August 1st: Matilda Rest Area to Yandina – 48.72 km
Day 292
Cher’s knee is feeling better but we decided not to push it even though the Glass House Mountains are only 98 km away. Taking a winding route we had a pleasant day. Only one motorists blared their horn at us. We’re not sure if this is just because we are trikes and have a wider profile than a 2 wheeled bike or if motorists around big cities are more aggressive. Most likely it’s a combination of the two. However, we do see motorists we always put one wheel in the dirt and keep the other on the road, so we take up about the same space and we have the benefit that we don’t swerve. Not having to balance we are able to hold a perfectly straight line easily. Perhaps the world isn’t read for trikes… for adults…on highways.
Nevertheless our day was pleasant and cool. Brown’s Creek Rest Area just outside of Yandina was grassy, had taps with potable water and a composting toilet. One of many free rest areas in the more rural areas there were several caravans and a couple of long-term residents, who appeared to be modern-day gypsies camping in the area. While Cher and I took our hobo shower at the taps, by soaping up in our running shorts and then rinsing with our water bottles we met a man by the name of Cole.
Slightly tipsy Cole informed us that he was celebrating the completion of cooking school and was heading off to Southeast Asia to learn about the cuisine there. Proudly 58 years old, he announced that he had raised 3 responsible level-headed children and that the secret was, no secrets. No conversations were taboo. That’s it. He plans on opening a retreat where urbanites can get away. Cole gave us the whole run down and a great talker we knew his life story before bed time, which is just after the sun sets. It’s going to be strange returning to the real world where we don’t have the advantage of riding trikes to meet so many people. In sum the trikes have probably drawn ten times more positive attention than negative.
We do hope though that people learn to share the road with non motorized vehicles. Where do they need to be that they can’t let off the accelerator for 30 seconds? That is an idealistic question, because really it’s asking that people be less self-centered. We are all to some extent, myself included. Maybe an acceptance of cycling will also signify that a Utopian society is on the horizon.