Thank you CAQ

Last year, I edited a book on golf croquet for my dear friend and neighbour Terry. I did it as a favour for both Terry and the Croquet Association of Queensland, a non-profit organisation Terry is very passionate about.

I was surprised (and horrified) when a cheque arrived in the mail. I tried to give it back to Terry, but he insisted on paying me. He told me to use it for something special, to make my work on the book a 'positive experience'.

So, because I never expected to receive payment for this work, I have donated this money to Care Australia - making the work a very positive experience, paying it forward.

Thank you CAQ.

Challenge 3 - ride across Straddie - complete!

 Ali is my oldest friend. We met in Year 9. She was reading Jeffrey Archer's Kane and Able; I was reading The Prodigal Daughter. We were destined to be friends. Over the years, as well as improving our taste in literature, together we have been through many boyfriends (me, not her); a husband (her, not me); births; deaths; career changes; laughter; and tears.

Ali challenged me to ride across Stradbroke Island. 

I was so excited when she decided to join me. 

Our boys (big and little) came along too and 

we made a weekend of it. 

Weather not withstanding, we had a great time.

Given the amount of traffic on the island, we decided to ride from Point Lookout to Amity Point, rather than Dunwich. We packed our bags for a whole day ride. We left at 5.30 am and arrived at Amity Point at 6.30 am! Just a slight miscalculation. 

We descended into Amity via a long and large hill. Keen to avoid heading back up the hill, on the advice of locals, we started to ride back along the beach. How amazing - it is my new favourite thing. After about 45 minutes, we decided to leave the beach, convinced that we must be close to our hotel. We left the beach only to find ourselves at the base of THAT hill! Another slight miscalculation! Only slightly deterred, we headed along a 4WD track and arrived back to a delicious breakfast and view.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to my precious friends Ali, Mark, David and Noah for sharing this adventure with me. Straddie - we will be back to do it all again.

J

Challenge 7 - complete

Xin chào (Hello!)

Ivor and Karen, taking your advice (and challenge) to learn a few words of Vietnamese, I have concentrated on those I am most like to say or hear on my two-week trip. Apologies in advance for some of the dodgy diacriticals – I couldn’t find them all in Word.

I anticipate in the first few days I will be saying:

Cách dây bao nhiêu ki-lo-mét? (How many kilometres!?!?!?!)

And more than likely:

Bánh xe tôi bi xì (I have a flat tyre).

I sincerely hope on those first few days that there won’t be too many núi (mountains), but plenty of riding beside sÔng (rivers) and biên (the sea), with a little bit of lying on the bãi biên (beach) at the end of each day.

Words that I won’t learn, because I don’t want to hear them are:

Có tai nan! Làm ón goi xe cűu thoung! (There’s been an accident! Please call an ambulance!).

As I start to hit my stride, I image that the phrase Cái này giá bao nhiêu? (How much is this?) will come in handy, along with the very useful Tôi lăy cái này (I’ll take it), and the can’t live without Ban có nhân thé tin dung? (Do you take credit cards?)

And why has it taken my so long to get to Tôi tim nhà hang (I am looking for a restaurant), because that really goes without saying. You two know me so well. However, I hope that it doesn’t lead me to ask Tôi tim phòng vê sinh (I am looking for a toilet) pleading Tôi bi tiêu cháy (I’m diarrhoea – as close as I could get!).

Since the guidebook does not include a word for beer, by the end of the trip, I may just fall into an exasperated heap and ask, Có ai biêt nói tiênh Anh không? (Does anyone speak English?)

Challenge 8 - Walk to the top of Mt Crosby

Keeping it local, my amazingly generous neighbours, Donna, Michael and Annie, have challenged me to walk (thankfully not ride) to the top of Mount Crosby. I have lived at Mount Crosby for seven years. It never occurred to me that there was an actual 'mount'!

Stand by for pics of the mysterious mount.

Donna also recommends some 'resistance training', so I can resist trying to bring some kids home in my luggage!

Challenge 7

From my darling friends Ivor and Karen - learn some Vietnamese words!

Challenge 6

Ride from Rafting Ground Road to UQ and back for lunch with the lovely Kelly Greenop!

Eek! Feels like a long way, but Kelly's gorgeous husband Jonnie does it every day, so I'd better suck it up without complaint!

Challenge 5

Set by the Burke family (and paid in advance!) - ride 10 metres with the whole family on the bike and 5 mattresses tied on the back. Video evidence is required!

Challenge 4 - Ride like a local - complete

Here is my completed Challenge 4, set by the lovely Belton-Marin family - learn to ride like a local. I am hoping that two kids, two chooks, and a fruit bowl on my head to mimic a Vietnamese hat, qualifies! I did get my feet on the pedals, really I did.