Day: |
008 |
Date: |
Friday, 27 July 2007
|
Accommodation |
Motel in Ayr
|
Summary |
Riding from Mackay to Ayr
|
Start Time: |
4:20am
|
Finish Time: |
5:40pm
|
Daily
Map Kms: |
306
|
Total
Map Kms: |
2,162
|
Map Kms To Go: |
12,249
|
Map Kms ahead (+)/ behind (-) schedule: |
0
|
Daily Odometer Kms: |
302.1
|
Daily Average Speed: |
26.68
|
Weather: |
Mild at first but warm later. Partly cloudy with ESE winds
|
Nutrition: |
Big Brekky for breakfast. Toasted ham, cheese and tomato
sandwiches for lunch. McDonalds Chicken Caeser Roll and
Milkshake for dinner.
|
Encounters: |
None really.
|
Highlights: |
Finishing……again!
|
Lowlights: |
The last 50km was quite a grind.
|
Daily Pictures: |
Here |
Daily Podcasts: |
Here &
Here |
Journal: |
I set out determinedly, knowing it was going to be a long day
even if I didn’t waste time. Even at 4:30am there was a fair
bit of traffic on the road and I saw one cane field being harvested
using lights, as I left town. It’s hard to tell in the dark, but the
road definitely seemed to be gradually climbing as I headed north.
Being dark, I couldn’t check my speed to confirm the slow pace.
However, the temperature fell and I could start to make out the dark
shapes of surrounding mountains. It was cloudy so there were
no stars visible. As dawn broke I was riding through a high
valley used for cattle and cane fields and surrounded by forested
craggy peaks with wisps of fog cladding some of their slopes.
The road had levelled out a bit and I was now making good time with
an occasional following breeze. After about 90km I found a
roadhouse and had a quick breakfast before resuming the ride.
The road was now back near sea level and was crossing a vast plain
mostly cultivated in sugar cane with high mountains visible to the
left and right. Those to the right were quite possibly some of
the islands in the Whitsunday group as I was now close to Proserpine
where the turnoff to Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays was to the
right. I continued on, trying to maintain a good pace, as
the countryside became more arid, with the plan of finding some
lunch in Bowen (191km). As I approached Bowen the ocean came
into view again in the distance, although the whole area was not
particularly attractive, with arid plains covered with bushes and
occasional scraggy trees. The highway bypassed the town of
Bowen and I decided to do likewise. I also decided to give the
roadhouse near the junction a miss as it didn’t look too promising
for a lunch selection and kept pedalling. Of course, I didn’t
find anything else for another 35km by which time I was tired and
hungry. I was still making good time, but didn’t relish the
70km I still had to go when I finished lunch. The road
comprised long straight stretches through arid plains with
occasional grazing Brahmin cattle. My speed was still OK but I
had had enough and was getting very sleepy. I found another
roadhouse with 25km to go and stopped an ice-cream and coffee milk
to revive me. I reached Ayr as it was getting dark and
easily found the motel where I had booked a room on the road into
town. The bike has started developing some minor clicks in
the front chainring/crank, which may or may not be a problem.
I have arranged to collect the tyres I had mailed ahead from a bike
shop in Townsville first thing tomorrow morning, but they don’t have
a mechanic on Saturdays. I’ll do a web search to see if there
are other bike shops I can try. If I can’t do anything
tomorrow, then I’ll keep riding and make a judgment about whether I
need to detour into Cairns in the hope of getting someone to look at
it first thing on Monday. This would put me a day behind
schedule.
|
|
ADVENTURE LIST
Round Ireland
(2016)
Hume & Hovell Walking Track
(2013)
Via Alpina
(2012)
Australian Alps Walking
Track (2011)
Land's End to John O'Groats
(2010)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2009)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2008)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2007)
Australia Tip to Top MTB
(2006)
Adelaide to Darwin MTB
(2005)
Sydney to Melbourne MTB
(2004)
Three Peaks Race
(2004)
Appalachian Trail
(1986)
Alpine Track
(1983)
|