Day 31 139 days to go. Distance: today 181km total 2118km. It’s 8.15pm Monday 6/8/12 Newcastle Waters rest area. It’s such a beautiful night. Cool breeze and a clear sky full of stars like I haven’t seen before. This lifestyle is a treasure and agrees with Rube and I 01 bigtime big!! We’re both pretty weary tonight but with smiles as big as the sky happy happy girls. I’ve just got back from talking with Julie and Rick who I met in Renner Springs roadhouse today during our first break. Julie came over and introduced herself totally fascinated in what we’re doing or more to the point why? She returned with a $20 dollar donation and we discussed options where to end up tonight. They are small town folk from a place about 30km outside of Euchuca population 400. It’s their first trip as ‘grey nomads’ which is the term used amongst vanners for those retired and enjoying the good life. They are travelling a circuit up through the centre then across to Cairns and down the east coast back home in time for their daughters wedding. Then they head to Tasmania December for their next open ended trip. Julie and Rick are like so many enjoying the retired lifestyle of traveling on the road. It’s really exciting to see so many doing a similar thing and enjoying our beautiful country. Renner Springs was only 65km into the day and too early to stop and the next place was Elliot. I had heard from a handful of different folk not to stay there as it’s a tired community with nothing too much. When I went through there this arv I kinda agreed and was happy to peddle the extra 25km to this rest area which is beautiful. It’s quite elevated and the views out over the landscape and the sunset was really something. It was right on sunset when we arrived being a long haul today but the rides been beautiful and spoiling with a generous tail wind for most part of the day yay. That helped big with the undulating hills and we managed to get through the most kms we’ve done to date. The girl’s are pretty chuffed with ourselves. Rube’s snoring already poor darling. She’s traveling so well and will enjoy some well deserved zzzzz’s tonight. After packing up camp this morning, I enjoyed my cuppa in the sun with Terry and a couple of folk from the campsite. It was Terry’s birthday today, happy birthday mate 29 again apparently 🙂 You and Robin are truly jets and the bestest of folk to boot. I received two more donations while sitting there, $15 from Neil and Robert and $5 from Jan. Thank you xxx that topped off a very very special and lucrative stay at Banka Banka. With meeting so many folk there, our first couple of hours on the road was a constant ‘beep beep’ by the vanners back on the road northwards. Heaps of waving and big smiles and a cool way to pass the morning ks. It kinda set the scene for the brain’s entertainment thinking back over the last month at all the places we’ve been and wonderful folk we’ve met. What’s come to practice in my day to day is what Anne shared with us back in the rest area outside of Camooweal. Im in training and hope to default one day to: make someone else’s day, have fun doing it, and give my full attention to those I meet along the way. It’s made me think back to the Asian countries when language was a barrier and we relied 100% on non-verbals and how much I loved that experience. Relying totally on non-verbals meant giving others my full attention and eye contact was everything. We had to have fun in the challenge not to frighten folk off and to cope with the challenges. And it was instinctive to ensure they knew how much I appreciated their effort and time and kindness. One of the lads said this morning how ‘people are people no matter where we are’ and I’m reckoning how much truth is in those simple words. We’re all the same in our own unique ways and each have something to share and contribute and learn from. Respecting this in others is a lesson well learnt for me nowadays. Shhhhhhh can you hear that? I’m growing yayayayayayayay
I’ve enjoyed another slideshow of the photos tonight and it’s been a wonderful first month of adventure, falling in love with our country, bonding with Rube and cool time spent with even cooler folk along the way. Not a bad start hey? As far as fundraising our cash donations are siting at $809.35 with 32 oaths in 31 days. I must now eat like a happy piglet in it’s trough and pass out in bliss 🙂 Talk soon x
We write this verse to you my friends
A way to say thank you
For all your gifts and kind regard
to help Theaussiechallenge
You gathered cash to help our cause
And sung our campfire song
You organized a free tent site
At Banka Banka campgrounds
A gentle giant full of hope
A woman so endearing
A mini foxi with his mum
A play bone and a blanky
So Rube and I we raise our tea
And toast our favorite trio.
May you travel safe and sound
And treasure every day.
shecyclesolo 