25th July - Bamaga to The Tip

Gordon says ...

Since the blog has largely been Nigel's baby, and since this is our last entry, I thought it only fitting that he have the final word - so I'll kick off today.

A bitter-sweet day. We made the tip of the Cape in late morning. It's been a wonderful achievement for Nigel. 42 days of non-stop pedalling. He is one tough monkey, and he has more than earned my respect. It wasn't to be for me, but so be it.

After leaving Bamaga, and 34 kms of the worst road on the entire journey, we got to the end of the track, at which point there is a difficult 15 minute climb over rocks to get to the very top. Nigel wanted to take his bike, which he dragged with him. When we got there, Nigel was mobbed by about 30 tourists who asked him where he had come from, how long it took etc, and took turns queuing up to have their photo taken with him - with Nigel loving every minute. I sat on a rock over to one side. A couple of people came up to me and asked if I had cycled anywhere, since I was wearing cycling gear, but it just seemed easier to say 'no'. A couple of Austrian boys turned up, who had cycled from Cooktown, and they had their pictures taken with Nigel as well, so I wandered back to the beach by myself and had a swim. Like I said, a bitter-sweet day.

That said, this disappointment - tempered with pride in Nigel's achievement - paled into insignificance with what happpened next. After half an hour on the beach, when there was no-one left in the whole of Cape York to congratulate Nigel, he meandered back for a swim, whereupon a women in her fifties came up to him - one of his new-found fan club - and told him he had great quads! That's right, somebody walked right past me, to tell the Pilsbury Doughboy he has good legs. For f..ks sake, when will it end?

Anyhoo .... as for the ride to the Cape itself - a very bad idea, in retrospect. First, I don't think it had the desired effect of giving me closure for the trip. I just felt like an interloper. Second, it hurt like an absolute bastard for 3 solid hours. Terrible. In spite of the drugs. And as if that wasn't enough, in something of a metaphor for the injuries sustained on our trip, we cycled through a swarm of wasps, with Nigel breezing through untouched, and me getting stung on my arm, and then just underneath my eye. As I said ... when will it end?

To my cycling mates in Brisbane - Anthony, Amir, and Big Jim - I cycled 34 kms on the world's crappest road, in agony, on the world's crappiest rented mountain bike, with no brakes, one gear, and one arm ... all without crashing. I am Lance Armstrong. I am John Wayne. You will all call me Lance Wayne next time you see me ... for at least a week ...

OK. Enough of this. I'd just like to make some acknowledgements before I sign off. I'm guessing Nigel will do a much more formal and comprehensive thank you later. So here''s just some personal ones:

1) I can't remember exactly who you are - an amalgam of several people I think - but to whoever told me you could cycle the Cape on a touring bike, with 35 mm tyres, you are a f.....g idiot, and you should never dispense cycling advice again as long as you live. Pratt.

I'd actually like to thank:

• My family. Thanks for the time away. Difficult for all of us, and as I've said before, I don't really think I thought this through. In particular, thank you Belinda.


• Thanks to my friends and colleagues at work. Once again, you've shouldered the burden of my workload ... even more than normal. And thanks to my school, and the faculty, for being so supportive.


• To all the friends who put us up, and were so wonderful - Denise, Jenny, Jim, Mark and Lindy, and even my in-laws, Nikki and Shaun, and Jan


• To everyone who sponsored us. Thank you.


• To all my friends who kept sending messages of support. It really kept me afloat. The offer made by Anthony and Amir, when I first got sick and lost touch with Nigel, to fly down and shield me from the wind for a couple of days, until I caught up with him again, was very special. For two such complete bastards, very out of character ...


• To Colin. I don't care what Nigel says, without you turning up for the Cape, we were totally and utterly screwed. It's been great having you here with us.


• Finally, Nigel ... Hmm ... First the bad: 1) speaking as a philosophy lecturer, there is more to the notion of 'a coherent argument' than a series of assertions and prejudices, delivered with a posh accent and a self-satisfied grin. 2) there is more to Australian cuisine that deep-fried seafood baskets, meat pies, and giant tubs of ice-cream. You should have availed yourself of some of it. 3) You snore. Really really bad. And now the good: 1) I think of myself as a relentlessly happy guy, but you make me look miserable. I've never met anyone so 'up'. Actually, maybe this belongs in the previous section - since it almost doesn't seem natural, and can get on your tits after a while. I'm sure you could achieve the same effect in monkey if you drill the front of their brains. 2) You are one tough guy, a toughness I relied upon on several occcasions. Mind you, see previous theory about monkey brains and drill bits. And finally 3) You have been great company. In 7 weeks, we haven't exchanged a single cross word - in spite of nightly political discussions (oh ... apart from that time you tried to take us down yet another cow-path, just as it was getting dark). When the disappointment of not succeding in the ride has faded, and when my wrist has healed, and I've forgotten how much I missed my family, and how much it hurt everyday ... I'll remember the most important thing ... that we have laughed the length of an entire continent. We have laughed in roadhouses, in pubs, in shade under trees, in tents, in motels, and while we rolled along. Well ... more specifically ... I have laughed at you ... because you are a pompous twerp.

Over and out.

Nigel says.... Peculiar feeling to be writing the blog for the last time and I am still absorbing what we have done.

The final day started normally enough, except I awoke at 0530 hours to the sound of torrential rain. Some nervousness that the road would be awful as a result - but it wasn't. I got up, washed and shaved when the alarm went off at 0600 hours, Gordon layed in bed and switched on the TV. I ate weet bix out of a mug and make tea for us both and drank water. Gordon switched on the computer. Surprisingly, we were ready to go just after 0700 hours and Gordon went to pick up his 'mountain bike' from the hotel reception.

Gordon returned with a cheap girl's mountain bike ...... I didn't say anything at that point as he seemed very pleased with it. At least there was no cross bar to take out his tackle when he fell off.

With Gordon loaded up with pain killers we set off for the Tip. The first 17 kilometers or so up until 'The Croc Tent' were pretty atrocious with lots of corrugations, and a fair number of sandy stretches. Problems ocurred quite early when it became clear that Gordon did not have brakes that worked! He was using his feet to slow down coming down hills. The brake pads required a spanner to adjust them which I did not have - fortunately Colin came to Gordon's rescue again and he was able to continue the journey with a reasonably safe bike.

Gordon was looking a little grey and in pain from his arm by the time we reached the Croc Tent for a break but was surprisingly uncomplaining about it. He was bleating on about his 'wasp' stings - all I could hear behind me on the track was "Owww, OOOW, OOOOOW" I think what upset him more was that I escaped being stung.

At the Croc Tent a number of tourists had disgorged from various vehicles and were very interested in what we were doing. A number of them had seen us on the road earlier. There was even someone from QUT in Brisbane who had heard about our ride through internal e-mails.

Continuing on along the track, the road conditions improved markedy, and I thought that the last section of our ride was one of the most pleasant of our trip. It took us along a relatively smooth narrow, flat track through the rainforest. It was hot and humid, probably around 30 degrees. Much excitement and anticipation when we had to do a creek crossing. A tourist bus was behind us so we had spectators when we rode through the water which was about 3-4 feet deep. Fortunately neither of us fell off. I followed the strategy of going into the water first to take any crocs by surprise leaving them the opportunity to get Gordon....if they could be bothered.

We finally arrived at the beach just 500 meters or so away from the Tip which was at the other side of a rocky climb. It is a spectacular view which we have waited a long time to see - white sand, turquoise sea, palms, islands off the coast. Today we cycled 34 kilometers (21 miles) Just one final climb to finish...

Gordon did really well to make the ride today. He was clearly in a lot of pain and it was obvious to us both that there was absolutely no way he could have possibly ridden on through the Cape after breaking his wrist. I think today eliminated any nagging doubts he may have had that there may have been an opportunity of continuing the ride after the accident. You have done tremendously Gordon and whilst you might be understandably disappointed, you have still completed a mega ride and can be very proud.....even though you winged, coughed and pontificated the whole way up Australia! Remember, there are times when rubber can be too thin, and I promise you that I would have buried you by the roadside with a bike wheel as a headstone - in later years you would have become a tourist attraction......

Once we arrived there was a discussion as to whether I should take Winona up the rock climb to the Tip. I decided that, unlike at Wilson's Prom, bikes were allowed here so I had to take her all the way to the top. There was a feeling of completion to dip Winona's wheels in the ocean and to press the button for the final transmission of the Yellowbrick tracker. Job done! We had quite a large crowd of spectators all asking us questions about our trip and what we were doing it for. We raised about $100 in donations as a result.

Just as we were about to wander back to the beach for some champagne two Austrian lads who we had heard about several days before came riding their mountain bikes down the rocks to the Tip - flash bastards! They were very good mountain bikers. I shook their hands and they said: "So you are the crazy guys who have cycled from Melbourne!" The jungle drums seem to let each cyclist know about who the other cyclists in the area are and what they are doing.

We ambled back across the rocks to enjoy ice cold champagne on the beach and a paddle - a number of people came up to talk to us including a rather attractive lady who showed a close interest in my cycling shorts, the hardness of my saddle and was particularly impressed by my physique "Oh look at his quads!" I quite enjoyed the attention and the look of despair on Gordon's face.... We then set off back to Bamaga ready for our next challenge - finding something to eat on a Sunday up here!

This afternoon was spent taking Winona apart and packing her up ready for flying out. This evening a few beers at Loyalty Beach with the Austrians and Mick, who goes for the Tip tomorrow - good luck mate!

Final thoughts and comments:

• Today I saw a Big Crocodile at the Croc Tent
• We have taken 42 days to complete the journey.
• I have cycled 5049 kilometers (3156 miles) Gordon cycled 4388 kilometers (2743 miles).
• Useful and important items of kit have been: Sugoi cycling nicks, butt cream, headtorch, iPod, camelback.
• Item of kit of the trip: Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres -neither of us had a puncture. Outstanding!
• Most unrequired item of kit: handheld satnav
• Confectionery of the trip: Jelly babies.
• Tune of the day: Handel 's Messiah- Hallelulja Chorus
• Tune of the trip: Lou Bega - Mambo No 5
• Snack of the day: The Croc Tent - snakes
• Snack of the trip: The Aussie Pie
• Meal of the trip: Seafood basket ......with salad......but not too much....salad that is......
• Toughest day: Orbost to Eden - 185 kilometers - mainly uphill
• Longest climb: 'The Big Hill' 8 kilometers - Cairns to Mount Molloy
• Steepest climb: The shocker south of the Royal National Park near Sydney
• Biggest tosser of the trip: The sausage thrower between Lennox Head and Broadbeach - especially for missing Gordon.
• Biggest disappointment: Missing the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour....how did I do that?
• Most impressive Big Thing: The Big Prawn at Ballina - should be listed and not demolished.

The ride has been a big undertaking for us both and for our families, and neither of us could have done it without their fullsome and wholehearted support. We owe them a great. Thank you - we really could not have done it without you.

Colin, we both really appreciate your support to our effort in the Cape - to have done it without you would have been an arduous, painful and difficult experience. The sight of your car at Capt Billy's Landing Track Junction was in particular very welcome - sleeping rough under road signs is fine in it's place, but not as nice as Elliot Falls. Thank you for giving me a break from having to listen to Gordon drone on.

We have been really encouraged and boosted by the support from friends everywhere who have put us up en route, called us, e-mailed us, blogged us, and texted us. This support has been tremendous and you have helped to push us along the Highway like a tail wind. Thank you.

We both benefit from having understanding employers. I would like to thank Reliance for enabling me to take up this challenge and also my friends and colleagues at Reliance for their staunch support in particular the Bunker Boys.

We don't quite know how many people have taken the time to read our blog, but from feedback we have received, it has been a real bost to think that anyone is interested in our ramblings.....especially Gordon's ramblings. I hope you enjoyed reading about our adventure.

I would like to thank everyone who has donated to the charity we are riding for, the Association For International Cancer Research (AICR), and the team at AICR and Peter Mac at Melbourne who have helped us with publicity and support in general. This cause became very personal for us when Gordon's brother Alan was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the start of our ride. We have asked that all donations we have raised goes towards AICR's Spotlight Fund which focuses on research into prostate cancer. If you have not yet donated - the website remains open for some months yet.

Finally, I would like to thank Gordon, my cycling buddy for being such good company. The trip was always better and more fun when he was riding, and we have had a lot of fun......even though he bores for Australia on most subjects. You have done tremendously, don't beat yourself up...

Tomorrow - going fishing. Looking forward to NOT wearing lycra and to wearing underpants....

25th July - Official Communique

My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have the honour to inform you that at 1115 hours local Queensland time James Nigel Denison of Yorkshire, England accompanied by Gordon Warley Tait of Brisbane, Queensland completed the journey by bicycle and on foot from South Point, Victoria, the most southerly point in mainland Australia, to The Tip, the most northerly point in Australia.

Fair dinkum...

24th July - 18 Kms South of Jardine River Ferry to Bamaga

Nigel says..... Very strong winds and some rain during the night. The weather over the last few days has apparently been very unseasonal. Colin heard this afternoon that the Development Road had been closed where I had fallen off and had to drag Winona - there must have been more chaos yesterday. Am very pleased I decided to press on a few days ago and get ahead otherwise we would have had some problems.

After breakfast and packing everything into/onto the car we went for a swim in Elliot Falls to set us up for the day. Gordon was camera man and chief worrier. "Have you done a risk analysis on this?" - of course I hadn't! He was concerned we were going to leap onto jagged rocks and Colin would not be able to drive him about and I would not be able to get to the Tip. Entered the water in a moderately sensible and self preserving way and was then swept downstream in quite a strong current - minor gravel rash suffered only - great fun though.

Colin and Gordon dropped me off where I had stopped yesterday and went on to have coffee in Bamaga and to sort out a mountain bike for Gordon. He appears determined to do the last 35 kilometers. I hope he does not hurt himself in the process as he has nothing to prove - "Have you done a risk analysis on this Gordon?". I have told him that if he breaks his other arm he is on his own...he will have to persude someone else to get close up and personal with him for his morning ablutions - it will not be me!

Got to the Jardine River Ferry at 1155 hours to find the place locked up with a sign saying closed for lunch between 1200 - 1300 hours. The bloke on the ferry saw me and took me across as the last passenger of the morning session which was lucky. A bit of a sad place really - empty fridges, a broken fuel pump and no visible enterprise. How can they not have cans of coke and ice cream to buy at a place like this? You can buy a selection of batteries however....

Across the other side I hit an incredibly strong head wind which slowed me right down and tired me out. It also felt hot and humid today which also sapped my strenght more than I anticipated. I missed Colin's ham and salad wraps. The road was also very undulating with a surprising number of quite long hills. I was very glad to hit the tarmac and to see Colin and Gordon about 1 kilometer short of the hotel who attempted - and failed - to wind me up about going for the Tip today to see if I would rise to the challenge or not.

It was great to relax at Resort Bamaga, although I would not wish anyone to get the wrong idea about this place. It is more motelish than resortish with lots of signs warning guests to lock the doors and not to leave any property on the verandah. Great to have a few cold beers and a nice barramundi for supper.

Thoughts and comments:

• Visiting the toilet block at 0600 hours this morning I saw a shithouse bat, but not the shithouse rat.....perhaps this is what the screaming guy saw yesterday?
• The ferry fare at the Jardine River Ferry for a private vehicle is $88 and $11 for a bicycle.....no wonder they don't bother selling anything.
• There are two security guards manning the entrance to the bottle shop in Bamaga.
• Colin was offered drugs whilst standing on the hotel balcony by a passing pedestrian...
• We have stored the bikes inside and everything else is locked in the car...
• Snack of the day: top of big hill approx 4 kilometers north of Jardine River Ferry - peanut bar
• Tune of the day: Elton John - Mealticket
• Fact of the day: Diesel is $1.95 a litre in Bamaga

We have been told to expect poor road conditions tomorrow to the Tip. No problem at this stage. Big day tomorrow - starting early to avoid the headwind as much as possible.

Gordon now asleep - he will add his bit tomorrow.

Gordon says ...

It's 6.30 am on the 25th. I am just about to take my painkillers, hop on the bike, and head to the Cape. I hope this goes well ...

23rd July - Captain Billy Landing to 18 kms south of Jardine River Ferry

Nigel says ... Took a long time to de-gunge Winona last night. The chain, gears, brakes, wheels etc were all completely clogged up with orange mud. Rinsed my cycling kit, camelback and bar bag in a bowl - the water turned orange. Ate some very welcome bacon and eggs and got to bed about 2300 hours.

We had a series of debates about what I should do this morning if tthe road conditions were as bad as yesterday. I lay awake and listened to the wind and rain showers and I resolved that I would carry Winona the 2 kilometers or so out of the road works to a firm section and continue the ride from where it was possible to do so. Not to do a section with Winona wopuld mean that there was a gap in the itinerary as far as I was concerned - it was an obstacle I would just hhave to get over the best I could.

We arrived at capt Billy's Junction at about 0930 hours. We were all delighted to see that the graders had improved the conditions going north and that the conditions had dried out sufficiently to at least allow me to wheel the bike. Morale improved dramatically! No carry involved! The road I had dragged Winona along yesterday remained a quagmire of glutinous orange mud and in my opinion was impassable to bikes and probably most motorbikes. Horrible! I pulled on my stinking and mud covered kit by the roadside and set off. I was able to ride very slowly and gingerly through most of the roadworks and was soon out of the other side onto a firm road to give Colin and Gordon the thumbs up. They had waited for me to get through and now set off to see what things were like up to the Jardine River Ferry and to get a cup of coffee.

The route north of the roadworks was initially sandy with bad corrugations in a number of patches. It was also quite undualting and winding. Parts were very narrow - no more than a single lane and I had to be quite careful of traffic which does not slow down. Fortunately the traffic was much less on this road than the main Weipa Road. Later on, the road opened up to a well graded firm surface which in parts was as good as the Bruce Highway and I was able to get along quickly.

After a brief stop for a welcome snack lunch, I pedaled on to the junction with Fruit Bat Falls where I hid Winona in the undergrowth and Colin drove us all up to have a swim. No crocs here. It was a great location. The water was clear and I just dived in with my kit on leaving an orange trail behind me. Gordon took a dip as well taking his pot off for the occasion which he later regretted...

I decided to pedal on until 1600 hours and get as faar as I could to give us the option oof going for the Tip either tomorrow or Sunday. I packed it in for the day some 18 kilometers south of the Jardine River Ferry as I wanted to see Elliot Falls in the light and have a swim. I was also more tired than I realised and needed a break. The humidity takes it out of you. Today I cycled 88 kiloometers (55 miles)

On the way back to camp, Colin and I came across Mick who we met the other day. We watched him cycle through a creek. Very impressive. He joined us tonight for supper.

When we got back to camp, Colin and I left Gordon doing the cooking and went down to the Falls for a dip. We saw a remarkable sight whilst we were swimming - thousands of fruit bats flying from their roosts over the Falls. The sky was dark with bats - something similar to a Hitchcock movie.

Gordon excelled himself at cooking this evening - a really excellent roast lamb with vegetables. It was one of the meals of the trip. I had three helpings - should he be on Masterchef?

Thoughts and comments:

• A man came screaming out of the toilet block this morning saying there was a rat....I was in there earlier and completely missed out on seeing the proverbial shithouse rat.
• Showed Gordon the roadsign that he woulld have slept under last night if Colin had not been with us....He thinks I am joking!
• Gordon talking a lot about hot showers, plasma TV and Masterchef....
• Snack of the day: Junction with the Old Telegraph Track - ham wrap.
• Tune of the day:Today I hummed JC McCall's Convoy a lot - thats a big 10/4!

Can nearly smell the end now. Bamaga and a modicum of comfort tomorrow - although still have to share a room with Gordon. Have not yet decided whether to go for the top today or on Sunday.

Gordon says...

Almost there now. Nigel is doing really well, under very difficult conditions. I wish I was still pedalling, but sitting in the Landcruiser eating Mars bars, and dozing with my pillow, comes a reasonable second, I suppose.

Made the rash decision to go for a dip at Fruitbat Falls. My cast is the type that allows you to take your hand out if necessary. A dumb idea - for two minutes of splashing around, I had three hours of throbbing pain. OK now though.

A fine night sat around eating dinner and drinking wine with a stray long-distance cyclist called Mick. Only one more night under canvas, and then a few days of relative comfort before heading back to see my family - something I'm really looking forward to. I arrive in Brisbane at 7.30 am Wednesday morning, first tutorial at 9.00 am. Jeez ...

I have decided to try and ride from Bamaga to the tip of Cape York on Sunday. I've got my drugs ready ...

22nd July - Frenchman's Track to Captain Bily Landing turnoff

Nigel says... An eventful day...

It rained during the night. We all slept in the one tent to save time breaking camp this morning. Once again Gordon claimed sleep deprivation. Checked the road when I got up – it looked to be fine which was good. Pulled my wet and stinking kit on again and had breakfast and was on the road at 0700 hours.

Progress was good to the Moreton Telegraph Station. The road was good with few corrugations. Moreton Telegraph Station is a wide open area just next to the Wenlock River. A nice place which is run by a really friendly and helpful bloke, Ron, who gave us advice about routes and so on and also free coke and coffee. We decided that I would push on and try to reach the Kennedy Memorial on the Development Road and then Colin would pick me up and take me on to Elliot Falls where we would stay for two nights. The theory was that there were toilets and nice swimming and it was a more pleasant place than the side of the road or the various Roadhouses
.
Whilst at Moreton Telegraph Station we met up with Mick, from the Gold Coast, who was cycling the Old Telegraph Track. I loaded up with some bits and pieces to eat en route and agreed to meet up with the guys at Bramwell Junction. Colin and Gordon would test the Old Telegraph Track as I still thought it might be possible to do a stretch of it and save some distance.

Got to Bramwell Junction and had a burger with Mick who arrived just after me. When Colin and Gordon arrived it was clear that they had had an adventure. Trying to get into Palm Creek on the Old Telegraph Track the running boards of the car had been badly dented. The strong advice was that I should stick to the road where progress would be straightforward……Whilst there we heard some stories about problems on the road with vehicles spinning out of control where the road graders were working.

Peddled off into a headwind and up a number of long gradual ascents. Stopped every hour and ate something and drank a lot of water. The wind was blowing up and there were dark clouds. It was trying to rain, and had obviously rained in certain parts en route, but no real problems. Finally got to the Kennedy Memorial at 1600 hours. No Colin. Decided to push on to the Captain Billy Junction another 11 kilometers up the road.

Coming down a hill a bloke stopped his car and told me to “watch out for the muddy bank mate!”. I went on quite cautiously. The road surface was very flat, graded and shiny. There had been some rain and the road was sticky but rideable. Several kilometers on, the bike suddenly and without warning slipped out from underneath me and I went crashing to the floor. I was completely covered in mud and bashed my right arm. Good job I was wearing a helmet. I got up and found myself standing on a mud skating ring. It was impossible to ride the bike. I began pushing. I could only push the bike for a few yards before mud clogged the wheels, chain and brakes. I had to stop to free them up every few paces. It was one of the hardest pushes I have done, and by the time I saw the very welcome sight of Colin’s vehicle I was absolutely covered in mud and the bike was un-rideable anyway.

The road graders who were there said that it had rained very heavily last night, and at least three motorbikers had come off together with numerous vehicles who had gone into the ditches.

We had to wrap the bike up in a tarpaulin and put it onto the roof. I then had to completely strip and put all my clothes in a bin liner. I had a towel and an old shirt to get back to camp. Colin helped me to wash off my arm and to dress the wound and eventually we got back to Elliot Falls in darkness at 1920 hours. Thanks Colin for assistance above and beyond the call of duty! So much for swimming in the falls! Gordon a little anxious about what might have happened by this stage. Today I cycled, pushed and dragged 137 kilometers.

A very welcome meal back at camp and some rehydration.

Thoughts and comments:
• Saw 3 pigs crossing the road this afternoon
• Saw an enormous wild pig this afternoon after loading the bike onto the car
• Saw what appeared to be a vulture this afternoon – bit ominous…
• There were no warning signs at all about the road conditions today
• My marmite shirt is now mainly orange
• Snack of the day: Bramwell Burger – Bramwell Junction
• Tune of the day: Today I hummed “Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer” – must be loosing it again, and I’m definately not Welsh. Maybe I should have gone on the Old Telegraph Track???
• Fact of the Day: Moreton Telegraph Station was established in 1883 by JR Bradford.

Hard day expected tomorrow as Colin drops me back off in the mud. Hopefully only about 2 kilometers of pushing......

Gordon says ...

Cheered up a bit today. Colin went mad in his 4wd, and smashed the shit out of his $90,000 landcruiser - fabulous. It hurt a bit when we crashed into things, but I had my wrist resting on a pillow, so that helped a bit. The things Colin will do to make me feel better ... what a champ ...

Have settled into my role as Nigel's flunky a bit better too. One of us has to get to the tip, and I have to say, the going is REALLY tough. Tough but stupid, Nigel is just the man to make it.

Still think about riding from Bamaga north ... the more I drink, the more plausible it ges.

21st July - Coen to Frenchman's Track

Nigel says....Nice accommodation last night with pleasant and helpful hosts, but unfortunately the most uncomfortable bed of the trip. I think the bedsprings had collapsed. Got up in the night and found a cane toad in the hall....

Donation from Flo who works for the Aboriginal Land Council last night - must have been Gordon's witty and uplifting conversation that inspired her.....or perhaps not. Thank you Flo.

An early start again with reveille at 0600 hours. Had breakfast with Colin and some of the other guests who were going out to fix up security screens on various buildings. Gordon still comatose. I know I keep going on about the mornings being the best time for cycling up here, but rolling along the 25 kilometers of bitumen to Coen airport as the sun was rising, temperature perfect, and the birds singing just reinforces my view. Saw an enormous Brahmin bull on the road and gave him as wide a berth as possible....he was a big lad with lots of equipment dangling.

After the airport, the road turned to dirt again. The road is quite varied. This morning it was very wide, sandy and flat. Later on it became narrower with steep cllimbs in and out of creek beds. The main thing, however, with the exception of just a few spots, the road condition is so much better than before and I was able to make good progress.

I got to Archer River Roadhouse by 1100 hours where we had a break. Everyone on the road is very friendly - lots of waves and thumbs up. One guy drew alongside me and asked me where I had come from and what I was doing. He could not quite believe we had come from south of Melbourne in 5 weeks. "Bugger me! You're bloody mad! Good on yer mate!"

Stopped for lunch and Colin's catering gave me a real boost and I was able to pedal beyond the planned destination which was the junction with the Telegraph Road. It had been sunny for most of the day, but then this afternoon it became overcast and started to drizzle - this was quite good as it dampened down the dust and kept me cool and fortunately did not affect the road conditions. It has been very humid.

As I pedalled north, Colin and Gordon went to find a campsite by the road. The road north here is much quieter and more narrow than the main drag to Weipa. It was also pretty smooth for a dirt road. The iPod was back for this stretch. Gordon had selected a good campsite in an open area. On arrival, I had a strip wash in a bowl. I was covered in orange dust. Although it was still drizzling, I felt a whole lot better for the wash. Today I cycled 147 kilometers (92 miles) - quite pleased to get the contingency distance under the belt.

Tonight Gordon cooked Moroccan Chicken - very tasty. Colin is trying to contact home with his satellite phone complete with personally manufactured ariel....it worked!

A good day.

Thoughts and comments:

• There do not appear to be emus at the Archer River Roadhouse, but there are a number of fine looking horses.
• I have absolutely no doubt as to the moral virtue of the girls who serve at Roadhouses in this part of Queensland. Gordon thinks otherwise....
• Fact of the day: The telegraph system in the Cape was started in 1886. The southern section began at Fairview where we stayed the other day.
• Snack of the day: Archer River Roadhouse - Archer Burger(burger, egg, salad, cheese, bacon, pineapple)
• Tune of the Day: Today I was humming The Blues Brothers - Everybody Needs Somebody

Tomorrow we have planned to stay at Bramwell Junction but intend to go further if possible.

Gordon says ...

I'm not sure at which point during the last month and a half, for Nigel, the blog changed from being an adjunct to the bike ride, to it being the other way around - but change it did. The masterpiece above took over three hours, for Christ's sake ...

A further gripe. Nigel keeps writing ' Gordon still comatose', 'Gordon feel asleep when we got to the motel' etc. All kidding aside, the only time I can sleep is when Nigel doesn't. I think I am now in the final stages of severe sleep deprivation. In contrast to Nigel's happy 8--9 hours sleep per night, I am getting by on between 3 and 4, which is just not enough. Fair enough, I think I'm probably quite a light sleeper, but Nigel snores so loudly, that ear plugs and two pillows over my head make no difference at all. Day after day, I've woken up having hardly slept at all - staring down the barrel of 150 kms on the road, only to face the same thing the next day ... and the next. The day I crashed, I don't think I had slept at all. In fact, that morning, a guy at the campsite complained to Nigel in the morning about his snoring ... and he was camped 10m away, inside a campervan... yes, INSIDE a soundproofed van ... and Nigel was still deafening - something like an elphant seal being skinned alive. Imagine being three feet away from that, night after night. As the guy spoke, Nigel loooked like he was sucking the world's bitterest lemon. Did Colin and I laugh ... Now I realise Nigel doesn't do it on purpose, but I feel I need to put the record straight on a line of blog humour that makes me look like a lazy slob.

As the above rant probably indicates, I am currently finding it a bit hard no longer being a functioning part of the ride. My role now that of making sandwiches for Nigel as he heads for the top end. Not quite the finish I had in mind.

Do you want tomato on that Nigel?

20th July - Musgrave Roadhouse to Coen

Nigel says.....A good night's sleep at the Musgrave Roadhouse. A peculiar feeling setting off by myself again. Gordon comatose when I left. Colin joined me for an early breakfast at 0615 hours - I started pedalling across the airfield and cricket pitch with the mist hanging at 0645 hours.

It is great cycling early in the morning. It is cool. There was hardly any traffic - just the road mending guys who were in the next door rooms at the roadhouse who gave me a friendly wave as they trundled north. The bush was noisy and the sun was just coming up - the road wasn't that bad to start with either.

I soon got into the routine of trying to find the best path through the corrugations. Early on it wasn't too bad. After a couple of hours I was faced with a 2 kilometer climb of 8% which was fine as it was on bitumen. I decided to be a bit kinder to myself today and have a brief rest every hour, and I think I was better hydrated and less tired than yesterday - certainly early on. No need to take myself to the cleaners every day!

The route today was more narrow and had more twists and bends. This meant that I could not see the oncoming traffic miles ahead and had to be much more ready to get across the road to avoid oncoming traffic. There were also lots of creeks to get across which meant steep descents and short sharp climbs out. The road was mostly ok, but there was one dreadful section where I had to get off and push several times as it was so sandy and corrugated - really awful cycling conditions.

Gordon and Colin arrived at 1100 hours to give me some cold water. Good to see Gordon looking and sounding better. By that stage I only had 52 kilometers to get to coen, so I was pretty pleased with the progress. I batted on until 1300 hrs when the guys met up with me for lunch.

I drank quite a lot of water today, but even so around midday the heat must have been around 30 degrees and it became a little tiring. The humidity also takes you unawares unless you are careful. Fortunately, after I left the guys to do a little off road winching practice, the road was pretty good and I quickly got to Coen arriving at the accommodation at about 1530 hours.

Accommodation is comfortable and the hosts pleasant. Coen is an interesting place..... Everyone knew Gordon had been to the medical centre the previous day. We dined at the Sexchange Hotel as the only other eating establishment, 'Grunters Beastro' is shut - good meal. Gordon bored for Australia on a range of issues....politics....philosophy... sex in ancient Sparta...tequila...tribal customs in Borneo...radishment (look it up - not sure if he is telling the truth or not, always difficult to tell!)

Thoughts and comments:

• The Sexchange Hotel used to be the Exchange Hotel......
• As a result of seeing me on the road today, one of the young road fixers now has a bet of $250 with his mates that he can cover the 109 kilometers from Musgrave roadhouse to Coen in 4 hours- he was a really good cyclist but is out of condition and was pissed - money safe for his mates I think!
• They sell two flavours of slushi in Coen....
• Snack of the day: 56 kilometers north of Musgrave Roadhouse in the bush - a manadrin orange.
• Tune of the day: Today I was humming 'My Old Man Says Follow The Van' - definately need to get out more...
• They are grading the section of road south of Laura where Gordon fell off today! It is being renamed 'Gordon's Landing'.

Tomorrow going to a road junction somewhere north of Archer River Roadhouse.

No more bog entries possible until Bamaga unfortunately.

Gordon says ...

Feeling pretty depressed really. Drove around all day like the Queeen of England in Colin's Landcruiser - which was great in itself (but which still hurt a lot, in spite of excellent suspension, such is the crappyness of the road) and Colin was fine company - but I felt rotten each time we pulled up next to Nigel to give him food and water. Nothing much I can about it I suppose.

Late drunken news flash: have had a small idea which has cheered me up a bit. The nurse here in Coen gave me six days worth of heavy drugs to get over the initial pain of the injury. I've decided (in consultation with Nigel and Colin, who have given tentative approval to the plan) to take the first two days quota, and save the rest. Then, when I get to Bamaga, take anything I've got left, and see if I can ride the 34 kms to the tip. Sure, I'll be completely zonked, but I may be able to cope with the pain suffiently to get there. That way, at least I'll finish the trip on my bike - not the same as doing the whole thing, but better that nothing. I'll let you know how it goes in a few days.

19th July - Fairview to Musgrave Road House

Nigel says....Big concerns about Gordon last night. He was definately not well (properly - not manflu). His wrist was hurting him and he appeared dehydrated. This morning when we awoke it was clear that Gordon was not going to be able to ride today. Thankfully Colin was here to help him and get him away for medical attention after he had rested properly, but it did not feel good cyling off alone at 0700 hours. Both Colin and I were concerned about him.

Gordon's condition distracted us from the great location we had set up camp. The dawn chorus started early again and we heard dingoes howling during the night. I thought that there was someone creeping around the tents during the night. No I wasn't being paranoid, on investigation it was loads of cane toads hopping around on the leaves and undergrowth. This morning we had breakfast to the sounds of the flock of galahs.

The corrugations were dreadful to start with, but soon cleared up and I started to make 12 kilometers per hour - but much slower on the soft shitty stuff. Made really rapid progress when a stretch of bitumen appeared, and I was at the Hann River Roadhouse well ahead of schedule at 1030 hours.

The Hann River Roadhouse must class as one of the best servos I have visited in Australia, or annywhere for that matter. As I cycled across the Hann River a bloke was leaning on a post and said: "Bugger me mate! You're keen." I was going to explain that appearances can be deceptive, but decided not to bother...

On arrival at the roadhouse I was met by the lady who ran the place. She knew all about us and had passed us on the road the previous day. She had a rainbow lorikeet on her shoulder when I met her. This was 'bunji' who had been raised as an abandoned chick and thought he was human. He was quite happy to sit on anybody's shoulder and spent most of the time hanging off the lady's shoulder/bra strap. Whilst at the roadhouse I was introduced to the tame emu whose legs had been painted the Queensland colours to mark the State of Origin series. I even witnessed a bloke with a traffic cone on his head topped with a cap walking round after the emu in what I can only assume was a sort of mating ritual. Well we are quite far north.... Kookaburras were flying in to pick up meat that had been left for them. All in all it was a wildlife extravaganza.

It was then back to the grind of the road. The Development Road is almost completely straight. A red line stretching through the bush as far as the eye could see. It was punctuated by dust clouds of approaching vehicles which could be seen miles ahead. Vehicles again did not slow down, but all very friendly and most waving. I was absolutely covered with a thick layer of orange dust. The road conditions were really variable. There were terrible corrugations which shook both me and the bike and progress was really slow. Where this was combined with soft gravel I had to get off and push. Fortunately this was not too often. I also had stretches where the going was good and I got along nicely. There was a blissful section where the graders were actually working which was better than many sections of the Bruce Highway! I had to go from side to side trying to find the best route, so I had to be very aware of traffic. No iPod today as I had to concentrate the whole time.

Around 1200 hours Gordon and Colin drew alongside. Gordon did not look good and was clearly in pain. Colin was taking him to the clinic in Coen. We agreed to meet up at the Musgrave Roadhouse later in the day. I was feeling quite battered and tired when I rolled into the Musgrave Roadhouse at 1600 hours completely orange and the subject of some curiosity from the campers. I cycled 120 kilometers today. Whilst waiting for Gordon and Colin, Hildegarde, a nice lady from a pensioners tour gave me $5 as a contribution. Thank you Hildegarde.

Colin and Gordon arrivedd shortly afterwards - Gordon with his arm in plaster and a sling. He has broken his wrist and now has to stop pedalling. He is absolutely gutted and I share his disappointment.

After a few beers and some excellent local barramundi morale has improved.

Thoughts and comments:

• The majority of the traffic today was southbound.
• Butt situation sore but surprisingly stable ... so far.
• Hands have taken a real battering today.
• Snack of the day: Hann River Roadhouse - corned beef salad sandwich with cheese.
• Tune of the day: No iPod - but hummed Una Paloma Blanca quite a lot... I hope I am not loosing it...I blame Gordon for placing the tune in my mind earlier in the trip...
• Fact of the day: The Fairview Cattle Station has over 1000 kilometers of track to maintain.

Tomorrow Coen - hills and Colin and Gordon say there are some real shitty patches - Ho Hum...

Gordon says ...

One of the most disappointing and upsetting days of my life.

I woke up at about 3 am with a bad pain in my wrist. Woke up again with the alarm at 6 am, but apparently was very disorientated, and didn't really know where I was, started vomiting, and passed out on the bed. When I woke up later, Nigel had gone, and I was a mess. I had no real recollection of the night before, or even much of the afternoon. Apparently, I had crashed my bike a bunch of times on the terrible track we were on, said next to nothing at all over dinner, then collapsed unconscious against the tent. Colin and Nigel dragged me to bed, and then by checking my water consumption over the day, figured out I'd let myself get completely dehydrated, a situation probably exacerbated by my ongoing poor health. They force fed me water for a while until they thought I'd be OK.

Still pretty much off my nut, Colin drove me to the hospital at Coen, where the full consequences of all of this has finally dawned on me - I've broken my wrist, and my ride is over - over 4000 kms and I'm not going to be able to finish. To say I've been upset doesn't really cover it.

The worst thing is that I may have done this to myself - the guys I ride with in Brisbane have often told me I don't drink enough. On the other hand, I have a big lump on the back of my head, and a corresponding bash mark on my helmet from one of the times I came off, so maybe it wasn't dehydration, but rather concussion. Also, it turns out the tyres I have on my bike are half the width they need to be up here, so the locals say - 'No wonder you crashed, poor thing ...' - but I don't suppose it really matters either way - it's all over. To those who sponsored me, sorry I didn't make it. I tried my hardest.

July 18th - Palmer River Roadhouse to Fairview Station

Nigel says..... Awoke to a really loud dawn chorus at about 0500 hours. It was a really good sound so didn't mind too much. Gordon complained that he had had no sleep and could I inflate his airbed properly next time....."when I were a lad we slept on gravel....if we were lucky!"

After a quick breakfast we set of towards Lakeland. Again the road was good, but there were ominous clouds and sure enough after a few kilometers it started to rain. I decided to carry on and get wet - Gordon stopped to put his 'pac a mac' on. It was quite an undulating ride through the bush with one big hill which gave us a workout. Great views from the lookout and a fantastic long "yihaa" ride down the other side. We seem to be on a flat plain with quite pronounced hill features. There are no foothills here. We cycled along for quite a long time with the forested hills of the Looking Glass Bluff Feature to our east - a very steep looking long ridge line.

After a snack at Lakeland we turned onto the Development Road which will be our home for a number of days. The white lines were orange with dust which was quite ominous and quite quickly we started to get patches of dirt. We made good progress on the bitumen and Colin provided us with a really healthy lunch about 15 kilometers short of Laura. We decided that we would go beyond Laura tonight and try to crack about 20 kilometers of dirt track. This would take us to Fairview Cattle Station. Our experience of the dirt road short of Laura was grim. It was a thick sand like surface with terrible corrugations and progress was slow. Gordon fell off a few times and resorted to pushing - morale not high....

After a break in Laura we pushed on up the road. We are now on dirt. The road conditions will absorb most of our physical and mental energy over the next few days. As expected this is going to be the most challenging part of the trip. There is no relaxing as we have to find the best route through the rough patches. Passing vehicles do not slow down as it is dangerous for them to brake, so we are covered with a thin clinging film of dust. Our butts are taking some punishment from the road, but so far, my butt at least is standing up to it. Progress is variable, as road conditions vary so much, but an average of 20 kilometers per hour is now a distant memory.

It was great to roll into the Fairview Cattle Station and enjoy the hospitality of Ringer and his family. The people have been great allowing us to use their showers and toilets, and have even cut us off some prime steaks for us to eat tonight. I am writing this as flocks of galahs are flying around and Colin is trying to get the cooker going. Gordon is starting to smile as he opens a bottle of Shiraz....

Thoughts and comments:

• The Lakeland Horse Sports is on 14th August - be there!
• There is a $300 prize for a wet tee shirt competition in Mareeba on 28th August for anyone who thinks they might win....
• Snack of the day: Laura - caramel ice cream
• Tune of the day: Survivor - Eye of the Tiger
• Fact of the day: The Fairview cattle Station is 700 square miles and runs 10,000 head of cattle. They have a helicopter in the shed to help manage the cattle. It is small in comparison to neighbouring stations.

Tough day tomorrow to Musgrave Roadhouse - up early.

July 17th - Mount Molloy to Palmer River Roadhouse

Nigel says.... A great day cycling up the Mulligan Highway from Mount Molloy to the Palmer River Roadhouse. The Mulligan Highway is an excellent road. Not much traffic, smooth surface and a wide shoulder.

We had a good evening in the pub. We ate hige steaks and drank a number of beers with Kurt and Sam, a local couple who were seated at the same table. Kurt is a German who came to Australia in the early 1980s. He is, by his own admission a very direct person who always wants to get to the root of a problem. We discovered that he did not understand that the answer the the question: "Does my bum look big in this?" is always NO! He also challenged Gordon's fluffy views which was quite amusing....

As a result of the beers we slept in a bit and heard Colin calling out our names as he tried to find us. Gordon hugely pleased to see Colin and a vehicle, but more importantly he was relieved and grateful that he was now reunited with his makeup bag and platform shoe collection!

After a cup of tea during which we sorted the day we set off pedalling north. We made good progress and were in Mount Carbine at 0930 hours. Not much in Mount Carbine!

Hundreds of termite mounds along the route. Am told they get bigger further north. Cattle have free range across the road. I managed to cause a minor stampede. Must have been the marmite shirt...Saw buzzards circling above the road.... I figured they had spotted Gordon. En route drivers have been really friendly, most of them waving. One driver even stopped his vehicle to have a chat.

North of Mount Carbine we had a shocker of a hill. It was a 10% climb over 1.5 kilometers, but the views from the lookout were great. It gave us a good workout and was not that much of a problem. Gordon ate half a pie at the top. Bring on another hill and stop being a pansy Gordon.....
A few kilometers up the road, Colin had pulled up the vehicle and set up an awning and we had lunch. There was not much shade, so it was very welcome. Gordon happy and beaming...

After an undulating ride north to the Palmer River Roadhouse we rolled into the campsite where we were greeted by the welcome sight of pitched tents and Colin with cold beer. Tonight Gordon cooked the meal and washed up, and has not laid on his bed comatose.....is there something wrong with him?.....Today we cycled 114 kilometers.

Thoughts and Comments:

• There is bull riding in Mount Carbine on 14th August - be there!
• Most of the rivers are dry and rainforest replaced by dry bush
• A number of dust devils seen - we had a strong tail wind for most of the day.
• Snack of the day: Mount Carbine - sausage roll
• Tune of the day: Elton John - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

Tomorrow Laura and the start of the dirt road

Gordon says ...

I hope everyone out there in blogland is smart enough to realise that all Nigel's dribbling bravado about 'bring on another hill ...' is some kind of deluded defense mechanism, since it takes him about 20 minutes to haul his sweating, rubbery carcass up the most moderate of slopes, where I've normally been waiting for him at the top having a nap. Each time we get to a hill now, he wanders around at the top telling anyone who'll listen that he wishes it was bigger, or that he hopes there are more down the road. They all examine him with the same look of bemused pity that I have now mastered. I think it's getting a bit weird ...

Needless to say, very happy to have Colin here. We have a very civilized camp, and Nigel has even had a shower. Only seven days of peddling to go, if all goes according to plan. I don't have much more petrol left in my tank - mostly, I think, because I'm missing my family a lot. In retrospect, I'm not sure nearly seven weeks away was a brilliant idea, but like most of my ideas, I didn't really think this part of it through.

Note to self: remember to contact my publisher to have my philosophy book pulped. I have made a terrible mistake in the chapters on epistemology and logic. Silly me - thinking that truth is largely a phenomenon shaped within given social contexts, and according to a variety of specific logical rules. Not so. It seems the universe is constructed of two ontological forms - 1) those things that Nigel thinks, and 2) all other states of being, which are 'Wrong!'. Can't wait to start publishing this revelation in the journals. I have some hilariously spectacular examples of my new-found 'wrongness'.

Seven days to go ...

16th July - Cairns to Mount Molloy

Nigel says.... A day of sensory overload and variety after the Bruce Highway.

We had a good meal last night of sushi and ice cream. Lutzi joined us. Cairns was humming, and we finished of with a pint at an Irish Bar. The evening marred by the theft of Gordon's bike light.
Woke this morning to the sound of aircraft taking off - didn't realise the motel was so close to the airport. On waking, Gordon said he had been dreaming of doing unspeakable things with a baseball bat to the people who stole his bike light......now, I'm not being funny, but that was not the sort of reaction I had expected from a person of Gordon's supposed left wing political leanings. I was expecting a dry and rather dull lecture on social policy along the lines of "what do you expect if they don't get enough jam on their sandwiches when they are younger..." But no! A rant! He did feel better after it though....

We said goodbye to Lutzi (again) as she went off to dive on the Barrier Reef and pedalled off down the Captain Cook Highway towards Port Douglas. The road to Port Douglas is quite narrow and undulating as it winds its way right alongside the ocean, quite often through shady sections of rainforest. There are fantastic views of the beaches stretching out into the distance and wooded headlands in the distance. It is one of the most spectacular rides so far.

We reached the turn off for Port Douglas and had a cold drink before continuing on towards Mossman and turning inland through cane fields towards Mount Molloy. It was here that we encountered a real shocker...."The Big Hill". We had an 8 kilometer continuous climb of about 10% along a winding road up through the rainforest onto the Tablelands. It was hard work, and we were both drenched with sweat, but I enjoyed it. Quite a lot of the route was shaded by the rainforest, and there was a lot of noise from the forest. If you are going to have an 8 km climb, then at least this was in a nice place and the road was not too bad. I think this may have been the longest climb of the trip so far. Bring on another....

The ride to Mount Molloy was pleasant and relatively gentle. It was so green and and felt so temperate after the summit of the "Big Hill" that it almost looked like the Yorkshire Dales in some places.

We are staying in the National Hotel in Mount Molloy. It is an old fashioned pub with rooms off a wide balcony. Very basic facilities, no room keys or soap, but clean and comfortable. Gordon collapsed on the bed winging about the lack of daytime TV. I feel a beer coming on....

Thoughts and comments:

• Today there is a banana packing championship in Innisfail....
• Traffic heavy up until Yorkey's Knob today.
• Lots of colourful butterflies on the 8 km climb.
• Temperature much cooler on the tablelands around Mount Molloy than down at the coast.
• Today the views were: shopping centres...skytrain...zoo...beach....beach....beach...beach...beach...cane...cane...rainforest...pub
• Snack of the day:Clifton Village - Danish Pastry
• Tune of the day:Queen - Fat Bottomed Girls
• Fact of the day: Mount Molloy sprang up in the 1890s as a timber and copper mining town.

Tomorrow Palmer River Roadhouse...still on tarmac though.

Gordon says ...

Thieving bastards ...

Anyhoo ... Nasty climb today, but a very beautiful one, up through rainforest - for the Brisbane cyclists amongst you - its the back of Mt Coot-tha, times 4. Thank God I have one of those granny cogs. And when we got to the top, all of a sudden I was in the Yorkshire Dales, except without the Tetley Bitter, and the little old men in flat caps, with collies - bizarre - I never even knew this part of Australia existed.

Before that, the ride along the beach north of Cairns was pretty, but a very narrow road, and a lot of particularly stupid drivers. Mt Malloy is not what I expected - ie. a dusty, one-horse hell-hole, full of drunken misfits. Rather, it's quite a lush little oasis in the mountains, full of drunken misfits. I'm sure they won't notice one more for the evening ...

Re: my ongoing literary education. I wish to formally thank Jo Lampert for recommending 'The Little Stranger' - once it got going, I thoroughly enjoyed it - Edgar Allen Poe meets 'Remains of the Day'. Still smarting from my Tolstoy experience, I went to the itunes store and downloaded what appeared to be one of its most popular books (surely millions of people can't be wrong?) - 'Pillars of the Earth', a mystery about the building of a medieval cathedral, by someone I'd never heard of - Ken Follett. Mother of f.....g God! - what a pack of utter drivel - it was like it was written for toddlers. I don't think a single sentence had more that 6 words in it. I lasted about an hour, by which time I wanted to puncture my eardrums with a pencil. I have now embarked upon 'The Blind Assassin' by Margaret Atwood. It's a bit flowery and girly, but after having had my brain partially Follettized, I'm prepared to be patient.

Colin should turn up soon. I'm looking forward to no longer having to talk to Nigel. And I don't know what Nigel's dribbling on about: 'Bring on another' for more big hills. Bugger off. I think the stupid pratt is hallucinating.

15th July - El Arish to Cairns

Nigel says....Cairns!!!! We have completed a major section of the ride, and thankfully our time on the Bruce Highway ended today. We embark on the final section of our ride tomorrow - the Cape.

We left El Arish at 0730 hrs. It was dull and overcast and there was a fine but steady drizzle. I quite enjoyed cycling in the rain as it was cooling and you quickly dry out when the sun comes out. Gordon had to get out his 'pac a mac' poncho to stop getting wet befrore we could proceed - what a pansy!

We made pretty good progress along the Highway. The sun soon came out again and we passed through loads of banana plantations and cane fields all against a background of steep hills covered in rain forest. The route was a little undulating today, but it made the scenery more interesting. There was a strong tail wind today which we enjoyed, but it brought occasional showers. Fortunately we were sheltered having lunch in Babinda when there was the heaviest downpour. Cycling in this temperature is great, but it is quite tiring. Plenty of water required, and cold drink stops are very welcome.

One of the really good things I have found in Australia is the tourist information offices. They are usually staffed by elderly ladies, most of whom seem to be volunteers and they have been universally helpful and informative. The lady at the Information Centre in Babinda gave us manadrin oranges and told us all about the cape north of Bamaga from personal experience. Very pleasant and helpful.

We pushed on to Cairns and had a celebratory photo at the city sign. Unfortunately we could not stand in front of it without being run down on the carrigeway, so a photo from the bike lane had to suffice. Today we cycled 127 kilometers (79 miles)

We arrived atThe Reef Palms Motel - probably one of the nicest we have stayed at just after 1500 hrs. I had just put all the clothes into the guest's washing machine, leaving Gordon in his normal position lying on his bed with a towel round him, when Lutzi turned up to say "Hi". It was fun to see Gordon floundering around trying to secure his towel!

We are going out for a Japanese meal tonight.

Thoughts and comments:

• Saw a giant Captain Cook in Cairns...
• We might not have internet contact for daily blogs in future days - please follow the tracker. We will update the blog when we can.
• Snack of the day: bacon and cheese toastie - Innisfail
• Tune of the day: Bob Dylan - Shelter From The Storm

Tomorrow Mount Molloy.

Gordon says ...

I've just had my front light stolen from my bike. The light I first took on the ride was so crap - it kept winking out - in a fit of panic, I spend $250 on a super-bright, rechargeable light that would see me through the Cape. The bike was chained up outside a restaurant, and even though there was a lot of drunks milling around .... welcome to Cairns ... everything was screwed on, so I wasn't worried - well they just wrenched the thing off its mount ... thieving bastards. Great. Now I have no light at all, and no way of buying one before we head inland.

Brilliant ...

14th July - Ingham to El Arish

Nigel says.... A good day today with plenty of variety. We set off as normal at 0730hrs. It had been raining in the night so it was pleasantly cool. Lutzi joined us - she had been camping across the road at the sports field.

We had a good flat run north out of Ingham until we reached the 'hill' that everyone had told us about. There was a big sign saying it was 1.8 km long and varied between 10% and 12%. After the flat terrain of recent weeks, it gave us a good workout and could be described as a 'mild shocker', but really it did not compare with the monsters south of Sydney. Full marks to Lutzi who rode her fully laden bike up it. I think both of us would have struggled to do the same as quickly as she achieved it. I got to the top and had a good drink of water at the lookout and took a photo. Gordon had a strepsil.....

Later in the day quite a number of people asked if we had ridden over the hill and seemed to be impressed when we told them that we had. There was an excellent 'yihaa' ride down the other side.

Cycling with Lutzi, our pace increased by a couple of kilometers an hour and we arrived in Cardwell mid morning. The beach looking out over to Hinchinbrook Island was a welcome stop after miles of bush north of the 'hill'. The bush this morning had the humid smell of the rainforest and early on was quite noisy with the sound of birds.

We reached Tully, the wettest place in Australia, this afternoon. Fortunately it was dry when we were there, but the smoke from the sugar cane plant drifted right over the main street where we stopped for a drink and ice cream. The smoke was really thick and the smell quite pronounced - it must annoy the locals.

We said goodbye to Lutzi when she turned off towards Mission Beach. We have enjoyed her company. Good luck for the remainder of your trip Lutzi, and here is to a safe and happy return to Bavaria. Ho hum....I suppose I will have to talk to Gordon again....

Gordon and I ambled our way north and decided to stop at the Diggers Creek Motel and Van Park in El Arish some 6 kilometers short of Silkwood our intended destination. We wanted the 'luxury' of a motel rather than a pub of indeterminate quality which we would have had to accept in Silkwood. Gordon flung himself onto the bed on arrival, and as I write this has not yet moved from his recumbant position even to get a shower!

Today we cycled 116 kilometers. (73 miles)

Thoughts and comments:

• Beware of crocs signs at many creeks and rivers.
• Saw The Big Crab at Cardwell.
• Nearly left my camelback behind a couple of times - worried I am becoming like Gordon....
• Saw the Big Wellington Boot at Tully - there are stairs so you can look down from the top of the boot....
• First fact of the day: The average annual rainfall in Tully is 4490mm of rain.
• Second fact of the day: The Big Wellington Boot is 7.9 meters high which is the record amount of annual rainfall measured at Tully in 1950.
• Third fact of the day: El Arish was founded as a soldier's town and named after the Wadi El Arish in the Sinai from which the Anzac Mounted Division started their successful attack on the Turkish held town Magdhaba.
• Snack of the day: Cardwell - Original Magnum ice cream.
• Tune of the day: Tony Orlando and Dawn - Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree - Gordon's special request.

Big day tomorrow - Cairns. This will mean the completion of our time on the Bruce Highway and the start of the final phase up the Cape. Bring it on...

Gordon says ...

Not much to say really. I'm tired, physically and mentally, and as if that's not bad enough, I feel permanently grubby - a fact that bothers me as much as it doesn't appear to bother Nigel. Smothering my legs two or three times a day in sun-block means that at the end of the ride, my legs are almost black with road grime, and even after scrubbing myself in the shower, the towel ends up a grotty dark grey colour after I've dried myself off. I wash my clothes each night, but it's normally by hand in the sink, with shampoo, so it's a pretty amateur affair. Nigel, after years of crawling around in jungles, is more of the opinion that by not washing your clothes at all, you reach an equilibrium with nature, ie. you stop noticing that you stink. Jesus Christ ...

It has been good riding with Lutzi - she's a tough little cyclist. Now that she's gone, we can stop showing off, and go back to riding like slugs. Interestingly, she seemed amazed we were doing this ride without rest days, which makes me feel a bit better about feeling so crap - a view not shared by Nigel, who regards even admitting to having feelings at all as akin to publically announcing that you are homosexual.

Cairns tomorrow, and then Colin turns up at Mount Malloy the day after that. I still remain firmly convinced that Colin's decision to do the Cape with us, is the only thing that stands between me and sitting utterly lost in the wilderness somewhere, listening to Nigel say: 'Oh don't be so pathetic Gordon ... we can survive for a least a week by eating our own shit ...'[