Australian Adventure 2009

Friday, 20 November 2009

Support of a Potato Tree (Capella QLD- 18/11/2009)

What happened? (Clermont 18/11/2009)

Just a fake piano in the tree as a reminder of a big flood in the past.

Still alive!! (Clermont QLD - 18/11/2009)

The clouds you could see on the previous pictures became blacker and blacker
and they were unlighted by very unfriendly thunderstorms (sorry, no
pictures, the situation was way too scary: Diana was screaming in her helmet
and my heart my beating like crazy). Luckily, we had only a short hard
shower, we dried up straight after and the storms were on the sides of the
road. We arrived at the caravan park and it was fully booked, we could only
pay for a tent site... We just had the time to set the tent and the storm
came above us, we closed yourselves in the laundry to wait the end of these
huge explosions. The rest of the night was warm and quiet. The late stormy
weather is all around in the region, we got up early this morning to avoid
it!

Fortunately, we are listening some music! (on the A7 after Belyando - 17/11/2009)

But there are bad clouds showing in the landscape...

16h, the truck arrived at last!!! (Belyando Crossing - 17/11/2009)

This is very just, we still have to ride 170km to the next caravan park!! GO
GO riders!!

14h - still no petrol... (Belyando Crossing QLD - 17/11/2009)

The morning are very long in Australia...

10h, Ready to go, but no petrol.... (Belyando Crossing QLD - 17/11/2009)

Don't worry, they said, the truck is coming this morning.

Tuesday, 17 November 2009

Alone Again (Belyando Crossing - 17/11/2009)

We finally arrived late and set the tent in the night.
We were exhausted and had a good night sleep all alone again.

Welcoming friend (Belyando Crossing 16/11/2009)

No, she did not kill him, he is still alive!!

The sun sets on our late ride (on the A7 before Belyando Crossing - 16/11/2007)

We left Charters Towers at 15h30 and we were on the road till 19h: we had to
watch out for Kangaroos!! We met some (alive) and, fortunately, they did not
go under our wheels.

Ritual before putting the helmet on (on the A7 - 16/11/2009)

Oh! one cow (on the A7 - 16/11/2009)

Oh! one car (on the A7 - 16/11/2009)

Having a break with a movie star (on the A7 - 16/11/2009)

Wildlife on the road (on the A7 after Charters Towers QLD - 16/11/2009)

Here is a little emu.

Long straight roads (on the A7 after Charters Towers QLD - 16/11/2009)

Shopping and Pic-Nic (Charters Towers QLD - 16/11/2009)

We decided to have a long lunch break today as the noon are very hot. we
still have to ride 200km to our next target.

RoadWorks again and again (on the 63 after Bluewater Springs Roadhouse QLD - 16/11/2009)

Alone in the Savannah (Bluewater Springs Roadhouse QLD - 15/11/2009)

The Great Inland Way is very quiet, not a lot of cars.
The caravan parks on the way are the same, we were alone at this roadhouse!!
For 5 dollar the night for us both, this was not too bad, you can see the
private amenities: toilet and hot shower. No chainsaw tonight, just three
explosions (we guessed the owner was burning the trashes and people have
thrown deodorant tin)...

Clear the way for trucks (on the 63 after Oasis Roadhouse QLD - 15/11/2009)

In the Savannah (on the 63 after Oasis Roadhouse QLD - 15/11/2009)

The elephants and lions are missing in the picture, aren't they?

Lunch Break (Oasis Roadhouse QLD - 15/11/2009)

On the way, we mainly meet Road Train (huge trucks): here is one parked in
front of the roadhouse.

RoadWorks (on the 63 before Oasis Roadhouse QLD - 15/11/2009)

Waiting under a terrible sun at 39 degrees....

Outback road (on the 63 before Oasis Roadhouse QLD- 15/11/2009)

Australia is so wide and the government need to find where they can
economise: let's make half roads!!

Spa (Inner Hot Springs - 14/11/2009)

The caravan park installed swimming-pool filled with natural hot waters.
There are different temperatures: Cold(outside temp), warm(38) and hot(45).
Inside, you can jump from one to the other temperate pool.

Hot water!! (Innot Hot Springs - 14/11/2009)

This city is 600 meters above magma and hot water naturally comes out from
the earth. Once, the waters reached more than 75 degrees Celsius!!

The funny thing at the amenities is that when a lot of people used the
shower, there is no cold water... Indeed, here, the natural source of water
is hot.

First Stay in the tent since a long time (Innot Hot Springs QLD - 14/11/2009)

It was a quiet night, expect that at 1am someone started a chainsaw...hard
to sleep after that.

Ready to go on the road again! (Mareeba - 14/11/2009)

Great Barrier Reef (Cairns QLD - 12/11/2009)

Our last mission in the Cairns region: visiting the beautiful Great Barrier
Reef.
The weather condition were not so good (15 - 20 knots & rain) but the day
trip to the Oyster and Opolu Reef were worthwhile. Jumping in the warm blue
water of the reef in the middle of the sea is an experience not to miss.