-- From Carnarvon NP to 

The road tracklog 
From Carnarvon NP to Mackay
from 2010/07/05 to 2010/07/09 

In this Monday July 05 the morning was occupied heading to Emerald where I had lunch and published the pages of my website and read my mailbox. No good news for the future countries to visit. The experiment taught me to be patient.

The next day I was going to visit the gemfield the richest in the world, according to the booklet diffused by Visitor Centre in Emerald, in Rubyvale located at approximately 68 km. The stones can either be collected on the ground or excavated underground mines visited with a guided tour of approximately half an hour. The English term uses by booklets to collect them is fossicking and the person is a fossicker.

Incidentally I traversed galleries in company of two young French people. Back to Emerald I spent some time in a cybercafé to send emails in order to obtain information concerning Japan and Korea, Michelin tires and height gauge -vertical clearance- of the compartment of the ferries for my truck.

Two groups of events animated the half-day of the 07/07. Initially concerning my truck the wheels rotation according to a frequency of all the 10000km, it was the second time since the purchase of new tires in Perth, that is to say 20000km in six months. In another workshop I made hree shock absorbers changed which were still those with nitrogen to put the original ones having already 70000km. I had decided to keep the new Koni shock absorbers bought inMelbourne for after Australia.

Then I returned o the single cybercafé in Emerald to read my mailbox, I exchanged emails in real time with Ashleigh of SDV in Brisbane who dealt actively with the transfer of the truck to Japan and to Korea. Then I consulted the HUBB forum where I have the pleasant surprise to have two answers to my request about the height gauge of the ferry garage from Japan to Korea then to Vladivostok, no problem. I noted the solidarity of bikers who exchange much information and who does not hesitate to help a trucker. I had started to inform the file of Japan and Korea in January, some positive information arrive finally. It is necessary to be proactive and take its dash. But the visit of Japan and Korea is not gained yet. It remained still many of points in suspends, such as that throbbing and recurring of the purchase of Michelin 1400R20XZL tires all the 40000km, to date I did not know if they were available in one of these countries. Stubborn person I am it knowing that patience is not my cardinal quality.
I took the road after having lunch by passing in Blackwater, the capital of the extraction of coal in Queensland, and to bivouac in Duaringa. The day was gloomy but rich in information.

The next day was frankly bad, ceaseless rain and winter temperature. I stopped at the entry of Rockhampton, the beef capital in Queensland, to take a picture of the plate where the Tropic of Capricorn passed, to see Gallery-4. The surroundings would count more than two million cows in a 250km radius. The city still has some beautiful buildings of the colonial era duly restored. Climatic conditions did not encourage with the exploration of the architectural beauty, however from the top of my truck I saw interesting Art Deco frontages. I found a bivouac on a soaked ground away from the Hwy close to Marlborough.

Friday July 09 was a long driving day with three stops, the first in Sarina to consult my mailbox at the local library, no good news for the future countries. I carried on my road to Hay Point to throw a bird's eye view on the second coal port in the world. The trains of provisioning make two kilometres long.

Then the last stop was in Mackay which kept preserving Art Deco frontages of some buildings of which hotels. Weather in the north of the Tropic of Capricorn was definitely more radiant, the sun gave heat and balsam to the heart. Fields were covered with sugar cane. I found a bivouac at Palm Tree Creek where overnight was prohibited!

The road tracklog 
From Mackay to Townsville
From 10/07/2010 to 11/07/2010 

No sight to be visited along the road heading to Townsville. However I was diverted towards Airlie Beach hoping for a beach to have lunch, nothing. The city in this weekend was occupied by young people looking for sun, surfing and other beach plays. I did not last for ever.

Landscape became more rough and more arid, fields of sugar cane disappeared gradually. I found a bivouac unspecified at the edge of the Hwy close to a petrol station. I repeat that in this country it was almost impossible to have wild camp-site, fields are enclosed -Private Property-

Sunday July 11 was not a good day, I did not find a caravan park at less 30km far away northwards from Townsville. Of spite I stationed in the first found CP, Bluewater Caravan Park. Indeed I had taken the practice to go in a CP on Sundays to publish my site and to have laundry. Alas there was no Internet connection. The publication will be for another day.

Previous page

Next page