On Friday, at 7:30 am I headed off to Rocky and drizzly wet conditions. My old gloves weren't keeping the water out so at 14 °C my hands wre getting cold. I'd forgotten to polish my boots, so my feet were getting damp as well. By the time I got to Childers I needed a bladder break and pulled up under cover at the servo to the bemusement of a guy filling his truck. He was agog at all the flouro and my drowned rat impersonation. He confirmed he could see me coming for miles.
Turns out he is a Buel rider and gave me a heads up about the road works north of Apple Tree Creek. This confirmed my plan to go via Bundaberg, that and my desire to seek out a Bike shop with for some waterproof gloves.
Back inthe saddle I made good time into Bundaberg and fuelled up and got directions to the Motorbike shop. Found a pair of DriRider Rain gloves in my size, purchased them and set off again.
Just out of Bundaberg I took the turn to Rosewood and the rain stopped. It remained fine all the way to Rockhampton.
With my hands now warm and dry my damp feet didn't feel so bad, and the dry weather allowed the leather in the boots to dry out.
A few of the truck drivers commented on the flouro and were surprised when I responded on the UHF. When I explained I rode a lot in Brisbane and it was to get the car drivers to see me, they acknowledged I had suceeded, but one posited the hypotheses that maybe I could be considered a traffic hazard from blinding them.
By 4 pm I was pulling into the driveway at my brothers house and surprised to be glad to be out of the saddle.
After a great feed with my brother, his wife and two daughters and their kids I headed of to bed eager for the next day.
I woke 15 minutes earlier than I had planned due to an error setting the calendar in the phone, so I headed off at 6:30 am from North Rocky.
After the rain a few days earlier and the extra cool morning there was fog about which kept misting up the windshield and then clearing. the antifog insert on the visor came into its own with the visor remaining clear all morning. The fog made the start a bit hairy, as from within Rocky through to St Lawrence it is renowned for the big bunnies to be hopping about. By the time I got to Yaamba the fog had cleared. At Yaamba the Car park on the left south of the Service Station was jam packed with Motorhomes and Caravans. Thankfully I beat them to the road and had a really good cruisey run through to Sarina only being stopped by one cane train.
My brother had told me about a back road to semi bypass Mackay's Traffic Lights, so I took that turn and before I knew it I was out the other side of Mackay and back on the highway. Again I was fortunate when ever I came up behind a Caravan or Motor home there was either an immediate overtaking opportunity or a very soon after.
I kept on peddling and after 480.0 km (trip meter) from filling in Rockhampton I wheeled into the servo on the outskirts of Airlie beach at 11:50 am.
After wiping all the bugs of the windscreen, headlights and visor and re-fuelling I jumped back on to head into town. A dozen or so round-a-bouts later I hit the main street of Airlie Beach and rode to the Side-walk Cafe only to discover all the parking across the road was taken anf the nearest empty spot was up in the main street. No posted parking signs, so I asked the local store keeper and was informed it is 1 hour only.
So I set a reminder in my phone to remember to move the bike.
I went for a walk, found the cafe and waited for RTG, Mystic2 and Presh to arrive. After 15 mins I spotted a
on the round-a-bout and figured they weren't far away.
They arrived and we had a quick chat and ordered lunch. Got one of the wait staff to take a photo for us, admired the passing parade and the scenery and ate heartily.
The food we each ordered was fantastic generous proportions, beautiful flavour and and the tastiest Chips I have ever had.
Too soon, my alarm went off to tell me it was time to move the bike. I weighed up another hour chatting or the last two and a half hours back through roo country in the dark and decided it was safer to go early. Said my farewells and thanked everyone for attending and headed for Rocky.
On the way back I took the detour through Marian to bypass Mackay and stopped to check on a Harley rider who was looking hot and bothered on the side of the road. He assured me he was OK, so I took off again. On through Sarina, Koumala, Carmila and a planned stop at Clareview was interrupted by a lovely young
from Carmila who wasn't best pleased with my rate of progress and
gave me a certificate of un-appreciation. He took his sweet time filling out one small form
I was highly embarrassed as I could have, should have been using the Cruise Control.
So have been stopped I threw the stop out at Clareview and pushed on for Rocky knowing now I definitely face the prospect of Roos on the road.
North of Marlborough, while the sun was still up, I noticed a really big Eastern Grey grazing on the side of the road. That gave me quite a fright, because I hadn't spotted it until I was almost on top of it. So with the sun setting fast and eyes wide open, relentlessly scanning the edges of the road for the next hour and a half I rode into Rockhampton.
Up at 6:30 am this morning and headed off from my brothers place and proceeded sedately for home. was caught up by a truck and had a quick chat about the bite that had been taken out of me on Saturday and moved over at the first opportunity to let him pass. I then reset my cruise control and from Bajool through to 40 km North of Childers, I sat behind him and he would pull away on the flats and I would catch him on the hills. Where it got really steep, I overtook him and wished him a good trip.
Just south of Maryborough I looked south and saw whay looked like an imminent drenching, so I found a spot to pull over and quickly grabbed the wet weather pants. By the time I'd finished putting them on it was starting to get heavy, so I hit the road again psychologically prepared to ride wet weather all the way home. Two minutes later it cleared and I only copped a drop or two after that.
Just north of Gympie in the 90 zone I saw one Candy Car and
of the
. I suspect they may have been responding to a call from a driver who had reported on the CB of a white Suzuki car driving dangerously.
As I approached Gympie the fuel gauge said 90 km range and as I'd already done 470 km I figured I'd make it to Nambour and hoped I could make it to Palmwoods. Knowing I had the Jerry can on board I risked it and just north of of Palmwoods at 565 km on the trip meter the bike just completely lost oomph. 2nd stop to quickly empty the Jerry and then I had enough to do another 90 km. Anyway that was enough to see me through to Caboolture BP with enough to get home, but I thought I'd fill today rather than on the way to work tomorrow.
At 2:40 pm and 2,200 km later I rode into the Garage at home.
Would I do it again? Not in a hurry. Next time I'll take more days and do it at a much more leisurely pace. And I would have booked to stay the night in Airlie.
Am I glad I did it? Too right, I now know I can if I need to, although I think not having a head cold would have been better.
It was a long way to go just for lunch, but I can now say I've done it.
Thanks to RTG, mystic2 and his mate Presh for turning up. It made it all worthwhile.
Here's the map of my jouney.
