40
DECEMBER 2020
By Kate Farrar, Member #4448
W
ednesday night was set aside to pack the bags, kit out the motorcycle, and get an early night so we could get an early start. We had 11 days of great adventures in front of us, only our second longest motorcycle trip together. The first day was to be a long ride to Bargara – well, long by the standards of a desk jockey like myself – and we had to get there in time to join our friends watching the turtles lay that night.
First fuel stop of the journey – look at the nice clean bike! We decided to take the scenic route through the Sunshine Coast hinterland, which gave me plenty of opportunity to try out my exciting new ‘pillion cam’ on the gorgeous scenery coming into Kilkivan. After taking the Mary Valley Way to Gympie, we headed towards Kin Kin taking a lovely deviation through Woolooga to avoid the snarls of the Bruce Highway. In the end, though, a tricky route from near Tiaro to the back blocks of Maryborough was abruptly halted by a closed road unknown even to Navigator Google. After lunch at Portside cafe Maryborough (first encountered during the last Back to the Bush), we finished the day with a slow and very blowy trip across the Bundaberg outskirts. The turtles at Mon Repos are an amazing natural drama. They return to the same place they themselves hatched to lay their eggs 30 years later (they must be better at navigation than me!). Our turtle arrived on the beach at nearly midnight and then very quickly and efficiently laid 130 eggs,
A CENTRAL QLD ADVENTURE much to the admiration of all the mums there watching her.
‘Pillion cam’ – Obi Obi Rd just before a grading (this was the nice bit of road) Only a short ride the next day to 1770, but a stop at Agnes Waters had Don meeting a soul mate on an old 1100 RT which he had swapped for his trail bike and some cash. Whilst I gazed at the tranquil beachscape, Don and he discussed the local real estate activity, Volkswagen Combis and hot up tips for Beetles, and the scenic route into Rosslyn Bay. When we ultimately reached 1770, the sea was a very inviting watercolour blue, and a heavenly dip left us ready for dinner at the now voguish fish and chip shop at the marina.
The view from the 1770 Fish and Chip shop The ride to Rosslyn Bay via Emu Park didn’t disappoint with great views out over the Keppels as you hug the coast. On the way, we picked up a sweet Rocky pineapple from an entrepreneurial farmer and his boys, and enjoyed it before setting off to Rosslyn Bay marina for a sundowner and a
