Theaussiechallenge Post # 8 Raglan

Day 8 162 days to go. Distance: today 75 total 690km. It’s 10.30pm Saturday 14/7/2012 Raglan. What a nutty washed out day. For the first few hours today it stopped raining and Rube and I couldn’t believe our luck so we hammered out a 55km stint. Unfortunately it bucketed the last 5km so we looked like drain pipe rats riding into the town where we stopped for lunch. We consoled ourselves with Monty Carlos and coffee and were soon feeling good to go again. In the half hour we stopped two trains passed carrying 100+ carriages full of coal. Australia is definitely the land of natural resources. We met a lady from Emerald traveling with her pure bread red cattle called Maggie. She was just beautiful and trying to be so good but was nuts from the rain. What an incredibly smart dog and loved cuddles. The rest of the ride was wet and wetter and wettest. Then at 75km we came into Ranglan and passed the tavern with a sign out front saying ‘coin laundry.’ Awesome!!!! I stopped to see if we could use the facility but it was for guests only. Lisa the manager said we could camp for free and use the hot showers and laundry as long as we ate at the tavern. Done!!!!!! Rube and I stay with Thea and Graham at Stanwell tomorrow and I so didn’t want to arrive stinky and wet. All our gear, me included, was ferrel so a wash and dry was the most delish ants pants. It even stopped raining long enough for me to put the tent up so we were feeling very chuffed and ready to socialize. The tavern has been choc a block with folk from all over as well as locals. I’ve been chat chat chattering to all sorts of interesting people. Unfortunately while I’ve been talking a bus of partying lads pulled up and in between nudie runs round the bus, they spotted the tent and got up to naughtiness. It had been raining so hard for ages to I went to check that the tent was ok. The lads had poured beer over the entrance area and thrown their stubbies inside and pulled up the pegs. So the super tent was a drenched brewery but they didn’t hurt Rube so all is good in the big scheme of things. I cleaned up as best I can until morning but couldn’t sleep in there. I went back inside and was contemplating a cruel and unusual list of things do do to the lads when I met Grace and Eddie. They are traveling in Qld to escape the colder south and are visiting their daughter who works here. They said we could use their caravan as their in the guest house. They were very interested in Rube and I and are making a donation online when they get the next chance. So now I am tucked up in bed in the caravan and rube is under the tavern car port. I am so tired and but wanted to do up my post before bed. So that’s us for today. I hear BOM forecasts the rain clearing tomorrow but tomorrows a brand new day. the rain is still bucketing but we are afar and sound and very good indeedy. Talk soon.
Ps its raining pussie cats and dogs