Cleaning the bike was the first thing we did today, we’d travelled on some dirt roads and it was fairly dirty. Lots of people from the caravan park stop and talk to us about the bike while we’re cleaning it; it’s always a good conversation starter.

After lunch we went out for groceries and I got a call from Adecco, I was to work Thursday and Friday but they’ve asked if I can also do Wednesday, all for the same employer, so that’s good, it will mean a bit of extra money for us.

Andy is a permanent resident at this caravan park and he’s away a lot for work and has told us to use his yard. We went there this afternoon and I did a bit more on my mosaic, it’s good to have paving underneath when cutting the tiles as little bits fly off. I was a bit worried about cutting tiles with grass beneath as the bits that fall are hard to find and may cut bare feet. At Andy’s I’ll be able to sweep up my mess.

Tuesday 12 July 2005
I had another riding lesson today I got up into second gear and road in and out of witches hats. I’m having a ball, I wish I had something to practice on through the week; the Electra Glide is way too big.

We went to the cinema to see Batman Begins; it was a very good movie. I wasn’t expecting much because I’ve seen the other Batman movies and they’re over the top cartoonish type of movies but this one has an excellent story and a good cast.

Wednesday 13 July 2005
I worked at CRS again today, I’ll be there again tomorrow and Friday, a bit of extra money for us.

Tony chased up the insurance company about getting the exhaust fixed. Before we left home we had the bike serviced and while the mechanic was riding it someone ran into the back of it. The exhaust pipe, one pannier and an indicator were damaged. The indicator and the exhaust were replaced before we left, but not the pannier as it had to come in from America. When we got to Mackay and had the bike serviced they told us that the baffles were gone in the exhaust. It had only been on about a month, so we’ve been chasing the insurance company to get it sorted. The insurance company told Tony they’ll be giving the go ahead to get it replaced.

The helicopters from the RAAF base have been buzzing about every evening this week, they make quite a noise.

We went and had tea with them again tonight.

Saturday 16 July 2005
After going out to the shops in the morning, we spent a quiet afternoon at home. Tony watched a movie and I did some more of the mosaic.

Today was a beautiful sunny Townsville day, perfect weather for the local Ulysses ride to Dalbeg Hotel.

Gary, Anne, Tony and I rode to the BP service station south of town where we met up with the rest of the group. Anne rode her bike for the first time in a while, she’d hurt her leg a while ago and hadn’t got back to riding. We left at 10am for the ride which took us to the pub at Dalbeg, which also serves as the general store and video shop for the area, and is surrounded by sugar cane.

Gary had tried to ring the pub to warn them that a large group would be arriving for lunch but their phone number was not listed in the phonebook. We later learnt that the owners had the listing in the book as a farm, no wonder he couldn’t find it.

The proprietor was a bit overwhelmed by the arrival of 17 motorbikes and 20 people wanting lunch. She did a check of the fridge and announced what there was that she could prepare for lunch, several different types of burgers.

A couple from Charters Towers, 120km away, had ridden in to Townsville to join us on the ride. Steve and Jacinta were riding white Honda Goldwings, Jane’s is a trike, their daughter Jane was riding pillion with Steve. They told us of their plan to take 4 months off and ride around Australia, leaving in September, Jane wants to go with them but she doesn’t want to miss too much school.

I went to the toilet at the pub and there was a frog sitting on the floor beside the loo. At first I wasn’t sure if it was a statue or a real frog, it looked real its toes were curled slightly, but it didn’t move. A while later while we were waiting for our meals to be cooked someone brought it out and sat it on the table, it was dead, probably explained why it didn’t move! Must get some bad smells in there if it’s enough to kill a frog (it was dead before I arrived).

We travelled a more direct route home, arriving about 5pm, had a cuppa with Gary, Anne and Jim and then went and made minestrone for tea.

Then we went for a walk to Stockland Plaza shopping centre about 4km away and had a look around there and I got my hair cut. We took a bus to the city and walked around the shops before going to Orm Snell about 1pm to see if they’d finished with the bike. They were only just about to start. We headed around to the cinema, but there was nothing starting that would be finished before we had to pick up the bike. We decided to catch a bus towards home.

The bus brought us up Ingham Road but we still had another 4km walk. When we got home we jumped into the pool to cool off our aching feet, it was freezing, but refreshing.

Anne drove Tony down to collect the bike at 4.50pm. That’s the 24,000km service done.

Tuesday 19 July 2005

In the evening we went to the Hotel Allen for a meal and the local Ulysses Branch meeting.

Wednesday 20 July 2005
Today was a miserable day weather wise, it rained nearly the whole day, the roads around the caravan park are filling up with water and looking like little creeks. We spent most of the day in the tent watching DVDs and surfing the net.

In the evening we went to the Southern Cross clubrooms. The Southern Cross are a social bike group like Ulysses only open age. They run a poker run that takes place over five days, it’s in September and we’ll have left Townsville by then so won’t be able to participate. We caught up with a few people that we’ve met at rallies.

Saturday 23 July 2005                                        Townsville Ulysses group are hosting the 2008 AGM. A camping weekend was held at Jourama Falls to let local members know where the AGM committee is up to in the planning for the event.

Gary, Anne, Tony and I headed to Yabulu service station, north of Townsville where we met up with other Ulysseans from Townsville and Burdekin and rode together to Jourama Falls, stopping at Rollingstone Pub for beer on the way.

A couple of the local Ulysses members are also members of a group called Hash House Harriers whose aims are to run and drink beer. Apparently there are 1700 of these clubs in 180 coutries, I’d never heard of them before.

It’s Anne’s birthday and Liz had a birthday cake for her, it even had sparklers on it. We spent a relaxing evening sitting around talking and telling jokes. A couple of people drank a bit much and gave us a bit to laugh about.

Sunday 24 July 2005
After breakfast Tony and I went for a walk up to the waterfall. When we got back we packed up our camping gear and moved across to the barbeque area where the meeting was to be held.

Quite a few more Ulysses members arrived for the meeting and lunch. It was interesting listening to what they hope to achieve for the AGM there’s a lot of work to be done in the next couple of years. Tony and I have volunteered our services for a day to help with registration of people arriving at the AGM. That way we’ll get to catch up with a lot of the people we’ve met on this trip when they check in.

PICTURES TOP TO BOTTOM:
LINDA & TONY AT JOURAMA FALLS, ANNE'S BIRTHDAY, GARY

I finished my first mosaic today, it’s come up not too bad, I’ll give it to Andy, who lives in this park and has let us use his yard.

Gary, Anne and Jim joined us at the camp kitchen for tea. Anne gave us some sausages that were left over from the weekend barbeque and we made sausage hotpot.

We had a phone call from a local HOG member, Tom, inviting us to join them on the weekend for the Canefield Bash at Mackay. We weren’t sure whether to go or not when we were talking to him, then we remembered that the All Bike Drag Racing is on in Townsville this weekend and we’ve been thinking about going to that. Besides we were in Mackay only a couple of weeks ago for the Wogs Rally, so we’ll have to give Tom a call and let him know. It was nice of him to invite us and we’ll have to try and catch up while we’re in town.

Wednesday 27 July 2005
Look out Townsville, I’m riding on the roads. Today I finally got out of the practice yard and onto the streets, just the quiet back streets. It was a little scary, but fun. I just need to get some practice and it’ll all come together.

Tony got a phone call after 10pm last night asking him to work today. He started at 7am, just up the road from where we’re living. As it turned out they didn’t need him so he was home by just after 9am, but they’ll pay him 4 hours and said if anything else comes up they’ll ask for him. Hopefully there’ll be more work out of it.

Thursday 28 July 2005
We went for a swim in the pool today, quite refreshing, the weather has been warm, about 27 degrees most days. All the Queenslanders think we’re mad, swimming in winter.

This evening we went to a pre season NBL game, Townsville vs Cairns. It was held at a small venue, Murray Stadium, not their usual home court. It was good to go to a game, (even though it wasn’t the Tigers) we always enjoy a good basketball match. Townsville were the winners. There’ll be another pre season game in a couple of weeks against Perth.

Friday 29 July 2005
Had another swim today. I started another mosaic, a Ulysses butterfly.

Saturday 30 July 2005
We had to buy the local paper today. On Wednesday when we were down town checking for mail, we went for a walk through the mall and a reporter from the Townsville Bulletin asked Tony his opinion on Australia introducing an ID card. Well it was in today’s paper and Tony looked and sounded very intelligent (he was wearing his glasses). Funnily enough he hadn’t given it any thought until he was asked his opinion.

Another day of not much happening, I had a swim again and did a bit more of the mosaic.

In the evening we decided to go out and have a look at the drag racing, it was an all bike meet. We went out to the drag strip and it looked pretty dead, not many people there and they were charging $20 per head entrance, so we decided that it didn’t look worth that much money and headed back home to watch a dvd.

Sunday 31 July 2005
Ulysses ride day. We didn’t wake up until 8.30, it must have been all that activity we’ve had over the past few days, wore us out! Got dressed and stepped out of the tent to head over to the toilet just as Gary pulled up ready to go.

Tonight we went to Jim’s annexe warming pizza night. Jim is another Ulysses member and a friend of Gary and Anne. He has just started work driving school buses in Townsville and is living in his own van at the park.

Wednesday 3 August 2005
Today I worked for Sigma in Townsville, as a storeperson, picking pharmaceutical orders. It’s the first time I’ve worked in a factory type position. The pay will come in handy.

Thursday 4 August 2005
I worked at Sigma and Tony registered with a couple more employment agencies and applied at some factories for work.day 5 August 2005

Friday 5 August 2005
Once again I worked for Sigma, they’ve asked me to come back next week for Monday and Tuesday at least, maybe more.

Tony has the possibility of a couple of jobs eventuating next week.

Saturday 6 August 2005

Anne had suggested to Sharon, a friend of hers and a fellow Ulysses member that we have a barbeque at her house. Gary had gone for a ride to Hughendon so Anne and Allan drove there in Allan’s panel van and Tony and I followed on the bike.

Sharon lives in a lovely old Queenslander and she’s not long arrived back in Townsville after spending several months in Western Australia. Gary and Anne house sat for her while she was away. While in WA she met Kevin and he’s visiting her at the moment, so it was a good chance for everyone to meet him.

About 10 of us where there for the barbeque after which Sharon lit a fire in a drum and we sat around talking and watching the fire, North Queensland people really feel the cold, it only needs to drop below 20 degrees and they’re shivering.

Gary and Frank arrived back from their ride and after toasting themselves by the fire were sent off to buy some marshmallows to toast.

It was a very pleasant evening.

 



 

Sunday 7 August 2005

Christian told everyone the first leg of the trip before we set off and said that the theme would become apparent as the day went on.

The first stop was Mount Stuart, it’s surprising how many people don’t visit places that are right on their doorstep, this was our second visit and a lot of the locals hadn’t been there for years. We took a couple of group photos at the lookout and then continued on our way.

We stopped at a service station to use the toilets before continuing to the next stop. As we arrived we saw Jim and his bike atop a tow truck. He’d gone for a ride with the Burdekin Ulysses group and had broken down. What luck for him to break down and have two local groups know about it! He’ll get a bit of stirring about that for a while.

Next stop was Herveys Range, where we stopped at the Heritage Tearooms. It’s a nice ride up the range to the recently opened tearooms, a gradual climb up a road with gentle bends and spectacular views from near the top.

This stop was meant to be for morning tea, but by the time we got there it was lunchtime. Everyone had a meal and something to drink before some headed back to Townsville and other decided to ride to the tunnels.

The tunnels are old railway tunnels from the decommissioned Greenvale line. It was a bit of a rough ride to the first tunnel, Gary rode through a large puddle with mud spraying up either side and I thought he was going to disappear in the middle. We took it slower and skirted the edge of the puddle. We continued on and rode through the first tunnel which is nearly half a kilometre in length. The road got even worse on the other side, so after travelling a short distance we turned around and went back. Tony and I went through the tunnel first so that I could photograph the rest as they rode through.

Christian had planned that the third leg of the day’s ride would be to Castle Hill, the theme of the day being the peaks of Townsville. He didn’t know of the tunnels when he planned the ride so it was decided that since we’d visited the tunnels we’d abandon the third leg.

Another pleasant day with good company and a ride that was not too strenuous.

Tony received a phone call asking if he can work from 11pm tonight to 7am tomorrow, so he went to bed to try to get some rest.

PICTURES TOP TO BOTTOM:
TONY AT ROSS RIVER DAM, TOWNSVILLE ULYSSES AT MOUNT STUART, JIM AND HIS BIKE, HERITAGE TEAROOMS, TUNNEL

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