Posts filed under 'Hervey Bay'
5:20pm at my campsite in the caravan park, sitting outside my tent watching the sunset, and listening to M.A.S.H. on the TV band of my radio. Overall it was a good day, especially considering when I woke up at 6am it was POURING rain. I can tell you that listening to the rainfall on your tent in the early hours of the morning is NOT a motivating sound. I did not want to cycle in the pouring rain, or even worse, pack my tent in the rain! So I settled in as much as you can in a one-person tent, and proceeded to read my book. By 8am it was still raining and so I was planning to move to a hostel for the day and at least spend the day inside somewhere. So I took a shower, and when I came out the rain had stopped and the clouds were breaking.
Hmmm, what to do? Well I decided if I was going to pack up all my stuff either way and it wasn’t raining anymore, I might as well cycle.
So I had a late start, but I finally left Hervey Bay at 10am. On the way out of town I stopped for a double espresso just to get the energy going and man, that kept me jazzed all day! I’ve got to do that more often. I did 25 km before I even looked at the computer! I was on a great back-road for the first 40 km, but unfortunately I had no choice but to take Highway 1 for the last 30 km. It’s only a 2-lane highway, but it’s the only road running north-south. Not the best shoulder,
but I think because it’s ANZAC Day (he Australian Memorial Day) that the traffic was lighter than normal. Just before I got on the highway I stopped at a fruit stall and bought a bag of mandarin oranges for $1. The 2 guys working there could not believe that I was cycling through Oz on my own, and they gave me their address and asked me to send them a postcard when I get to
Cairns. Pretty funny.
It was a miracle that the rain held off all day. I got to Childers around 2:30pm, and stopped in the center of town to have a look, although nearly every store was closed because of the holiday. I did stop at the Palace Hotel, I think the name was, where 15 backpackers died 2 years ago in a fire. The building has been restored and on the second floor there is now a memorial to the victims with photos donated by their families.
Continued on from there to the caravan park, which happens to be full of backpackers who are working in Childers as fruit pickers for some extra cash. I talked to one guy here who said the work is really tough and they treat you like a slave and the money is crap. No thanks!
Supposed to rain a lot tonight. Hope I don’t get washed out!
Distance: 71.88 km
Time: 3 hours 38 min
Avg Speed: 19.7 km/hr
Anzac Day Parade
Beautiful backroads
Wow that’s a sunset not to be missed
April 25th, 2003
Relatively easy day today, good way to ease back into things after a day off. I left Maryborough early this morning and was happy that the ride was mostly flat, although the road itself was crap with no shoulder and there was a lot of traffic and trucks, even before 8am. Twice I was run off the road by huge logging trucks ? not fun I can tell you. After that it?s no longer a relaxing ride at all ? I tense up and grip the handle bars and keep looking in my rear-view for the next offender. Anyway, I made it.
I stopped at the info center to get advice on where to stay, and I almost decided on a backpacker?s just to get away from the families and old people who stare at me like I?m an alien when I show up at the caravan park with my bike and one-person tent, but in the end I couldn?t bring myself to pay $25 for that when I pay $12 (AUS) for a tent site. So I?m the alien again tonight in this caravan park, but the people here have been nice and a few of my Aussie neighbors have actually talked to me today, so that was really nice.
Hervey Bay is a nice beach town with a long Esplanade, over 10 km of walkway, going right along the beach. It?s known as the ?Gateway to Fraser Island,? and everyone comes here to set off for their 4X4 excursions to Fraser. I though about going over to check it out, but all the Aussies I?ve talked to say it?s just a big island with sandy beaches, and I have seen sandy beaches for the entire east coast of Australia, so I?m not really too excited at the thought of seeing more beach. I?ve decided to save the money for a sailing trip at the Whitsunday Islands instead.
So the big excitement for me today was that I bought an AM/FM radio with TV band, mostly to give me something to listen to in the evening, and the TV band mainly to get the weather forecasts. I thought about buying a short-wave, but I have one at home already, and they are 4 times as expensive as the one I bought, so I figured I?d go with the cheapie and see how I go. The TV band hasn?t worked worth shit, but I?ve got lots of AM/FM reception and it?s been very exciting scanning around and finding stuff to listen to. Oh the joys of civilization! Got two new books today as well at a second-hand shop so I?m all prepared for some action-packed evenings in the days to come.
6:40pm now. It?s dark and I?m tired and I?ll struggle to stay up until 8pm. Listening to a radio program on the SARS virus. 11 days of cycling in Australia so far and 633 km of riding completed. Still quite a long way to go, something like 1400 km, but it?s all good.
Distance: 51.52 km
Time: 3 hours 2 min
Avg Speed: 17 km/hr
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: Finally I have added more photos to the site. I know I’ve been way behind and I’m sorry for that, but half the reason is the computers in oz are crap for software and CD roms. Anyway I now have NEW pictures on the site all the way back from 2.15.03 (in New Zealand) to the present journal entry of 4.24.03. To view, click on the journal button at the top right of the screen, then hit’Last’ and then scroll back to view entries with photo icons. Thanks for being patient and hope you all enjoy!
There she is
thats Hervey Bay
April 24th, 2003
And I needed it. I was tired and stiff all day so I know I made the right decision. And I got to check my email (finally) after nearly 10 days with no internet. Also got some more maps, more Panadol (Advil) which I expect to need on a daily basis -’Vitamin I’ as we used to call it on the trail, and I also had a chance to do laundry and service the bike a bit (tighten the brakes, etc). So I’m ready for more pain, I mean riding, tomorrow.
I stopped in the town shopping mall today and saw a funny thing – in the middle of the mall there was a guy with a pile of reptiles – turtles, lizards, and snakes, just as a display kind-of thing, and all the kids were crowded around looking at them. Yep, I’m in Australia now for sure.
Thanks mate for clearing that up!
I look shattered, need that day off girl
April 23rd, 2003
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