In Port Macquarie the next morning, C\u00e9dric and I cycled down from our campsite to the city center and then over to the Settlement Point Ferry. As we boarded the ferry to cross the Hastings River, one of the ferry operators who was interested in our journey gave us heaps of tips for the roads that we should take that day along with places we should visit. We followed his suggestions, which took us down a quiet dirt road following the Maria River. Lunch was on the beach at Crescent Head where we sat on the white deserted beach and watched the waves roll in. In this stretch, the coast is getting quieter as we ride away from Sydney and Newcastle. Afterwards, we made our way up towards Gladstone and pondered where we would camp for the night, since there was nothing in the area. We talked to a local butcher, who told us of a bit of land on a small hill that cattle ranchers use when their fields flood, so we went there. However, he forgot to mention that the area was infested with mosquitoes (the \u201cMossies\u201d), thus much of the evening was spent hiding in the tent.<\/p>\n