May 17 - Gladstone to Rockhampton - 120km

Tony slept in so we got a slightly later start.


First leg out of Gladstone to Mt Larcom was scary. There is that much happening up here that there are BIG trucks every where.  The road out of town was skinny with no shoulder and so we were battling with these monster trucks.  Janelle, you will be pleased to know I no longer want to ride the Bolivian Death Road. Joe - Janelle, I could understand it if you wanted him to ride the Bolivian Death Road.


Stopped at Mt Larcom for morning tea.  The people there were a bit nonplussed that Joe would want a pie without any meat in it.


Interesting aspect is the way people communicate with their horns.  My interpretation of the horn is:

• TOOT - This means I am coming up behind you and just giving you plenty of warning and so you hold your line.
• TOOT TOOT (can be up to 4) - Good on you, great effort, wish it was me, keep up the good work, Joe lift your game your falling behind.
• HONK - Get off the road, I'm impatient, why are you on the road anyway, I know you can't catch me.
• HOOOONK - As for HONK but with alot more rage backing it up.
• HOOOONK right beside you - As above, but I also drive a big car/truck to compensate for other inadequacies and it feels good to bully bike riders.

We get more encouraging TOOTs than any other.

After Mt. Larcom we had some more roadworks, and with a wind behind us we took off and flew for 40 km until we reached Marmer.  We were both ready for a break and some fluid.  We updated the blog while we rested.  

We have come across just about every big truck around this trip, but this one takes the cake.  There were two of these semis taking the tipper part of the monster tip trucks to the mines.  They were wide enough to cover both sides of the road and had support vehicles and 4 or 4 police cars escorting them.

 Look at how big the tipper is compared to the car and the caravan!!!

They passed us further down the road and the police asked us to stop and get off the road.  We played it safe and went to the other side of the road and took some pictures.

After they passed, Joe decided to take in the view.

We headed off again and made good time into Rockhampton where we got directions to the YHA.  Joe headed off to the YHA and Tony went and got his headset tightened.

Most YHAs are great.  Clean, well looked after and in good locations.  This one is in a run down commercial area, and also a bit dilapidated.  It is run by some very casual South Americans and feels like we have just ridden onto the set of Deliverance.  Not that we cared, we had done 120km and just wanted a meal and a shower.