Keep Up....The Gap Filled

Let me fill in the gap between this and my last post.
I've gone from happily married to a sad widow. 2016 will go down as a year to remember. We had done the Fossil Ride and Tim came home with a sore hip. To cut it short it was stage four renal cancer. We traded his Valkyrie for a Spyder. At least he could manage that OK. A year later we were coming home from Fossil Rides in the Gulf when he took a turn for the worst.Twelve days later he was gone. To be honest I am glad he didn't hang around for years being unwell. Not his style. In that year of treatment we managed a three week road trip, two Folk Festivals, a couple of short trips away plus the Fossil Ride all thrown in between operations and chemo drugs. He done good. Miss him though.









And he missed our daughters wedding. That was bit sad.

Learning to live alone isn't as easy as I imagined it would be. Been a bit crazy; wanting to be a hermit. I was thinking at one stage that I was being too stagnant . On reflection I had done quite a bit. November '17 I went to Ecuador and Galapagos Island. The following March '18 I went solo on a month long ride south visiting family and friends. I came home from that all fired up and had new carpet and blinds and inside the house painted. Tim was wanting to do that. Its done now Love!
Everything looked lovely and fresh but what do I do now? It was difficult keeping myself motivated. I was cheerful enough on the road but I needed to be happy at home too. Learning that was working out to be not so easy! Off I go again, post flood I went to Tasmania. Seven weeks away solo again apart from the middle two weeks. It was those weeks in the middle of the adventure that I decided that my planned "Lap of Oz" would be done alone. Tim and I and a friend had planned to do it in Aug '17. Tim had other plans and the date picked later by my friend and I was interrupted with her husband getting sick. Anyway all's well that ends well..... in that space of time I was honest enough to admit my limited tolerance levels and called it off. Well its not cancelled its just that I will be doing it alone. Watch this space for updates.

Ive bought myself the smallest tent and mattress.

It all fits snuggly in my top box with sleeping bag and bike cover and wet weather gear. That leaves my other bag for my bare necessities.
I have a house sitter booked, date is set.
First leg Townsville to Darwin via Georgetown, Normanton, Karumba, Mt Isa, Barkley Station, Booraloloo, Daly Waters and Darwin.
Watch this space!