Monday, 10 Dec 2018

Late yesterday afternoon I had a very nice visit from a young German fellow Jakob who is travelling along the east coast for 6 months in a van and bicycle. He and I were the only two people at the campground. Then after I went for tea at the pub, just a pie and salad and a couple of brewskies, and after I had just crept into my nylon cage Jakob came over with a couple of ice cold beers and his own home made (or rather van made) toasted almonds. So we ended up talking for another hour and a half. Nice guy.

I got up at 4 and headed out just after 5. Eighty five kms along the Bruce Highway. The first couple of hours were blissfully quiet, but then the traffic became heavier and heavier. The shoulder was actually pretty decent and most drivers were very courteous

A little different from our signs, here the fire hazard is mostly varying degrees of extreme!

And I left the tropic of Capricorn!

The Marlborough Hotel offers camping, toilets and showers for all of $5. I set up under the big tree in the back where I also camped the last time I was here. Had a light lunch, walked over to the ambulance station to ask what the weird blisters could be that I keep getting on my arms and legs and other places. The attendant there figured it could be bug bites or too much sun. She suggested that even on these totally cloudy days to wear lots of sunscreen. Neither suggestion I find very plausible since I get them also in places where the sun don’t shine and that are totally covered by clothing or gloves, but she suggested a cream that I bought at the little shop. Amazing the variety of wares these little shops carry! I’ll also have to do something about all the little butt sores I’m getting and Malcolm suggested “Aussie Butt Cream”, available at bike shops, so that will have to wait until I get to Rockhampton.

I’m spending the afternoon reading and blogging at the pub and will have my evening meal there as well.

At the edge of town is this copse of trees with hundreds of fruit bats. You have to look carefully.

I took the highway today to avoid a section of clay soils that I got stuck in 15 years ago. Tomorrow I’ll be back on track and will follow the BNT proper again. Good, highways aren’t really my thing. But there was a little roadhouse just past the halfway point, which was nice for a lemon drink and snack.

Total 85k, almost 6 hours of riding time.