Day 14 Bowen to Seaforth!!

Woke up at 4.30 the nature is pretty noisy is Australia in particular the birds. In the beginning it was rather nice to here their songs but man do they ever gibber on! Soon it will fade into the background and not be such an issue. Woke up to a very windy tent, checked the forecast 25km SSE to SE winds so that would be head winds for me. Enough to make me stay in bed! But I got up and was on the road by 7.30. Now to get out of Bowen, I lost count of how many magpies attempted to attack, it was a lot though. I am beginning to think my helmet is attracting them. Stopped in subway to get a sandwich then onwards. My bike computer said 11km by the time I got to the first rest stop 45 minutes after I set off. Feeling pretty lack lustre. Had my sandwich and a chap came and said hi. Said must be tough cycling into the wind, I said yeah not nice, in fact if someone offered me a ride I'd probably take it. Told me to just hang around Australians are pretty good sure you could get a ride. Any who less than 5 minutes later a car with an empty trailer pulls into the rest stop. The chap pops over and starts chatting to them and voila I have a ride. I did and still do think that this is cheating BUT as Rob pointed out I am doing this trip for myself so I make the rules. Which I guess is true. Truth be known I researched the second half of my journey from Brisbane to Melbourne a lot more than the first half. The second half follows the coast and only occasionally has to use the highway. I naively figured that would be the case for the first half. NOT! It has all been on the highway and rarely gets near the coast unless I go on a side trip. The highway although interesting in the beginning has become a bit of a drudge. Long stretches of nothing with 50-70km between towns. So I find myself looking forward to being South of Brisbane when really I should be living in the now. The best thing about the trip so far has been the people, I have met some really amazing, interesting, kind people. And a smile goes a long way. So back to this morning Rob and Kath and there grown up kids were travelling down to Rockhampton in 2 cars to a family wedding. Rob tightly strapped my bike up in his trailer and after a coffee off we set. Rob, Kath their daughter Christene and me in car 1. They had come from Townsville that morning. Good chat in car and by lunch time was dropped of at the camping in Seaforth a 20km drive off the highway. Which was very kind, thank you. A place Jim I met in Babinda recommended to me. Nice site, lots of birds and 2 nights for $25 cheapest place so far. Going to relax a bit. Check out the area and set of again on Saturday morning. Cycled 11.5km today. And 122km by car! Oh dear still have issues with that, need to get over it.