Notices by Dave Heinemann 🇦🇺 (dheinemann@fosstodon.org), page 3

I think camping in the Australian Summer was a bad idea. 🫠

My tent was a sauna last night. Not only was it hotter than expected, there was also no breeze at all. Then I probably nearly gave myself heat stroke packing the tent up in the morning.

Moving forward, this is a motel trip instead of a camping trip. 🤣

I'm cooling off at a servo, then hitting the road again soon.

#Motorcycle #Motorcycles #Camping

I rode 400 km today, and I'm completely knackered.

It's 28°c (feels like 33°c due to humidity). Despite fighting strong winds the whole ride north, there is no breeze whatsoever at my campsite.

Consequently, I'm having a hard time sleeping.

Maybe camping in summer wasn't such a great idea. 🤣🫠

#Motorcycle #Motorcycles

Big things are happening in Australia!

#Australia #Photos #Motorcycle #Motorcycles

Today I'm in Atherton, QLD, Australia.

Everything here is so green! There are banana plantations, farms, and fields everywhere. It's quite beautiful. I'm enjoying just riding around and exploring. Still extremely hot though. Even now, it's 83% humidity.

Lake Tinaroo is quite nice. It looks like you can actually take a boat out on it if you had one.

#Motorcycle #Motorcycles #Photos #Australia

This morning I visited the Armour and Artillery museum in Cairns, QLD, Australia.

I've never been particularly interested in military history, but this museum is fantastic. It's a massive warehouse full of tanks, artillery, and other vehicles from all kinds of countries and wars.

This was my first time seeing a tank in person, and I was surprised at how big they actually are.

Also, staring down the barrel feels spooky, even when they're inoperable.

#Australia #Photos #Military

Tonight I'm staying in Cairns, in air conditioned comfort. Feels so good.

I'm still dehydrated after trying to camp outside last night, so I'm drinking plenty of water.

Unfortunately, I think I'll have to skip visiting Daintree. I overlooked that *both* roads to it from Cairns are closed. Travelling there via Atherton instead would take about 4.5 hours, which is time I'd rather spend visiting other places nearby Atherton.

Maybe next time!

#Motorcycle #Motorcycles

Just outside the Station Cafe are jumping jack bull ants!

These giant ants can jump, and deliver a nasty bite. I love bulk ants, but don't get to see them very often.

These ones were moving home. I watched them transport cocoons and even other workers!

#Australia #Photos #Ants #Insects

Breakfast today is coffee and eggs Benedict at the Station Cafe in Atherton.

This scenic cafe was converted from a railway station. You can actually sit and eat inside a redecorated rail car.

The coffee and food was excellent. I'd definitely visit again!

#Australia #Photos #Food

I tried to ride my Honda CRF300 Rally up Mount Edith in Atherton not once, but *twice*.

The first time, both Google Maps and OpenStreetMap led me astray by showing me a route from the north that doesn't actually exist. After 8 km of gravel, I reached a dead end where the only way forward was a walking trail.

Then I tried a route from the south. After about 12 km of gravel, I discovered the road was closed.

Unfortunate, but it made for a very scenic ride. 🏞️

#Motorcycle #Motorcycles #Photos

Atherton in QLD Australia, is absolutely stunning. Everything is green, with rolling hills, lookouts, and waterfalls everywhere. It's like taking a ride through the default Windows XP wallpaper.

It's also very quiet, even though school holidays are still on. You can just burble along the 80 km/hr country roads at 40 km/hr, taking in the sights and fresh air without inconveniencing anyone.

I could spend weeks here.

Highly recommended!

#Motorcycle #Motorcycle #Photos #Australia

This is the Curtain Fig Tree.

It was created a long time ago when a fig began growing on another tree until that tree rotted out and collapsed onto another tree nearby.

Now only the fig remains. Its branches droop downward, creating a curtain effect.

#Australia #Photos

My top 2 expenses on this trip are going to be motels and petrol.

My 3rd biggest expense will be bottled water. It's surprisingly hard to stay hydrated on a motorcycle trip in summer.

I brought a 3 L Giant Loop Cactus canteen with me, but it's so hot out here that the water gets hot and has a disgusting plastic taste. No good for drinking, so I've been reluctantly using bottled water instead.

How do other motorcyclists carry water in the heat without it going bad?

#Motorcycle #Motorcycles

@scribe Glad you're enjoying your Playdate!

I actually decided to cancel my pre-order, and I didn't get a different console either. I've been getting into motorcycling more and more, and decided to put the money toward buying a new motorcycle instead. I'm having a blast!

It'd still be nice to get a Playdate someday though.

@scribe I feel like nothing is quite as comfy as a DMG.

I've got a Playdate preordered, but I'm constantly tempted to cancel and either buy an Analogue Pocket, or an original GBA and mod it with an IPS display.

Since we're both GB fans, I'm interested in seeing what you think of the Playdate once you've had more time to play it. 👍🏻

@goatsarah

> Somewhere along the line that changed into social media being a thing that tells you what you think, and what you should be liking.

I really appreciate that Mastodon has no algorithm. I've set up my timeline with exactly the kind of people and content I want to see, and it's finite in quantity. There's no algorithm to push an agenda on me, or to keep me engaged with a never-ending feed of content.

There's only what I asked for. No more, no less.