Day 25 - Byron Bay to Balgowlah 780 Kms

Left Byron Bay at 8:00am and arrived Balgowlah at 6:00pm. Again the A1 was under construction in various places. But once past Macksville and heading towards Kempsey the road is excellent. Unfortunately there are no road houses and you are forced to drive into small towns to refuel and get something to eat.

The total distance cycled including Tasmania is close to 16,000 Kms.

Here ends this little adventure.

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Day 24 - Byron Bay with friends 0 Kms

No driving today. Tourist in Byron Bay

Byron Bay Beach

Thursday Markets

Tree sculpture on loan to 
Byron Council

Day 23 - Yeppoon to Byron Bay 840 Kms

"Murphy's Law" What can go wrong will go wrong. Organised ourselves to be on the road by 7:00 Am. Jumped in the car turned the ignition. Flat battery. Lost an hour. The Racq, the equivalent of the NRMA in NSW were terrific and had us going after 8:00 after replacing Jan's car 3 year old battery.

Unfortunately the A1 is a construction in progress with road works every 20 Kms it seemed.

These stops could range from sometimes 5 - 10 minutes. They are enough to drive a man to drink.

Hit the Gold Coast M1 at 6:00 PM and was travelling at times no faster than 5 Km per hour. Absurd on a an 8 lane motorway. This went for about 25 - 30 Kms until we passed through Tweed Heads. 

Day 22 - Townsville to Yeppoon 740 Kms

Beautiful morning. Some tourist shots around Townsville before hitting the "Detour" Finally found our way out or the Townsville and settled into the 8 hour and 1 minute drive (not to put to finer point on it - Navigator) drive. Everything travelling well until a very unhealthy rattle starts. Me thinks it is inside the car and I don't worry any further. Until the the bike and the roof rack decide to part company with the car, then I think that this maybe a problem. Well the main problem is picking up the pieces. On the side of the road with trucks passing so close they could have cut off my big toe. Thank God no one behind us. (Truck -  would have trashed everything). Amazingly everything is in good shape. Arrive Yeppoon. Time to toast our good luck Very nice motel room.

Townsville Landscape

Give me Manly any day

Some magnificent architecture

Day 21 - Cairns to Townsville 350 Kms

We are now backtracking  the original course we were to follow before the onset of Cyclone Dylan.  That course would have taken us from Charters Towers to Townsville, to Ingham then to Innisfail, and then onto Cairns. The road is almost completely flat like the rest of Australia. The drive was aghast driven because when we left Cairns it was poring with rain. We had visited two galleries one of which was exhibiting Arthur Boyd. Yahoo (Jan). This very necessary indulgence meant we didn't get on the road before 11:00 am. As we passed several bridges the water was almost overflowing. Well this added some spice into the adventure. Would we be turned back? Well we made it to Townsville.

Well not before some bird tried to impede our progress. The bird hit the windscreen at 110 Kmp (what in the hell was that come from the Navigator, a bird I said, NO) The proof was in the spokes. 

                          

A small ceremony was held
 at this location
for the dearly departed.

         

           Unbelievable catch at 110 Kmph

Day 20 - Innisfail to Cairns 90 Kms

Late start after having a tourist cruise around Innisfail. Arrived in Cairns around 1.00 Pm. I thought the ride would be hilly but to the contrary it was quite flat. The humidity was incredible and the temperature was over 40 degrees C. Well that's done. A lap of Australia including Tasmania. On this journey cycled just on 2000 Kms of the 3000 Kms scheduled.

Here is a real estate opportunity at Flying Fish Cove, Innesfail. Needs a little tender loving care but has uninterrupted views that can never be built out, plus in the forefront of information on incoming storms, high tides and cyclones. The next photo shows some of the wonderful sea creatures you can enjoy viewing while enjoying your daily swim. Once in a life time opportunity - buy now and I can get you the deal of a life time. Jan Shaw

                

         Opportunity of a lifetime

                

To enjoy while you swim

                   

Minor Cyclone Dylan 
damage Innisfail

             

Innisfail - Impressive

   

              

     Where it all started 
  May 1 2013

           

Does it have snow I don't
 think so.

             

             The Bat feeding time 7:00 PM

                      

Cairns "man made" beach

Day 19 - Greenvale to Innisfail 340 Kms

We thought about stopping at Ravenshoe but decided to bring forward our accommodation in Innisfail by a day and ride & drive through.  Cycled 110 Kms on undulating road into a strong headwind averaging 22 ams per hour. Stopped cycling when the road became one lane only. Even though the traffic was light I can't hear cars coming behind me with the wind into me

Greenvale Internet available off to the left. 
See sign.

Road turns to a single lane

Drivers contact each other to pass safely.

Wind farm outside Ravenshoe

Day 18 - Charters Towers to Greenvale 160 Kms

The original plan was to cycle from Chaters Towers to Townsville then up the Coast to Cairns. With the onset of Cyclone Dylan a category 2 Cyclone, which was predicted to hit the Coast around Townsville on the morning of the ride, we decided to keep riding on "The Great Inland Way".  This route runs from Sydney to Cooktown. Cycled 55 Kms of this route opting to ride from a Roadhouse midway to Greenvale. I wish I had riden to the Roadhouse instead as the road was excellent and the tailwind would have helped. The legs are now beginning to protest.

Charters Towers from Tower Hill

Charters Towers Former Stock Exchange

Charters Towers noted for its historic 

buildings.

One of the many Pubs 

Greenvale was created during the boom mining era of the early 1970's. Greenvale once had the largest nickel mine in the southern hemisphere. The original mine has since closed but nickel is still mined in the area and transported in massive road trains unto 55 metres in length.

The population of Greenvale is 150. It has an olympic size swimming pool, golf course, tennis and basketball courts. All courtesy of the mining Queensland Nickel Industries.