Day 16 Rolleston to Wild Camp Carnarvon Range 86 km

Cold start to the day - only 3 degrees as I am packing up at 6:30 am. The couple in the camper next to my tent apologised to me last night for the noise they would make this morning as they were leaving early. Must have overslept because there is no sign of them before I leave at 6:50 am.

For the 1st time on this trip I am cycling with full finger gloves and jacket to keep warm. It does little good for my fingers which are aching with the cold and then go numb. Once it warms a little my fingers ache again as they thaw out. By 8:00 am I am ditching the jacket and gloves as it already 16 degrees.    

the view from my lunch spot

I take a break at forty km (9:30 am), I set up my chair and make a cup of tea and read my book. Absorbed in the book times slips by and it is 10:30 am before I get back on the bike.

The wind has risen and is right in my face, riding has become a slog. The surface is rough seal again, there are more long hills and I get no momentum on the downhills because of the wind and surface.

I pass the turnoff to Carnarvon Gorge at 60 km, it is 40 km off the highway so I can only keep going. At the moment I am just keeping up with my deadline so significant detours are out of the question.

At 12:30 I have done 75 km and look for a lunch spot. Eventually I find a some dappled shade and again set up my chair and read. I nod off to sleep for awhile.

At 2:30 pm I force myself to get going again. The wind and surface are still against me as I approach the Carnarvon Range. I know there are some big hills coming soon.
Just as I pass halfway to Injune I find a small Rest Stop in a very pleasant setting. I pull over thinking I could camp there. I have done 85 km which is a respectable days work and I can get to Injune by lunchtime tomorrow if I start early.

Bob from Bringelly

A B-Double pulls into the Rest Stop. The driver Bob from Bringelly (Sydney) and I have a wonderful chat. He is a big cricket fan. He is carrying equipment for mines at Moranbah and does this trip once a week. His next stop is Emerald where he has to do a drug and alcohol test. He says it has become mandatory for access to the mines and he is ok with it.

Bob gives me a couple of bottles of water. I have plenty in the tanks but I have decided the Maximus bottle has to go. It is growing mould spots inside. My other bottle is fine.
I decide this Rest Stop is going to be too noisy and push on and find a great wild camp only a kilometre further on. Climbing to the top of the range will be easier in morning before the wind gets up and if I get some good downhills I could get to Injune early.

Never again!

Dinner tonight is a can of "Braised Steak and Onions". An old work colleague Fred Catlin (Alsafe Safety) recently posted on Fb that he was disappointed he couldn't find this anymore. Well Fred, I'm sorry I found it. It did fill me up with some brown rice added.