Stuff the Rest Day at Emerald - Rain is coming!!!

First of all, a big thanks to Mike who has looked after Tom so well and brought him safely and well fed to Emerald.  Today, I take over this task of recording the great P2C ride in pictures and words, and I know that there is no way I can fill Mike's big shoes!!  So all I can do is have a go!!

Barb

Yesterday, the new guard arrived in Emerald - Barb and Bernie, in their Britz!!  (subject of separate blog).

Check out our Merc!!!

Picked up in Brisbane and driven up the coast via a number of art galleries and an art workshop near Gympie.  None of this bike riding for us!! After stopping over in Yeppoon, for a lovely few days with long time friends Jim and Jenny Edwards, we were joined by them to travel out to Emerald and join the Tom fan club!  We were all happy to be reunited at Emerald, and Mike was pleased to immediately learn from Bernie that he had put on weight!!!

Barb was pleased to see that Tom was in excellent condition, and appeared well fed and healthy.  The long trip so far did not appear to have phased him at all.

After we had all set up camp, we went out and celebrated the changing of the guard at a pretty fancy restaurant in Emerald (who'd have thought!!!), where we wined and dined in style before going home to bed at an early hour as per bike riders' law!!

This morning was a time for farewells - to Mike and Bernie, who had accompanied us so far and kept Tom and I in excellent spirits, and to the van which had cared for Tom and his bike so well.  If Mike is to be believed, the love affair between the van and the bike had been developing steadfastly, and so it was no wonder that it looked down at the mouth as it was packed away for its last trip home to Hervey Bay.  Little does it know that its life with the Rebbechi's is numbered!

A very sad van being packed up for the last time!!!

Tom was also saddened, as he bid his comfy bed goodbye and resigned himself to some bad night's in the Britz's sadly hard and narrow beds.  Oh well, you get what you pay for, eh Tom?

Thanks to Mike and Bernie.

In the meantime, Tom is a worried man!  The weather forecast does not look good, and the forecast is adamant that there are going to be big rains for Emerald through to Charters Towers on Thursday and into Friday.  What to do!! Rest or not?  There are some big days ahead, and rain will not help to cover the k's.

And so, eventually the decision is made - NO REST DAY and press on and get some more k's done before the rains. On to Clermont, another 100k's under the belt. A late start, after the farewells, then onto the road.

Emerald is blooming!

The last of Lois's chocolate cake! (1 piece kept for Barb)

The Emerald camp - the Martin's, the Rebbechi's, the Edwards'

The bike in its new home

Jim and Jenny decide to accompany us up to Clermont, and are not far behind.   A good day, the wind behind, and an unevertful ride into Clermont. We pass broad acres of agricultural land, rich soils and irrigation, before the country begins to fall off as we get closer to Clermont.  Barb stops at the lookout to check out the Peak Range, a line of impressive hills rising out of the plains.

The Peak Range

Then to Capella for lunch all together - a healthy little agricultural town.  Then into Clermont to set up camp. Doesn't take long (eat your heart out Mike), and we are soon awaiting Tom's arrival.  We enjoy our rural views as we sit around and replenish our liquid intake, and consult with nature.  Tom arrives, we feed and water him, then after a shower we are off to the Grand Hotel, for a Chinese meal, on the recommendation of the park caretaker. As Tom points out, these small country towns haven't heard of Thai or Mexican or Italian, and he had already consumed a number of Chinese meals along the way on his travels.  Nonetheless the meal was good, and it was home early to bed.

It had started to rain...Rest day tomorrow....

Strava Details Emerald to Clermont click here