Day 73

Date:- 26 May 10
Distance:- 71.62 Km
Distance to Date:- 3944.3 Km
Start:- Bilyana Rest Area
Finish:- River Drive Van Park - Innisfail
Comment:- After tea last night I enjoyed a beer with 5 French boys who are working their way around Australia. Got to bed about 9.30pm. The nights are so warm up here so I am only using my silk sheet.

I had a bit of a disagreement with a frog last night. He wanted to get into my tent. He was very persistent but I won and sent him packing

Up at 5.45am and on the road by 7.30am. I didn’t want Grahame to catch me sleeping in. Grahame is travelling down to Townsville for a conference today.

About 2 km out from the rest area some “clown” in a Toyota 4 wheel drive ute tried to hit me with an empty plastic milk bottle.

An overcast and cool morning to start with, a good road and light traffic.

About 15 km out from Tully something wasn’t right so I stopped and checked. Low and behold BOB’s tyre was flat. Pumped it up and headed for Tully. Got to the Info office in Tully and BOB’s tyre was as flat as a tack. Repaired the puncture (removed a piece of glass from the tyre.) and ready to roll. The girls in the Info shop were very helpful.

Having not spotted Grahame on the road decided to ring him and as it turned out he was only 15 minutes away so we agreed to meet at the Info office were I was. He and his business partner, Linda, arrived and we had a drink and a chat before heading our separate ways.

Had my Snack break in the El Arish Ranges, then on down the road to Digger Creek Rest Area. Rather small rest area with table and chairs, toilet and a hot food stand there on a daily basis. A sign warning of crocodiles in the area maybe a good deterrent not to camp there.

Plenty of sugar cane around El Arish then crossed over the Liverpool Creek and we are in banana country. The last 30 km into Innisfail wound through both sugar cane and banana plantations on a average to good road.

A couple of km out from Innisfail a few drops of rain so I pulled a couple of covers out and kept going. Stopped at the Info office in Innisfail to enquire about caravan parks in the area, and while there, there was a cloud burst. I am glad I wasn’t on the road at the time.

Settled on a park on the highway. Enquired about a tent site and the caretaker strongly advised me to take a room. Tent site was $15 and a room with bed, fridge, air conditioner, table and a TV was $25. I accepted the room and settled in

Tomorrow I should make Cairns although people have suggested I should stay at the Boulders Rest area near Babinda

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