Assembled my bike and rode into the Goast Coast hinterland, past 6-wheeled utes, Marine-dreamland, highrise apartments and other such horrors that the Gold Coast offers. Into Sir Joh country, peanut country, Kingaroy, red earth, and a far cry from urban Brisbanites.
Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Peterson ran a corrupt dictatorship in Queensland for many years, getting away with it all and still revered. Before long I was sitting around a smoko table with people who voted for Pauline Hanson!
Arriving in Mundubbera I got a job as a buggery technician in the southern hemisphere’s largest insectory. Established and run by Dan Papacek, Bugs for Bugs cultures aphytis wasps, crypotlaemus beetles, lacewings and several other beneficial insects, for release on citrus orchards. Dan is an amazing guy, having dedicated his life to building up a unique and successful business. I worked as a pumpkin packer and ate so many pumpkins I turned orange.
Hello to my friends in Mundubbera! Thanks for looking after me so much. From the platform of Bruce and Slim’s shed I watched red sunsets, saw giant goanna, munched on the best mangoes in the world, battled hordes of fleas, and saw my first Australian possum. Thanks to you guys for introducing me to Australia! Ute shows and rodeos, Bundaberg rum and XXXX beer (“A pot of gold, mate”)! I mean thanks for showing me the side of Oz that isn’t just XXXX, but history, the weather, the people, great stories and yarns.
Leaving Mundubbera I cycled north to Emerald, citrus country, via Cania Gorge national park. The long straight roads of Queensland stretched ahead of me, a strong tail wind coasted me along. What wide spaces and hot sun… an amazing sense of freedom, and friendly farmers. It seemed every time I stopped to ask for water, people asked me in, I stayed the night.
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