DAY 7      (you asked for it)
This day actually started early by leaving the comfort of my Railway Hotel room and wheeling the fully loaded bike only about 200m to the platform where my train was waiting (The Indian Pacific)

This train should be in a Museum.

Departure time was 1.40am. A few  passengers where there around stretching there legs as they all had been on the train already for 12hrs from only Perth. (600km)
Then a girl called Di approached me and said "are you the bike rider?". I said, i think so. Together we loaded the bike in the luggage carriage and I sadly parted from it 3 or 4 carriages away to my seat allocated seat in the cattle class.

Waiting for the quick exit

The train was packed and the lights where out but i could smell that stale  human odour as i sat down. I decided to quicken the process of adapting by taking in a few deep whiffs. I nearly fainted but managed just to stay conscious.

The  Dinning  carriage

My carriage

 We then had to wait for the first class passengers to return from bus tours of Kalgoolie before we could depart.
On their arrival in two tour buses i was shocked to see the different shapes and sizes of people and the different couple combinations. I was trying to work out how some of these couples where going to live in a confined sardine can type space together  for the next 24hrs to Adelaide or worse Sydney. Even to watch them twist and contort along the platform with walking aids to there carriages was a scary look. Maybe , they just knock themselves out with drugs  and wake up at there destinations. Can't wait to get to that stage in my life which is just around the corner.
The cattle class was just like the movie "One who flew over the cookoo's nest" and i felt like Jack Nicholson.lol. Lets face it, why would anybody put themselves through this torture, unless they had a student or disability card , Back packers train pass concession maybe..Then throw in some Tax sucking Pensioners   for good measure and that would make up the 200 on the train Or maybe it is a sort of character building challenge that you take on. I paid 400 bucks to go from Kal to Portagutter but i think the rest of the cattle train passengers only paid 400 collectively. I did find a normal guy thou , Doug, who was travelling for the experience and he had his car on board for 600 bucks so thats not bad.  Doug and i jelled because we had  something in common that we both had been caught out while doing number two's by people opening the door while busy. Doug was lucky because he was in a small toilet where he could just stop the door immediately by putting his arm up and stopping them. Me not so lucky. The toilet i was in was huge and had a button to open the door like a lift which was too far for quick action. That poor Japanese student standing there eyes wide open motionless as the door opened quickly and closed slowly, is probably going to be scarred for the rest of his lfe. I think it was the longest 6 seconds of his life. I felt bad for him and went and apologised to him but when i went to say sorry, i came out with a quote from the ccokoo's nest movie."is that crazy enough for ya? want me to shit on the floor"

The only time we where allowed to get off the train even though it stopped a million times for freight trains was at a place called Cook.This is where they change the Driver , refuel the diesel tanks and water tanks. I thought i might do a runner  but it was 38 degrees and strong Northerly winds. We where only strictly meant to stay 10minutes off the train but the cattle soon wandered and it was a heck of a job to round them up which took 30 minutes

Nullabour plain from train

Stretching my legs at Cook

Here we go again

I spent a lot of time in the dining carriage as the air was cleaner and the guys running of the train mingled in there too  because i think for the same reason. They where always talking about the schedule time and what  there where going to do next as though it's it first run. Hearing that their
disgust in having to stop in Port Augutter for a crazy bike rider made me feel real welcome. The main guys plan was set, to  get him ,and his bike off quick smart and out of there , as he slaps his hands together in excitement.
Sure enough the time came and  was told  10 minutes before my stop to weave my way back to the luggage carriage and untie my bike  and be ready when the doors open to get out. Before i knew it , I'm out , told I'm crazy , and left standing at 4am alone as the old girl rattled off .

DAY 8
4AM  (1AM Perth time) was too early really to start riding but what else could i do. I found a phone box and changed into my riding gear and headed off out of Town straight away. Not long after that i was having trouble concentrating to steer the bike and couldn't understand why because i had at least 4 hours sleep on the train over 24 hrs. I ended up riding up a track off the road for about 100m and just throw my sleeping bag down and went to sleep for a couple of hours. No tent needed, too tired.

When i saw this and thought it was real, time for a sleep

 Woke up feeling pretty good and off i went focused on my first destination, Mildura in about 4 days.

This beats the Nullabour

More train people

After about 140km in the Mildy direction and i got a phone call and its the Pensioners from Mildura. They tell me their going away tomorrow to a Conference and won't be back for a week. Holy shit Batman. I applied the brakes gently back still leaving a black leather mark for 30meters and the smoke took a while to clear. It was Jude who broke the news to me as i think Linds had been tired up with gaffe tape on a chair with a ball in his mouth as i'm sure he had nothing to do with it. I did ask Jude what that whimpering noise in the background was but she just said it was the cat wanting her feed. Those two guys, you got to hand it to them, retired Pensioners out saving the World. You know, similar to  that other movie" Les Patterson saves the world"
Now I've had to put this down on the blogg to stop people keep ringing me and saying" your going the wrong way". And also to explain what was going on to stop any confusion with vicious rumours that might come out of this. In saying all this as  I'm now in Clare  S.A. for two nights rest and a look around. Then I'm heading to Horsham, so  please could you please not tell Marty and Auntie Peg that I'm heading there way as i need a place to stay. It would be such an inconvenience for those guys to move out before i get there.


DAY 9
Woke up here in the Clare Pub wondering how i got here. Yesterday was a long day and hard day but a very funny enjoyable experience as its not everyday you get thrown off a train and then ride like hell 170km  to then get told to turn the other way and take the next  30km into a head wind for good measure. Still in saying all this in jest, i am doing what i want to do and lifes good . Sure beats the hell out of being still stuck on the nullabour with hot Easterlies.lol

Oh before i go, one more for you Doc…………
                                                   

DEAR GOD

TODAY I WOKE UP

I AM HEALTHY

I AM ALIVE 

THANK YOU

Bye for now :-)