Frances Creek to Townsville 100 km Day 4

Maximum security lighting all night

During the night there were a couple of occasions where I awoke thinking some truck had pulled in and was sitting with their engine idling. I realised my mistake as l set out on the road to Townsville at 6:30 am as soon as it was light enough to be seen. The sound I heard was sugar cane trains taking the harvest to the mill. At the moment harvest is in full swing and the mills are working 24 hours a day.

I was awake very early and started packing at 5:00 am conscious that I had a big day ahead and I wanted to cover as many kilometres as I could before the wind got going. By 6:30 am I had packed, eaten breakfast (muesli and coffee) and performed the necessary bathroom tasks. It was 10 degrees and quite humid.

The sun rose across misty sugar cane fields. In the 1st hour I rode easily enjoying the cool air, at one point a white breasted sea eagle wafted over the road, his mate not far away gliding past and then with a lazy flap of the wings turning away. Later there were kites circling the road waiting for a break in the traffic so they could get at some fresh roadkill.

At 28 km I pulled into the "Frosty Mango" for coffee and a toasted sandwich. I have set myself a daily budget (more of a guideline). At this point it will be eating that causes an overrun. Pushing a fully laden touring bike requires energy and 2nd breakfast was needed and enjoyed.

The scenery moved from sugar cane fields to dry scrub, there were small termite mounds, not the magnificent red towers of Cape York, just grey and only a metre or so high.

Traffic was constant but there was plenty of shoulder so I was enjoying the ride. After 50 km I needed to pee, there wasn't much cover and I just passed a cop who had pulled over a grey nomad towing a big caravan. Just my luck I thought I could be done for indecent exposure if my timing was bad.

Back on the bike I was realised it was time to apply more Intensive Care to the parts that embrace the bike seat. The sweat of 250 km of pedalling has given me some tender spots. Again I thought it would be just my luck if the cop appeared just as I thrust my hand covered in hand cream down the front of my shorts. Fortunately I was not arrested on either count. Apparently it was a case of nothing to see here - move on!

Back on the road the wind had picked up but it was variable, sometimes a headwind, sometimes a side wind, sometimes strong and other times just a zephyr. At 80 km 12:00 noon I rolled into a Caltex Servo and bought a cheeseburger and Diet Coke. I rang Lisa who was in her new red car on the way to work. Not sure what happened but the line dropped and there was beeping like a nuclear bomb alert was sounding. Unfussed I finished the cheeseburger.

The 20 km into Townsville took forever, I checked a couple of caravan parks. The 1st one was too far from my intended route tomorrow and 2nd wanted to charge $39 for an unpowered site. I kept going and eventually found a $21 patch of dirt in the council caravan park near the Showgrounds.

The afternoon featured a visit to the supermarket and doing the laundry. The steady breeze meant that my gear was dry by the time it got dark. I also added some padding the handgrips in the bike. After 350 km in 40 days I have some aches but generally I feel good. I am planning to have a rest day in Charters Towers in 2 days time.

It is a bit crowded here - not longer after I set up my tent 3 german girls in a camper parked right in front of my tent. I struggled to know where to look. Where is "I have a son-in-law from Detmold" Tony when you need him? As the father of 3 daughters I decided to head to the pub for dinner.