Day: July 22, 2017

Last night we spent the night in Yeppoon with good friends and today was one of those days of catching up and enjoying a good yarn over breakfast before heading back to Rockhampton.

We were advised to drop in to Emu Park on our way back to Rockhampton which had a pretty spectacular view of the Great Keppel islands. Whilst in Yeppoon we noticed the old railway line had been removed and we were told there are plans for a rail trail. I only hope the Mountain Bike and Touring Cycling Clubs can get on board and turn this into another venture that supports tourism here on the Central Queensland Coast. The old train line runs through some beautiful countryside not dissimilar to areas in Western Australia – like down near Ravensthorpe and towards Albany. I guess we will see what the future holds for reclaiming this old railway line.

On returning to Rockhampton, we set to getting all our domestic requirements completed. This included the washing of clothes and doing a food shop for the next few days. All done by 3:00pm, we made the executive decision to go to the movies. The film of choice was Dunkirk which allowed us to sit back and enjoy the chance to relax.

Tomorrow, we return to the road with the objective of reaching Benaraby, south of Gladstone. A quick view of the forecast for the next few days seems favourable and we are hopeful of a good ride. It’s only six days and approximately 600km until we reach Brisbane. It is hoped that, as we pass through the Sunshine Coast, we may have opportunity to catch up with more of the young people who make up the reason for this ride. Next Saturday, another rest day is planned in Brisbane and there is an event organised through the Amputees and Family Support Group (AFSG) which we will explain more later in the week. Both Grant and I are looking forward to these two opportunities.

I encourage you all to raise the awareness of teen amputees where ever you may be. As a community we need to make a difference in these young peoples lives and we would welcome your support. Please link in to @Riding4AmpCamp Facebook page. For those reading the blog who would like to donate to the Amp Camp program for teens living with amputation, limb loss and limb difference, please go to our donation links on the home page of www.go-mad.net or via @Riding4AmpCamp Facebook page.

Until tomorrow,
Mike and Grant

With very few options for accommodation in Marlborough, we stayed at the Marlborough Caravan Park. Our accommodation was very basic in the form of a workman’s donga and communal showers. Dinner was a buffet which was a very welcome sight and definitely satisfied the need.

Setting off earlier than other days, we were on the road by 7:10am and heading back to our mate Bruce (The Bruce Highway) and on our way toward Rockhampton. The temperature was a nice 1 degree and the roads were quiet. For the first time on this trip I had a gentle tailwind which was blowing nicely and giving superb assistance. We were making good time as we traversed the now rolling hills between Marlborough and ‘Rocky’ and stopped only for a quick drink before heading off again – not wanting to waste the tailwind.

We soon arrived in the little hamlet of Yaamba for a quick break which consisted of 500ml of milk and an ice cream. It was a quaint little spot and a great location to just rest and watch the streams of traffic that had now entered the Bruce Highway.

 

A few kilometres down the road, I stumbled upon a sight of yesteryear. I met David, happily mounted atop his horse, and stopped for a brief chat with him as he kept a watchful eye on the cattle gently grazing along the roadside – he was content in his workplace.

Again, we had hoped to present our new ‘Fashion Found on the Side of the Road’ segment today: however, the Rockhampton Shire have cleaned up the sides of the road and there was nothing to be found. We will attempt to bring this to you when we can.

We arrived in Rockhampton without fanfare and in great time by stopping the ride at 1:00pm. The difference for us today was the tailwind, cooler conditions and a keen desire to get the day done early so that we could enter our rest day. Locating a truck stop that offered a shower, we quickly used their amenities before heading into Rockhampton where we decided on Chinese for lunch. A quick buzz cut later (yes you may laugh – all three hairs had to be trimmed) and we were now travelling to our rest stop 63kms in the beautiful seaside town of Yeppoon. We are staying the night with friends and looking forward to some down time.

Arriving in Yeppoon early gave us a chance to grab a coffee and check out the beachfront. It has a pretty cool water park which we have been told is very busy in summer. We were treated to dinner at the Yeppoon Sailing Club which was a great way to finish the day with friends.

Tomorrow we are off to Rockhampton (City) where we will try and catch some rest and just relax from not being on the bike for a day. We will set off on Sunday with the objective of reaching Benaraby with hopes of reducing some of the daily kilometres on Monday.

If you are not linked to @Riding4AmpCamp Facebook page we recommend you link in there as well to follow some of our day’s events. A big thank you to those of you have donated and we greatly appreciate your support. For those reading the blog who would like to donate this amazing program for teens living with amputation, limb loss and limb difference, please go to our donation links on the home page of www.go-mad.net or via @Riding4AmpCamp Facebook page.

Until tomorrow,
Mike and Grant