The intrepid travellers

The weather-beaten face was the same colour and texture as old mahogany creating a perfect match with the peg leg he sported. The grizzled mottely beard gave him an ageless appearance as he thrust it forward into the roaring cyclone muttering curses against nature.

So started our eleventh day on the road.

Grahme, Scotty and I had risen at 5:30 am to attend a daybreak Rotary meeting. Half awake I put my pack of pills on top of the car as I wriggled the old bones behind the wheel. “Don’t you leave them there” Scotty scolded me. “What do you think I am mate, a dick head?“ I rejoined muttering about disrespectful kids.

Twenty minutes later as we swung into the place where we were giving our presentation it dawned on me that that was exactly what I was. I had left them there on the car roof. Some lucky junky will be singing my praises tonight.

All went to plan from Townsville to Cardwell where we hit the first of the Cyclone.

Sometimes the riders vanished from my view as they were swamped by semi trailers going in the opposite direction but eventually we made it into my daughter Natalies’ backyard. Doug and Captain Courageous were soaked to the bone and most of our gear followed suit as we carried our gear across the sodden yard.

I don’t clearly recall that evening except that we bought pizza, met up with “Nobi Noshithe Noggi”, an old mate of our pirate friend, and then zonked out.

Next day the Chancellor of the Exchequer and I (she had appeared out of the swirling torrent late in the arvo and commenced giving orders immediately) took Scotty to the airport for a sad farewell.  After doing the banking we provisioned the ship and got ready to attend the night’s function.

The function was a “Dine with a Digger Night” and “The Peg” had them lying in theaisles. National RAM Chair Phil Dempster was MC and gave us a great wrap.

Next day it was up at sparrow fart and off into the maelstrom once more with the worthy Captain Courageous shouting into the teeth of the gale “Once more unto the breach me hearties”, as he opened the throttle.