Blackwater to Emerald

Blackwater to Emerald = 78km

Cummulative totals = 2695km and 22,696km

Emerald Cabin and Caravan park = $27 unpowered

Today is Neils birthday and he has to ride!  There was no special birthday brekky just the usual weetbix, yoghurt, banana, dried fruit and nuts and bread with honey!  It was a cooler night last night and this morning we woke to a bright clear day ... the past 3 days has been very cloudy and overcast.

As we were packing up and leaving we noticed these 2 locals watching us and probably wonder just who we are and what we are doing there!

They bounded off as soon as we tried to pass them.  The breeze is very light today and is blowing from the south east direction so it is coming across the shoulders.  We noticed that there was a marked decrease in the amount of traffic today ... especially trucks and mining vehicles.  We sort of noticed it after Dingo as the trucks turn off there to go to the Middlemount and Dysart mines but today it was really obvious just the odd truck and wide vehicle every now and then.  There was therefore an increase in 'normal' colour car traffic - no white utes with black and yellow numbers!

Just as well there was no heavy traffic as our shoulder turned into a very narrow strip that need tending to with a lawn mower!  we also noticed the the road condition wasn't as great as it was at the start of this highway ... maybe because we are running out of mines along this way and instead north and south of us have better roads as that is where the mines are!

since it is not cloudy the sun is shining and it is really hot today - 28 degrees is Emeralds high.  You can really feel it riding along, fortunately I sweat so there is a bit of a breeze for me but I think Neil really felt it as he is not a sweater!

So amongst all his birthday texts we did a little riding ... Jude your second one came through while we were going through roadworks and Neil was going to stop and read it and I trying to tell him that he can't stop and read it as the oncoming traffic has been stopped for the traffic in our direction going through ... I don't think they would appreciate having to wait for you even if it is your birthday !!!  I don't think they waited for us anyway as we take too long to get through and they always let the cars go through while we are still coming through!

So it was a long days ride, relatively flattish and with a slight tailwind we made good time and got here just on 2pm ... this is the face of a 55 year old man who has just ridden 80km ...

and this is the face of a man cutting his birthday cake!!!

and tonights dinner of pizza from Dominos was delicious and we polished of 2 between the 3 of us ... we think we could have eaten a third pizza!

Tomorrow is a rest day here at Emerald.  This park is chokkas and there are even vans and the like at the free camping down by the river ... but that fills up before the van parks fill up as it is right on the edge of town!

Just as we were coming into Emerald from Rockhampton they have built a brand new shopping center called Central Highlands and it has a woolies and big W as well as other retail shops.  But that is about 3km back from us and the Coles is just up the road so that is where we will get our supplies from tomorrow.  No pancake brekky for Neil tomorrow as the bbq is $1.  Out of principle I refuse to pay for the bbq when the cost of camping is so high!  They do have a hot plate and microwave so I will try to make Neil a cake tomorrow.