Day five - Dululu to Hays Point (Mackay)

The temperature dropped to 3 degrees last night. My summer weight sleeping bag just didn't cut it. I was soooo cold,. I was relieved when the day finally dawned and I could pack up my tent and get going.

North to the Capricorn Highway and then West to Dingo. Im finding that the fuel and food get more expensive the further north you get. A toasted ham and tomato sandwich and a coffee cost $12.00!

I took the Development road north from Dingo, this road is also known as the beef road due to the number of cattle trucks travelling the road. 230 mind and bum numbing kilometres of straight road. The terrain starts to change coming into Nebo, some hills, the landscape starts to look lush and fertile. The roads trains cannot go into Mackay and have to leave their carriages behind at the start of the Eton range. They then come back and bring the carriages in one by one.

I wound my way through the cane fields to Hay Point. The road through the fields is dotted with railway tracks which allow the cane trains to move about the fields. Its cane cutting season at the moment so you have to careful as you can come out of a bend smack into a cane train.

Arrive at Leanne and Scotts at 3:30, they have a lovely place on an acre. We hit the champagne immediately and spent the evening catching up.

I'm having a day off the bike tomorrow, Quiver is a little tired and needs a rest.

KILOMETRES TRAVELLED- 474

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY - riding through the cane fields