1980, Tamaterau, Whangarei, New Zealand A bunch of kids, including me, are walking up a country road. A ghetto blaster is perched on the shoulder of the largest, and “Deadlock Holiday” is playing.
They ( 10cc ) weren’t among the Cool Kids, but neither was I.
2021, Cairns, Queensland, Australia>. I’m riding down a side-road when a feral-looking dreadlocked brother takes a u-turn, and starts bike-stalking me.
I’m on my way to Jucy rentals to pick up my van for the trip from Cairns to Brisbane, and this first 2 km leg of the 1800 km road-trip isn’t going well.
I make a couple of u-turns, but he tails me, like a fighter pilot.
“Stop following me, bro,” he growls.
I’m not too sure where’s where, so I hit the after-burners and scarper off towards a gang of workers a few hundred metres away. My stalker disappears.
An hour or so later, all kitted out with a cigarette-to-laptop charger, and aux sound cables I’m on my way.
Cassowary country
Townsville
I arrive exhausted at around 6pm , and wolf down a lazy dinner of sardines and whatnot.
It takes me a few minutes to discover that Townsville city centre, set on the beachfront like Cairns, is beautifully laid out and with all the mod cons a tourist could want.
It takes me much longer to figure out how to set the van up for the night. I finally doze off sometime around 2 am after meandering the town looking for the best parking spot.
I’m a rank amateur at the this game.