Day  33                                  Musgrave Roadhouse to Coen

Distance:                             108.23km

Av speed:                            12.2km/h

Total Elevation:                  871m

Calories:                             3374 per person

Weather:                             Mild start (mid 20s) before warming up later in the day (mid 30s)

Fortunately today we had the opportunity to kick start the day’s carbo loading with a hearty breakfast at the Roadhouse – weetbix, cornflakes, toast and drinks.

We were soon reacquainted with our old friend ‘the Great Dividing Range’. This time it was again kinder to us than our three previous meetings, having only one 3km climb of 8%, before spending the day on undulating roads.

It was also our first encounter with the deep corrugated sand weve been warned about and to our surprise we found we were generally able to ride through it by dropping the gearing and maintaining a straight steering line. We only hope this holds out over the coming 5 days, as we have heard mixed reviews of the roads which await us... some saying  its the worst its ever been, others saying its better than usual... given they appear to be such subjective opinions and none of these people have done it on a mountain bike, who really knows!

Our only problem for the day was Jon’s chain getting stuck between his granny and middle ring, fortunately applying a Macgyver technique of a rock and brute force, Chris was able to get it loose.

As the day progressed the weather warmed and we were pleased when we finally arrived at Coen shortly after 330pm.

Weve spent the afternoon buying groceries for the coming days and servicing the bikes, before heading to the Exchange Hotel (where Cornelia Rau was found fyi Aussies) for a feed.

We’ve changed plans for tomorrow and will not be attempting the 189km to Moreton Telegraph Station. Rather we’ll split that day in two and camp by the roadside, catching the day back up later in the week by doing Gunshot Creek to Seisia in the one day.

We’re unsure when we’ll next have reception, but stay tuned for the daily 160 digit satellite phone updates!

Day  32                                  Hann River Crossing Campground to Musgrave Roadhouse (103m)

Distance:                             81.03km

Av speed:                            13.1km/h

Total Elevation:                 165m

Calories:                               2075 per person

Weather:                             Hot (41*C)

Having survived the river camping ground with no sightings or signs of crocodilians being present, we set off early 730am with the hope of having another short day, to give ourselves some time to unwind and relax in preparation for difficult days ahead of us.

Luck appeared to be on our side as the first 15km of the day were the subject of significant roadworks, meaning that what would usually be a big sandy mess was actually a nicely graded and compact ‘road’ for us to dart along.

However, with the mercury soon rising above 40, the riding difficulty increased as we headed into the Nifold Plains. Only 10km inland from the ocean (though you wouldn’t guess it), the Nifold is a vast grassland with a healthy splattering of termite mounds. If it wasn’t for its inhabitants, it would have been an enjoyable experience!

Ahhhh.... the inhabitants. First, Chris was riding along close to the shoulder to avoid the deeper corrugated sand, when he turned a corner and saw a Brown Snake, with upper body raised and about to head across his path. Too late to react, he wet himself and jerked his left foot to the top of the pedal stroke.... crossing paths within 1m of the snake, Chris was relieved to see the snake was as scared as he was and darted back into the grasslands. Then when Chris went to tell Jon about it, Jon ushered him to the side of the road, having seen another Brown on the opposite shoulder. Here’s hoping our snake charming days are behind us!

The rest of the day’s ride to the Musgrave Roadhouse was flat and gravelly.... in other words, nothing too exciting! With the warm temperatures and little shade, our Champion Systems summer clothes were perfect for protecting us from the harsh sun... the summer sleeves are brilliant for keeping your arms out of the sun, without finding yourself overheating!

We were pleased to arrive at the Roadhouse shortly after 130pm, giving us plenty of time to eat, rest out of the sun and relax. Chris spent the time watching Source Code (a pretty average movie), whilst Jon used it to call home.

Later in the afternoon we befriended four blokes who were also staying the night at Roadhouse – Jim, Alan, Zap and Butch. Four hours later we’d shared many beers and laughs, thoroughly enjoying being able to relax around new friends and not have to think or discuss our bloody bikes!l A true highlight of the trip... plus for those who’ve always said that XXXX is like drinking water, you might be onto something, as we woke up the least dehydrated we’ve been in days!

Day  31                                  Old Laura Campground to Hann River Crossing Campground (12m)

Distance:                             86.27km

Av speed:                            11.2kmh

Total Elevation:                  109m

Calories:                             2001 per person

Weather:                             Hot (40*C)

After a restless night from intruders in our camp making all kinds of loud noises (cows, pigs and birds), we had a quick breakfast, grabbed water from the creek (we were told its drinkable!) and made tracks before 8am.

Fortunately today was a rather simple and pleasant day by our standards. Whilst the temperatures were especially warm, we had no mechanicals or major problems. The roads continued to be undulating and a mixture of gravel/sand.

The highlight of the day were the good samaritans who stopped us and gave us cold! tim-tams and paw paw by the side of the road... if only everyone who passed us was this kind.

With such a short day and pleasant cycling conditions, we arrived at the Hann River Crossing shortly after 3.30pm, giving us plenty of time to go for a wash in the creek (one person keeping a lookout for salties), before settling into our tents shortly after 6pm!

We soon found out that it doesn’t get very cold of an evening up here and we spent the majority of the night sweating and dehydrating ourselves in our tents!! Fortunately, we’re not having the same problems with dehydration during the days, as were able to prepare ourselves Infinit Nutrition sports drinks each morning, which we can then sip on during the day to keep our fluids, vitamins and minerals up.

Day  30:                                Cooktown to Old Laura Campground @ Lakefield NP (54m)

Distance:                             124.72km

Av speed:                            11.1kmh

Total Elevation:                  1078km

Calories:                             4095 per person

Weather:                             Hot (37*C)

With the best intentions of having an easy day, we woke at 6am despite being exhausted from yesterday’s efforts.

Once on the road, we set about looking for the turnoff to Lakefield NP which we had seen yesterday. Unfortunately, it turns out this turnoff is only sign posted as you’re going into town. Furthermore, when your heading from town about 250m after the turnoff is a big sign which talks about Lakefield, Coen, Weipa and Cape York and sets out if the roads are open. So, given that sign was ahead of us... we continued on.... for about 8km. Then we realised something was up and turned around and rode back. A very very annoying mistake! Although were sceptical whether it was really our fault!!!

Once on the right route, we travelled for 35km on sealed roads, finding a grocery shop at the end of it. That was pretty much the end of the luxury and we soon found ourselves crossing the Great Dividing Range again. Fortunately, each of the three times its gotten easier... but we’re well and truly over it by now!

This time it was made harder by the gravel and sandy roads, meaning that with each dip we weren’t able to build up the necessary speed to have a free ride up hill.... plus Chris was excessively cautious after yesterday’s spill.

As the day went on it got hotter and hotter and we were glad we had carried plenty of water with us, despite knowing we would be able to drink from the river at camp.

Jon also had the ‘joy’ of spotting the first snake of the trip. He tells Chris it was brown so we’ll take a stab that it was  a Brown Snake.

Later in the day as we descended the GDR, the road became like a roller coaster... repeated 5m inclines and 5m declines. With deep sand it was a treacherous road and Jon found himself on the deck on a couple of occasions.... fortunately at the speed we were travelling the sand was like a mattress.

 We finally arrived at Old Laura Campground at 6pm, using the last bit of light to have a wash in the river before scrambling to put the tents up.  We were then joined by our ‘neighbours’ Ashley and Khyalla who entertained us, gave us some tins of soup and built us a fire... what a welcome!

Tomorrow we have bout 90km ahead of us, with very sandy roads, meaning it will be another tough day. After being very sore in the hips from yesterday’s spill, Chris hopes the terrain certainly isn’t as hilly!!

Day  29:                                Cape Tribulation to Cooktown (3m)

Distance:                             105.93km

Av speed:                            8.7kmh

Total Elevation:                  1565m

Calories:                             4039 per person (but it didn’t take into account the 4hrs of pushing!!)

Weather:                             Hot (36*C)

After a quick breakfast of 2-minute noodles, we hit the road shortly after 7am... knowing that the first 33 kilometres would take in the dreaded ‘Bloomfield Track’... a road so steep and rough that many 4x4s make their best effort to avoid it.

Within 4km we were off the bikes and pushing them up a hill of over 15%!! Having changed the tyres we were cursing all the extra rolling resistance. You really can’t imagine how tough and difficult it was, we were barely able to push the combined weight of the bike and yak trailers (50kgs) more than a few metres before we were exhausted and needed a break. It didn’t help that we were in the middle of a tropical rainforest and the heat and humidity were stifling.

Unfortunately, about 10km later we hit another longer and steeper section. Only 2km, it was in excess of 20% and required all our strength to make it to the top before we enjoyed the downhill... until....

We hit the most famous section of the Bloomfield Track... an absolutely vicious 3km stretch with gradients over 25%. It was purgatory. Hell on earth. A place you never ever want to be on a bike... let alone one with a 35kg+ trailer behind you. It took Chris over  1hr and 30 minutes to lug his bike up that stinking hill. At one point he couldn’t even grip the road with his cycling shoes because he was getting down so low to push, so he resorted to doing it in his socks!

Having both ridden Death Road in Bolivia, we thought we’d experience the worst in hairy descents....well what comes up must come down and riding down the loose gravel slopes of 25% was one of the scariest things youll ever do on the bike. With both disc brakes fully applied, you were still moving and fearful that the Yak trailer would jack knife behind you.

About 5km from the aboriginal settlement at the end of the Track, a passing 4x4 told Chris that Jon had broken his chain and stopped to repair it... then about 5km later, Jon appeared in a ute and advised the spare had also broken and he would get a lift to the’ Lions Den’ up the road (about 50km) to fix it and await Chris’s arrival.

At this time, it had taken Chris 4hrs and 30 minutes to ride a mere 33km. Yep – less than 8kmh!!

It turned out it was possibly the best bit of bad luck Jon’s ever had. For the next 3 hours Chris suffered in the searing heat and humidity, riding over gravel/rocky undulating roads and getting blasted by 4x4 dust.  Exhausted from the earlier efforts pushing the bikes over the hills, sunburnt from his sunscreen continually sweating out and finding it physically impossible to replace the fluids he was losing, it was probably one of the darkest places he’s ever been to, but knowing the support we’ve had from everyone was about the only thing that kept him going.

Of course, the undulating road soon turned into another monster hill. The sign said 10%, but given it was posted at 2km long (but measured at over 3km on the Garmin), it could very well have been steeper.... it felt like it. The only bit of respite was when a cool old hippie bloke stopped to chat as he was riding down the hill on a girls bike and in his thongs... a very cool cat!

Fatigued and exhausted Chris stopped at the top of the hill to repair his left cleat as his shoe was getting stuck in the pedal and was unable to release.... a very very very fortunate decision given that...

10km later, having completed the descent and riding on small undulating roads, Chris was riding over a river causeway when his yak trailer hit a pot hole...it went left, it went right... sent the bike into a wobble... Chris darting left to right like a moguls skier... before the inevitable happened... one big massive tumble.

The most scared he’s ever been on the bike given there were at least 2 seconds during which the fear of a crash was able to play through his mind, Chris hit the gravel on his left hand side and slid for a good 4 to 5 metres... measured by the water trail from the sliding water bottles! Dazed, confused and in shock, he lay on the ground for ten seconds as the fear of broken bones or mechanical problems entered his mind... could this be the end of the road for the trip? Gingerly arising, collarbones, ankles and limbs were checked... all sore, bruised and already swelling, but none appearing broken. What might have happened to the left ankle if the cleat repair hadn’t been made is something Chris doesn’t want to think about!!

After a passing truckie figured Chris was okay, four 4x4 stopped and realised he was in shock.... tending to his wounds with some water, holding his bike and just generally being supportive. God bless the lot of them. One guy was adamant they should give him a lift, but Chris wasn’t buying it... not sure if common sense prevailed!

After  a false start where the rear derailleur was unhinged, he was back up on the bike and riding to meet Jon. Sharing a quick bite to eat, they then set off for the 25km to Cooktown.

Surprisingly, after everything thrown at us, we arrived a little after 6pm but before dark!! Wendy at the Cooktown Holiday Park was amazing and raided the first aid kit for supplies. We were also fortunate that some neighbouring campers were intrigued by our journey and asked us to join them for dinner, which was just what the doctor ordered; enjoyable food and company... a pity we couldn’t stay longer!

Chris then limped off to emergency to have his wounds cleaned and dressed, requiring 4 big patches and a shoutout of thanks to Nurse Rebecca. Meanwhile Jon serviced the bikes and fixed the problems arising from the spill.

Tomorrow we head off into the Lakefield NP and wont have reception for a few days. Using the satellite phone we will send through some 160 digit updates for you all, but rest assured, we’ll upload the full analysis as soon as we can. After such an action packed day today, we’re looking for a quiet day or two anyway!!!

Day  28:                                Cairns to Cape Tribulation (1m)

Distance:                             135.87km

Av speed:                            14.1kmh

Total Elevation:                  777m

Calories:                             4363 per person

Weather:                             Warm (28*C)

Having enjoyed three days of ‘bludging’, it was back to reality as we set off at 6:30am for the 130km+ trek to Cape Tribulation. Fortunately, the early start meant that we missed the majority of the peak hour traffic and we weren’t troubled on the roads.

Within an hour we entered the World Heritage Area of the Captain Cook Highway..... 19km of winding coastal roads with wonderful scenery – steep vegetated cliffs, golden sandy beaches and islands. Just before the Port Douglas turnoff we passed two French cycling tourists – carting panniers and kids in trailers... bizarre and what seemed like way too much effort for a family holiday!

The road then turned inland as we headed to the Cape Tribulation River Ferry via Mossman (thanks to the cafe for the discounted goods!). It was at this time that we found ourselves amongst endless sugar cane fields (cue Jimmy Barnes singing), many of which were being harvested as we rode past. The cut cane is then deposited in little railway carts, which are buzzed around by novel little yellow locomotives.

We were stoked to only be charged a $1 for the 80m ferry crossing and hope that the people at Jardine’s River treat us similarly next week... apparently its $88 per car there and the river is only about 30m wide!

After crossing the ferry we found ourselves riding through the Daintree Rainforest before climbing a very very sharp hill. Whilst only 3km long, it took longer than expected as we waited 25 minutes for roadworks to be completed, giving the lollipop man 25 minutes to hang it on us about how crazy we are. He didn’t have many kind words for the hills we’ll be riding up tomorrow (20 – 25% gradients!!!) so it could be a long day in the saddle. Fortunately at the top of the range there was a World Heritage Area lookout and we took the chance to admire the view and grab some shots.

The last 25km to Cape Tribulation continued through the rainforest, the highlight being the two cassowaries which crossed about 5m behind Chris... giving him some concern that he might cop a deadly headbutt!

We’re enjoying the beautiful Cape Tribulation at the local campground, about 20 metres back from Myall Beach. The awesome team at Cape Tribulation Camping have even hooked us up with a permanent tent!!

After lugging the dead weight on our trailers today, weve now switched over the tyres and inner tubes on the bikes. Gone are the slicks, replaced by big fat knobbies – which should see us setting a very gentle pace on the climbs tomorrow! We’re also doing away with the bog standard inner tubes and upgrading to super heavy duty slime filled ones – here’s hoping they do their job and punctures are a thing of our past!

Day  27:                                Cairns (1m)

Staggering into our luxury apartment a little after 1am, the start of Day 27 was a little hazy. Not so, the headache we awoke to later that morning!

Going our separate ways for the morning, we went and bought kilos and kilos of food  (we use the term ‘food’ very loosely...muesli bars, weetbix and dehydrated meals) which we’ll need to carry with us for the next 11 days. Whilst there are a couple of roadhouses in the Cape, we figure it's safer if we set off with the majority of the food we’ll need in case we strike any emergencies. Packing our little trailers again might prove difficult however with all the items we’ve added!

At 1pm we met Rob and Wendy again for a short but enjoyable lunch, before heading off to The Bike Man to pick up the steeds.  As we’d been made aware earlier in the day, the bikes had arrived in Cairns in pretty ordinary condition and so we’ll be rolling out with new chains and cassettes, as well as Jon having a rebuilt back wheel (with stronger spokes we hope!!!). We can’t thank the team at The Bike Man enough for all their efforts, especially given the amount of work we left them with and the very little time they had to do it! Fingers crossed our bike problems will now be at an end.

Now its time to pack for the final phase of the journey...

Day  26:                                Prof’s Place near Malanda to Cairns (1m)

Distance:                             77.59km

Av speed:                            17.4kmh

Total Elevation:                  478m

Calories:                             2907 per person

Weather:                             Warm (28*C)

As is now our Wednesday ritual, Chris woke at the sprightly time of 4:30am to conduct another interview with SEN 1116AM, before he jumped back into bed to grab an extra hours sleep.

By 8am, Rob and Wendy had fed us and chauffeured us back to Malanda to start the ‘short’ 70km run into Cairns. Like everyone along the route, Rob and Wendy were wonderful to us and we enjoyed spending our short time with them – so a very big thanks goes out to them!

The first 25km of the day were much like yesterday, underlating hills in the Atherton Tableland. Chris however did spot the first snake of the trip, a python of some sort... of course, it was flat and shrivelled and yet another piece of roadkill.

After about 90 minutes of riding we hit the sign we’d been hanging out for ‘19km of Dangerous Roads’... for us that meant we were about to head back down the Great Dividing Range and 19km of not having to pedal... a huge luxury after 3000km of riding!

Giving each other space to avoid the cars, navigate the sharp turns and prevent the trailers from jack-knifing and sending us over the edge... we were soon descending alone. Luckily, Chris managed to feel his phone vibrate in his pocket and pulled over to check what was up.... a puncture for Jon. Finding a lookout to wait at, Chris spent the time taking photos and eavesdropping on a tourist coach commentary.

About 25 minutes later, Jon arrived but no bike could be spotted... turns out it was in the back of a delivery van further down the road. Jon’s rear derailleur mount had snapped (we’d been aware it was cracked) when he was attending to the puncture and the bike was now unrideable. Fortunately, a passing courier had answered his distressed hitching call and offered to take Jon into Cairns. We said our farewells and continued our separate ways.

The descent was quite spectacular, with broad views down to the valley below. When reaching the bottom of the range, Chris then found himself riding through vast sugar cane plantations... reminding him of Jimmy Barnes standing in a burning one, he was soon singing ‘Working Class Man’ at the top of his lungs.

The last 25km to Cairns were on the busy Bruce Highway and it was interesting to see how little room the drivers were willing to give Chris. This is a little concerning given the busy but narrow coastal road we’ll be riding up on Friday.

We caught up again at the Cairns Esplanade before dropping our bikes off at ‘The Bike Man’ for a much needed service. The afternoon was then spent lounging around the pool and getting some rest.

With Chris’ dad and best friend in town, the night was spent drinking many beers and having many laughs with Bruiser, Mal, Keith and Sars and it was the perfect tonic to rejuvenate the batteries before these coming final days! It was great to see them and we thank them so much for making the effort to come and support us!

Day  25:                                Ravenshoe to Prof’s Place near Malanda (711m)

Distance:                             45.14km

Av speed:                            13.9kmh

Total Elevation:                   661m

Calories:                              1816 per person

Weather:                             Mild (24*C)

So it turns out a short day in the Atherton Tablelands is far from an easy day... whilst we only had 45km to cover, the road went up and down, up and down... meaning that our legs still had quite a workout despite the short time we spent on the bike.

Knowing we had a short day, we rose from our slumber at a lazy 7:15am, before heading to the local bakery where Chris had a breakfast of potato pie and cream buns! With all the climbing we encountered it turned out to be the perfect carbo loading!

Leaving town we were soon climbing gradients of over 7%, heading up above 1050m and passing a number of wind turbines along the way.

Unfortunately, within 10km Jon had suffered a puncture and we were stuck in the cold windy air making the necessary change. We were soon on our way, passing a number of signs identifying cassowary crossings... sadly without actually spotting any of the dangerous birds!

Having become accustomed to being given wide berths by roadtrains, we were dismayed to find that the local truck drivers were not as courteous and a number passed us with only 30-45cm to spare. Although it was likely a combination of the narrow roads and blind crests, it was quite worrying and we hope that we do not encounter it further during tomorrow’s ride to Cairns.

After 25 days and 3000km+, we also passed our first fellow adventure cyclists today – a couple riding south with heavily panniered bikes. As we were descending when we came across them, there was no time to compare war stories, but a friendly yell and wave was shared. Seeing all the weight they’d managed to affix to their bikes also gave us confidence we’d made the right decision in taking Yaks rather than the 7 different pannier bags they appeared to be packing!

At around 12pm we arrived at Malanda to meet Sars’ parents, Rob and Wendy, who then transported us back to the Prof’s farm about 20 minutes from the town. For those wondering, we’ve left the bikes locked up at the Malanda cop shop and will head back there to start out in the morning... don’t fear, no km’s will be missed in the UpUnder 2011 ascent of Australia!!

We have then spent the afternoon and evening enjoying Rob and Wendy’s company and food (not to mention the generous servings of fine german beer), which has proven to be an enjoyable ‘rest’ day. The techies may be interested to know that the Prof’s farm is solely powered by solar and hydro energy, so Rob has been entertaining us with his newfound knowledge of renewable energy!

With such amazing hospitality and food it will be difficult to depart in the morning (we can’t thank Rob and Wendy enough for another amazing break from the long lonely roads), but it will help to know that this time tomorrow we’ll be in Cairns readying ourselves for the final (and most difficult?) stage of our journey.

Day  24:                                Lynd Junction to Ravenshoe (915m)

Distance:                             209.36km

Av speed:                            16.2kmh

Total Elevation:                   1662m

Calories:                              7143  per person

Weather:                             Mild (26*C)

Rising at 5:15am in order to get an early start, we chowed into our remaining Weetbix (a lazy 8 each) and some 2-minute noodles, before setting off in the dark shortly after 6am.

The road for the first 30km was a single lane bitumen road and we were careful to jump off the road and into the gravel at the first sound of any passing road trains.

By 8am the road was beginning to gradually climb and we soon found ourselves up out of the saddle for the first time since Victoria... it appears this is a requirement for any successful crossing of the Great Dividing Range.

Before noon we had increased our elevation by over 450m and had commenced a descent back down to 500m above sea level. This was quite annoying, as we knew our destination – the Tully Falls Hotel – was 915m above sea level, so we were going to have to reclimb the difference again later in the day.

Shortly after our lunch break at 125km, the ‘regain’ of the lost metres commenced. Unfortunately, rather than one long steady climb, it was in the form of 20+ up and downs... with each ‘up’ becoming longer and steeper.

This continued for upwards of 50km, to the point where we queried whether we’d survive any more vicious rollercoasters. After a short break at 4:45pm, we set off for the last 30km and were pleasantly surprised that the final 200m of altitude was generally gained via a gradual climb, rather than more vicious undulations. It was also inspiring to pass through all the signs highlighting the WWII regiments stationed in these areas, which helped remind us how our suffering compared in the big scheme of things.

After 210km and over 1600m of climbing, we finally arrived at the Tully Falls Hotel – the highest pub in QLD – shortly before 7pm. An amazing effort given the circumstances and possibly our proudest moment yet.

 We’ve spent the night unwinding eating some ripper food (a sensational Guinness Pot Pie) and chatting to the friendly owners, Brendan and Selina. Knowing we only have 40km tomorrow to meet Sars’ parents means weve also been able to enjoy some XXXX and Bundy too!

Apparently the Prof’s farm doesn’t have phone reception, so once again youll have to wait 48 hours until our next blog...hopefully there won’t be too much which can go wrong in 40km anyway!

Day  23:                                Barbed wire fenced paddock somewhere to Lynd Junction (590m)

Distance:                             157.97km

Av speed:                            14.8kmh

Total Elevation:                  727m

Calories:                             4730 per person

Weather:                             Warm (28*C)

After a pleasant 9 hours sleep in our tents, we woke bright and early to eat breakfast and pack our bags, before pulling the tents down as the sunrose.

Setting off at 8am, we continued climbing on alternating red sand, white sand, red gravel, blue chip gravel and baked mud roads. There were even a few patches of bitumen to tease our backsides about what they were missing.

We stopped at noon for a quick lunch break and like yesterday, within 250m of getting rolling again, Chris’ rear wheel punctured. Making a quick change, we then had the stress that we were once again down to a few precious (but dodgy) inner tubes and a long amount of gravel ahead of us.

Dishearteningly, we then began descending (knowing well have to climb it all back up again tomorrow) and the roads deteriorated rapidly. We were now riding over sections with rocks packed liked oranges. To brighten the mood, some crazy European vanners offered us cans of Sunkist from their window as they drove past (before we repassed them later when they had their own mechanicals).

With about 80km to go the scenery changed and we rode through what has been the highlight of the trip – lush green grass, lakes and flowing rivers, black volcanic hills, white and black trees and hundreds of termite nests.  It was a magical setting to be riding through and we hope we can experience more like it up north of Cairns.

As we counted down the kms till the Lynd Junction, we passed through some significant roadworks which were being completed. It was quite amusing to try and pick why they chose this specific 10km of road to upgrade, when pretty much the whole 260kms from Hughenden had been rubbish! We waved to all the truck drivers, roller drivers, digger drivers etc, which turned out to be very profitable!

With 15km to go, we were passed by one of the roadworkers who told us to come by their compound for a drink on our arrival and they’d pass the hat around for some donations. After suffering up six short but very sharp climbs, we finally arrived a little after 6pm at the Oasis Roadhouse – pretty much a roadhouse in the absolute middle of nowhere. They must know it, as they certainly charge appropriately!

After enjoying a beer with the workers and collecting $200 for the PCFA, we’re quickly doing our chores and readying ourselves for a 5am departure for the 210km to Ravenshoe tomorrow.

Day  22:                                Hughenden to a barbed wire fenced paddock somewhere (822m)

Distance:                             105.62km

Av speed:                            11.7kmh

Total Elevation:                   650m

Calories:                              3261 per person

Weather:                             Hot (30*C)

It seems that the good times just aren’t meant to last too long (more than a day or two) for the UpUnder 2011 blokes. After an enjoyable and trouble free couple of days, today we were brought back down again.

Rising early we had to wait for the supermarket to open and we weren’t able to leave until a little after 9:30am.

The first 30km were uneventful and on sealed roads, a welcome surprise as we had the impression the whole 260km to the Lynd Junction (tomorrow night’s destination) would be unsealed.

At the 30km mark, Jon got a puncture, which we quickly changed. As the day got hotter the road barely noticeably began to climb and we soon found ourselves at the Porcupine Gorge (the 60km point and lunch break). It was a pleasant view and we soon set off, knowing that we hoped to get at the very least, 130km and halfway to the Lynd Junction before calling it a day.

Within 500m of leaving Porcupine Gorge, Chris had a puncture. We quickly changed the tube and began pumping it up when the new tube’s valve decided to blow itself to pieces. Third time lucky. The only problem is that we now only have two spare tubes (one with a slow leak we cant find and don’t want to waste water on and the other which has a split), meaning it will be an interesting and nervous ride tomorrow on the dodgy gravel road we’re travelling on.

After continuing for a shortwhile we jokingly asked a passing motorist called ‘Chef’ if he had any spare inner tubes, whilst Chef said no, he instead offered us the inner tube off the bike attached to the back of his truck. Unfortunately it didn’t fit our bike, but once again it was an amazing example of the mateship and comraderie were experiencing. We didn’t leave empty handed though as Chef refilled our water bottles - fyi as were camping out tonight were carrying 12 litres each for the next two days.

Finally around 5:30pm we called it quits and started looking for a place to pitch the tent. We currently sit in a little corner paddock by a little dip in the side of the road... here’s hoping John Jarret is busy tonight! Jon’s also taking the opportunity to use all the solar panel gadgets the Greener Group gave us to recharge our Garmins for tomorrow.

Today was definitely one of our more disappointing days as we now have 160km ahead of us tomorrow and the threat of being left airless, however with a lazy 10 hours sleep under our belts we should be ready to fight another day!

Day  21:                                Eversleigh to Hughenden (340m)

Distance:                             103.22km

Av speed:                            8.4kmh

Total Elevation:                  385m

Calories:                             3303 per person

Weather:                             Hot (30*C)

Waking rejuvenated after the previous afternoon and evening, Jon set about helping Roger release the weaners from the cattleyards on the 4 wheeler, whilst Chris dried the dishes and cut the lunches... no guesses who got the raw end of the stick there!

We were then off to a local property to check out the Royal Flying Doctor Service who were holding a clinic for the day. It appears delays aren’t restricted to JetStar services and the plane was delayed by about 30 minutes, before we had an enjoyable time meeting more members of the local community at the associated morning tea. Knowing he was going to burn a lazy 3000 calories during the day, Chris took it upon himself to carbo load with a lazy meal of 4 cupcakes, 6 pikelets, 1 slice of coffee cake and 2 Tim Tams. Lethargic for most of the morning, the moral of the story must be that sugar isn’t a premium fuel after all.

After sadly having to say goodbye to Jenny and Roger and thanking them for an amazing 15 hours, we set off for the Cameron Down State School, a small primary school for about 10 kids. As Fiona had proudly told Chris at the Muttaburra Motel, CDSS is one of the last remaining QLD State Schools situated on a working cattle station. We parked our bikes in the racks and spent an enjoyable hour chatting to the kids about our bikes, beards and travels.... we figured they had a few years before they needed to worry about their prostates! It was another amazing experience and we only wished we could have stayed longer... however, Chris did find the time to polish off 3 slices of orange cake to add to his burgeoning belly.

Around 2pm we waved goodbye to the kids and set off for our stopover at Hughenden. The heat seemed hotter today and it was tough going on the ‘horror highway’. With the bitumen in sight and having survived over 170km of the roughest road youll come across, Chris’ rear tube finally gave up the ghost and blew out. There’s something quite disheartening about having to change an inner tube so close to the comfort of a nice piece of road!

We finally rolled into town around 6pm and have enjoyed the hospitality of Queensland’s finest men in blue. With our own ‘barracks’ for a bed and a barbie and beers awaiting our arrival, its been the perfect way to conclude an amazing couple of days. We’ve also checked in with Coach Jeff and another podcast will soon hit the airwaves.

Tomorrow were riding ‘Up the Lynd’ and wont be contactable, so once again you’ll have to wait at least 48 hours for our latest tales and exploits. Once again we’re hearing its a pretty ordinary road... but this time with the nice disclaimer that its nothing compared to ‘horror highway’!

Day  20:                                Muttaburra to Eversleigh (181m)

Distance:                             106.64km

Av speed:                            13.3kmh

Total Elevation:                   218m

Calories:                              3309 per person

Weather:                             Moderate tailwind and warm (28*C)

Nervous about the road ahead, but knowing that we only had a ‘short’ 105km day ahead of us, we took the opportunity to have a sleep in until 7am before raiding the local Muttaburra cafe for food and water.

Setting off at 8:45am, we were greeted by a south easterly tailwind and nice paved bitumen... how good was this! Of course, after 15km the bitumen finished and we were riding on a wide gravel and sandy road. Fortunately, the sand had been compacted under the weight of the passing road trains and the riding was much easier than we had feared. With the strong wind we were making great time and life was good!

After a further 30km, we hit the shire boundary and were greeted with an ominous warning ‘Welcome to Dinosaur Country’. There could be no an more apt description of the new ‘road’ which awaited us. Black as mud, flaky like volcanic scree and radiating heat like lava fields, we now knew why the locals had given us so many alternatives for a route to Cairns! Whilst the riding was tough, we were fortunate that the roads were actually in good condition (that’s saying something!) and we were generally able to zip along on a small sliver of baked mud on the shoulder of the road.

This allowed us to reach the property of Eversleigh around 3:30pm, creating the perfect mix of a ‘rest day’ – enough riding to keep the legs ticking over and enough R&R to soothe the mind and body.

Eversleigh is a 45,000 acre Droughtmaster cattle farm owned by Jenny and Roger Underwood, who when asked whether we could pitch our tents by the side of the road, told us ‘no, but we were more than welcome to have a bed and spend the night with them’. From the smiles on our faces tonight, its clear our stay with them has been the highlight of our trip. They welcomed us in to their home and lavished us with food and gave us great insights into this part of Australia and the issues its currently facing. We even had an opportunity to share a beer with them in their cattleyards to watch the  sunset amongst 300 weaners!! A thrill which will be difficult to beat and we look forward to being able to upload some photos to the facebook group from Cairns.

As rest days come, this was as good as they get.

Distance:                             152.54km

Av speed:                            10.8kmh (it was a strong wind okay!!)

Total Elevation:                   493m

Calories:                              3965 per person

Weather:                             Hot (33*C) and very very very windy

Yet another 5am wakeup, this time for our regular Wednesday morning check in with HFS on SEN 1116AM. We then hit the snooze button and took an extra 30 minutes sleep, before getting underway a bit before 7am.

Unfortunately, the heavy winds that we’d heard throughout the night weren’t in our favour (not really a surprise) and we set out into a strong northerly headwind. Of course you guessed it, that headwind got stronger and stronger.... it was easily over the 40kmh mark and as youll see from our photos (we’ll try put them up in a few days) we were stuck in the middle of thousands of kms of grass.... with absolutely nothing to act as a shelter. The locals passing us in their trucks just shook their heads... 50% thinking what the hell are these silly buggers doing and 50% in pity.

It tooks us 5 hours to ride 67km.  Normally stats like that are something you’d be embarrassed about. Today they were a badge of honour. Riding these big beasts and trailers into headwinds that strong (oh and did we mention the road surface was terrible?) was just about the toughest thing you could do on a bike.

We took a break at Aramac for a feed and refreshments, before heading off at 1pm for Muttaburra. Whilst we were pleased to note the wind had died down from its apocalyptic speeds, it was still strong but we were able to make good time. A couple of times a few locals even stopped in their cars for a chat as we took a break.

As the sun began to set and with only 10km to go, Chris decided he had enough of taking photos of town signs in the dark and set off in a one man pursuit against the sun. Taking a photo in front of a town sign has never felt so good.... Chris 1, Sun 4.

We’ve since checked into the amazing Muttaburra Motel, a little bit of luxury in the middle of nowhere! We’ve also had a great feed at the local pub and enjoyed the company of everyone there. We’ve even organised to go and chat with some kids at the Cameron Downs station school on Friday which should be a great experience, Fiona the owner of the station was a gem.

It’s probably also a good time to let you know weve changed our itinerary and won’t be taking a rest day here tomorrow. After the debacle that was yesterday and the dreaded 48hr post rest day leg syndrome, weve decided to split the 208km to Hughenden as the locals have advised us the road is terrible (we’ve heard that before though haven’t we).

So for tomorrow night, Joe from the BP at Blackall has put us in touch with Jenny and Roger who own the Everslieh cattle station about 110km up the road and we’ll be spending the night with them. What a great experience, we cant wait... apparently there are even beers and cattle grazing at dusk! Unfortunately, such serenity means you’ve got to be in the middle of nowhere, so ya’ll just have to wait till Friday for the blogs!

Day  18:                                Tambo to Barcaldine  (210m)

Distance:                             207.96km

Av speed:                            15.1kmh

Total Elevation:                   342m

Calories:                              5974 per person

Weather:                             Hot and Windy (30*C)

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Once again we rose before the crack of dawn to make an early start and left Tambo at 6:30. The first hour of riding was quite pleasant as we rode along a ridge in the middle of the basin with nice views to appreciate.

Before departure Chris had checked the weather forecast, of course the prediction was for ‘light to moderate north easterly winds’. Within two hours of departure we’d hit the moderate winds and they stayed for the remainder of the day.

The struggle was compounded by some of the warmest temperatures we’ve faced so far.  The heat is strengthened as it rises off the bitumen and its really to starting to sap the energy out of us. On days like today we’re starting to consume upwards of 8 litres of water/Infinit each... which will make it interesting once we start camping and have to carry a number of days supply with us! Not sure where it’s all going to fit... with the cold mornings we haven’t even been able to ditch our warmer clothes yet!

Around lunchtime we struggled into the halfway town of Blackall and met up with Vera, wife of Joe, the local BP Reliance Petroleum manager. Chris’ Dad had organised for them to chat to us about the ‘roads’ we'll be taking in the coming days and their knowledge was great... Joe even stopped by the side of the road and met us for a chat!

The afternoon’s riding continued to be a struggle much like the morning. We soon realised that yet again we’d be arriving in the dark... but on the bright side, we get to add to our metallic ‘Welcome to X’ sign collection.

After completing the last 30km in the dark with even more roos than usual, we finally pulled into Barcaldine around 8pm, grabbed some takeaway chinese from the local servo and are about to fall into bed. Looks as though we rode past the ‘Tree of Knowledge’ without realising it though, so well have to go scope that out in the morning.

Were on SEN Radio at 5:07am, which will allow us to get an early start as we head to Muttaburra to see the dinosaur.