Day 07 – Thu, 8 Jul to Prairie

Well today we woke to a cold windy morning in Longreach. We had rain overnight and any soil was now really mud – the thick sticky type. Stuff that if you step into it you wonder whether it is mud of something that an animal has deposited on the road.

Rod had discussions with BMW Assist and he was given a bike for the run to Cairns. Here are a couple of photos of the wild one ready to take off to Cairns with me – please note the perfect selection of vehicle colour – matches perfectly to his eyes.

 

 

 

 

I just could not stop laughing every time he mounted the beast. Watching him ride away from the Laundrette and down the main street of Longreach was just poetry in motion. He looked just exquisite dressed in his BMW gear. I did question how he was going to get his camping gear and panniers on board but it did not phase the Wild One – he had his shoulder strap bag on board.

Even the ladies at the laundrette were suitably impressed that he would tackle the Cape York run on such a massively overweight machine – not sure what was the heavy, rider or machine? Anyway we did have to explain to one lady that this was only a loan machine for him to run his errands in Longreach whilst his other machine was being repaired.

Yep, BMW probably thought that it was more cost effective to have it fixed rather than shipping to Mackay and forwarding his bike to Cairns. But they needed a bearing seal and this would not be delivered until tomorrow.

So we discussed the plan, and as Rod had been to Charters Towers, we agreed that I should continue and Rod will catch up to me on Saturday. So I left the Wild One, to terrorise the locals in Longreach, around 11am and headed west.

The ride took me to Winton (Waltzing Matilda country) then north to Hughenden then a further 44km east to Prairie where I am staying tonight.

The country around and to the immediate north of Winton was flat with the road undulating through regular flood ways – this whole area is part of the water catchment for Lake Eyre and obviously would have been flooded in recent times.

I was expecting red soil vistas but the whole area is covered in grass and as it had been raining you simply did not leave the bitumen for fear of sinking into the quagmire.

As I progressed to Hughenden the clouds were clearing to the north and eventually the sun was visible and the temperatures rose. Very unseasonal weather is the locals take on the things.

Tonight I am staying at the Prairie Hotel, with the host, Tom and his family. What a great place, Tom is a collector of brick-a-brak and the pub is adorned with all sorts of items. If you are ever passing this way make sure you stop by and check out the pub and say hello to Tom and his family for me.

I had a meal with Lou & Trev (from Victoria – but we won’t hold that against them) who have travelled the QLD north every year for the past 6 years (they simply find far too much to do here to venture further afield). They have primed me with lots of info of what to see and where to go – I hope that I can remember. They have my blog address so I feel Lou will keep me updated as I go.