Day 8

Out at the crack of dawn freezing my ass off the speed limit was 100km but I could only force myself to about 50km about 20 min into it I started going 70km and only gained 10km in the next hour or two. I found a rest stop and walked around to warm up my frozen body. The stop had a volunteer opening a free coffee tea place. I gave her a hand and she started heating up some water. That was fine by me I needed time to let my body warm up. I'm not really geared for the cold, hell I'm not really geared with anything but the essentials. Well the sun started to blaze and I continued on the journey.

Out on the road where there is nothing but track in front of you and the natural world around you something awesome happens. Its why I think I like motoring around for vacation, I'm meditating on the road, constant vigilance, yet never the less in a deep state of nothing, one thing, or all things. Awe is what I'm constantly feeling from the deep calm to the scary reality of going 120km with nothing between you and the road. I must be crazy to love this.

on the road again I'm trying to get far today, we will see.

I made it to Townsville thanks to Des. So I've been riding up all day enjoying the beauty of the land watching the sky age . From young morning spunk, to full out bravado of noon , and finally the wizened sunset; all beautiful all where great as I came up to Bowen. I didn't want to stay there but with my healthy fear of kangaroos I didn't want to head north two hours to Townsville. So I tried to get a room but all of the hotels where full-up. So I went back to my bike frustrated and contemplating the drive north. Would hitting a kangaroo going 100km + be all that bad. Most of the road kill I saw where small I could take, Right? No probably not but the alternative would to go bum it out on the beach. Then maybe my fear of the innocent marsupials is wrong I should ask a local. So I asked a guy that was loading up his car that was right next to my bike.

"Are kangaroos really that bad at night?".
"Sure they are especially if your on a bike", he singles toward toward the Harley. "Why do you ask?".

I tell him and he tells me about his love for motorcycles and his long distance trips around Australia. He offers to lead the way(like some vanguard), thats where he happens to be headed. I agree and we set off, he tells me that he'll call around to the motels see if any of them had a room. Halfway up we stop for dinner and I ask what he does, I'm still trying to figure out the real consideration he is giving me as being one of the nicest things a complete stranger has ever done for me. He is an electrical engineer working on various things that are really cool. I tell him mine and its truly just a nice thing he is doing without anything negative. We stop outside of Townsville I thank him and we part ways. I get my room and fall directly asleep. Thanks Das. That was a long 12 hour day.