Day 4 - Tenterfield to Glen Innes & Sharkie's Drag Race

Picture the scene: mist enveloping beautiful moutainous scenery; the beaming Aussie sun teasing the side of rolling hills as it yawns awake, while water trickles elegantly under the bridge you're pedalling over. You can smell fresh air. You feel life in all its glory.

Now picture this scene: nine hairy men of varying waist size, fully dragged up and dancing ungainly on a bar in make up, feather boas and wigs- with dresses borrowed from the ladies of our group. The Glen Innes locals look on in barely concealed horror (they only wanted to watch the footy, not a hairy thigh peeping through a gusset). The men attempt raunchy dancing - mostly badly with one or two surprising exceptions. You can smell beer and BO. You feel vicarious shame.

Yes, our day (one of the best yet, by all accounts) started and finished very differently.


     Photo: Bruno (aka Kirby) and Cheryl (aka Sharkie)


     Photo: Contestants of the Miss 1000k's for Kids Pageant

Let's jump back a few steps. We raced up Bolivia Hill today in a puff-inducing challenge. Then we smashed a few bananas and had a few down hills - most welcome as some cyclists are now really feeling the strain. We're finding muscles we never knew we had and pushing through intense pain barriers we didn't expect to face. Thank God for our massage therapists!


    Photo: Massage Therapists, Kathy and Teena

But the teamwork of this group is just incredible. It's hard to describe the scene of two riders pushing a struggling fellow rider up a hill (one that's often hard enough to cycle up on your own.) It's not only heartwarming, but also quite an emotional display of sportsmanship, bonding and teamwork. The Camp Quality key values of resilience, optimism and mutual support are embraced to an extent that makes the nomination list for Most Supportive jersey as long as lanky Good Ekert's multi-coloured arm warmer. Tonight, though, it went to Jarrod who has been helping just about everybody - well deserved, Jarrod. Meanwhile, King of the Mountain went to Kristy who has improved vastly this year and doesn't ever complain, no matter how much she may be finding it tough. Joker Jersey went to Bad Ekert for numerous things, one of them being swooped by a magpie several times as he played footy with the schools kids! And the L plate went to Gary (me) who fell off his bike while waving goodbye to the school kids *takes the shame*

This was a Monday we really loved as our school visists started up again. We visited three schools today and the kids were adorable. Some of their comments included:
"Why are your shoes weird?"
"Do you like my shoe?"
"I'm five but I used to be four"
"There are two Nathans in this school and have you noticed that I know BOTH of them?"
"My two year old sister has a boyfriend but she can't remember his name." 

Cute or what?

    Photo: Camp Quality Puppets, Kylie (Puppeteer Hannah) and Dean (Puppeteer Amy) at Glen Innes Public School

After posing for pictures with the local press, we pushed on to the other two schools for the Camp Quality puppet show, which teaches pupils how to be supportive of kids living with cancer. The Queensland puppet team - Amy and Hannah - do such a great job, and judged our drag queen competition in the evening. It was a close call, but James won for his feisty feminine Irish alter-ego. King, our glorious leader, was super keen to keep his outfit on (butch Russian woman with slight feminine streak and Nicki Minaj inspired wig). All the riders donated an incredible $1,000 between them to dare the men to parade from the comfort of our private backroom into the bar - and then dance on it. Eyebrows and skirts were raised. Dancing styles included twerking, voguing and strutting. Now many of the riders have two sets of sore cheeks - on their bums and on their faces from laughing so hard. As I type I'm wearing silver nail polish - the girls conveniently forgot nail polish remover *takes the shame again* *shimies*

     Photo: Fine Master in fine form! With the assistance of Sophie and Teena

    Photo: When asked, "If you were going to be on the cover of a magazine..." Richie interjects "...Again?!"

Photo: Pageant Contestants with our wonderful Glen Innes Camp Quality Supporters, Nat, Ash and Rachel

    Photo: Bad Ekert and Kempy looking fine, while dancing on the bar. You would absolutely pay $1,000 to see this in real life.

How will we ever top this? We're not even half way through. Watch this space.



     Photo: Of course we will top this! ...Possibly with something like this?