Riding Down Under - Tropical Cairns Australia

[MacDoc]

My boots MIGHT be dry by the time the sun comes out again. Would like to get my daily rides up near 500 km before my daughter arrives later in the month.

Shower or two.Chance of any rain: 60%

Partly cloudy. Medium (60%) chance of showers. Winds southeasterly 25 to 30 km/h decreasing to 15 to 20 km/h in the late evening.

Shower or two my ass.....soggy all day, Showers I don't mind and can usually see them and duck....

there is always hope for today

Wednesday 3 April
Summary

Min 24 Max 30 Shower or two.Possible rainfall: 3 to 15 mm Chance of any rain: 70%

Partly cloudy. High (70%) chance of showers. Winds southeasterly 25 to 35 km/h.

?

 

[MacDoc]

We usually do one treat when I'm here - this time it's

It's performed outside

Guys & Dolls on Sydney Harbour | Buy tickets now

Guys & Dolls explodes across Sydney Harbour! Expect big laughs and even bigger song and dance numbers in the Broadway rom-com musical.

opera.org.au

Booking that made up for an otherwise rather miserable and somewhat chilly day. I did get out for 1/2 hour but bike was not happy ...almost felt like erratic spark due to a wet plug shorting to the engine block.....started okay, but low on power and not revving freely. Cut out at one stoplight ....felt like electrical cut out. Given its drenching yesterday then sitting out in the rain all night ..maybe not too surprised. Abandoned the ride - just as well as it poured the rest of the day. Got 2" of rain this afternoon.

Engine was well warmed and it's parked under cover tonight so should be dried out in the morning. I had that happen once before with the lithium battery ....bike went dead for a moment crossing a stream but came back right away. I'll check under the seat tomorrow and battery connections.
Spray some WD40 on the plug cover.

Other potential is poor gas from the rather dodgy station in Chillagoe tho the bike seemed fine on the way home before the deluge started,
Boots still not entirely dry.
.

 

[MacDoc]

5" of rain in 24 hours .....oh joy. ??

BUT ...the sun is shining ....off to lunch up tjhe coast

Back in the saddle and gorgeous day tho windy. Bike was happy ...fair weather machine ...hmmmmph.
Nice tail wind riding up the Cook Highway ...couple of hopeful surfers but think not quite enough.
Of all the stupid things....re-injured my shoulder a bit trying to open a stubborn jar of pickles ..heard something rip a tiny bit ....mobility is fine but it's sore......should be okay tho I think I'll want a shot if I do the west coast. - been doing without them so far.
and the bloody pickles were off ....?

 

[MacDoc]

Another nice day and scored big with wild cassowaries

I was only 4 meters away from these guys on the other side of the road. They can be dangerous if they feel threatened - the male takes care of the chicks.

Etty Bay is about an hour away easy ride and got lucky as these are wild cassowaries ….had not seen young there so that is encouraging, was two adults and at least one youngster …so population may be growing …they are very endangered ..
Dogs and glass are banned in the area but even with precautions a young one was killed by a car. They are not afraid of humans at all even in the wild state as these are - they are well equipped to defend themselves both beak and deadly weapons on their feet.
There is no natural predator here in their area but dogs and cars are a big threat




I think this chick and the male above are one family


Velociraptorfeet




and this is a second family …smaller male and smaller chick. Likely three generations as they are territorial



looking at the pics I think there are two young ..a nearly mature one above and a smaller chick.

Two separate families …as the males take care of the young



You would not beleive what they swallow whole ….some trees are dependent on them spreading their seeds.

 

[MacDoc]

Had to leave early to get to Hasties Swamp Hasties Swamp National Park (Atherton): UPDATED 2019 All You Need to Know Before You Go (with PHOTOS) about 80 minute ride with sweet range roads in between.
Needed to be back at 1 pm ....got home at 12.50 ...BUT .....the promised zero rain did not quite turn out as advertised but dodged most of the showers and had a lovely lamb and rosemary pie at Milaa Milaa.
Did not have everything sorted for wet weather but all made it back with minimal damp. Bike ran like a champ but need some chain lube and would like to sort the slightly dodgy switch that needs jiggling for starting.

Shoulder was sore but butt was fine today ...oddly - shoulder eased off about towards the last 50 km - no reason.
Still concerned about it for longer days but figure a steroid shot should carry me for the summer.
Photos to come.

 

[MacDoc]

Got a perfect day and no other commitments so a lovely ride across the Daintree and picked up a hitchhiker

Latched himself to my jacket at the last servo and no persuading him to fly off....he hung on for 100 km and finally crawled on to the helmet at a coffee stop up in the Daintree.

Managed to get him lose but those hooks are incredibly tenacious

He was quite the celebrity on the way up.

It was busy as its the beginning of school holidays. Lovely day ...sore and tired when I got home but feel okay 5 hours later.

Still trying to see if tht cross country for 3-4 weeks on the CB500x is doable in terms of body capability. I think a steroids shot should make it doable as long as I take breaks. Oddly I'm finding my should eases off at the end of the day ....it's fun then as it's usually a nice bit of twists if I come down from the north.

The clutch switch is being a pain on the KLR as is the turn signal ( same module ) so that's up for checking ....but might leave it for buddy as with daughter coming my available riding time is dwindling.

Off to the opera.

 

[Baggsy]

Get a ride in for me - two inches of snow fell last night.

 

[MacDoc]

yeah something wicked around
Millions in central U.S. brace for 'life-threatening' blizzards,...

 

[MacDoc]

and now for something completely different....off to the opera

Cheat Sheet: West Side Story on Sydney Harbour




with a bit of rain in the forecast ...layer riding gear coming in useful tho high teens not a problem. Stupidly expensive jaunt for a night out but hey,,,,,once around.

 

[sburns]

Interesting wild life down there.


Sent from the moon!

 

[nearace]

Thanks for posting, I am enjoying the pics.

 

[MacDoc]

Thanks ...it keeps my clients uptodate on my travels as it's referred to on our website and mailer ..nice to know they are looked at.
I know there are some riders that would like to come to Australia as well.

Yup there are some interesting critters. You don't ride before roo o'clock ( around 8 am ) as kangaroos are pretty dangerous on the roads ( along with other random road hazard animals as much is not fenced up here in tropical Australia even on the main highways )

Once the sun is up they retreat to the bush.....damn things are fast too. I was on a side road out to a bird watching area around 9 am and pair were pacing me at maybe 30 kph then they effortlessly accelerated out and around me to cross the road well ahead - it was open savannah so they were easy to see when moving but when they are feeding you can't tell them from termite mounds.
There could be 20 roos within a 100 meters and you'd not see them until they move.....and they do move in a mob


that's an active golf course - they are quite able to fend off people or dogs - you do not ever want to annoy a roo.

 

[sburns]

Hey @MadDoc

Curious what does a 1/4 moon look like down there? Is the slice on the bottom leftish part of the moon?


Sent from the Moon!

 

[MacDoc]

It's flipped over ...just as if you stood on your head ....it is one of the things that occasionally freak me out.

 

[sburns]

It's flipped over ...just as if you stood on your head ....it is one of the things that occasionally freak me out.

I KNEW IT! thanks, I am in South America right now, Peru, and yes it wired. I told my friend who lives here it was backwards, as she didn’t believe me.


Sent from the Moon!

 

[MacDoc]

You want to freak her out even more ask her if the sun is closer to the earth in summer or winter....?

 

[MacDoc]

After a rather fractured night with a new dog visiting managed to get a decent morning nap and decent two hundred km loop up the the range road and down the Rex. Burger at Jacques was only marginal but was a nice riding day with mixed clouds and sun and for once came home down the Captain Cook with a partial tail wind. Shoulder was sore most of the ride but I had no pain pills in me at all so not surprised.
Best part was my hip/butt did not hurt at all despite no pills.
Getting to the last of my extended riding time as daughter is coming in a week and will using the VW golf for various trips.

 

[MacDoc]

suckered today ...did not put on a second layer and didn't expect to get wet. Did get damp and I have my lightest riding shirt on so gonna be shivery ride home despite mid 20s ...hoping for some sun but quite misty which normally I would welcome. Cops were out but the KLR is a good citizen.

steak and curry pie to warm me up

Nothing like rain and a flash to make the old girl look good..

rain brought out another visitor ...almost tripped over the the wee beastie

 

[MacDoc]

137 Woodward St to Lakeland

Got a nice goal for Tuesday. Just about a 500 km loop to Lakeland and back and some decent photo opportunities at the turn around.

Goes away from the sun in both directions and will get a decent tailwind going outbound. The first third is a great ride along the Pacific

then up the Rex.

Next third after a stop at Mt Carbine for coffee is somewhat interesting with one lifted section with superb views. I usually get wet along there because a gap in the coastal range funnels Pacific air and showers into one section.

Last stretch to Lakeland is a bit boring except for a river crossing that is lovely. The bridge across regularly gets busted up by flooding. Love to fish but can't find my collapsible rod

Owner of the cafe at Lakeland gives me stale bread to toss out and it draws birds in easy photo range.

Peewees are all over and fun to watch. The bread draws them in while I munch a hamburger for lunch or some such.

more pics here from an overnite that was a bit of an adventure ....topless hippy host for my AirBnB. Not going as far this time ..just a one day loop.

https://www.gtamotorcycle.com/xf/th...650-second-season.151439/page-13#post-2146029

Likely my last long ride of this trip as daughter arrives a week Monday. Well rested from the long weekend.

There is an option for a stop at Jabiru Safari Lodge on the return and gives me a different return loop for part of the trip.
Sometimes some interesting birds around.

https://www.villamarine.com.au/blog/jabiru-safari-lodge-mareeba-wetlandson

the way back for some more birding near Mareeba. See how the body hangs in. Confident of the trip up .....might be pretty sore on the way back.

 

[MacDoc]

Nother nice ride lined up - not as far

137 Woodward St to Koombooloomba Dam

Koombooloomba National Park and Tully Gorge and it's a sweet ride getting there and again an alternative way back for part of it.

When you have nature's own infinity pool to yourself overlooking the spectacular Tully Gorge National Park in Explore Tropical North Queensland! ? Now that's what we call a view! Is it any wonder that @blokewithabackpack (via instagram.com/blokewithabackpack) rates Tully Gorge as possibly his favourite location he's ever been to in his travels?

BUT ..looks like the road in is closed until June.
Will ride down and see how I do .....what's ADV bike for anyways.

Seems the Lookout is closed as well so will have to go up via the coastal route....no where near as interesting,.

137 Woodward St to Tully Gorge Rd

Even tho the two roads come with in a few KM of each other there is no connection.
No harm in doing a little of both depending on day and how sore I am.