Noosa and Neil Armstrong

I'm working my way through supper while camped by a full moonlit lake at Boreen Point, 20 k North of Noosa with no wind and water lapping gently on the sandy beach. It.s probably about 18 degrees which is the comfort zone for me - at least that.s what I set heating for in icy Canberra winters. It's a tranquil settlement and reminds me of Lake Learmonth, Victoria in it's character, albeit several times larger, where I spent Summer holidays with the Ballarat cousins.

So apt that we have a full moon while hearing of Neil Armstrong's passing at 82 after complications from a heart operation. For the unknowing, he was the first astronaut to land on the moon in '69. How do I know? Well .... i excelled enough in Maths and Science to get a three-year scholarship and I supplemented this by giving class lectures on the full Apollo space program. My poor fellow students must have been bored stupid by a thirteen-year-old's enthusiastic explanation of jet propulsion, orbit trajectory and time take to get to the moon and back. But I will always be able to show the Sea of Tranquility where Apollo 11 landed.

After spending three solid days catching up with family and friends in Brisbane and getting bike bits, Noosa on the Sunshine Coast has been a surprise for me. Despite the horrendous traffic I weaved my way up and down several hills to find the Noosa Junction. I was told to expect the main street to be lined with sports and luxury cars of all descriptions but that's what I saw in Coolangatta not here.

Cyclists get to go first - I like the balance!

It's a very clean and tidy regional centre but obviously with a lot of quiet money. And quite frankly much cheaper that Canberra for morning breakfast choices.I also met some lovely kindred spirits, Roberta, and Mary and Dave; with youthful looks that hide their true age due to their long commitment to cycling and fitness. My new friend Roberta kindly arranged for me to 'camp' in her friend's yard which backs on to native forest. No snakes came out to great me. So now it's time for desert and an early night before the ride to Gympie and Hervey Bay on the first day of Spring. To quote a wonderful film - 'While armchair travelers dream of travelling, travelling armchairs dream of staying put'

Burning the sugar cane

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