Theaussiechallenge Post # 7 Boyne River

Day 7 163 days to go. Distance: today 90km total 615km. It’s 7pm Friday 13/7/2012 Boyne River Rest Area. I’m sitting under the shelter at the rest area with Clem and Max from France. We’ve been talking up a storm about their Australian travels. Clem also cooked up a storm of onions, bacon and potatos which smelt sooo good. They have bought a Ford Falcon and driving around Australia. How cool. They have so many stories about snakes and crocodiles or ‘salties’ and ‘freshies’ as Max proudly called them (very cute). ‘You have so many dangerous animals in Australia.’ They have driven all round eastern and central Australia including Tassie which they love along with Kings Canyon and the Flinders Ranges. But pretty much everywhere they’re travelled they’ve loved. They have also WOOFED a time at a hobby farm in Beerwah weeding and picking fruit. Now they head back to Brisbane via 1770 and Fraser Island all up about 8 months but already planning their next trip to do the western half. When I arrived here this arvo I met this old fella called Allan traveling with his pooch ‘Tigger’ a Pomeranian/terrier cross. What darlings both of them. We talked for about two hours and he’s an incredibly colorful and interesting man. He has travelled 14 times around Australia by car and hitched 5 times in his younger days. He has 10 children which he raised himself and very roud of the fact. They are now aged from 35 to 18 and spread across the country. He has just driven a Nissan Mica from Cairns to Three ways and south to Adelaide and the coast to just outside Gympie where it blew up. Talk about the Mica going out with a bang!! He has bought an old Ford Fairlane for $2000 that any muscle car lover would chew their right arm off for. We have talked about so many things like what to look out for along our travels. He warned me most about road trains and freshies so no camping by creeks 🙂 I think I’ll stick to the rest stops which are pretty much dotted the right distances from here to Darwin. He also spoke about the animals Ill see mostly cattle, emus, goats, pigs and of course roos. He said be careful crossing creek bridges as its not unusual to have a couple of freshies stretched out sunning themselves. Not the sort of thing Rube and I can back peddle from quickly if we get too close. I took a real shine to Al. His initial appearance is so untidy a clear ol’ bachelor with his front teeth missing and a comb over with long grey streaky locks and cheeky big blue eyes. Als usually based in Cairns but planning to buy a couple acres in South Australia at Chrissie to rest up in his ‘quieter years.’ Straight away he offered me a coffee and bicky and was a total softy especially around his pooch. He loved telling me stories about Tigger and he sang me the song he sings when Tiger’s feeling a bit lowly 🙂 A man’s best friend by far!!!! This morning I met Yvonne and David from Werder near Berlin. I would have liked to talk with them longer. They were fun and traveling around Australia in a campervan with their daughter about 10 years old but I can’t remember her name. They were also heading back to Brissie via Fraser. They were keen to share with me some history of where they come from when they heard my sisters live in Bavaria. Their region was originally called Prussia and was shared with areas of Poland and Estonia. They invited me to stay with them if I am cycling through Germany and we exchanged contacts. I hope to see them again and pick our short but very cool conversations up where we left. My first stop today was at Miriam Vale and what a cute little place. It’s literally a one street town that runs parallel to the highway. The pub is of course the main landmark and very historical dating back to 1895. This ol’ fella came out to say hi and loved getting his photo taken with me and his local. I also stopped and talked to a group of local folk enjoying a bundy and coke UDL. They were rough round the edges but all smiles and cheek and really interested in what I was doing and the fundraising. Cycling out of town I came across a wood duck that had been just hit by a car and was still alive. He was very distressed and broken. I stopped and took him to the side of the road. Then I did what I thought I could never do and ended his suffering using a knife I attached to Rube. I wasn’t sure why I attached the knife but it seemed like a good idea and if I never use it again it’s had it’s purpose. I held the little fella as his soul left him. It was the most humane thing I have ever done and I will never forget it. So…… from now on wood ducks are the coolest little critters ever. They are waddling all round the rest stop and they have my heart. I wonder what amazing adventures he’ll have next time round. I thought about him so many times on the ride today and it fills me with a peace to know how precious all life is hey?!! Talk soon x