Day 257
It was a joyous day of riding – the scenery was stunning, and for once we had a tail wind to help us feel like superhuman.
We stopped to have lunch at a truck stop, and met a truck driver who confessed that the truckies had been calling us crazy over their cb radios. Which is fortunate because they’re giving other truckies a heads up so they are ready to give us a wide berth. We finally got the chance to verify the mutual hatred between truckers and caravaners. The problem is that the caravans travel at or below the speed limit to save fuel, while the trucks drive at or just above the speed limit because they are on a tight schedule. Combine some narrow roads and the fact it takes almost 2 km to pass, which must be done into oncoming traffic, and you have some understanding of their frustration.
After a long and thrilling downhill, we arrived at Reid River Rest Area at 2pm. I felt like we could have gone all the way to Townsville, but since we weren’t supposed to show up at our Warm Showers host’s place in Townsville till the 28th, there was no reason to rush it. Reid River Rest Area was great for camping, plenty of grass to pitch a tent under with an enormous tree for shade.
We took a bottle shower by the toilet. Once again, just as we were getting ready for the action, a couple of caravaners stopped to have a chat. Practically half naked, clenching a bar of soap in one hand and a water bottle in the other, we had no choice but to stand there and listened to each of their children’s hobbies and whereabouts. It would be a short day tomorrow, and we looked forward to some indoor living for the next couple of days.