Had a wonderful bike ride, the hilliest & one of the toughest Bicycle Quensland has put on in it's 16-17 years. Friggin amazing
Some of the views in Northern NSW were unbelievable & nearly put me to tears. I really had to stop myself from crying as the beauty was so incredibly moving of the panorama before me. Phenomenal.
I made it up every hill without stopping at times with a bit of speed mostly not. Most places were very cold at night & I had a shit sleeping bag. Got a cough on the second - third last nights. When you got up for a pee in the middle of the night you could hear coughs in tents all the time.
The last day (sunday) was a simple ride from Mirwullumbah to Currumbin: only 36 km's. However, there was a 5 km quite steep continous climb that occasionally changed to steep. I was feeling pretty ordinary, had to ignore some others who were walking their bikes & just look down while puntuating this with gobfulls of plegm over the narrow road shoulder - breathing was laboured, my bike has factory fitted gears (forgot to get lower gear ratio's or get extra cogs on the chain ring), the sweating was profuse & I just ground it out. It was really tough.
Got home at 7.30 pm on Sunday & I felt deliriously sick. Went to the Dr on Tuesday & got antibiotics with a repeat which I'm going to have to use. Still coughingand still expereiencing temperature dysregulation.
When I'm feeling better I'll upload some photo's.
I've already piad a deposit for next year's ride starting at Cairns & going through the Daintree forest as well as the Atherton Tablelands. Not having been to Carins, Daintree and the Atherton Tablelands before this is a great way to see Australia (you can keep the mancold)
Having said that I've lost my appettite & have lost 2-3 kg's since I've returned. Getting used to eating very little
“I even went as far as becoming a Southern Baptist until I realised they didn’t keep ‘em under long enough” Kinky Friedman