CLOSE CALLS AND A DAY OFF

The next morning I was woken up early by a couple of trucks which had driven into the deserted gas station for a sleep break.I figured that I might as well get up and stat the packing process but I must say my enthusiasm for the day waned when I realise just how cold the mornings ride was going to be.I did manage to get going well before 7am which was the earliest departure of my trip so far.

The first thing I noticed about the mornings ride was just how much hillier it was compared to the previous few days.The road was just as shitty as the day before and I had a real fight on my hands when I reached the run ino Mt Larcom only 26k from where I was camped.The road was like a narrow alley flanked by trees and with the sun still low in the sky what little light there was made visibility poor.I had so many close calls with trucks and was run off road three times.
I stopped at the Mt Larcom gas station for a coffee break and realised just how much my legs hurt after fighting with my bike for the first hour of the day.The lousy road and close calls had rattled me and I sat in the cafe for 90-odd minutes before I took to the highway once again.Things did not get any better and after another 25k I came upon a rest area at the Calliope River Crossing.I rolled up to a really nice looking old store in front of which looked like some sort of heritage village.I was in need of cheering up and an ice cream,a mars bar and a coffee went a long way to achieving that.

There was an old lady working the kiosk and she told me that the Calliope River Historical Village was a labour of love for an historical society in nearby Gladstone and that she was one of the many volunteers who manned the kiosk and looked after the little village.I thought the place was great and after chatting with a few people who drifted in and out of the place I decided to stay for the night.It had been a rough moring and I would have to be happy with only 50k in the books for the day.

I asked where the rest area was and was directed to a beautiful park-like area at the bottom of the hill behind the store.The large Calliope River split the rest area in two and I picked a spot to camp on the northern side,closest to the village and kiosk.What a great place it was and as I lay out my tarps to dry and set up my tent I made the decision to take a complete day off and stay at this great little place for a second day.It would give me a chance to spend a few hours checking out the village and hopefully recharge my enthusiasm after such a shitty morning.The ladies at the kiosk cheered me up no end when I went back up to ask if I could plug my laptop into their power supply.They were all very interested in my trip and loved checking out my blog (why is it that strangers like my blog but my friends really don't seem too fussed about it at all?) and asked me all kinds of questions about life on the road.It was a pretty funny afternoon but as the sun started to set I realised that I'd better go wood collecting for a campfire that night as my gas supply had expired that morning.


With a healthy supply of wood collected and a roaring fire started I set about checking out the maps of the Asian leg of this long trip.I figured that if I could get excited about riding through South East Asia then maybe my enthusiasm for this part would return.I must admit, I think it did the trick and I got stuck into my maps and guide books with renewed energy.

The next day I woke up early as usual and stoked the fire to make breakfast and watch the sun break though the mist floating through the campsite.I sat there overlooking the river and watchd the day come alive,the other campers took quite a bit longer to stir so I was already on my way up the hill to the store before anyone emerged from their camper vans.I was looking forward to visiting the historial village and I must say it didn't disappoint.There were all kinds of different buildings which had been trasplanted from various communities in the district.They were the sort of buildings that you don't really see much anymore and some had quite a significant history in the local community.I loved the place and spent a good two hours walking around and reading all the little info cards posted round each building explaining the significance of each room or what was stored there.Another hour or two of chatting with some new volunteers and a new wave of travellers made for a great morning all around.

The rest of the day was spent doing some organising of my gear and more research into the Indonesian and Malaysian legs of my trip.I was really looking forward the different challenges that Asia was going to present and realised the main part of my funk was the fact that Queensland is just so large and is taking so long to ride through without any real changes in landscape,weather or culture.It got me to thinking about what it would be like once I crossed into New South Wales where I know things are a little different.I also thought that I might actually head inland after my Noosa break and see some of the country that I have never seen before.The coastal tourist path is a well worn one and did I really need to go over it again?I wasn't so sure.All that was in the future though and for the moment I was just happy to be in one place clean,dry and away from the bloody highway.