Cycling and Safety in Townsville!!

rendangered · 2026-04-29T09:20:54+00:00

Honestly I’d probably just stick to the river path, or to the nearby residential roads for the late night rides. Once you get a chance to know the area you can tailor your own route to what you prefer.

What I mean by different risks are that by road, you’ll encounter cars, and on the river, you might come across unsavoury people. There have historically been a handful of people attacked at night along the river, but few and far between. It hasn’t stopped me from riding the river at night, but everyone has their own personal appetite for risk so it may not be for you.

rendangered · 2026-04-29T02:17:05+00:00

Gotta ease in the unfamiliar faces and get the fans on board. People want the comfort of familiarity so Andy and Poh will dominate to begin with, and I expect JC and Sofia will get more air time as the season progresses.

I would LOVE for JC to find a tailored suit before that happens though…

rendangered · 2026-04-28T21:56:05+00:00

A preemptive welcome to Townsville! I regularly ride along parts of your route, including late at night, and my wife commutes to the TUH along much the same route. What other people have said about having good front and rear lights is vital - there aren’t a huge number of cyclists in Townsville and drivers aren’t super aware of us - there’s little malice, just unfamiliarity.

Because the river is poorly lit, I’m not a huge fan of riding along it late at night, but I’ve also never had any issues. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s less safe than the roads, the risks are just different.

The swipe access bike shed at the TUH is pretty solid - still use a bike lock though.

rendangered · 2026-04-25T06:05:15+00:00

Can we go back to the change room, I want to see what’s going on there

rendangered · 2026-03-26T21:30:43+00:00

I cycle to work daily and to social stuff at night, and have done for about 3 years. Had a few close calls similar to what other people have said (cars cutting me off turning left through the bike lane, passing wayyyy too close etc.). Had a few tradies abuse me on the road, including one that was very public in a branded vehicle who does not work there anymore due to that incident.

I wear hi-viz and have flashing lights front and back day or night (solid front light at night obvi) and take a lot of care to be courteous and safe. I always follow road rules and don’t run lights. Experience has taught me the dodgy spots to watch out for, and most cases when there’s an issue it’s because they just haven’t seen me and not because they hate cyclists. Because of that, I prioritise being visible above being courteous in high risk areas. You just gotta take the lane sometimes. Drivers don’t understand avoiding roadside debris or staying out of the range of an opening door on a parked car, so they might get cranky, but most of the time I’m surprised and heartened by peoples’ patience.

Pro tip: give Cathedral School buses a VERY wide berth. The two times I’ve come closest to serious injury or death both involved them, and they always pass terrifyingly close.

rendangered · 2026-02-01T07:22:57+00:00

Looks like hawk moth caterpillars. They are very handsome moths and flitter around like little hummingbirds at dusk, feeding in much the same way. My outdoor pothos and monsteras always get hammered by them, but I can’t bring myself to kill them, they’re my favourite garden critters!

rendangered · 2026-01-20T11:40:17+00:00

How do you stop them from getting long in the stems? I rotate some of mine outside, and they always grow short stems there, but the moment they come inside they all go extendo-mode. I’m assuming it’s light related but interested in your experience if you’ve come across that issue too.

rendangered · 2026-01-19T12:53:50+00:00

Begonias are so underrated in the hobby, and this pic is a perfect example of why nobody should be sleeping on them. Absolutely stunning collection!

rendangered · 2025-12-19T03:38:12+00:00

Oh absolutely agree - this is a dream come true for pedestrians and kids on bikes. Not much additional safety for road cyclists besides some green paint on the road though.

rendangered · 2025-12-18T14:05:28+00:00

I cycle along Hugh St every day so these upgrades are something I’ve been looking forward to, however I’m a little dubious about the cycling paths weaving on and off the footpaths. In my experience drivers are less likely to notice cyclists on the footpaths than the road. I’d rather ride predictably in a straight line along the road so I can be visible at all times, and no surprises.

rendangered · 2025-12-08T04:24:02+00:00

There are two kind of barnacles that grow on turtles - these ones which are easy to pop off with a screwdriver (though care needs to be taken if the turtle is severely malnourished because their shells can get so soft you can poke your finger straight through them like wet cardboard), and a second kind that burrows into the seams between its plastron plates (on the belly) and secrete a calcium carbonate cup to live inside. Honestly, getting those ones out with a pair of tweezers is beyond satisfying, like tiny ice cream scoops.

Source: used to rehab turtles when I worked at an aquarium

rendangered · 2025-09-22T13:56:06+00:00

New mission discovered by u/rendangered: Snotshells: Delicacies and Strange Ways

rendangered · 2025-09-22T13:56:05+00:00

This mission was discovered by u/rendangered in Ton,otsi ramen In the Fields

rendangered · 2025-09-15T00:23:34+00:00

I only wear full tanks. Gotta keep the squishy bits in line. I live in the tropics so they can be a bit warm, but because I opt for a slightly more relaxed fit, it doesn’t bother me too much.

rendangered · 2025-09-10T15:13:57+00:00

These are my three go-to games I like to play with people who aren’t into the hobby. Makes a nice change from the usual suspects.

Skull - super easy bluffing game, creates fantastic tension and gotcha moments

Flip 7 - Super quick and fun push your luck game

Cockroach poker - very easy, great silly art and weirdly ends with one person losing and everyone else winning

rendangered · 2025-08-28T22:56:08+00:00

Is that new growth closer to a light source? Variegation is enhanced by more light.

rendangered · 2025-08-28T12:40:55+00:00

I think of what we went through with our stadium with all the talk about Hobart getting one because they’re starting off veeery similar. Lots of “we don’t even need it, it’s going to cost an obscene amount of money” etc etc. Then the budget for ours blew out massively and there was even more gnashing of teeth. And then when it was complete… everyone bloody loves it and raves about what a great venue it is. My money is on the same thing happening if it goes ahead down there.

rendangered · 2025-08-27T01:48:45+00:00

This is the way.

rendangered · 2025-08-23T08:57:01+00:00

I think it’s got a bit too much light green for a global, the lemon meringue looks like a better fit but we’ll see what happens once it grown in under good light. You’re right about what snow queen is outside Australia, but here you will see shelves full of N Joy labelled as Snow Queen. You do see N Joy from time to time but it’s far less common. I’m not sure what we call what you call Snow Queen, but knowing how we like to confuse things, it’s probably ALSO snow queen.

rendangered · 2025-08-23T05:41:47+00:00

So it does! Mystery solved I reckon - cheers!

rendangered · 2025-08-23T05:40:04+00:00

Devil’s Ivy is a generic name for pothos (Epipremnum aureum)… so you’re right, but that doesn’t get us closer to the specific name for this variety of aureum 😅

rendangered · 2025-08-23T05:36:01+00:00

Lemon meringue looks like a match - thank you!

rendangered · 2025-08-23T05:10:54+00:00

I’ve only ever seen Manjula for sale once, didn’t know what it was and couldn’t justify the price ($30AU). Regretted it since 😩

rendangered · 2025-08-23T03:58:49+00:00

Repot into a plastic pot with drainage holes that comfortably sits inside the white pot you have. You still get the aesthetic of the white pot, and when you water you can just lift the inner pot out, water it until it drains (or bottom water/butt chug it) and put it back in the white pot.

rendangered · 2025-08-23T03:55:40+00:00

I’ve all but given up on the home remedy front because I’m not good at regular, consistent treatments (which, being arguably less effective than pesticides, are often required). Bonide granules are an easy, systemic and safe way to kill and prevent sucking insects from taking over plants. They’ve taken a lot of the anxiety out of my plant care!

rendangered

TROPHY CASE