Riding Down Under - Tropical Cairns Australia

[MacDoc]

Enjoying my revived Samsung 4k Screen. Since I expected to get a new screen I stripped out all the HDMi cables and that led to a much needed clean up of my entire desk area.
One issue with living in the open tho screened deck is the constant rain of small debris drifting on everything. Rain forests are thick with organic matter from pollen to a complete dragon fly wing and every day a few leaves drift in as rain forest trees constanting shed all year.
Hoping our new place will be sealable with a HEPA filter....be a great help considering my impacted sinus that needs surgery.....

Finished Free Ride the Itchy Boots book and completely enjoyed it. One can reliably assess she was crazy to take on what she did with woefully inadequate gear and preparation...which she freely admits. A very human story and illuminates part of her hidden in the upbeat videos.
Hoping for a sequel book tho this is the important one.
Going to back and view Season One with the book still fresh.

Hoping to get out to see F1 this arvo but still nursing a cold.....partner worse off than I am.

A chilly 14 in a house with no heat at 11 pm. Winter in tropical Cairns...feeling very untropical at the moment. Feels like the Isle of Skye when stayed overnight in SUMMER!!!!

 

[MacDoc]

Geez she's got over 100,000 members on her FB fan club alone.
No Idea how she keeps up.

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Thought very briefly about sitting out on the deck but if I get chilled I cannot warm up so ...back in bed after short pit stop. 13.3C and falling. Covers still warm and added heavier hoodie to the layers.
Happens that my warmest hoodie is Itchy Boots designed and with the hood and heavier material quite good.


Hmmm did not prep for this 12.7 C
Still going down 11.2C
My weather site said it got to 10.9
Partner claims 13 ....was bloody chilly

 

[MacDoc]

Properly dressed for chilly night with no heat this time - down to 13.3 already.
Enjoying Project Hail Mary on Audible

 

[MCT]

Properly dressed for chilly night with no heat this time - down to 13.3 already.

Oh that is so hard to take.

Looking at the weather on the Gold Coast. 22C during the day and about 10C before the sun rises, and this is their winter.

 

[MacDoc]

It's not an issue if you know it's coming....did not the night before - last night was fine.
Gold Coast is 1,600 km further south.
Most places further south or on the Tablelands have a heat source.
Feels like 10 is not so fun with no heat in the house....at keast the Alone people have a fire.
••••
Partner still coughing badly .- getting worrried as little improvement...I got caught up in a very good Audio Book but still managed 9 hours sleep.
We skipped Bowls Club - didn't really get up from late afternoon nap until 9pm. Was hungry as only a bowl of soup at lunch.
Coming up on midnight and it's 12 feels like 11 - but still okay sitting on the deck well layered.
Watching Alone Sweden and certainly nowhere near the hardship of other places.
lake is full of trout, salmon, arctic char catchable with pole or net.
Surprised how ill-equipped some of the contestants are ....not even fire making skills with a flint.
Some real treehuggers too crying over killing a trout.
Scenery is gorgeous in late fall. A number of big animals about....one idjit leaves her fish out and wonders why they are gone
Prro scuba diver made a raft and put her net out ,,,,eating like a queen, Several Swedes of both sexes not body timid and happy wandering naked even into the lake at 8C!
The scuba diver smoked 7 trout and giant salmon.

big salmon ...lost it then got it back

 

[MacDoc]

Gave up Alone for the moment and watching Season One of Itchy Boots and warming up in the sunshine.

 

[MacDoc]

Noraly looking like a proper ADV rider now.

 

[MacDoc]

Marc travels talk at ABR festival 2025 new electric bike on show​

Mumbai looks pretty modern here

Vegging late night, snug and warm tonight and bingeing Itchy Boots Season 1.
Her vlogs were very short 5 min ir so - now moving to 15 min 37 Ep in.

 

[MacDoc]

Finally got out for a ride. New helmet is okay but missing the flip up for drinking etc,
Might sell it for some coin. It's a $300+ helmet. Sure is comfy and on and off no issue but miss drinking from the squeeze bottle in the cup holder. Wonder if I can sort a tube.

Rev'it gloves were okay but hands a tad sore as they are stiff after an hour ride. Again might try a flip for something a bit lighter.


Tired after getting back out on the bike in pursuit of corned beef and other vital supplies.
Rode up to Port Douglas for wings - was insanely busy on a Saturday - glad I was on the bike



...110 km total and achy in too many spots. Rust develops on me way too quick.

Was crazy overdressed - left at 23C ...home at 27C and sweaty.

 

[MacDoc]

Gray and windy ....pretty good sleep. Reasonable temps at night and now at 7 am.


Maybe a Sunday roast ride to Jullaten tho may be too far back to back.
Want to sort my seating. Take the Airhawk off for the moment and just ride with the padded riding shorts.
Also need to check my air pressure....could have sworn I bought another TPMS which I miss.
Not feeling socialable so won't invite anyone along but might make it a short ride and have coffee and something tasty with Bruce. He's got his driving privilegd back but will not start riding again. The $800 or so I netted from his gift to me of his Burgman 650 got me off the 650 KLR and on to the CB300F which was a good bike for 32,000 km ...then that started the flipping to end with the CB500F which is an improvement across the board and most likely the last ice bike for me.

think there is a third party seat from Corbin but $$$

Quote of the day
"You don't stop riding because you got old...You got old because you stopped riding,"

 

[MacDoc]

Mostly sorted the new helmet....wish the sun visor worked properly asis very nice but at least have 1" of it.
Otherwise set up as I like....just need to sort the drinking on the fly. Bug eyed monster


Hopefully a longish ride tomorrow but pretty windy...Gillies might be okay but not sure I want the long loop.
Lovely on the deck at midnight. 22.7 feels like 24.2 ...very pleasant.

Up early but still a bit stiff. Decent sleep. Sorted the low pressure on the front tire with no drama. Should be fine until the 12 volt socket arrives.

Enjoying The Wright Brothers on Audible...might go for ride.

 

[MacDoc]

Up at Kuranda. Almost lost my tpms. Came off the Velcro just as I parked. Have to think of another way. Helmet was good but like to track down the whistle when visor opens.

Sold three items on FB today so refreshed my skimpy funds by a bit and reduced clutter. Got less than I wanted for the Apple Watch SE which was mint but still netted $40 or so for little effort.
Very happy to move armoured shirt and small tank bag.
The drier weather is opening up the motorcycle market again ,..even got a low ball on the CB500F Honda which I rejected ...but still that was the only activity on that in months. Buddy is complaining too he cannot sell his little R3 Yamaha. He wants to buy a new Tenere 700 but needs to sell the R3 first. He will have a nice stable left. Gorgeous Honda 650 and the 700 Tenere,

He scored the Honda 650 for $3k which was insanely lower than market ( $6500 ).
Once he gets the Tenere he will loop Australia and try his hand at vlogging.

 

[MacDoc]

hmmm img.bb corrupt.
TV failed again.
It rained when it wasn't supposed to
Tho to be fair I didn't really get wet as it rained hardest when I was in eating lunch and was clearing as I left and I did score a decent Hungry Jacks deal. Trying to figure out how to revive a refrigerated burger.
Adding pickles and mustard helped ....maybe try and microwave next time...but hey it was protein for breakfast.

Went back to my giant chicken schnitzel for Bowls Club supper - will get a few meals from that. Lotsa protein.

 

[MacDoc]

Mixed day and too long so now tuckered out at 6.30 pm.

Slept in so got decent sleep last night. Had consult with our new urologist when I had expected a catheter change. I asked him if he could change it and he said sure.
I had my reasons for pushing as there would have been a change 2 weeks out.
I thought I might have and infection and with a heart procedures on Monday did not want to risk it.
Sure enough I DID have and infection plus he got ( and I got via laparoscope up the tube ) a first hand look at my catheter issue.
He could not replace the existing catheter even with a guidewire but was able to with the scope successfully. Orders to immediately take antibiotics which I have.
After my scare with sepsis I'm much happier going into angiogram on Monday with an a/b load.
In the middle before the scope procedure I was starving so hit the Viet eatery next door for what they called a beef stew with noodles....



I barely dented it..the above was AFTER I ate my fill..took home in takeaway, had for supper and still have enough left for lunch tomorrow. !!



Value for money tho partners tofu version looked great and cost less. $16.50 for hers $18.90 for mine.

 

[MacDoc]

 

[MacDoc]

Crashed out way early - tummy full of pasta.
Set up new TV tomorrow and maybe a ride. Angiogram on Monday.
19.5 on deck feels like 18.2 and yep it does.

New TV set up easily tho the usual drama around Wifi connecting.

Our router is forever old and only has 2g and even with a mesh it does not connect to the internet properly but of course it connects partners Air which is sitting right beside it so all is right with the world
I on the other hand some 20m away through several walls .......
Sigh.....right now the phone works, the 4k Blu Ray works, BlueTooth works well and my MacBook Pro runs the TV fine .....will deal with the router later - have lots of media.
Ah 5 hours on the phone by partner and Tenda mesh finally works as intended, new TV is happy and a Wifi6 router enroute.

I shall indulge in 4k content.

 

[MacDoc]

Wordle 1,486 3/6 at 2.30 am



Ai assisted cuz watching Wimbleton.

Angiogram this afternoon.

Noraly looking worn but a lot on the go for her.
Going to an area in Scotland ....Applecross...we enjoyed doing the Scotland 500 by car. It's 500 miles and takes way more time than you'd think.

 

[MacDoc]

Red letter day ...no blocked arteries. Other than a bit long and tedious the angiogram went well. They had to use the artery in my groin rather than wrist so that's a bit sore.
Panadol and 30 mg codeine was just the thing and crashed very early,

Up at 4 am for antibiotics and hungry - I did have the best hospital meal I’ve ever had …crepe - crisp and chewy on the edges but very thin stuffed with cubed chicken in a cream sauce including dark meat which I prefer - delicious….helped along by my having fasted since 10 am and it was 6 pm

So healthy heart excellent news since my dad had heart problems and his dad too. Guess my Hungry Jacks visits did no harm. Also dropping 35 kg helps. I recall being in my dads arms and listening to his dads laboured breathing as - damn that was more than 70 years ago.

I’m old !!!! Nooooooo

Other good thing today I finally convinced partner to call our service provider. After about 5 hours of wrangling we will have a new WiFi 6 modem, no contract and the same $100 a month cost for 100 down and no contract.

Wi-Fi 6 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

It only took 9 years of complaining about our ancient 2g modem to get there.

 

[MacDoc]

Never got to Ireland - missed that bucket list item..

coast road looks lovely.
Enforced idleness for a few days so will laze in bed till it gets warmer

 

[MacDoc]

Ah really enjoyed seeing this as brought lots of memories of Applecross and the Scottish 500.

The air on the coast is stunning clear.