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.
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.
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