Into the mud... (Old Laura QLD - 28/07/2009)

We stayed maybe around 30 minutes there...
I crossed first the creek by the less deep portion of the creek,
unfortunately, the sand was muddy and the bike was digging itself in...I
unpacked the bike and tried again...not working... Fortunately, a guy who
was working in this road stopped to help us and got his shower when I was
pushing me and I was accelerating...

Then, Diana tried and got stuck as well....with her bike it was more tricky
as the pipes are low...
An another guy helped us, we packed, tried to extinguish the rest of a fire
and went.

Some good portion of gravel road (Before Old Laura - 28/07/2009)

Road work (Before Old Laura - 28/07/2009)

All the way on the gravel road, there were several road works. That means
they spend every year, after the wet, billions of dollars to get the road
flat... Why not sealing it instead? Even with all these works, the road was
awfully not flat at all!!!

Lunch Break (Around Battle Camp - 28/07/2009)

The arms exhausted, we stopped for a break...

First experience with sand (Around Bald Hills - 28/07/2009)

I rode on something which was looking like a beige stone... It was not, it
was sand!!
The bike became unstable and I fell...
In the excitement and because the bike was loosing petrol, we forgot to take
a picture of the bike on the floor... Diana had the idea that would do it
next time... Fortunately It was the only bike dropping.

Water crossing again !!! (around Hazelmere - 28/07/2009)

Yesterday, we were warned with the 4WD sign, today we though it is going to
be long but easy: It was not. The road was not often flat (little continuous
sand holes) and by surprise there were several water crossing. Here is the
first one... We were scared at the beginning, but did it easy at the end.

Ready to go for another dirt day (Cooktown - 28/07/2009)

We decided to take the long off-road between Cooktown and Laura...
Why doing simple when you can do it tough...

On the way to Cooktown (Black Mountain National Park - 27/07/2009)

We understood why it was called this way: behind us, you can see a mountain
of black granite boulders.
Still don't know how it came up like this...

Technical incident (Bloomfield Track - 27/07/2009

The stand broke down...
It could not stand all the load that I have on the bike and finally broke...

First, I simply took the broken stand off and we were ready to go.
Unfortunately, once the first gear clutched, the engine stopped: so I had to
find out what the stand sensor needs to think the stand is closed. 30
minutes after seeking and several tests, we were finally ready to go!!

So I have to do without a stand until my service on Thursday... I can only
stop were there is a big tree.

Toughest water crossing of the day (Bloomfield Track QLD - 27/07/2009)

On the way, we ask to 4wd driver if there was a hard water crossing and they
told us about a 60cm deep creek to cross. We did not feel like going back,
so we went to it anyway.

But once there, it was very impressive and I though to go back. Fortunately
a group of biker just did it before us and was waiting for one who got water
in his engine. One of the guy with his son came to us for help and they were
very motivated to make us go through!! The first bike to go was the one of
Diana and the guys took it, I was around for support... They had to twist
the throttle all the way with the engine started because the pipes were
under water!!! For mine it was easier without the luggage load but the guys
were there for support.

The boots full of water, we did it and were very happy!!

First water crossing ever (Bloomfield track - 27/07/2009)

Today we are going for tough off-road, we were warned: "At this point 4WD
only".
This was a easy creek crossing, but for a first time, it was very impressive
for Diana!!

Sunrise on the beach (Cap Tribulation - 27/07/2009)

And the morning after, the fog went away and we had a nice sunshine.

Going to bed surrounded with wild turkey (Cap Tribulation - 26/07/2009)

You won't meet so many koala but you'll find plenty of this turkey in the
forest

To the wet rainforest (South of Cap Tribulation QLD - 26/07/2009)

Look at the sky, it is only fog!!
The forest is so humid.

Leaf Jumper (Daintree QLD - 26/07/2009)

Above the ocean (Rex Lookout on the Captain Cook Hway - 25/07/2009)

Today was a rest day but we had a ride anyway.
There is a lot of nice winding roads ride next to the Captain Cook Hway. So,
we went to the Lyons Lookout and came back to the camp. Very nice ride, but
I can advise you to go easy after lunch: I scared myself in a curve because
I was a bit sleepy...

Camping next to the ocean (Ellis Beach - 24/07/2009)

We were lucky to arrive the day when they were organising a sausage night
with a gypsy live and tombola, a real camping evening with the grannies!

Enjoying the real first curves after a long time (Gillies Lookout - 24/07/2009)

Free Rest Area (Tolga QLD - 24/07/2009)

This one was a war memorial, so we had to give a gold coin donation... 2
dollars...enough, no?

Hills crowded by cows (Same road but paved, south of Malanda - 23/07/2009)

Lunch Break (off-road between the 25th and 24th, South of Malanda QLD - 23/07/2009)

Farm work wanted (Innisfail - 23/07/2009)

Here we are in Innisfail to find some banana picking work...
The speech is the same, the harvest is too slow, not enough banana to pick
to everyone.
That may be the reality, but we cannot understand how the supermarket can be
so much provided in fruits and vegies...

Best kitchen award (Innisfail - 22/07/2009)

This is the best kitchen we had in comparison to all caravan park we have
done. There was everything, even the cutleries, pots, pans, etc.

Against our fears (Paluma Range Nat. Park - 21/07/2009)

The accomodation budget is going down too fast, we had to stay somewhere
cheap.
And it was a way to test if we got able to sleep in the deep forest...Not so
much...
There, we met special insects: the round black and white one is a spider
which the front is not the side you think.

Praying for a job (On the Bruce Hway before Townsville - 20/07/2009)

... (Bowen QLD - 19/07/2009)

Let's try something...

No Labour Wanted (Mount Dangar Road QLD - 19/07/2009)

Diana had the courage to go inside the field of a farm to ask for work, I
was following... The farmer was nice and explained us that it is too cold
and the vegies are growing very slowly. Indeed, the tomatoes were all green.
He advised us to come back in three weeks. He told me that there is a chance
for Banana picking further north. This is where we decide to go now...

Nearly at all the farm entrance, this sign was displayed, I think the
message is clear...

Looking for work!! (Mount Dangar Road QLD - 19/07/2009)

So we went in the middle of nowhere like advised....

Arrived at our first harvest city (Bowen QLD - 18/07/2009)

This the camp where we stayed for 2 nights.
There is a camp kitchen where we had our first hot meal for a long time!!

When we arrived, we stopped at the information centre where an informer give
us the colour immediately: there is no farm job, the season was bad and the
harvest is slow!! In the evening, we got motivated by young fellows of the
caravan park who give us some place to go and ask for job!!

Still waiting for tires... (Black Beach QLD - 17/07/2009)

My tires arrived and got fitted on Thursday.
Diana's on Friday morning..
It was stressful to wait and have nothing else planned...

On this beach, this is where we met RobDog:
At the McDonald of North MacKay, Diana noticed a strange boy which was alone
and was going from table to table. I was busy doing some internet, I was not
interested. 1h30 later, we got back to our camp at Black Beach and went at
the beach for a swim (Diana) and a run (me). On my way back to Diana, guess
who was sitting next to her, the strange boy who nicknamed himself Robdog
for Robbie... He wanted to have a chat and that we stay seated next to him.
After, he was asking that we walk him home... Diana was thinking he is
suspicious and we, finally, managed to let him go by himself. Strange
story....

French Group (Cap Hillsborough QLD - 15/07/2009)

The night before a summer camp French group arrived and set all in the same
time all their tents!!! When they left, early on the morning, everybody got
woken up...

Interaction with the kangaroos (Cap Hillsborough National Park - 15/07/2009)

After sometime, all the people got bored of the show and got back to their
tent. Few stayed and we could interact with the kangaroos, you guess, by
feeding them...