A Day of Two Halves

August 7, 2021

Wondai to Goomeri

Well that was definitely a day of two halves.

First Half:

1. Indulge in rampant bicycle envy. Yes, that green machine is bicycle!

I retired at 42and now I go on expeditions. I've paddled my sea kayak from the Gold Coast to PNG. At the moment I'm riding the Bicentennial National Trail. It's hard work but the fat tyres can go over anything. I did the Simpson Desert solo. I design everything I need for my bike and 3D print it. People say I should patent my inventions but I'm not interested. I'm just having fun."

And we thought we were adventurous!!

2. Cruise downhill along the bitumen bike path through pretty forest with birds twittering, kangaroos hopping, and water bubbling in creeks.

Have snacks beside the creek, just because we can.

3. Make progress along the map, all the way to Murgon.

Murgon railway station, where the local Men's Shed is busy restoring old rolling stock.

We had lunch in Murgon and started the Great Coffee Debate, which is all about when and how often we should spend our spare change on buying coffee. The GCD is as yet unresolved but will doubtless provide us with hours of robust debate in the months to come.

Murgon provided a handy park for lunch, and then came the second half of the day:

We've become soft over the last couple of days, rolling along on our bitumen surface. Well, that came to an abrupt end and we found ourselves slithering through sand and rattling over washouts and old railway ballast. The only thing still on our side was gravity.

Here be sand. Doesn't look like much, but it doesn't take much to make us walk

Here be rocks: old railway ballast still loose, sharp, and bumpy.

Here be gates, to add tedious insult to injury.

Here be creek crossings with gravelly down and push-a-bike up and water in the middle. Mud or rocks for extras

Here be epic bike picture, just because.

Thank goodness for gravity, is all I say! We rolled into Kilkiven where Roger impressed the Showgrounds caretakers by demonstrating the inelegant 'dump and roll' loaded bicycle dismount. They were so impressed that they ushered us straight to a site with shade and a fence upon which we could festoon our dirty washing. We even have a camp kitchen, or at least a shed with lights, a sink, and a purple toaster, so we are living in luxury again.

Home for the night: Goomeri Showgrounds. Where one of us may or may not have washed their undies in the shower and then forgotten them. Which resulted in the caretaker parading said undies through the caravans, searching for their owner. And the owner had to claim them, because she's on a bicycle and doesn't have enough undies on board to be able to lose any

Last but not least, and I know you've all been waiting for it so here it is. Livestock of the day: bull on the trail.

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Today's ride: 32 km (20 miles)
Total: 133 km (83 miles)

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Kathleen JonesSo sorry you had to work so hard this day. But you showed who was boss, and it wasn’t the trail.

Enjoying your journal and your way with words.
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3 years ago

Titanium PenguinTo Kathleen JonesThanks Kathleen! It's all good fun!
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3 years ago