Ulls: Well, what a start to this adventure. With Jim over the BBQ, all the staff looking their best and Irene and her family on the go, Aztec Coffee Co. was a hive of activity. Brooke and I rocked up at about 4.30am, half an hour after Jim and Irene, ready to set up. Between them, the girls managed to fill a couple of hundred balloons and have them tied to every possible mounting point in and around the shop.
By 7.00am, the onions were cooking away and filled Eagle Street with that scent you get from a good sausage sizzle. The morning seemed to speed by, Jim dishing up bacon and egg rolls by the dozen. The support from our regulars and a lot of new faces was just amazing. I spoke to Jim this evening and found out we’d raised about $1500 for CCAF. As the departure neared, we were approached by QUT News.
A few questions and what seemed like a never ending stream of set up shots and 12 noon was upon us. Torsten and I geared up, hugged and kissed our loved ones goodbye. When Irene put her arms around me, she started to cry, myself and everyone around us it seemed, followed suit. Three months alone on the road was finally dawning on us. Mounting our trusty steeds, we wobbled our way down Eagle Street, with everyone waving in the background.
Making our way through the city, we finally reached the Riverside Expressway and the Pacific Highway. By the time we had reached the Juliette Street exit, it was clear to both of us that we’d have to detour via home to off load some gear. There was absolutely no stability and in fact we were both quite scared.
Unfortunately, it took us 24 hours to sort out the problem, and leaving Brisbane had to wait till Wednesday, and we found ourselves enjoying another night in our own beds … CBD, Brisbane to Indooroopilly, Brisbane – 12km