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the crew
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Variable Temperatures
Wednesday:
We awoke to a temperature of around 7 degrees. By the time we had finished breakfast at a local café, gassed up and hit the road there was a heatwave and it was 9 degrees. Gradually during the day, the temperatures rose and eventually reached 29 degrees by the time we rode into our destination of Longreach. Huge temperature range – yesterday it started at nine and got to 26 degrees by around 4pm.
During the day we were on back country roads some narrow one track sealed interspersed with around 150kms of gravel most pretty good, hard packed dirt. Some was pretty tricky with large rows of fresh dirt which was pretty hard to cross. This was a result of graders working and fixing the road worse for motorbikes! Back on seal we soon turned off the seal onto a red dirt and loose sand road which looked promising. After a few kms we met a friendly farmer who said that we were on a no-through road on his private property. He said the road we were on used to be a railway line but of course as is the way nowadays many lines have been ripped up.. He was on a Honda CRF230 farm bike. He was interested in what we were doing and where we were going and especially Ian’s bike which is a Portuguese AJP which is a bit unusual He was ok about the fact we were on his property. However, he said there was no access so we had to back track.
Earlier we had got onto a gravel road that showed on our devices went through in the direction we had routed. However, after a few kms on this road we encountered a gate across the road. It wasn’t locked but had a sign on which said before accessing you must contact the property owner. No phone number so we had little choice but to circle back and rejoin our route further along.
Wildlife today was one massive wild pig and quite a few groups of Black Kites feeding on roadkill. They are often slow to fly out of our way as we approach but so far, no strikes.
Into Barcaldine for lunch which is a very pleasant country town. Here we got talking to a group of Grey Nomads (2 couples). One couple had a fantastic rig, a Chevy Silverado with a tinny on the roof mounted on a liteweight trailer which they could unload electronically and a large off-road caravan. They were on a 3-month trip and heading for Broome to go fishing – from where we met them about 3500kms across some pretty harsh countryside.
The last 100kms into Longreach from Barcaldine was on fast seal all the way. In Longreach we had booked an Air B & B – an old workers cottage. Very quaint, complete with an Argar type kitchen cooker (not in use) all very authentic. In the back garden was an old Toyota Landcruiser (heat your heart out Brenton) just waiting to be restored. Home cooked dinner, BBQ’d sausages (Frizz) with pepper gravy (superb – I made it) & veges,- broccolli, sweet potatoes & carrot (Ian). A great day. 407kms.
Thursday:
Rest day. Time for some bike maintenance, chain adjustments & lubes, clean air filters, change the oil on Richard’s DRZ & shorten the chain on Ian’s bike as it had run out of adjustment. Lots of clothes washing and then a visit to the Qantas Museum which was very good. Longreach is the birthplace of Qantas. Tonight another home cooked meal this time a Frizz specialty. Salmon with pesto baby spinach & curly pasta. It’s a tough life but someone’s got to do it.
Tomorrow back on the road to Clermont.
-23.4378387,144.2586898
05.31.24Bernard Logan BEESMEJ – USA 97
UNITED+STATES
Today, Maggie & I were informed that BEESMEJ will not be ready for at least two weeks! The electronics firm, which was installing equipment onto our yacht, was about to go into liquidation. Manta Catamarans thought it wiser to cancel the contract with the electronics firm, rather than risk losing money. Unfortunately, it has proven difficult to get various items for installation. This will take time. The sad aspect is the fact that we lose our window of access to cross the Caribbean. I’ve
27.967070181818183,-82.21779827272726
CRT+RPK=RTW – Belgium 22
rpk here-Here we are in Belgium. Never in a thousand years would i think that Belgium would be somewhere that i would recommend to someone, (by the way, the belgian keyboard is QUITE different from our standard american keyboard, thus, this is taking a while and others are waiting) BUT this city is simply lovely. After a questionable arrival in town and a reluctant cab ride to our hotel (because we were too tired to find a train) we took a cab to the Hotel Queen Anne and settled in immediately. We ventured around for a quick pint and a bite at the very Irish O’Reilly’s pub for some very greasy English grub. today we strolled and strolled until we reached a common square inthe middle of town complete with beer museum, chocolate and cocoa museum, and the world’s most fantastic bar called Delirium Cafe with (seriously) over 2000 beers from which to choose. long story short… it’s been a rough night in brussels, the most beautiful city i’ve seen (besides edinburgh)and we’re both a little sloshed which makes typing on a foreign keyboard more difficult thus the short entry. happy trails and safe travels to those of you abroad. another blog tomorrow…..
Posted from Belgium:
posted Sunday June 2006
CRT+RPK=RTW – Netherlands 26
rpk here-
CR is right next to me typing her own version of the blog, but i just had some thoughts of my own…….
here we are on mainland Europe, the first in my immediat family to do so, and i have a lovely new wife who is continuously and eternally sweet to me, like stroking my hair and helping me take a little snooze on the boat across the North Sea which was exciting at first, but toward the middle got to be pretty darn choppy and made this weak stomach of mine do a few somersaults. now we’re in the Dam staying in a seedy hostel surrounded by interesting smells coming from “coffee” shops and shady looking characters at every turn. not to mention a worried mother and some picture-anxious friends and family. Mother dear, we’re doing just fine and were still trying to find a phone on which to call home. seriously, every phone we find doesn’t work with our cards.
there’s nothing i’ve experienced that has made me feel more isolated than going ashore to a place where my native language is not the most frequent language i hear. except maybe working in a cubicle doing data entry for a mortgage company. we see lots of americans and even one Twins hat in the LemonGrass Wok where we ate a couple hours ago. after drinking the creamy brown ales in the UK, the bitter fizzy pilsners took a little getting used to. tomorrow will bring the Anne Frank house after we visit this interactive science museum. maybe a cup of coffee to start off the day. 🙂
happy trails, everyone. more tales from ‘the continent’ tomorrow or the next day.
ryanPK
Posted from Netherlands:
posted Tuesday May 2006
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Accepted
2019-12-16 09:14AM +0600
Street: Наадамчдын зам
City: Ulaanbaatar
Region: Ulaanbaatar
Zip Code: 17110
Country: Mongolia
Country Code: MN
Latitude: 47.8741013
Longitude: 106.8483288