Melbourne

We left home right on 7am Friday. I pushed Gibbo to the side and ran to be sure to beat him into the car so as to not be blamed if we were running late to the airport. In the process of acting like a child, I tweaked my left upper leg. Duh. Karma.

We made it to the airport on time and printed our own boarding passes at the self check-in kiosk. We then walked to the self check-in baggage area where Gibbo checked his bag in and off it went. He then proceeded to press nearly every button in rapid succession to try to check my bag in, using his ticket barcode and electronic baggage tag. We had a small difference of opinion at this point (yes, unusual I know) and I told him to step away from the machine. I then calmly scanned my boarding pass, put the bag on the scales with the electronic tag clearly pointing toward the scanner - and off the bag sailed down the chute, headed for Melbourne. I don't know what comes over him in an airport - he appears to go into a mild panic, wants to rush the whole process, starts pressing lots of buttons (he once pressed the Yes button to the question "Are you carrying dangerous or flammable goods?") and REALLY stresses me out.

We didn't manage to get seats together but that was ok. I was sandwiched in between two men; one was correcting a paper on "the effect of energy waves in drilling machines" or something equally as riveting-I couldn't make head nor tail of it-and a young athletic looking man with nice skin and a bald head. He had the rather annoying habit of occasionally jiggling his left leg. Those people close to me know that a jiggling leg or toe causes an immediate reaction in me - I tend to call out STOP JIGGLING at regular intervals. Of course this wasn't appropriate behaviour to display on a plane full of people; I had thought, momentarily, of grabbing his left leg just above the knee so as to stop the movement but I thought that this also might not be appropriate behaviour to display on a plane (or anywhere else for that matter). He may have thought I was letting my inner cougar loose. So I just sat there and tried to concentrate on reading the paper, eating my sandwich, drinking my cup of tea and resting.

We landed in Melbourne and, once clear of the terminal, were accosted by Dodgy Bros Inc who I'm sure ran some sort of scam to divert unwary (or in our case, gullible) travellers away from the regular taxi service and into their own small fleet of unmarked taxis. They saw Gibbo coming a mile away. We were with two other people who work for a company known to wear pink shirts so the four of us climbed in and headed for our hotel opposite the MCG.

We booked in and headed to our room on the 20th (top) floor. Gibbo went to meetings, I walked to the city centre and spent a couple of hours wandering, taking photos and soaking up the atmosphere.

I spent a large amount of time in a 200m stretch where there were 8 or 9 camping/outdoor shops. After checking out the range of shoes in every shop I went back to Paddy Palins and bought a new pair of walking shoes - the Merrell Siren Sport Gore-Tex XCR. They have turned out to be a very comfortable shoe.

I made my way back to the hotel where we had a few stressful moments when Gibbo's presentation wouldn't open on the laptop. Eventually, everything worked out. We headed to the cocktail party which lived up to it's usual standard and when it finished we went downstairs for a couple of drinks then headed off to bed.

I walked to the Yarra on Saturday morning and watched the rowers row. There was a pooch having a wonderful time chasing ducks on his own until a new friend came along. They had a wonderful time together and I stood and watched them for ages.

I intended heading back to the camping stores to buy a new beanie but on the way I walked through an arcade and saw a sign on a hairdresser window that said "no appointment necessary". As it's been nine months since I had a haircut I thought I'd take the time to get a trim. Mario, my stylist, was a very polite man. He sat me in the chair, looked at my hair ends, said my hair was far too long for my face shape (my hair should sit just under my chinline) and sent me off to the basin for a shampoo. Ninety-two dollars later I felt and looked like a new and younger woman (Mario agreed, politely again). I then went next door and had an eyebrow wax just to finish off the transformation. I didn't end up buying a new beanie - didn't want to ruin my new look.

On the way back to the hotel I passed the jeans shop where I buy the only brand of jeans I really like; so in I went and walked out ten minutes later with a new pair of Riders Bumsters. New jeans, new walking shoes and a new look; what more did I need?

I soaked in the bath when I got back then had a little sleep before getting ready for the dinner. I became official photographer during the evening and traipsed around all the tables with Gibbo taking photos of different groups as well as the guest speaker. One of the pics was used on a beef news website on Tuesday morning.

Next morning we drove with S&A to a fullblood wagyu operation two hours north of Melbourne where we had morning tea, a farm walk/talk and lunch. Then we left with J&R and drove to another smaller fullblood operation, then on to Echuca. We had a quick look at the river and paddleboats then went to our motel; we had a delicious dinner at a local restaurant at the port. R and I had the pork; J had the fish and Gibbo had the duck.........not a piece of beef in sight..........almost a first I'd say.

Returning to Regular Programming

I have just finished adding all the photos to the nine days of riding. Have a look.

The last three days have been really hectic, catching up on work and emails, getting ready for end of month (again, so quickly?) and preparing data and a presentation for the wagyu conference. I've also been anxious to update sliprail and catch up on my 365 - although it won't take long as I'll just paste the maps and a few photos from the nine days of riding.

In other news, Meg had a rather disastrous camping experience at Oktoberfest and nearly floated away on her mattress! Total opposite to my recent camping experience. I'm not sure now that I'll ever get her into a tent again! We finally caught up with her tonight, on skype, now that she's back in London and has access to the internet again. She heads to Bristol tomorrow to stay with Chris's relatives.

Drew has been to Montreal and now begins the rather large task of completing all the paperwork for his Students on Ice trip. There's a lot to do!

Mandy had a little boy on Monday - Harry Kenneth R, 9lb 1oz.

The Spring weather (and my ride) has improved my outlook and I'm looking forward to getting back into the permaculture garden now that Winter (and her moods) are gone. I once had a friend who said she used to struggle a bit through the Winter; perhaps I'm the same.

I'm looking forward to our Melbourne trip mainly because we're heading to Echuca on the Sunday for a one night stay (sandwiched in between a farm walk and two feedlot visits). I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO TO ECHUCA (I even had visions of going there and staying before I met Gibbo) and now that little dream is coming true for me. I love the vision of the paddleboats on the mighty Murray; I made sure the motel I booked was really close to the port so I can slip down in the early morning and take photos. Who knows, I might even skip the second feedlot visit and treat myself to a little trip on a paddleboat!

Day 9 - Rosewood to Brisbane

Woke up at 4 and couldn't go back to sleep. I got away at 7.30 - it was a 52km ride to the finish.

Had a zigzag trip to Brisbane; we went thru the centre of Ipswich, that was scary with lots of red lights and cars. We wove our way through back streets, crossed the Centenary Highway on an overpass, were held up here and there by police and finally arrived at the end about 10 - and there was Gibbo, taking a photo of me as I came through the finish arch. About 2km out I had a few tears at the relief of finishing but also at the enormity of what I'd achieved.

We walked to the DFO carpark and went inside for a coffee. Ben and Lillie were there meeting Charlie - it was Lillie's birthday.

We headed home - I talked all the way, telling Gibbo all about the last nine days; picked up Coco from Mum's and got some milk, bread and cold meat. Came home and hung the tent and other gear out to air and started washing my clothes. I had some help.

 Chloe was the most (un)helpful of the three of them - can you see where she's jumped up to try to get INTO THE FLY while it's HANGING UP? She fell straight back down.

 And to top it all off, Bruce came for a visit. He must have missed us!

As the afternoon wore on I went downhill and now I'm so tired I can hardly stand up! Not sure if I could have done another day - well, maybe one more with no hills. Looking forward to sleeping in a soft bed and not hearing tent zips.

Tomorrow I head back to the office to see what happened during the week in my little world. We're only home for four days, then we're off to Melbourne for the wagyu conference.

I need another week off!

Day 8 - Boonah to Rosewood

68km to Rosewood. Went over the Mother of all hills at Cunninghams Lookout. Jump up 14%. Really tough; had my ugly face on as I ground out my way up and over.

Saw a black snake when I was riding with Peter. Rode the last 10km into Rosewood with Paula. It helped to ride with someone! It was really hot.

When we got into town we were met by a Police Command Post with about 20 police milling about. We wondered what was going on - and found out there was a bikie group, the Lifers and Deathers, in town for a tattoo convention! We were all bikers - it's just that some of us had an engine between the two wheels.

I had hot chips, sausage in bread, Gatorade and a shower when I got the tent up. The ground was really hard.

We had roast sirloin, chat pots, veggies, fruit salad and cream for dinner. Next year's ride route was announced - Gayndah to Noosa with the two night stopover in Hervey Bay.

The band was really good and I stayed until lights out! Unusual for me.

Day 7 - Woodenbong to Boonah

Ham and cheese muffin for brekky. 86km to Boonah. Two big hills coming out of Woodenbong then a rolling 50 km until we hit two more big hills coming into Boonah. Very hot and a very tough finish to the day. Got in at 2, pitched tent, had shower, had a meat pie with tomato sauce and a Gatorade then walked to town for a quick look around. Came back and had a lesson on how to clean and oil your bike chain. Beef goulash and rice, banana cake and custard for tea. Pretty worn out from the hills and heat. Hotter day tomorrow.

Charging my iPad, courtesy of Boonah Showground Society. It's sitting on top of the silver box.

 The view from my tent at Boonah.

 Back on the good side of the border!

Day 6 - Killarney to Woodenbong

54km to Woodenbong, a few climbs and some steep downhills, nothing too hard. Lost chain, back wheel not sitting in forks properly! Beautiful scenery. Sausages and baked beans for brekky, best lunch so far of chicken wrap, nuts, sultanas, cheese, crackers and juice; dinner was lasagna, chat potatoes, peas, corn, caesar salad, apricot danish and custard. Bought new nicks for my sore butt. Woodenbong hospitality was incredible. Had 2 kebabs for afternoon tea and a coffee and cookie.

Day 5 - Stanthorpe to Killarney

86km to Killarney. Savoury scrambled eggs for brekky. Got going at 7.45am - it was very easy just walking away from the Easy Campese tent without having to pack it up!

It was a beautiful ride to Dalveen where some local schoolkids walked down to meet us - all with honking bike horns. Lunch was at Morgan Park Recreational Reserve at Warwick. Afternoon tea was at Murray's Bridge but I only stopped for water.

At 29km there was a section of unsealed road for 8km ie GRAVEL! It was fine, as long as you took your time and picked your line.

The ride down into Killarney was incredibly exhilarating! From way up high the road curved gently but steeply and  I flew into town. Then I put up the Hintz Hilton for the first time on my own! It went quite well; I thought and it was pretty cosy.

Chicken penne and sticky date pudding with custard for dinner.

Day 4 - Rest Day

Rest day today luckily-not sure how my legs and butt would have survived a day in the saddle. I had a huge breakfast by my standards - an enormously thick piece of French toast smothered in maple syrup and a bowl of muesli with a million ingredients washed down with a steaming cup of tea.

Nev came to pick Kat up and they dropped me downtown. She left today to go back home to work the rest of the week. I had a ham and mushroom crepe with salad for lunch. It was very delicious. I caught the shuttle bus back to camp and chatted to Gibbo for a while. I feel a bit lonely now. When I find myself on my own I'm usually at home and there's plenty to do. I'll be ok once we start moving again and I get into the swing of putting up and pulling down my own tent.

Tomorrow's ride doesn't look too bad. It's 88km with the hardest stretch in the morning session. After yesterday I think I can nearly do anything!

Meg is heading to Munich for Oktoberfest; Drew had a very positive response from a Dalby business about sponsorship for Antarctica.

Day 3 - Texas to Stanthorpe

101km. Shattered. Too tired to talk. Rest day tomorrow. Update then.

Breakfast was scrambled eggs and hash browns. I felt a bit sick but I wasn't sure if it was nerves about the ride ahead or something else. There's been a bit of sickness going around the camp. Turns out it was just nerves.

Holy cow. I didn't know I had it in me. Sections of the ride were really, really tough. The pain started just out of Texas and only it's depth varied throughout the day! A man who was at our table last night shared some really good advice about riding hills and it helped me tremendously. He said to "find your rhythm, don't look up and, if you have to, get off and walk". If he hadn't mentioned "find your rhythm" I don't know if I would have made it to the top of each hill without getting off. I also used it as a bit of a mantra - "find a rhythm, find a rhythm" - and it really worked. I found my rhythm at about 8.2km/hr on the up sections- no need to race to the top. I was very much the tortoise. Slow and steady.

I used several other mental tools to keep me going including: counting - on the little bit hard parts I count to eight then repeat; on the really hard bits I count to twenty then start again; I allow myself to only look up every 100 metres - when I reach that mark I reward myself with a glance to the top then I watch my odometer again until the next 100 metres has passed - eventually, you get there!

Lunch was at 65km, then still more hills to get to Stanthorpe. The topographical map is frightening. The last 10km into camp took forever to pass; I think I finished the ride in my head at 90km so it took forever to reach home.

Some friends of Kat's have been staying in the EasyCcampese tents - they're the ones that the
volunteers put up and take down for riders (it costs extra of course for this option and it's a ballot system to get one). For the two nights in town they booked themselves into a motel so told us to stay in their Easy Campese tent. The tents get put up regardless, as they go up and down in a sequence - so to not put them up because someone isn't going to use them would throw the sequence out. So we used it and didn't need to put our own up after a hard day of riding. What a bonus that was.

We had another massage - I had my shoulders and neck and arms done. I was extremely tight across my shoulders. It was lovely. A long hot shower helped too.

Dinner was fantastic, just what we needed on another cold night - mashed potato, beef stew, beans, and salad; cheesecake and cream. James Blundell entertained the crowd but I was so shattered it was all I could do to talk to Gibbo and tell him about my day.

Hurtling downhill at 50.6km an hour, not pedalling, hoping a roo doesn't decide to jump out from the trees, is quite terrifying. Going uphill at 6.9km an hour, wobbling all over the road with the effort of it all, hoping you're not going to fall off because you're going so slow is also quite scary.

The Easy Campese tents.

 How 800 people all wash up together!

 Unlimited tea and coffee available.

 The food tent.

 The proprieters of this little van were run off their feet. They travelled with us.

 Epic Cycles from Rosalie travelled with us as well. They had a little shop that had every conceivable bike apparatus/clothing available for sale. Their workshop was out the back.

Day 2 - Yelarbon to Texas

65km to Texas; we were one of the last groups to leave the campground!! Breakfast was ham and cheese croissants, porridge, cereal, muesli, bread, tea and coffee. Morning tea at 23km at Glenarbon Lutheran Church;

 lunch at 40km at the entrance to Whyalla Feedlot (see-it doesn't matter where I go, there's a feedlot!). Salad rolls and a lolly python!

We got to Texas at 1pm, found our bags and put up the tent in a few minutes. I had a more pleasurable shower experience today - a cubicle to myself! Soon we're heading for a massage then dinner of spag bol, salad, mud cake and cream.

Our clothes bags!

 My tent bag - my old backpack that I took overseas 27 years ago.....still as strong as it was back then.

 Campground at Texas.

 Our tent is the aqua one.

 The luggage truck has spilled it's contents.

Last night was absolutely FREEZING - coldest night of Kat's life!! We had a lot of clothes on. There was a heavy frost this morning; I have some great photos of ice on our bikes. These pics are of the morning we left Yelarbon.

Today's ride was good; a headwind at times but I found a really good rhythm in the last 25km which was great.

I'm having a great time. We have a challenging day tomorrow, 100km with lots of hills. That will test us. The rest day on Tuesday will be welcome! Kat leaves on Tuesday to go home.

And today is my birthday! Messages from home and abroad (my babies) made my day! And my massage that starts in 40 minutes is from Kat, along with a hot rocks massage voucher for when I get home. I'll need it by then!