Ooh er Mrs

This photo is from Laura's facebook updates and was taken in an Australian pub. I'm suddenly looking foward to my trip immensely. Laura has lots of Antipodean friends as a result of living in NZ for six years and backpacking in Oz. She told me that one place on my route, Bowen in Queensland, is renowned for backpackers being stranded there as there are temporary fruit picking jobs which attract them, but when the money runs out they get stuck. Or something like that. I wasn't really listening. As my brother, Anthony, who has dived there, points out, Queensland is also renowned for highly dangerous jellyfish. According to Wikipedia Box jellyfish have been categorised as the most venomous creatures in the world. Why would anyone go diving there?

Today's cycle back from Edinburgh was another arduous one. This time I averaged 10.4 mph. I'm actually less bothered about this than the 11.7 I clocked the other day, as the fiendish wind is usually against me on the westward leg.

More whinging I'm afraid. Why are there so many horrible people in this country? Today I witnessed drivers cutting me up, not indicating, someone dropping litter and a driver who joined the stationary queue of traffic whilst waiting for lights to change and in the process blocked a pedestrian crossing. A woman with a pram couldn't cross the road because of him. There better not be any people like this in Australia. Or any litter. I think the London borough which is attempting to pass a law banning spitting from its streets and imposing an 80 quid fine on perpetrators is a bit excessive, but rubbish and dogshit are both disgusting. If I was in charge litter louts caught in the act would have a ton of rubbish emptied all over the floors of their houses to give them a wake up call.

Finally, Laura showed me the way to be sent an email to say I've updated my blog is to become a follower. I know this sounds like I'm the leader of a cult, but I promise not to brainwash you into following my demented belief system.