The Jizzard of Oz - 2015 Cairns - Australia

So I have the riding bug. I have gone for a 3 month cycle trip around Australia. My route will take me from Cairns on the north east coast down to Brisbane then maybe, I said maybe, down to Sydney. Later I am aiming for a ride along the great ocean road in the south from Melbourne to Warranobool then over to Perth for a while to ride and visit friends. This time I have been joined by an old school friend called Angela who has taken the travelling plunge. It will be a different experience to cycle and camp with someone from back home and it's going to be good to share the trip. I had sorted out a Warmshower host for the first two nights in Cairns but due to an unforseen incident this had to be extended to 3 nights. The incident in question was that after packing our bikes and setting off on Emirates airlines to fly to Melbourne via Dubai, Singapore, we waited at the oversize baggage conveyor for the bikes in Melbourne. Angela's came out ok but mine didn't appear. I went to the help desk to ask about it and was told it was about to come through. It did eventually. Unfortunately it came through completely written off. It basically looks as though someone has driven over it in a fork lift truck. I didn't cause to much of a fuss as I knew it wouldn't save the bike so I filled out the forms so that I can later claim via contacting Emirates directly.

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With all this happening we missed our connection flight to Cairns but as it was the fault of the airline we were booked onto a later flight. This made the plans to ride from Cairns airport to our hosts impossible. We ended up arriving in Cairns at midnight and getting a taxi. Luckily bike touring and hosting folks are good eggs and a nice note was pinned to the front door. We got in and freshend up a hit the beds. Just so all are aware it is separate beds as this is purely a friendship and nothing more. It's hard enough touring and camping without adding to the possible drama. In the morning we chilled and got our bearings around town. We sorted out a new bike for me after looking at a few different ones. We sorted our phones and we stocked up on food. At dinnertime the hosts Gary and Sandy made some homemade pizzas on the wood burner and helped us go through some riding routes. On Saturday we went into town again and picked up my new bike then had a good ride around Cairns. It's a beautiful town with a fantastic Esplanade leading to a public open air swimming pool. The bars and restaurants are all really cool and the backpacker community is very strong.

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For tonight's dinner it's a lamb roast done in the slow burner. As I type this the smell is wafting through and I'm struggling to concentrate. It's like the bisto kids advert from years ago. In the morning we head out on the bikes proper to Palm Cove. My blog may not be posted everyday but I will try. I have a new bike, a person to tour with and a new continent to see. Dorethy said there's no place like home and that's true. I had a great month with my sister and nephew but it is time for the Jizzard of Oz to come from around the curtain.