Calling It & Heading Home

Sitting here at Roma Street Station, I have made it thus far after a night of sitting in a carriage as it rumbled and creaked it's way from Grafton to Brisbane.

Sitting amidst the onion breathed, stale alcohol breathed, body odoured and whatever else odoured, whilst the sound effects of coughing, sneezing, moaning and groaning drowned out the noise of the rails; and with the back light of alternate mobile phone glow which resembled a strange and twisted kind of mini australis borealis giving the impression I was in some sort of demented disco, I couldn't help but reflect on the trip. OK, I don't train travel much, I'm tired, grumpy and in desperate need of a long black cup of serenity...I hope the trip north from here is better.

After pretty much the first two weeks of storms were endured and rolling into Grafton late on the Thursday evening, only to be swamped again, I made the call to head for home.

I didn't pull the pin that easy, I did at least wait for a while to see how the weather would pan out. On the Friday after arriving in the Northern Rivers town of South Grafton, the sun rose brightly and I was able to get out the wet tent to dry. I also got all my wet clothes that had been stashed away washed, and my sleeping gear hung out and well aired.

This was all sorted by lunch time and I brought everything in off the line, and just in time. The usual afternoon storm came in and lasted for much of the evening. Going by previous standards, they had been starting earlier and lasting longer.

I awoke on the Saturday morning to the sun shining with birds chirping once again, and thought it will all level out by the time I am ready to leave on Monday. And again, a repeat of the previous days that gave me an eery sense of dejavu. But, this time it started and didn't stop. I kept checking the weather as to it's intentions but it all seemed bleak. It was moving in.

That's OK, it's just for the weekend, let's just sit back and relax and not worry about it. The rain continued throughout the weekend, and I was far from chuffed when I awoke on Monday to see the same damp outlook. "What's one more day?" I thought.

I awoke on Tuesday morning and was up and at it. The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky. I began rolling everything up and packing it into my panniers. The fresh supplies I had purchased over the weekend were stashed and I was almost ready to go. A coffee and a breakfast and a quick goodbye to my mother, then I would be pedalling my way to 3500 meters of bliss. Well...that didn't last long. I didn't even have time to get the bike off the back verandah, the skies were black and the deluge continued. What the ????

I was livid. I didn't mind another day yesterday, but not another day today. The rain continued, and continnued and continued. Come Wednesday morning with the skies still emptying it's disappointment down on me, I decided to call it. I struggled with the decision, I umm and erred and was so indecisive, and I hate that.

I wanted so much to head on my way up that mountain, but after almost the whole trip dodging storms, I was tired of it. By mid afternoon I called it. I decided enough was enough. I purchased my Bundaberg train ticket over the phone and my bother gave me a lift up to the South Grafton Station to purchase the first leg's ticket. That was it, it was done.

With the rain continuing well into the night, I was satisfied with my decision. That was until I awoke on Thursday morning to the sun's glare through the window. I got out of bed, looked out the window and was heart broken at what I saw. The tickets purchased, the money spent and now the sun decides to shine. It'll be right, it will start pouring in another hour or so. But it didn't.

Sitting and sulking like a five year old that didn't get their desert I was far from impessed. This was not fair, why? But in the end I started to think about what I had experienced so far on the trip. The scenery, the people and they all equate to wonderful memories already collected.

Well the sun continued to shine all day yesterday as well, but I had settled. My disappointment soon turned into excitement. Yes, excitement...I haven't seen my beautiful wife and three lovely daughters in three weeks. That my dear friends is something worth getting excited about. I now have a good reason to finish a trip, whether it be completed, a wash out, or time, I get to go home to a wonderful family which I love...

So even though the trip didn't go as planned, even though it remains unfinished, I still end up with a magnificent reward. Wonderful memories and experiences, and at the end of it all I get to home to my family.

So now I sit here at Roma Street Station desperately waiting for coffee and food. I've shaken off the odours of the early moring trip and have a ten hour wait ahead of me before I can board the train for Bundaberg. But I will get home eventually tonight.

Even though the trip didn't go as planned, I got out there and had a wonderful time. A fifty-four year old man who just decided to get on his bike and ride. Roughly nine hundred kilometers completed and having a ball pedalling them. The look on peoples' faces when you tell them what you are doing, and the chance to do it is just awesome.

Even though at present this Old Bum is on a train, or will be, and not on a bike doesn't mean it stops here...there's more to come whether I get through it all or not...it's not the destination, it's the adventure along the way.

Cheers guys, and as always, ride safe.