Day 69

Day 69 started with a full breakfast from the road house ,where i had spent the night in my tent and making that huge announcement.( H/W ). I still needed to ride the last 150 km to Mackay and was getting excited to see my friends  Kate and Greg where they now live. Thinking it was going to be a grind due to the long distance without any services i was pleasantly surprised by the amount of petrol stations and fruit shops along the way not marked on the map. Even a home made ice cream shop ,which was like an oasis. The day before (68) was exciting and a huge relief for me to reach halfway,not so much physically but mentally, 7 km before Marlborough. I was starting to feel as though i couldn't start returning home until i got there and i was getting impatient to get there. Still , it's just a state of mind.

Now for the second half.

On leaving the road house and on the recommendation of the road house owner i travelled  a few km along the highway and turned into a caravan park at Clairview and you can follow the road along the beach and it will bring you back onto the highway some ten km further and the road is more scenic and less hilly. Doing this surprised me by the amount of people camping and living permanently there. I even thought i saw a coffee van with it's side doors open, but no, it was Andrew and Pauline in there drain cleaning truck doing the dishes from breakfast. Seeing that Myself ,Tim ,Jim  and Uncle Glen all have a connection with drain cleaning i needed to stop and chat.

Andrew with his fully rigged vehicle of high pressure water cutters and cameras..Andrew and Pauline live in Kempsey (Slim Dusty territory) and are on there way to help there son in Cairns for a few days building his house. There business name is "round the bend"

Andrew and Pauline where telling me they often ride 100 km at times to keep fit and had the bikes in the back of the truck. Even had there  kelpie guard dog"Bindey" in the truck and if you put your hand in there ,look out.

Back on the highway i was making good progress with the excitement of meeting Greg with his trailer on the Bluce Highway at a place in Mackay. At one time i thought if I'm going this hard and fast what am i am i going to be like if I'm close to home when and if it happens.
10 Kms from Mackay and totally powering i look up and see Greg coming toward me with his Toyota Prado and trailer and we lock eyes and after 7700km to see each other, we both let out a scream that could be heard to Cairns. Him now going the wrong way and me spinning my little legs to scramble even closer to Mackay. He then passers me later and turns left into a quite street nearly causing a Major accident with a mean looking bikie group running into him from behind. I  followed Greg and we shook hands and he looked dumbfounded that i was actually there in his presence. I then asked him how far out  we where  from the original meeting point, and he said quite a way but could not resist  the temptation after watching the tracker for 2 and a half months. I then pedalled to the original location and loaded the bike into the trailer and said "take me to your leader"

Finally got there as promised.

On arriving to the house Kate arrived home from work and it was great to see her and catch up. She cooked a fantastic Lasagna enough to feed a football team. I ended up talking till the cows came home as my turbos had not shut down. Eventually i wore them down and we all went to sleep.

To my supporters.

WTF!!!!

I'll buy it.

inspirational.

A few photos to keep you amused
Catch ya later.
Grant