Month: May 2017

We all ride into Townsville which had a charming colonial feel about it, and in no better location than by the sea. When we arrived at our first set of lights where there was a huge group of woman on bikes and i would have guessed they were butch lesbians.
I however recently got called a dyke by a group of young boys driving past me in Airlie Beach. It wasnt the fact, they thought i liked girls that bothered me, it was that they thought i looked manly.
They were right. Something has changed in me . When you are riding a bike, camping 24/7, eating only food available and not showering daily, only when you can, it makes you stronger, dirtier and rougher. More manly. On top of that ive cut my hair for convenience, stopped wearing make up for weeks at a time and am use to having one small bag of clothes and toilettries. Im a different woman to the one that started the journey wanting to take stilettos. Yes…i know, seriously stilettos.
So i guess i now know better than to make assumptions about the woman at the lights. They were probably just strong, independent woman on bikes, go them.

Tropical weather in what seemed to be a very neat and well maintained town. We rode up the windy road as the sun glistened off the sweat on the fit weekend walkers hiking up to Castle Hill. When we arrived in the carpark at the top we were greeted by a chatty motorbike enthusiast who gave Rob the questionnaire on his KTM and my BMW. Any chance to talk about motor bikes Rob will take and enjoy. Zorah and i slowly found a way to sneak to the viewing area and absorb the incredible 360° view over Townsville.
We spotted some lagoons and beaches and decided that will be our next destination after lunch.

We stopped into a nice seafood resturant ready for some fish and chips. By the time i returned from the bathroom Zohar and Rob had realised that we could order the same menu item, but it would be much cheaper if we got take away. Ridiculously both menus were insight in the same resturant.
So off we went with our family pack of fish and chips and gave the copious amounts of food a great crack. The view from our picnic table was one to remember with the lagoon in front, the ocean behind and the haze of many islands in the background. We walked around to the swimming area of the beach and sun baked for a little while until Zohar departed us to venture onto her next destination.

We hugged and said our goodbyes until our next encounter where ever that may be. Rob and i walked along the path soaking in the tranquil atmosphere. There was slight wind in the air which didnt seem like much until we spotted a bride walking down the grassy isle to her groom. They stood on the edge of the small cliff looking out to the ocean as the wind blew her dress and the decorations. It would have looked great for the photos and im sure they apprecitive as the day would have been very hot without the breeze.

We stopped and had an acai juice at a health food shop near the end of the path and anticipated our plans for the next day.  There was a festival on called groove to the moove the next day but unfortunately tickets were over $100 each not including any food or drinks we would buy at the event. Thats an expensive day for 2 travellers so we decided on a comedy show that night instead which was hilarious.

The next day did a slow pack up of our tent, sleeping and cooking gear and head into town. Went shopping for some groceries and whilst there i checked the location of the ferry terminal to head over to Magnetic Island. I had checked the previous day for times and they ran until 7pm. Today however whilst checking the location, it stated that ferries only ran until 4.15pm, as it was Sunday. I must have looked at the wrong day. I calmly showed Rob the location and said ‘there is a ferry at 4.15 lets get it’ It was 4pm and a 7min ride so we swiftly took off and followed the sign that said ferry terminal. Unfortunatly there were two, one on either side of the river.

One catered for passengers and the other for vehcles as well. Rob got off his bike and said ‘ill just check if this is it.’ My heart was racing as i knew it was the last ferry and tomorrow was a public holiday, no ferries tomorrow. If we didnt get on.. we would be riding to the next camping spot 1 1/2 hours north and setting up camp in the dark. Missing out on Magnetic Island. Rob would not be a happy camper.

He comes back out and says its on the other side of the river and points. We look out and can see the boat coming so we quickly speed off to the nearest bridge and get to the terminal just in time to buy a ticket and ride on. Thank goodness.
We take a seat upstairs looking out towards Magnetic Island. I say to Rob, ‘that was lucky, this was the last ferry of the day’. He looked confused, i thought they ran until 7?’ ‘I made a mistake and just realised looking at the location, not on Sundays’ He laughs, ‘that is lucky’. He shakes his head, tucks me under his arm and we look out at the horizon. Magnetic Island here we come.

The ride to Home Hill was straight and long. It was the longest ride we had done seperatly. We had a dissagreement at Horseshoe Bay over something ridiculous. Being tired and spending 24 hours a day with each other can be testing at times and it was that day.
I thought we were staying at a camping spot in Ayr so i rode past Home Hill until i got Robs call wondering how far away i was.
I rode back and met him at the public toilets in Home Hill which also thankfully contained a shower. I was physically and emotionally exhausted by the time i arrived as we left on an unessisary bad note, and it was warm. I dont consider myself a jealous person but as i was feeling shabby when i arrived and Rob was talking to a beautiful Israli woman who was also travelling up the coast from Melbourne to Cairns on a motorbike by herself. It was like i arrived in slow motion and this woman was standing there with her long beautiful hair that was perfectly curled, blowing in the wind. She had a short white lace top, some tight jeans and high dirt bike boots. She looked hot and i felt like poo.

I pulled up, took off my helmet, introduced myself and gave her a hug, more so for myself hoping it would wash away this ridiculous uneasiness and it did.
She was a lovely, smart, strong woman whome i was grateful to meet and get to know. Her  name Zohar, like an Israeli warrior princess.

Rob and i have a shower, grab some food from the supermarket and we all cook it together that night at the bbq and tables next to the camping area.
We woke up to a lady and man shouting at each other about the legalities of the ladies dog being off its lead at the park. It was over pretty fast but entertaining to listen to. How people get worked up so fast over nothing. First world problems.

After discussing the night before our plans for the day we decided to set off to some dirt roads. Zohar had spent most of her riding on regular roads where as we have done a lot of dirt tracks so we were keen to take her on an adventure. We had a look what was around and set off to Allegator creek. The ride was amazing with huge amounts of sugar cane farms and mountainous backdrop. We were attempting to get there via what looked like a dirt road on google maps and turned out to be a dry creek bed. We attempted to ride on it for a little while through a narrow gap in between two wheat fields. If we only had to cover a short distance we probably would have continued but we didnt and it was hot, so we turned back around and head to the main road. On the way i almost blinked and passed a town but had my eyes open just long enoungh to spot the most gorgeous, small blue church. The sort of church someone would have gone to around the 1920’s.

 As we road into the camp ground there was police tape and vehicles blocking a road, emergency vehicles and SES people everywhere. Apparently there has been a man missing for 15 days and they found his car in the camp ground so they have been searching a few days.
There was a helicopter that flew over in the cold night, apparently incase he lit a fire. The search was on for the next two days whilst we were there, probably continued after we left, hopefully they found the guy. Surprisingly it was a cool area and 13° c at night. When you have sent most of your warm clothes home thats pretty fresh. We sat around with a delicious spread of ingredients and put them into rice paper wraps with satay sauce and chatted. Zohar was in the Navy for 5 years in Israel. Everyone, guys and girls have to do a 2-3 year serve when they turn 18,  but she enjoyed it so much she stayed for 5.
I enjoyed her stories of life in Israel.
Tomorrow we are off to explore Townsville.

 

The ride from Airlie beach to Dingo beach was hard. It was hot, we were tired and hungover but it only took an hour, so we managed. Dingo beach consisted of a general store and a pub. Thankfully the general store was open and it had supplies for dinner and breakfast. We loaded the food in and head around the bend to the next town called Hideaway Bay.
Riding into town the houses were quite nice, mostly 2 storey, a lot of steel exteriors. We followed the road which turned into a dirt track with a lot of smaller tracks on the right leading straight to the beach. There was one sign at the end that said no camping so we didnt camp there, we camped off one of the smaller, harder tracks with no signs. Rob had to ride my bike in for me. Im not experienced enough with tracks like that yet. Not sure if we were allowed to stay there, but we did.

The veiw was beautiful, light blue water, islands out to the distance, rocks on the beach leading into the ocean. By the time we set up Rob was claiming he must have the flu as he still didnt feel well from our night out. I think it was the remaining hangover that we hadnt addmitted to each other we were still suffering from. Either way, he played the man flu card for the next few days.
We made some dinner and watched the beautiful sunset over the ocean. We had a huge sleep that night, we were exhausted. The next day we woke to the tide being much higher than we anticiated so as we exited our tent it was about 2 metres away.
Not the best idea when your in crocodile territory. We may need to be a bit smarter.

The morning was nice, a little warm but Robs ‘man flu’ had escalated as we woke up in a hot tent. We managed to eat some fruit for breakfast but as we decided to stay an extra night we went for a small walk along the beach hoping to cool down with our feet in the water looking for crocs.

I had a mission and i chose to accept it. Get food. The task wasnt as easy as it sounds. As Rob had to ride my bike down the uneven, rocky road to get to the campsite, it was now my challenge to ride out. He offered to ride it but hadnt yet managed to find the strength to get out of the hot tent. I planned slowly, walking my path first, and happily made it out of there!

I managed to get some sandwiches made and grab some pasta to cook. By the time i got back to our campsight Rob had left the tent and set up shelter underneath a sheet of ours with some sticks and rocks that he had gathered, holding it together. He was fragile, the shelter was fantastic as there was no other shade, im not sure how he managed to make it but i was happy he did.

We had seen a lady picking things off the rocks earlier so naturally i went to investigate what she had been doing. It turns out the rocks were covered in oyster shells. Rob told me if i was going to pick one make sure its close to the water as the tide went out. I did and like an excited child i ate it before thinking if i could. After swollowing it i said to rob can i eat it? Is there a freezing process they go through to get rid of the bacteria that im not aware of? He said google it! So i did and what came back scarred the bagebers out of me, i read ‘Raw oysters contaminated with Vibrio vulnificus can be life threatening, even fatal when eaten by someone with liver disease, diabetes or a weakened immune system.’
Obviously i had no idea how to tell if the oyster i had just eaten was disease ridden or not so i put together an emergency plan in case and told Rob about it. Just in case. Then i waited.
Thankfully I was fine but not game enough to pull another oyester off the rocks and await my destiny.

From Hideaway Bay we rode to Bowen and stopped into a small fish and chip shop called Birds Fish bar. It was located right on the water where all the fishing boats were moored. Lunch was delicious. The chips were so crispy and had a great crunch. The best fish and chips we have had in a long time.

From there we rode to Horseshoe Bay which was incredible. A small little bay with large rocks on either side. Absolutley beautiful spot. Next stop Home Hill.

We were advised by the lady working at the caravan park in Mackay to go to Eungella National Park but to stop on the way and have a pie.

She also gave us a whole bunch of other instructions so i didnt think we would remember any by the end. However, when we drove past the pinaccle pie shop on that sunny day, something said stop. Im so glad we did because they were delicious pies.

We rode up the windy roads to Eungella National Park and I am enjoying the corners more and more as time goes on. We get to a dirt track and head down the rocky, steep road, leading to a camping area next to a river. There are a few families still there as its  Easter Sunday today. Thankfully we spotted a whole bunch of loaded up cars driving back to Mackay on our way here so majority have left.

We picked a great little campspot which was hidden and secluded and it was right up the bank of Broken river. We set up camp and went exploring. There has been a lot of tree branches broken off due to the cyclone so the ranges have put them all in a pile for people to use as fire wood which was very handy. One night a couple of the neighbours decided to light it with a flair. The whole area has trees overhanging the pile so i was thinking of an emergency evacuation plan in my mind whilst watching it burn hoping it wouldn’t create a bushfire. I asked Rob at the time what he thought the measurements of the fire were and he said 6 metres wide by 10 metres high. It was the largest fire i have ever seen and as it was in the bush with no water ready for even a spot fire i was worried.
Thankfully nothing else caught on fire and it started to rain. We stood there in the rain still watching the fire like bugs to a light. The rain didnt put it out, just tamed the beast.

One of the days we went on a platypus walking track and spotted multiple platypus which is usually a difficult endeavour. Apparently the area is a breeding ground for them and they are use to humans and the noise where as in other areas they are shy and hide.
We went to another look out hidden away and it would be rated one of my top 5 nature views of all time. It was incredible. There was a windy road going through the middle with mountains on either side and the sun setting down the middle. Absolutely amazing.
We rode back to camp, relaxed on the hammock chair and listened to music.

The next morning whilst packing up i felt something on my top, touching my kneck. Rob had a look and i could tell by the way his eyes widened that it was a spider or something like that. He said “dont move, just dont move”
So i didnt as he got something to get it to it off with. It was a medium size, smaller than a huntsman, larger than a white tail. Enough to give a spider phobic or backpacker a good scare but growing up in a house with huntsmans regularly visited my bedroom it wasn’t too bad. Hopefully it wasnt too poisonous, actually thinking about it now does make me feel quezy. Next stop Airlie Beach.

As we rode into Airlie Beach we could see the devastation that had been caused from cyclone Debbie. Whole large trees had been uprooted. Majority of sign boards and road signs had been blown over completely pulling up the cement and lots of damage to the roads from the flooding. Thats what we noticed driving in. What we were yet to witness was worse. Large yatchs and boats washed up on beaches and crashed into board walks or pushed through the bush to the side of the road. Large tree branches were everywhere, roofs had been blown away, windows broken, carpet soaked and ripped out of houses onto there lawns. Its going to take a long time until Airlie Beach is back to the way it was.

The worst amount of damage we saw was at Shute Harbour. Apparently people in previous cyclones had moored there boats in the harbour as its all pretty well protected from the winds however the highest speed recorded from the cyclones winds were 163km hour. 17km off being a cyclone 5, pretty horrific considering there are only 5 categories. Yatchs were damaged all over the harbour, smashed along the bushy banks. We saw one yatch get lifted over some large trees by a 140 ton mobile crane as it was blown out of the water,landing next to the road.

Our first night we were in our tent in the caravan park Island Gateway. It was the first caravan park open after the cyclone. We found out it was due to all the local help they had received to get the place cleaned up again. Rory a lovely worker in the park told us that along with some great spots to see and visit. He was such a nice friendly guy who we chatted to whilst he worked. Another worker Brian also came and chatted to us, asking about the bikes. Turns out he and many other staff are from Gippsland, our home area. Brian was from Bairnsdale.

The first day we were tired so we got some groceries from another expensive IGA and hit the sack. It rained a lot through the night and as we woke the rain did not look like it was going to stop any time soon, so we made breakfast, put on our ponchos and walked into town. The rain was very sparatic. We took our ponchos off and put them on about 5 times. We got into town and had been in contact with some of Robs friends who had agreed to meet us for a late lunch anywhere we chose. From Rorys recommendations we went to the Anchor bar. A great spot overlooking the beach and the islands. Its also the only bar in Airlie that has free pool and a swimming pool to use.

After having a delicious lunch with Dovey and Margo we were invited to stay the night at their place and join them for a bbq. We had already paid for another night in the caravan park and could not get our money back but it would be nice to get to know them better and as a bonus get out of the rain.
We decided to leave our tent and bikes at the caravn park, Dovey picked us up and took us to their place where we had a delicious bbq and met there gorgeous daughter Amber. Rob said the steak was cooked to perfection and was very happy indeed.
Dovey is a great cook and looks like he really enjoys it as well. We had wine and chatted about Margo, Dovey and Robs adventures through Mexico and Central America. That night they invited us to stay the weekend. So we did.

The next day we went and packed up the tent and the rest of our belongings in what started as clear weather. As soon as we took the rain protecting cover off the tent it bucketed down. We couldnt get our stuff into the back of Doveys car fast enough and thankfully we were able to set it all up in the shed to dry. We got drenched.

Over the next few days we had delicous Tacos, made by Dovey, went for a beautiful family walk along the board walk which is their morning and evening routine not forgetting princess Lu Lu, their dog. Thats something i noticed that this family does different to others. There are multiple daily routines for relaxing family time not including the tv but always including princess Lu Lu.

One day we head to Coral beach which was a little walk to get to, through some bush. Amazing views with incredible shells and coral everywhere. I was surprised the path had already been cleared since Debbie made a mess. We were going to go snorkling however the water was quite murky. Rob tried anyways with no success whilst i kept my eyes peeled for crocks. Ive been told to be careful everywhere now. 

We all went to a place called Magnams that night for a drink and live music. As the other local pub showing rugby was still closed the place was full.
There was an older gentleman who would have had a few drinks dancing his way to the dance floor. He was in thongs, jeans,a checkered shirt and a floppy cowboy hat and my feeling was that he frequented that watering hole regularly. He asked the girl on the table in front of me to dance but there was no one else on the dancefloor. She said no. I was next, sitting at the end of the table in front of everyone, he put his hand out. I couldnt deny the man twice so up i got. I had a boogie for a couple of songs and not long after Margo had to leave to put Amber to bed.

Our next stop was Beaches, where we had some dinner and met a group that had been travelling around the Whitsundays on a yatch. I chatted for a long time to a woman named Silka from Iceland. She was beautiful with an amazing personality and seemed like the sort of woman that embraces life and all it has to offer, in all the best ways. She was travelling with her sister and turns out they are both descendents of Vikings as they have a ancestor website for all Icelanders. White blonde hair, blue eyes, what woman in Australia try to get from a packet. From there we ended up talking and drinking and visiting another few clubs/ bars. We mixed our drinks and stayed out later than expected. Dovey was suppose to look after Amber his 2 year old at 6am. He left before us and Margo thought he let out princess Lu Lu so she went wondering the street early in the morning only to find Lu Lu under the covers in bed with Dovey. Haha

We came in late and woke up Amber accidentally, more than once. Worst guests. We had planned to only stay the weekend but that was the sunday night and there was no way we were in any state to ride on the Monday even Tuesday but we had definitely overstayed our welcome. On Monday Amber got dropped of at Grandma and Grandads in the morning and the 3 of us rested our thumping brains. Waiting for Margo to come back from work i felt like we were going to get into trouble like you would off your mum and dad as a teenager. An unusual feeling i havnt felt for a while. We said sorry, she said it was ok but i felt like Dovey might have got into trouble later. 

On Tuesday we rode an hour up the road to our nearest campsite. As we rode to the supermarket in our still hungover state we realised it was a public holiday and closed. We retreated to McDonalds housing our favourite things, food and air conditioning. We took a chance and rode to the campsite luckily finding an open shop on the way. Yay supplies, we have food again.

Next stop Raglan Pub. There was free camping next to the pub so we head there for the night. The owners were very Australian, owning a cattle farm 600kms inland from Raglan prior to owning the pub. They use to send there 2 children to boarding school in Rockhamption costing them about $30,000 per child per year. I dont know how much school fees are normally but that seems a little pricey. 
It wasnt a good spot to camp, it was right next to the highway but they had clean showers, food, beer and wine. We met a lovely Swiss couple, Lea and .. ive forgotten her partners name (Oopps)who we chatted to for the night.

As we arrived there in the afternoon we chatted to another guy in the pub. He was a truck driver waiting for the “all clear” to drive his oversize truck to Rockhampton as strict weight restrictions over the bypass had come into affect because of the flooding. He had been waiting for 4 days. His truck was loaded with machinery to assist the road works further North.

We had a great night chatting away to the few we met in the pub that day. We woke the next morning to the sun blaring on our tent, it was hot, we were dehydrated, very tired and slightly hungover.
From the pub we head to Rockhampton and sat in McDonalds whilst we made a plan and gained enough energy and consciousness to move. So after only 4 hours and 2 McDonalds meals we were ready to go. Rob had organised us a cabin for the night which had air conditioning, a washing machine, a shower and unlimited drinking water. Heaven.
We both slept like we were floating on clouds, the difference a bed makes is incredible.

We liked Rockhampton but found it a bit too industrial so we head off to Yeppoon about 30minutes away on the coast. It was a beautiful little beach town with a fantastic foreshore and playing area for the kids. We had a great steak/fish and chips for $12 at The Spinnaker which is a part of the sailing club. Its a great lunch deal and super  yummy!!

From there we stocked up on supplies and rode into the gorgeous Byfields National park.
There was a few campgrounds at Byfields and due to the floods, 2 were still closed. We found a campsite which was secluded and we were surrounded by tall trees.
We went on a small  walk along the boardwalk which had been significantly damaged and had multiple friends visiting the camp including betty the bush turkey and larry the lizard.

Once leaving the campsite we went further down the road spotting to the general store which surprisingly turned out to be a cafe as well. It was like a mirage had popped out of nowhere, we were so hungry!! The owners were  amazingly friendly giving us tips and advice on roads in the area and the food was fantastic. It looked like there was a space for yoga to the side of the cafe as well. What an awesome gem hidden away in Byfields National Park.

From Byfields we rode up to Maryborough and it was breath taking. The grass was really green, there was cattle everywhere and we had a mountainous backdrop. Its was so beautiful. Definitely worth the gravel road adventure. Once back on the highway we passed a car and campervan that had sadly burnt to smitherines on the side of the road.

We arrived in Maryborough, grabbed a few supplies from a little grocery shop in the cute town which looked like it consisted of about 10 houses and a bowls club. Adorable.
We then rode up Mount Gardiner past some more cattle, through 4 river crossings, one which i dropped the bike next too. Oopps thick gravel on a hill, lucky Rob was there to help me pick it up. We got to the very top where we camped next to some Germans for the night named Peter and Loti. They are from Cologne and have completely decked out their van with such fantastic wooden workmanship for a bed and draws everywhere. They even have a wooden roof rack which looks really cool. Not sure if its legal but it looks great.
We watched the beautiful sunset, and were out like lights.