Beasts in Jungle

June 23rd: Torrens Creek to Pentland – 51.2 km

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Day 253

Getting ripped off is always painful, especially when you learn that there was a better alternative. Just across the street there is a very small bathroom with running water, and a flat grassy area, we could have easily stayed there for the night for free, and the paid site was not much better. Such are the misfortunes when you’re tired and a hot shower sounds too good to think rationally.

If we were taken advantage of in Torrens Creek then Pentland was our redemption. A few long uphills and some nice long downhills and we were close.

As we approached we saw a couple of farmers selling fruit and stopped and bought fresh apples, tomatoes, fresh-baked buns, and a jar of homemade Rosella jam. The two men working there were sharp wits and we stayed another 30 minutes having a chat. One claimed that he was the more social of two and lived in town while the other preferred his farm. There was no town, and only farms. Their roadside fruit business was one of two businesses in town, the other being the caravan park. They also told us that we had crossed the dividing range, which explained why everything was turning from brown to green. Two other local men stopped by, one because his dog barked on our way by and the other was out for a stroll with his walking stick.

We hadn’t planned on staying at Pentland, but both agreed that if they offered us a good price we would stay. Normally unpowered sites are 18 but we were told it would be ten, total. She must have read our minds. We set up on a perfect patch of grass with some low plants to give us shade and spent the rest of the day reading and devouring fresh bread, and jam. We splurged and got two bottles of cold ginger beer. It was one of the days that everything was just perfect.

June 22nd: Hughenden to Torrens Creek – 88.4 km

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Day 252

It was cold today. Starting out we both had numb fingers and toes for a long stretch. At 43 km we passed the Prairie Motel, where we learned that you can camp for free if you buy a beer or a meal from the hotel. However right next door, east of the motel, there is a nice little public park with picnic benches, bathroom, and running water. It doesn’t say you can camp there, but if you are cycling, no one would say anything. Unfortunately we couldn’t afford to stop, as we only have food for 3 days and there aren’t any supermarket between the 240 km from Hughenden to Charters Towers.

For the first time we began to see groups of trees, along the roadside, what might even be called forest. Hills on either side of us blocked the wind and we began to climb gradually higher throughout the afternoon.

We reached what we imagined to be a plateau and the road runs incredibly straight along the top. With only a slight headwind we made decent time and arrived in Torrens Creek at 2:30pm. What is supposed to be a caravan park is no more than a dusty field behind a building. There are hot showers, and that’s about it. No camp kitchen or even just a barbecue, nor laundry and other amenities. I asked the owner if we could use a kettle or a range top. He told me no, they are for the restaurant, (which was closed) and the didn’t have them here and if we wanted we could just keep going and he would give us our money back. He knew there’s nothing out here and we really need the water, so we stayed.

June 21st: Richmond to Hughenden – 112 km

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Day 251

Some one was blaring music with thunderous bass in the middle of the night. It had to be some one at the public area at the lake. I finally fell asleep and then an hour or so later woke up to the same obnoxious music. I had no desire to get out of bed when the alarm went off. Today it was Cher urging me on, undoing the nozzle on my sleeping pad. Grumpily I started the day.

We arrived at Marathon Rest Area just outside of Richmond, and stopped for lunch. I considered spending the night there. We had only done about 45 km and it was early. Cher agreed that if I was spent then we would stay. We ate, and as I became full, the less desirable this dusty, unshaded, noisy, spot became. I knew that she wanted to continue on, as she was having an on day, but had agreed to stop since I looked so miserable. Not to be outdone by Cher’s formidable endurance, I got myself together and we set off for Hughenden.

For a short while it was hot, flat and boring before we finally hit some downhills and the weather cooled. Averaging around 18 kph, we rode parallel to the train tracks and received several encouraging blasts from horns of passing trains.

Continuing on we passed a herd of horses that came running over to check us out, and began galloping along the fence, keeping pace with us for a moment before taking off in front. For a moment we were an indefatigable diesel locomotive, and the next an unfettered horse. It was exhilarating.

With time to spare we stopped to get groceries but found that the main grocery store is closed on Sunday and only open until noon on Saturday. We were directed to a little basic market around the corner where we picked up some bread and canned goods. We found the camp kitchen at the caravan park extremely well equipped with a barbecue, stove, and an instant hot water dispenser. It was crowded and I quickly claimed a burner and squeezed in between a woman and a man who if I was a bottle of white-out, they were a bucket of paint. We made a small pot of pasta to go with pasta sauce and two fresh tomatoes, and sat down to eat. Across from us a group of four who made me look like a stick and Cher like a bug were having a mixed grill – steaks, sausages, bacon and the works. Cher whispered, we’re the only ones who deserve that sausage. We were quite hungry and we always have to laugh when caravaners talk about the wind and hills effecting their fuel consumption.

June 20th: Cher’s Birthday Rest-day Celebration

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Day 250

Rest day = feeding day. We get as much fresh fruit vegetables and meat in as possible on these days. For breakfast, yogurt with muesli and a couple of fried eggs satisfied our protein crave. By the lake there a couple of free electric barbecues and made bean, corn, zucchini, and spam burritos for lunch. Finally for dinner, pasta with spinach ricotta sauce, and a healthy portion of zucchini, cucumber and tomato salad.

Cher the birthday girl was freed from all her duties. She chose to spend the morning doing laundry and read the gargantuan book she’s been toting around for the rest of the day. I wrote up the blog. Finally for the first time we are caught up. Cher will have her work cut out for her next time we get to a wi-fi spot, as she is our website master.

Utilizing our phone, I called up the US bank and Hong Kong bank to figure out why my international transfers aren’t going through. Hong Kong banking is not like the US where credit cards are given out to teenagers like sticks of gum, and many of the HK atm cards only work in Asia. Foreseeing a problem I opened an US account, and transferred money to it several times. My US card with a Master Card logo works everywhere and even refunds atm fees. Of course now that we really need it, the transfers are no longer going through. Luckily we have about a month before we really have to worry.

Hong Kong banking is quite ridiculous with its security measures. They require a numerical code generated by a little key fob to do transfers and they mailed a new one after we left. Thankfully if you call you can still use the old one. When I tried to use my card here in Australia the atms didn’t recognize it and reported that my key code was incorrect and locked my card, which I can’t unlock unless I go back to Hong Kong. However, I can close my account by writing a letter to the bank with instructions on where to send my money, as long as I sign it. All hail the power of the old-fashioned pen and paper!

June 19th: Nelia to Richmond – 101 km

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Day 249

For the first time in 2 weeks we had a virtually wind-free day. It’s 100 km between Nelia and Richmond and we were determined to do it in one day, so Cher can enjoy a peddling free day on her birthday. However, we carried enough water for two days just in case.

We woke up early enough that even at a crawl we could make it in before dusk. Our fingers were numb when we started and it couldn’t have been more than 8 degrees C. A light headwind made it a few degrees cooler but we made up for it by pressing into and not dropping below 15 kph.

By the afternoon the wind stopped completely and the long straight road was no longer a boring stretch of brown grass and shrubs to be endured by a runway to take off from. Our speed increased steadily and before lunch we were a steady 16 kph. We did 70 by noon and after lunch we had a little tail wind and some slight downhills. Our speed increased to a steady 20 kph and didn’t drop until we were within 2 km of town. With our tunes playing and very little traffic we were both ecstatic. I actually shed a few tears of joy. Battling the wind is demoralizing but the opposite is also true. There can be pleasure without pain but it’s not as acute.

Happy lunch break – finally no wind!

Cher’s birthday is tomorrow and we plan to take a rest day to celebrate. Lake View Van Park is a great place to do so. They have grassy sites overlooking the lake but the view out over the trees tops is even better. We cooked a birthday dinner and had steak from the local butcher, a salad, a pot of couscous and a bottle of wine I’ve kept stashed since we left Mount Isa. Our spirits are rejuvenated and with only 400 km left we are looking forward to a change of pace and a change of scenery. We’ve heard rumors that after Hughenden, 115 km away we will have hills and trees along the roadside. I don’t know exactly what Cher wished for for her birthday, it was probably a van, but a break in the wind probably gave us both more than either of could have asked for.

June 18th: Julia Creek to Nelia – 50.2 km

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Day 248

More wind and open fields. Another slog, barely reached 10km per hour and felt like we had gone over 100 km when we only went 50 km. On the bright side the weather was cool and pleasant.

When we saw the sign for Nelia it was surprising that there was anything there. Just before you get to the railroad tracks turn left and 2km in, you are there. There aren’t any signs, just a lot of free range animals and a sign for a gallery and a post office.

Corella Country Stay is a work in progress, but the charm of the place, the animals and the owners makes up for any shortcomings. Inherited from his mother, Eric the owner decided to give tourism a try and has been renovating for the last 3 years. They also have a number of fowl, goats and sheep. We only met Sebastian, who do to his unique personality and subsequent naming has been spared the chopping block. Raised from a kid, Sebastian is more like a domesticated lawn mower. In between nibbling and nosing into anywhere he might find food he nozzles, and paws to be pet. We were told that he like to give “hugs” and that if he did we should spray him with water. After he was nosing around in my bag I gave him a shower, and he fled with his head averted and braced against a potential squirt. Goats hold grudges and later when I tried to rub him he warded me off with sweep of his horns.

Meeting Sebastian suggested goats as a potential pet and Cher getting to feed one ensured it. Eric, our host, prepared a bottle of milk and Cher simply held it while the kid sucked it down, only taking breaks to breath. When the little goat finished she snuggled up against Cher’s legs and enjoyed a good petting, before falling asleep by Cher’s feet. She was both cute and delicious. I did think about throwing her on the fire and wondered if we would be able to raise it as a pet and eat it later. Cher claims she would just send it off to a butcher, so she wouldn’t have to do it. I wondered if I would feel guilty cooking it up. Maybe we should worry about our cycling for now and less about the possibility of having delicious pets.

June 17th: Rest Day in Julia Creek

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Day 247

We ate well and slept even better. Julia Creek turned out to be a perfect place for a rest. With a large clean well equipped kitchen and free internet we could catch up on calories and the blog. Our rest days are only physical rest days and we typed and uploaded from sunrise to sunset and In between we eat well and cook nice big hot meals. It seems that with enough time, and food, we really could cycle through almost anything. It’s amazing what a few good meals can do for moral and patience. Fighting against the wind and distances because your food is running short is an easy way to burn out.

I often think about Nansen the leader of an expedition to the North pole. He prepared his ship to be locked in the ice for 5 years. Much of his early journal is filled with the meals they enjoyed and later the exercise regiments he had to incorporate to help his men shed the excess pounds. They were locked in the ice for 3 years, and came back just as healthy, if not a little rounder than when they left. We may not come back rounder but we are certainly feeling healthy. Western food is calorie and protein rich and makes for some great cycling fuel.

June 16th: Overlanders Way Rest Area to Julia Creek – 68.8 km

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Day 246

We waited till the sun came up today to roll out of the tent – it was windy as usual, and cold. Spending the past 8 months in tropical weather, we found ourselves shivering in 7 degree weather.

Cold and windy. End of our summer time.

It was another beautiful day. Seven hours of cycling into a constant 25 kph wind is hard on the legs.

We passed several open fields with nary a tree in sight. It was immediately decided that for our own sanity we would take a rest day in Julia Creek. Our legs are now quite resilient but such a slow pace over a landscaped the changes very little is a bit like waiting in traffic, on your way home from work. You’re tired, the sky is blue, the birds are singing, but you don’t care, you just want to get home and the more you watch the odometer, the less it moves. Right now you would leave your car on the highway, if it meant you could instantly be at home.

We both have had such fantasies. I fantasized about leaving my trike on the side of the road, grabbing my camping equipment, and hopping on the back of one of the passing trains. I even went as far as to tell Cher that the train was probably slow enough that we could jump on. She wasn’t amused by my unrealistic fantasy when she was trying not to quit. We normally keep these daydreams to ourselves when we are pedaling. They aren’t great for morale and the can also be contagious.

June 15th: Cloncurry to Overlander’s Way Rest Stop – 67.3 km

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Day 245

Winter is here and the cool temperatures make it unnecessary to get an early start. I got up before sun rise and made a small fire in an ancient cast iron stove and put the kettle on.

I invited our neighbor for a cup of tea. He’s 68, living out of a tent and travelling to billabongs and deserts to photograph the birds of Australia. I told him it was an interesting hobby but he corrected me and told me that it was “a passion.” He later showed Cher and I some pictures and they were professionally done, with every minute detail in focus, well-lit, and in poses that suggested something about each bird’s personality. When I mentioned that the Ravens here sound like American Ravens until the end when they made a noise like they’re being strangled. He knew exactly what I was talking about and called it the choking baby noise, and told me that birds have different accents depending on the region they inhabit in Australia. Bob left and Cher and we both agreed that we never could have imagined that we would meet so many generous, kind and inspiring people.

Our long slow morning put us on the road by 10am. It was still only about 15 degrees out. With more rolling hills and a little bit of a tail wind from time to time, we cruised at 18 kph. Although the roads are winding and hilly we now have a shoulder to retreat to when the road trains pass.

A sedan with three men stopped in front of us and like maniacs twice, each time they were kneeling in the street with large lense cameras snapping photos of us. Eventually we stopped and got to talk to our paparazzi. Who were these crazed men? All in their 70’s they were from Italy on a one month tour. We are by far the youngest travelers in Australia.

June 14th: Mary Kathleen to Cloncurry – 67.3 km

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Day 244

More lovely hills, but now with a shoulder and a tail wind! All morning we battled a head wind and suddenly it shifted and our speed went from 10 to 15 kph. We were under no illusion that this was the tailwind that contributed to the increase of speed, and not a miraculous feat of will power or strength. A lot of cyclists have ridden a seasonal tailwind and do a lot of bragging about their distance without giving the tailwind it’s due credit. I suspect that this made the wind jealous and he’s been taking it out on us.

There is also a new hazard which we hadn’t encountered yet, grass with thorns. If it weren’t for the puncture protection we would each have 7 or 8 holes in each tire. After pulling off for a bathroom break, I noticed 15 to 20 seed pods with 3-5 mm thorns sticking out of our tires. We took the time to pull them out lest they get driven in deep enough to reach our tubes. With only this last concern the day was perfect.

We arrived in Cloncurry, grocery shopped and set up camp at Wal’s. There isn’t really a camp kitchen, just a barbecue, a wood stove and a covered picnic table.

We made ourselves at home and prepared for an early night when one our Caravan neighbor Martin invited us to the local fair. He promised whip cracking, a demolition derby and fireworks. We declined and he insisted, even promising to pay for our tickets. In the end we agreed to go and insisted that we would pay. When it came time to leave Martin had borrowed two of his neighbors wrist bands and taped on our wrists, so we wouldn’t have to pay.

It was worth it. It had all of the rides and carnival games I knew as a teen but of course now 5 times the cost. Everyone in town turned out, even the local hotels closed early because all the staff would be going to the carnival. Crowds of locals in cowboy hats, blue jeans and pointy boots came to town for the show. Cher and I had been to rural Texas and other than the way the men creased their hats and the style of the boots, everything else was the same.

We missed the whip cracking having a couple of cheap beers, but made sure to see the highlight of night, the demolition derby. Cher had never seen one before and asked, why do people like to watch other people smash cars? I didn’t have a good answer. It has to to be something in our primitive brain that people in the country and children aren’t expected to suppress. I saw my first demolition in rural Pennsylvania when I was 5, and it’s one of the few things I remember. I was 5 again and things went boom and crash. Cher enjoyed it but being Chinese she enjoyed the fireworks more. Not because of the explosions, but because of the pretty lights. Myself and the cowboys watching it are probably more romantic than most Eastern cultures give us credit for. There were some great chest thumping detonations but the timing, colours and gradual build up were artfully executed.

June 13th: Mount Isa to Mary Kathleen the Ghost Town – 69.9 km

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Day 243

There would be a few nice hills east of Mount Isa, we were told. This was an understatement. They turned out to be otherworldly martian buttresses and outcroppings. Our road threaded through and around the hills and although it was a beautiful ride, it was quite dangerous. At many points there were no shoulders and road trains were unable to see around the bends or over the hills, so they stuck to their lane, which put us off the road. Cher was vigilant and saved me several times. I just couldn’t stop daydreaming.

Eventually we came out of the hills where our average speed was around 15 kph and we were back in the plains. We crept to our next rest stop, Mary Kathleen, an abandoned mining town. Wiki Camps still lists all the street names and the locations of the public buildings, though they were nowhere to be found after the town was actioned off and turned into an active cattle ranch. The owner is kind enough to let people camp there.

As we drove in, we could get an eerie feel of what was there, only a short time ago. In 1985 mining stopped and the town was razed. Only the roads and the concrete slabs remain. As there are no facilities, be prepared to bury or carry anything solid you evacuate. While we set up the wind howled around us and we made the tent fast with several large stones. We did our best to enjoy the beautiful sunset and to ignore the conditions the winds predicted for the morrow.

June 12th: Rest Day

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Day 242

It was humid, hot, windy, and dusty with some sprinkles to finish off the day.

The wind picked up and we met several caravaners who told us they were spending double on fuel driving into the wind. It was between 20 to 30 kph for the last week. It was a perfect day for a break. We took advantage of the cheap internet at Sunset Caravan Park and spent the day in the shady camp kitchen, typing and updating.

We received word that we will be able to pick up 4 new tires from a bike shop in Townsville, “The Bicycle Pedlar” and even a place to stay and a warm shower. We will be replacing our front tires, Schwalbe Marathon Plus’s, with the Marathon Supreme. It’s not as hardy but has less rolling resistance. My two front tires are worn through, and Cher’s left tire is worn from being on the rough shoulder. I will use her one good tire as my rear and her rear tire still looks like new. So far we have put about 12,000 km on our tires, mine a little more since I was able to commute to work.

I broke off from Cher, my Siamese cycling twin, and managed to do a little birthday gift shopping. I managed to score a cozy hooded fleece at one of the local shops and a couple bottles of wine. I also grocery shopped, and exchanged USD for AUD. Oh how nice it is to have some convenience. It’s colder than we imagined and we haven’t really acclimated yet, and it’s due to get chillier as we move south into the Australian winter. I’m literally about 2 degrees F. warmer than Cher so she gets cold quite quickly. If I can keep her warm than we will both be a lot happier. So I guess the gifts are for me too.