Another lazy weekend.:)

Lazyed about and read. Watched people leave and grumped at some that come close.
Will leave tomorrow or wed. And go to Stonehenge. Will be 100km of dirt. Been culling weight. More stuff chucked out. Still lots to go.
So do you have a route from Dalby to Brisbane?end of october, i was thinking of being further south. Will be warning up by then...

Megan
Xx

Mud in Isisford

Made Isisford yesterday morning. The road here seems to be uphill all the way! I might even go back to Blackall just for the downhill coast.
Mail only comes here 3 times a week. The place is almost a ghost town, except for the grey nomads. $2 a night, $10 a week camping with a hot shower. I'm told some stay so long, they grow gardens. Cause when the heat arrives they all leave.
It was cold yesterday. I had to set up tent and get in to warm up. Then it started raining. A very reluctant post of rain. Not alot, but enough to dampen everything. When i left the tent, i made my introduction to the local mud.
I've known chewing gum that sticks less! I get 2 inch platform thongs walking ten meters. Thong straps are straining. Crickey. Haven't tried to ride in this. Going to stay here the week and hope it dries up. Birdsville track is closed- to much rain. So that rules that out for now. Need to see where next.

Sand surfing to Blackall

Got the itch Sunday lunchtime and decided to move on. After wavering a bit, i took the back road which ended up having about 60km of sand.
Some times were good. Cruising along on the edge of a sand ridge, sliding down slightly cushioning out the corrugations. Grab to much sand though, and its wipe out.
Mostly it was hard work. Walking, pulling and pushing the bike along. I was glad when the sand stopped.
There was some hard clay bits. A worry if it rained. Lucky it didn't. But the thought did keep me awake. Well the roaring wind probably did more. I'd camped in a ditch- that helped lessen the wind on the tent, but not the spot to be if it rains.
Here is a short video looking around when i got on the tar again.

Rest time

My home for the next few days in Jericho.

Alpha and onwards

Alpha caravan park wanted $20 for a tent site a night. Bugger that. Instead i ate up. Rested in the park. Chatted with some locals and tourists and then pedalled onwards.
Snows bakery really bakes! So yummy.
The road is very straight. 2.5 hours of slow, into the wind, gradual climbing. Who said out here was flat?
Woke about midnight. Thought i heard an elephant.the park at Alpha had a sign saying no camels or elephants. I know there are feral camels, but elephants? Whats and elephant sound like. At night, in a tent in the middle of nowhere it sounded like one to me. A few sleepless hours wondering, before i drifted off into sleep.
The lady at the shop in Jericho said it was likely a bull or deer. There aren't any elephants loose that she knows of.
Jericho is nice. Small and friendly. Going to stay here a few days for the rain to pass. And do voting here.

Alpha

Surprisingly lots of hills out here. Also lots of grey nomads. Some take there whole house with them!
Have ditched about 10kg of stuff and the bike is noticeably lighter now. Still more that can go.
Some grub has chewed holes in my tent! Hope it got a belly ache! Need to patch them as rain is forecast.

End of prospecting

Well that's over. Time to start pedalling again. Here are some shots from camp.
It was interesting. Not sure if i'll do it again. Its hard work. Either walking bent over to see the stones or digging and washing dirt.
In the end its all just colored glass to me. Bits of rock.
I didn't cull stuff yet, so have a big load still.:(

Prospecting

I'm prospecting from a top secret location, along with dozens of other people. Can't say its that remote, what with mobile coverage.
Prospecting is a lot like fishing. Lots of time in the sun. Nothing happening pretty much most of the time. Rare bursts of excitement. Its also like looking for a needle in a hay stack. Looking for tiny bits of glass like rock, amongst other rocks and broken glass. Yeah, there's a fair bit of broken glass out here of the beer bottle type.
I have found a couple of small stones though. To small for anything except to say I found them.
Unfortunately even out here there are generators running.
Most people are camped on the hill tops so the noise carriers. Being no a hill top also lets you find your camp again. Lots of gullies to go prospecting in. You can wander a fair way.
One thing that is missing out here is water. We had to carry all our water in. So our stay is limited to when that runs out. Probably this weekend.

beach bum

Hanging out at the beach right now. Its nice here. But to many people. You don't get to sleep to the sound of waves. But to the roar of generators and tv's. All the caravan crowd.
Hoping to move on soon to somewhere more peaceful.
On fishing- i felt sorry for the live bait and was letting it go. Stopped fishing after that. Tried to talk some of the other people into letting their live bait go without success.
I'll eat beans.

On the road again

I'm off. At Rollingstone now. Going fishing tomorrow.
Riding after so long an absence was tough. Way out of condition. Lots of sore spots right now.
The GoGetter bags are to big i think for touring. Too much stuff in them. To hard to handle when full. And there is the temptation to fill them. Will give it longer while i think what to do about them.