Pigs, P.I.G.S. and a Possum

Pigs

So I have started my journey into the interior of Australia.  I have started to head west for Townsville.  I'm taking the easy route through to Darwin. I wanted to take the Savannah way however I'm looking at the Calender and it doesn't look good.  I have to start pounding some miles and catch up a bit.  So onto the nice road with lots of nice stops and places to stay and easy to access fuel.

So they tell me there are a lot of wild pigs about.  Well holy molly are there ever.  There was one bit of the road where I saw 3 dead ones all very very close to each other.  These were big pigs.  Clearly there has been no shortage of food this year.  I actually saw more dead pigs than anything else on the side of the road.  The kangaroos where easily out numbered.

I was later informed that these dead pigs were most likely the result of beer, rifles and utes on the loose.  Translation for the Canadian's.  booze, guns and trucks.   No one really takes notice if you kill a few dozen pigs on the side of the road.  Fire away.

P.I.G.S.

Well no blog entry this week can avoid the issues we face in Europe.  Well as a result of Greece imploding and Spain trying to do a good impersonation of Greece, we have seen the Aussie buck loose about 7%.  This is really rather dramatic. It's not going to slow down soon either.  This is going to change a lot of things I had planned for the year. Yep even in the bush I am getting the news.  Sitting in the pub today for dinner everyone at the betting tables were talking about Europe.  Now to put this in perspective.  These are guys with cow shit on their boots, drinking small pots of beer and betting on dog races. 

Not much world news is every going to register with these blokes.  But this was a hot topic.

A Possum

A Possum made me return the coast today.  My tent has had some issues over time.  A small seam pop, a cracked pole, and the pan was a little thin in spots.  Last night however my tent was rendered useless.  At about 4 in the morning I wake to hear two possums engaged in world war 3 above my tent. ( They are most likely going at it like rabbits, they are very noisy in the sack. )  Well all of a sudden my tent is rocked.  I feel it move considerably.  Clearly something has fallen on it.   I pay no notice and go back to sleep.

In the morning a full hour later I wake and have a shower.  On the way back I notice the damage.  I have a busted tent pole and a rip.  The tent is now totalled.  It is beyond repair at this point and I can't use it again.   It was a possum that decided to jump on the tent.  

So immediate change of plan.  So I jump on the bike and blast back to the coast.  Some things do go my way. I have a new tent.  I have spare parts and a $25 gift voucher to spend in the future. 

I'm now back exactly where I was last night same camp ground.  Same tree above me.  All because of a possum.


I'll update with some photos in the next day or so.