Woke up in the middle of the night. Had a visitor, and he ignored my 'shoo' and stayed about. Finally I unzipped the door and stuck my head out. Just as he stuck his head in. We bumped noses. His was cold. Then he backed away and went somewhere else. Luckily he visited this night. The night before, I might have invited him in for dinner. Must sense when someone is hungry, and its safe to visit.
Next day I'm cycling happily along the road. The wind is playing with me. It pretends to not notice me, and I wind up the speed. Then it pounces back and knocks me down to crawling pace. I laugh out loud. Its such a beautiful day.
Later I'm staring in my own concert. I sing and my audience is happy. Well, they are not flying away, so I call that happy. I'm quiet good really.
The GPS shows its only 107 km, Longreach to Isisford. Trouble is, no one seems to know the road. I set of to explore. Four hours later, 45 km of dirt roads and I'm talking with Mark about the road. Lucky for me, Mark was checking the dams, else I was on a long trip back to Longreach the way I had come. The road was the old postal route. Long gone. Mark said I was only 6km from the road to Jundah. I decide to take that, and emerge 18 km from where I started.
All up the trip to Isisford takes me 150km. Longer than any option provided by the GPS or
map
.
But it was country. And no traffic. Just nice dirt roads, cows, sheep, emus and roos.
Arriving, I learn its a public holiday for the Barcaldine show. Nothing open. Oh well, tomorrow.
It's 2:30 am when I admit I'm lost. The moon is out, but it's not showing enough light to help me. My torch just doesn't have the power either.
The day had started so well. Packed and on the road early. I'd found a screwdriver, some spanners (imperial, left them behind) and a battery drill (still working). And I met Noel and Moreen.
We'd briefly meet at the Burke and Wills roadhouse. A quick chat, they where on their way to Lawn Hill National Park.
They recognized me stopped having a snack, turned around, and came back to say hello. What's more, I was invited into their (motor)home for a cup of caffeine, and one of Noels home made fruit tarts. Out off the wind, I heard about their trip.
Most roadside stops are me answering twenty questions, before I hear, "got to go now, bye". So was lovely to hear about their travels.
Whether it was the coffee, tart, conversation, rest, or dropping off the battery drill, I had good travels afterwards. As the sun fell, I passed a gate. In I went 100 meters to some bushes.
That night I didn't sleep well, so at 1:30 decided to get up, pack up, and night ride. No wind, it was cooler. Moon out. Almost perfect. I headed back to the gate.
By 2:30, I admit I'm lost. Can't find the gate. I've pushed almost a one km now, through two drains! I was only 100m from it when the sun set. Now I'm at a fence, I can see the road, I give up on the gate. Unpack the bike, lift it all over, repack, push through the grass, remembering Russ's Mt Surprise snake talk. Is it better to push through the bundles, or steer for a path? I push through the bundles making lots of noise to scare snakes away, and to avoid any death adders waiting on the path for prey.
On the road, I jump on. One turn of the pedals and stop. Unpack the bike again. Panniers on wrong side and hitting my feet. Finally I'm ready. Now I begin to doubt myself. Am I going the right way? The GPS doesn't completely clear things up. It's only when I see new road signs that I'm happy I'm going the right way.
Winton arrives at 7 am. I eat breakfast, look about. Very touristy. I don't want to stay. By 9 I've restocked and am rolling out of town. The plan was 30 km, find some shade and rest. But the wind died down! Oh, to not have a headwind. Then puffs of a tail wind. I had to keep going!
By 2 pm, the headwind was back, and I wanted to stop, but nothing to hide behind. Just empty grass plains. It was 4pm when I came to some bushes and finally stopped.10 hours cycling time, 170km. A big day.
I drifted off to sleep watching the tiny spiders on the tent mesh.
At midnight I awoke, to tired, back to sleep. At 3 I was up and going again. No getting lost this morning.
Later I regretted not starting at midnight. The headwind picked up with the light. The last 40 km into Longreach was very windy. But time passes, and I arrive.
Sitting having lunch, I notice I've more freckles. Arrrgghh ticks, not tiny spiders!! Time to rest, de-tick, and plan where to next.
I'd left Julia Creek for Kynuna. It was a cold morning, and I had delayed starting. Only 117km, no worries. Until the wind blew up, the temperature soared, and I flagged. Then to top it all off, in the hottest part of the day, the rear tire went flat! What? A new tire, it doesn't puncture! It hadn't. The tube had a patch and it had separated. Darn. Patched it again without taking the wheel off, loaded up, pffffttt. The new patch didn't stick. At this point I took the wheel off and replaced the tube with a patch free one. All this in the blazing sun, flies and dust. Not sure if the glue was off or it was just too hot.
With a new tube of glue, in the cooler evening I patched the tube again to keep for a spare.
Over the next rise, and I met a lovely couple with a camper trailer having a break on the side of the road. They topped me up with water, so I could skip riding into Kynuna, and head straight to Winton. A 10km saving.
Ended up camped near the road, behind a bush about 100km from Julia Creek.
I'm sure no one could see me here :-)
Another blusterious day. Lucky it's a rest day for me. Though, it's not as hot as yesterday, or will be tomorrow.
Sheltering with a magpie. It's been singing non stop; probably complaining about the wind. Or, maybe that I'm not providing any food. I've enough of my own problems there. The spare tire around my waist has migrated downwards. As the legs have grown, the appetite has soared. Stocked up yesterday for today, and promptly ate it all this morning for breakfast. Another shop is needed if I'm not to eat the cycling rations. Better do that while there is a shop. Next one will be in Winton, three long days pedal away. And more headwinds and heat is forecast.
