the first-ever footrace across this beautiful and desolate continent.

As I write we're laying over in town this morning, finalizing preparations for the signature part of our race, a 1300-kilometre trek on dirt roads alongside the Indian Pacific Railroad, through the heart of the Nullarbor (a treeless, semi-arid wilderness) to the next gas station and facilities at Tarcoola, South Australia, a journey of 20 days on foot.

From there it's 120 kilometres to Glendambo and paved roads for the remaining half of the continent. We were the beneficiaries of a stroke of pure magic three days ago: meeting John and Dulcie Ray, proprietors of the Haven Campground in Coolgardie, where we happened to be staying.

John turned out to be a driver on the railroad, a fact we discovered while he was chatting with my brother, changing a burned out light bulb in our caravan. Moments later we were inundated with information, history, official charts and maps, which he graciously photocopied for us, and logistical support, such as a promise to drop fuel for us at the emergency airstrip in Forrest, Western Australia (640 kilometres down the track) and a detailed listing of the few watering holes and settlements which remain now that the railroad has withdrawn its permanent employees in recent years.

By the way, John shared with us a famous story about another wayfarer who used the Indian-Pacific access road for a tour of Australia. It seems that crossing the Nullabor on this track has become a counterculture rite of passage for young Japanese, individuals and groups, on motorcycles or even bicycles, in recent years.

One day a driver spotted an injured woman along this road and managed to get the train stopped (or else radioed back to the next train) to offer assistance. The woman was a very young Japanese who had been thrown from her motorcycle and broken a collarbone. She was frantically trying to restart her bike with one good hand when the rescue party arrived and explained that they could get her to a doctor.

In broken Englis, she explained that she didn't need a DOCTOR, she needed them to start her BIKE, and SET her on it so that she could forge ahead. She intended to drive the remaining route on potholed jeep roads with one hand on the bike. And they say us ultrarunners are crazy!

Below are some fairly detained notes from our journey so far:

Daily Notes

Day 2
August 9 - Only 50km past Perth and already the only good drinking water available comes from bottles you buy at gas stations and small stores, so precious is it. Already the traffic gives us friendly honks and waves, knowing that the only pedestrians on the road are trekkies bound for distant points.

Day 3
August 10 - Already sunburned by the mid-winter rays of Australia, we're greeted at the start by clouds and drizzle. Turns out to be the start of five consecutive rainy days.

Day 4
August 11 - Overnighted at Northam, the last real town until Kalgoorlie, eight days later. Purchased "swags", the innovative and uniquely Australian bedroll/tents, to use for night camping out in the bush. Fastest run of the race so far and the last of four "short" days.

Day 5
August 12 - Sunburned again despite cloudy winter weather. First day of 70km was hard for me mentally, especially early on. Heaps of good wishes from passing motorists during this isolated stage, including one woman who gave us each a bag of homemade organic dried fruit.

Our best allies are the road trains, another unique feature of Australian culture. These are huge, powerful tractor-trailers with up to four trailers (although they usually pull only two). They're armoured up front with industrial-strength metal to withstand collisions with anything that's unfotunate enough to cross their path. These rigs cannot brake quickly because of their size. The main danger comes from wild or domesticated animals from the adjacent countryside.

Most Aussie highways are unfenced, and it's often just a few steps from the road to untouched wilderness. It's impressive how utterly wild and unpopulated and exotic this country is. Between motorists the sounds of the jungle reverberate among straggly forests of trees that seem to belong near an African savannah. Brightly coloured birds and plants reside next to the road and small mammals, mostly unseen, lurk nearby under cover.

Day 6
No report

Day 7
August 14 - An early-morning dispute led to an adrenalin-powered start. Don powered through to the finish but I faded late in the day and we cut the stage short to avoid getting too string out for our one aid vehicle. Official times for this stage are near estimates because I was wearing the only official watch.

Day 8
August 15 - Camped out in the bush for the first time and learned a lot about running 70km on back-to-back days without a shower! We'll be better prepared for the Nullarbor after this experience, I'm sure. Didn't feel the slightest bit intimidated as we started out on this day for 189 kilometres without a town, including 126 kilometres without fuel or water available. So I think I'm starting to adjust mentally to the road. This was the middle of a three-day stretch where I had little appetite, as my body sheds useless weight (I was 100kg at Perth) for the long haul. I'm lifting weights regularly during this run (I brought 11kg barbells) to maintain strength and hopefully arrive in Sydney totally fit.

Day 9
August 16 - Drove 50km ahead after running to stay in a caravan park in Coolgardie, where we were destined to meet John and Dulcie Ray.

Day 10
No report

Day 11
August 18 - A low-energy "short" (45km) stage through Kalgoorlie to the dirt road outside town that seems to lead nowhere. We feel ready to strike out onto this road less travelled, and we're of one mind about what we have to do. I'm starting to feel now that we're a real team, ready to sacrifice for one another. Still, it's a bit intimidating to look down that long, red dirt road. It's just superstition, but maybe you could wish us luck. Sooner or later I reckon we're going to need it.

1998 Trans Australia Footrace - Officials Results

Stage 1 (Aug 8)
North Cottesloe Beach to Mundaring 45km (45km) 
Riley     6:30:34   6:30:34   Winkley   6:30:34   6:30:34

Stage 2 (Aug 9)
Mundaring to Clackline (45km) (90Km)
Riley     6:53:52   13:24:26  Winkley   6:53:52   (13:24:26)

Stage 3 (Aug 10)
Clackline to 9km west of Meckering (45km) (135km)
Riley     6:16:02   19:40:28  Winkley   6:16:02   (19:40:28)

Stage 4 (Aug 11)
9km west of Meckering to 13km east of Cunderdin 43.4km (178.4km)
Riley     6:19:39   26:00:07  Winkley   6:19:39   26:00:07
(ran first four short stages together)

Stage 5 (Aug 12)
13km est of Cunderdin to Hines Hill (71.6km) (250km)
Riley     11:11:57  37:12:04  Winkley   11:11:57  37:12:04
(first regular length stage)

Stage 6 (Aug 13)
Hines Hill to 6km east of Carrabin (70km) (320km)
Riley     11:34:10  48:46:14  Winkley 11:34:10    48:46:14
(finish near "SC 60" mile post)

Stage 7 (Aug 14)
6km east of Carrabin to Southern Cross 60km (380km)
Riley     8:40:00   57:26:14  Winkley   8:30:00   57:16:14
(downtown finish/finish time estimated)

Stage 8 (Aug 15)
Southern Cross to 35km east of Yellowdine 68Km (448km)
Riley     10:18:38  67:44:52  Winkley   10:18:38  57:34:52
(finish at traffic lay-by)

Stage 9 (Aug 16)
35km east of Yellowdine to Milepost "SC 140" 72km (520km)
Riley     11:11:20  78:56:12  Winkley   11:11:20  78:46:12

Stage 10 (Aug 17)
Milepost "SC 140" to 21km east of Coolgardie 70km (590km)
Riley     11:11:16  90:07:28  Winkley   11:11:16  89:57:28

Stage 11 (Aug 18)
21km east of Coolgardie to "Grid" sign (first one) 43km (633km)
Riley     7:05:55   97:13:23  Winkley   7:05:55   97:03:23
(start of two short stages to prepare for wilderness)

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