Well this is us not going to Hawaii.

This year’s Stampin’ Up! trip is in Maui at the same location as last year’s cancelled trip. By the end of October each year we have to make a call as to whether we are going to take up the option for the trip the following year … generally it’s a no brainer for us, as these are always great trips. This time we had to gaze deeply into the crystal ball to see what mid-2021 had in store, what the state of the world was going to be like, and whether international travel was even going to be on the cards. At the time it felt like a hard decision … but really we always knew that there was no way we would or could go. But it was nice to at least dream about the possibility. So while we are certainly disappointed at not being able to catch up with all our Stampin’ Up! friends from around the world this year – there will be another time.

Last year we only took off 10 days and had a staycation which included a couple of days down the coast. For many Covid19 has meant no work or reduced hours, for me it has been busier than ever and there hasn’t been much of an opportunity for a break. This year I needed more than that and I needed to unplug from constant video conferences. I was in need of some serious road therapy.

With May largely blocked out we are hitching up the trailer and heading north to Cairns, giving me a chance to show Deb a number of places I’ve been and the chance to explore new places together. We have a little over 3 weeks in which to do the 6,000km round trip. The plan is to head inland up through central Queensland going as far west as Winton and roll into Cairns from the west, before following Australian’s eastern coastline as we head south. The plan heading north is to primarily camp and find interesting places to visit and eat at local pubs.

With 6,000km to travel there needs to be a balance between doing the miles and taking in the sights. Between doing a comfortable distance on riding days and not getting too tired from long days in the saddle. If you’ve read my blog previously you will know that I’m no stranger to big days on the bike, but this isn’t that sort of a ride. This is a tour, taking in local sights and smelling the roses.

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Day 1 – Canberra to Trangie

With the bike packed we roll out of the driveway at 9:30am really looking forward to the journey ahead.

An hour down the road it’s time for a coffee and something to eat. Like every good bike trip it’s measured in coffee shops and bakeries. This trip will be no different. I’m a bit partial to a vanilla slice so there may be some sampling from around the country.

I’m sure there’s an approved scoring method – but for me it’s all about the taste, and whether the pastry is firm but easy to cut, holds it together but doesn’t make it hard to eat.

Harden vanilla slice – this was really setting the bench mark high as it was one of the nicest I’ve had in a long time. Nice custard filling, with passionfruit icing and the pastry was crisp that was easy to cut.

Score: 8.5

A few of the sights for the day

Then we chased the sun making it to the Trangie caravan park in time to set up the tent before the sun set. The only wrinkle was the elastic in two of the sets of poles had broken – I’m assuming they have worn through while in the trailer.

Total distance – 480km

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Next … Heading to Bourke