From Charters Towers

I made Charters Towers yesterday about noontime, totally shot and ready to quit.  It's f'ing hot in the midday here, and I'm not man enough to ride between prolly 1200 and 1600; on the way here I had to stop and lay under some shade during the day. oof.

Charters Towers is a cool little place with just enough to see in one day.  I strolled around town, bought a few things at the tiny little bike shop and went up to the top of Tower Hill to see the touristy "Ghosts of Gold" presentation that they put on up there after sunset.  The top of the hill is filled with - not to say 'infested' with - wallabies, which are these cool little mini-kangaroos that hop about.  A couple of locals up there called them "roo-rats", so I guess they're more of a pest than anything, but I'm not from these parts, so I thought they were fascinating.

So.... I spoke to some locals here, and they told me that between Charters Towers and Belyando Crossing south on the A7, there is precisely nothing.  No water, no gas stations, no roadhouses for 198k and south of that to Clermont, another nothing for 150k.  I don't mind sleeping out, but don't think I can carry enough water to make almost 200k.  So I'm gonna try to hitch a ride with a trucker or, failing that, just head back to Townsville and cut south.  The first perturbation on my well-honed plan!

But my idea of relying on Google Maps on my iPhone and iPad was not well-honed.  No perspective and not enough detail.  I bought a Queensland map here in CT and other than the fact that I have to use reading glasses to see it cuz I'm old, it's 10 times better.

I stayed last night in this awesome historic hotel; $65/night and it's really, really nice, which is good, because i may be here a night or two more!