We had ridden 3,100 kilometres from Sydney to Cairns and then driven Landie about 2,000 kms round trip up Cape York and back. About 5 weeks later than expected, on 9 August, with both bikes fully sorted, we were ready to hit the road again. Darwin lay 7 days riding away if we averaged 400 kms per day. Photo below shows the kilometre reading on my bike. After the previous ill-fated attempt in the rain, we picked a ‘weather hole’ and left Cairns between major showers and before some real wet weather arrived. This time the exit route was south of Cairns and up the Gillies Pass, onto the Atherton Tablelands for the inevitable cuppa at Café Louise in Atherton. Night One was at Mount Garnet, not far short of the Undara Lava Tubes. Due to the extent to which we were behind schedule, this was to be the only attraction we interrupted our blast west for.