Rachel suprised me with a fishing charter for a half day on one of the poorly named Alligator rivers (east I think it was).

I had to be in Jabiru by 6AM- and that would not have been a problem but for the GODDAMN starter motor crapping out- once and for all. It has been running slower and slower over the last few days and I suspect a battery. I turn out to be wrong, wrong, wrong about the problem. Having said all that, the starter motor decides this crisp, coldish morning to play one more time and I hit the road- 30 kays to Jabiru at 5:50am.

For those of you who have not travelled in the early dawn at 180km/h in shorts- don’t. I didn’t hit anything due to luck and arrived and then WAITED 15 minutes. Just as I was about to start cursing, Shannon (pictured right) turned up with boat. We picked up two other blokes and hit the river.

Worth the money alone for the scenery, crocs and tales of the ones that didn’t get away. We trolled up and down the river for a few hours and did not catch anything- apart from a 6 foot croc- an animal we actually skewered through the foot with a lure- so it hardly counts. Amusing in a “isn’t abusing animals funny?” kinda way. Selah!

Home fishless (due to the jinxing oursleves by buying foil and a lemon for said fish!), we begin packing for Darwin. I’ve spoken to Brian Thompson (old school, old time mechanic) in Darwin about the bits I need for the bike. I now need to ask him about the starter motor. Things are not looking good. Not least for Rachel, who will find herself bump starting the bike for the next week at least.

And if you think pushing 320 kilos of BMW with 100 kilos of thomasr on board is fun, nor relationship straining… well tell me how.

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