Day 10 Bang Bang to Burke & Wills Roadhouse 75 kms

Sat up in bed this morning as I had heard rustling in the camp. All these little fireflies were buzzing around the camp or was it crazy cyclists with head torches packing up in the dark again. Right the second guess. Are they really in such a hurry to get to Burke & Wills?  I haven't been there but from the internet it looks pretty bleak.

As usual they were on the road early and off and running. A couple helped with a bit of the clean up and loading of some of the bags. The cleanup was all finished by 8.30 am and we left pretty well straight after that- the flies were starting to annoy me. 
Morning tea was at the 60 km mark and all I could supply was sweet biscuits with the tea & coffee. The scenery keeps changing each day and often throughout the day. We are getting to see lots of wild life but mostly birds & goannas. I got a great couple of photos and a video of a large goanna. 

We were into Burke & Wills by lunchtime and there was a bit of dilemma about where to camp due to the camping area was looking very dry with full sun. Collis negotiated with the manager to have the cyclists under a huge tree next to the roadhouse- not really a camping area so we should have felt special. Not sure that was the case. Then once a few of the tents were up the manageress offered another area away from the road and the noise of the roadhouse bar. A few actually moved their tents and were glad they did. 

The food at the roadhouse was pretty good and plenty of it. Collis & I had a mixed grill which we shared and it was huge. We played banana grams for awhile but the riders were moved on at 10 pm when the bar closed.
At tonight's briefing there was a small division within the group. Some riders appear to not enjoy camping at bush camps and they suggested the group ride through tomorrow to Cloncurry. Collis asked how many were interested but it appeared to be just a small group and they only wanted to do it if the whole group was willing, which they weren't. The plans remain the same and we will be travelling 105 kms to Terry Smith rest area. The final outcome was that only 2 riders seemed wanted to avoid bush camping and the others that were with them (at the meeting) felt pressured to agree with them. I hope this isn't the beginning of some trouble. Woody doesn't like bush camps but keeps coming back so they can't be too bad.
John stated he had heard a rumour that tomorrow night's dinner was to be vegetarian and yes the rumour is correct. It is impossible to keep the meat fresh for 4 days since our last civilisation.