When I left Mackay it was 7:30 in the morning I had taken a cab to the hwy the North side of Makay.

For those of you who have never hitchhiked before I would say today was an average hitchhiking day.

I waited for about a half hour in the sun with all my gear at my feet and my thumb out.

Then my first lift picked me up.

My goal was Townsville (about 4 hours north) , but when you hitchhike you can end up anywhere. My first lift was a red ute and after asking how far he was going (which was only about an hour up the rd).

There was only the driver and me. He was an Indian guy named Rajesh who had only recently immigrated to Australia and was working as a surveyor.

Rajesh told me how he had moved here to be closer to his sister ( A Dentist in Mackay) and had moved here with his wife and young son.

We spoke a bit about how hard it is too imigrate to Australia and why regional Queensland was a better choice to live than the big cities.

Soon we had been chatting for an hour and it was time for me to be dropped off, Rajesh dropped me at a petrol station and I went in for some breakfast and a drink.

After breakfast I saw a truckie who also had stopped for breakfast heading back to his truck.

I walked up to him and asked where he was going , he was heading a further two hours up the rd and was willing to give me a lift.

We stored my gear in his sleeping area behind the main cabin and off we went.

The Truckies name was Scott and he lived in Brisbane on this trip he was carting fruit 1500 KMs in each direction he drove his double trailer road train 35 to 45 hours a week and earnt around $700 to &1000 a week.

We spoke about the long hours and boring drives not to mention being away from his girlfriend and young son more than he would like.

In fact he was going to go without sleep tonight to make it back home in time for his sons birthday.

I should mention the landscape between Mackay and Townsville which is quite beautiful and eye opening.

For 40 to 50 KM's in all directions is tall and very green sugar cane gently swaying in the breeze and a backdrop of huge mountains of differing shapes and sizes.

After a Couple of hours Scott dropped me at another petrol station and of course I took another break for some food.

When I was ready I made my way back to the Hwy, but I couldn't find a good spot to set up.

Now when you are looking for a hitchhiking spot there are some important things to look for.

Firstly any potential lift needs to clearly see you from a great distance away so they have time to make a decision to stop.

Secondly you need to find a spot where it is easy for a potential lift to pull off the rd safely.

Thirdly if possible a spot in the shade is preferable as you could be waiting a LONG time!

Unfortunately where I was NONE of the three criteria above where available with no good options in sight.

I ended up on a corner with very little room to pull over in the direct sun, with drivers only seeing me at the last moment.

This was the reason that no one picked me up for 1 and a half hours, untill a green comodor with three young red neck local boys picked me up I put my gear in the boot and we took off.

The guys were only going up the rd to the next town which was 10 mins north.
But that was ok as I was away from the bad hitching spot.

The guys dropped me off in the town but I needed to walk about two KM's to the other side of the town where the hwy started again.

So with my 26 KG backpack I walked for about a half hour till I got to a good spot on the HWY.

I only had to wait about a half hour before a council worker picked me up, which is unusual as the councils have a policy of not allowing unauthorized people in their vehicles.

The council workers name was Matt and he was going to Townsville , I was the first hitchhiker Mat had ever picked up before and we talked alot about me and my cancer and my travels so far.

Matt told me how his job as a driver was pretty easy work and very well paid as he was flown to regional areas where his driving qualifications were needed.

We finally got to the outskirts of Townsville and it was starting to get late in the afternoon. Matt couldn't go into town itself but dropped me on the outskirts, with wishes of all the best for my future.

So I put all the gear back on and started walking with my thumb out.
It was only a few mins before a car stopped and I put my gear in the back seat along with myself.

This time I had been picked up by a 17 year old girl and her 15 year old sister.
I told them I was heading into town to search for a backpackers to stay the night.

The girls said they knew of one and would take me straight to it. They were also quite interested in my story and gave me suggestions of what I should see and do in Townsville .

They dropped me at the backpackers and I checked in 7 and a half hours after I had started hitching that morning.

As I tell alot of my lifts, you never hear of hitchhikers hurting drivers it's always the other way round. SO the next time you see a hitchhiker PICK THEM UP!

And for those of you who choose to hitchhike, be prepared to wait, use common sense but most of all talk to your drivers you can learn so much about different lifestyles!