Australia - 2023
Last of the "Five Eyes" bike rides, follow Dave & his dog French Fry as they pedal over 2,000 miles on an unsupported boomerang bike ride around Australia raising money and awareness for the UW-Madison Initiative To End Alzheimer's.
Initially planned as a cross-Aussie ride from Sydney to Perth, a vicious dog bike (not from French Fry but a Samoan mutt) altered the course to be a boomerang from Sydney to Melbourne through the Blue Mountains and some desert before coming up the coast past Sydney to Brisbane. 82% of the mileage relative to going cross-country with 220% of the 'evilation'.
Last of the "Five Eyes" bike rides, follow Dave & his dog French Fry as they pedal over 2,000 miles on an unsupported boomerang bike ride around Australia raising money and awareness for the UW-Madison Initiative To End Alzheimer's.
Initially planned as a cross-Aussie ride from Sydney to Perth, a vicious dog bike (not from French Fry but a Samoan mutt) altered the course to be a boomerang from Sydney to Melbourne through the Blue Mountains and some desert before coming up the coast past Sydney to Brisbane. 82% of the mileage relative to going cross-country with 220% of the 'evilation'.
4 April 23 - Four Nights Without a Bed...Flights of Fancy
I won't have a bed to sleep in for four nights as the focus is on flying. Very pleased with American Airlines on the two flights from Chicago to Sydney through Los Angeles that started on Tuesday, April 4th. The latter, a 15.5 hour journey, went by quickly as I had a window seat in a 3x4x3 config with French Fry in the aisle and an empty seat between us. Gear arrived, seemingly little worse for the wear, and I biked cautiously out of the busy Sydney airport around 10AM on April 6th having sacrificed Wednesday to the international dateline gods.
Today was low-key, getting use to life on the left in this former British Commonwealth country. Put my back tire into the sand at Brighton Beach where I claimed a vial of Tasman Sea water I hope to reunite with the Indian Ocean by Perth if fortune favors.
Dropped off bike and most of my gear at the hotel I will stay on the 11th before starting the real bike ride on April 12th. Lugged one pannier around Sydney, touring the Royal Botanical Gardens, the exterior of the Sydney Opera House and the Art Museum of New South Wales and St. Mary’s Cathedral before returning to the airport for a series of flights that will have me in Samoa and American Samoa over the Easter weekend.
Most impressive in an overcast, 70F day in Sydney were the gardens. This blog’s about biking, not birds, but the cacophony of calls foreign to my weak birding ears was amazing and the sights of macaws, cockatoos, Australian Ibis’s, parakeets, etc. was breathtaking.
I won't have a bed to sleep in for four nights as the focus is on flying. Very pleased with American Airlines on the two flights from Chicago to Sydney through Los Angeles that started on Tuesday, April 4th. The latter, a 15.5 hour journey, went by quickly as I had a window seat in a 3x4x3 config with French Fry in the aisle and an empty seat between us. Gear arrived, seemingly little worse for the wear, and I biked cautiously out of the busy Sydney airport around 10AM on April 6th having sacrificed Wednesday to the international dateline gods.
Today was low-key, getting use to life on the left in this former British Commonwealth country. Put my back tire into the sand at Brighton Beach where I claimed a vial of Tasman Sea water I hope to reunite with the Indian Ocean by Perth if fortune favors.
Dropped off bike and most of my gear at the hotel I will stay on the 11th before starting the real bike ride on April 12th. Lugged one pannier around Sydney, touring the Royal Botanical Gardens, the exterior of the Sydney Opera House and the Art Museum of New South Wales and St. Mary’s Cathedral before returning to the airport for a series of flights that will have me in Samoa and American Samoa over the Easter weekend.
Most impressive in an overcast, 70F day in Sydney were the gardens. This blog’s about biking, not birds, but the cacophony of calls foreign to my weak birding ears was amazing and the sights of macaws, cockatoos, Australian Ibis’s, parakeets, etc. was breathtaking.
9 April 23 - Who Let the Dogs Out?
My pre-ride excursion was to Samoa and American Samoa, two islands straddling both sides of the International Dateline separated by a 25-minute twin propellor plane ride. Had the better part of two Good Friday’s and no Easter Mondays as a result. Much of both countries closed for the holiday weekend and religion plays a big part on the islands. Someone forgot to tell that to the dogs however…on arrival in Samoa, I was walking in the capital of Apia and a dog came from behind a hedgerow and bit me, leading to a large set of lacerations. Walked to a hospital and spent three hours before I figured the risk of illness from the unventilated, crowded dark waiting room filled with all sorts of really sick people was greater than the bite...and by this time I'd confirmed that I had a tetanus booster five months ago, so I opted to self medicate until getting to a first world hospital.
The dogs on both islands were plentiful with many aggressively protecting their territory which extended well beyond their yards. In American Samoa, the dogs in the city of Aoa hunt for their masters. I watched as they stood in the shallows on the beach, catching fish in their jaws, walking to their owners waiting on the shore and depositing them at their feet. Like dogs that I know that want to play fetch but fish is their frisbee. Perhaps they cross-breed with brown bear.
Main attractions in the two islands included some lovely waterfalls, the To Sua Ocean Trench in Samoa, the US National Park and a relaxing stay at Tisa’s Barefoot Bar on American Samoa. The National Park was pretty but lacked infrastructure and is often the last park of those on the quest to see all of the 63 US Parks. I’d call it a Star Trek Original – one to Chekov and not checkout and explore in great detail.
The people in both countries were very nice however. That especially holds for Tisa and Candyman, proprietors of Tisa’s Barefoot Bar. Highly recommend it. Great views, great meals, great service. While talking to Candyman and some guests at the bar about my ride for Alzheimer’s research and awareness, Candyman shared a story of some locals, daughters of a man suffering from dementia. They had Candyman periodically concoct a dish of octopus, inclusive of the head and the ink from the animal, and fed it to their father. They felt it “brought him back” for several days and he had his mentally acuity again. I passed this on to the team at UW-Madison. So much has been tried with limited success, perhaps there are things in the sea and tropical forests that hold some hope for this devastating disease.
My pre-ride excursion was to Samoa and American Samoa, two islands straddling both sides of the International Dateline separated by a 25-minute twin propellor plane ride. Had the better part of two Good Friday’s and no Easter Mondays as a result. Much of both countries closed for the holiday weekend and religion plays a big part on the islands. Someone forgot to tell that to the dogs however…on arrival in Samoa, I was walking in the capital of Apia and a dog came from behind a hedgerow and bit me, leading to a large set of lacerations. Walked to a hospital and spent three hours before I figured the risk of illness from the unventilated, crowded dark waiting room filled with all sorts of really sick people was greater than the bite...and by this time I'd confirmed that I had a tetanus booster five months ago, so I opted to self medicate until getting to a first world hospital.
The dogs on both islands were plentiful with many aggressively protecting their territory which extended well beyond their yards. In American Samoa, the dogs in the city of Aoa hunt for their masters. I watched as they stood in the shallows on the beach, catching fish in their jaws, walking to their owners waiting on the shore and depositing them at their feet. Like dogs that I know that want to play fetch but fish is their frisbee. Perhaps they cross-breed with brown bear.
Main attractions in the two islands included some lovely waterfalls, the To Sua Ocean Trench in Samoa, the US National Park and a relaxing stay at Tisa’s Barefoot Bar on American Samoa. The National Park was pretty but lacked infrastructure and is often the last park of those on the quest to see all of the 63 US Parks. I’d call it a Star Trek Original – one to Chekov and not checkout and explore in great detail.
The people in both countries were very nice however. That especially holds for Tisa and Candyman, proprietors of Tisa’s Barefoot Bar. Highly recommend it. Great views, great meals, great service. While talking to Candyman and some guests at the bar about my ride for Alzheimer’s research and awareness, Candyman shared a story of some locals, daughters of a man suffering from dementia. They had Candyman periodically concoct a dish of octopus, inclusive of the head and the ink from the animal, and fed it to their father. They felt it “brought him back” for several days and he had his mentally acuity again. I passed this on to the team at UW-Madison. So much has been tried with limited success, perhaps there are things in the sea and tropical forests that hold some hope for this devastating disease.
12 April 23 - Looking Up
Research on the ride noted the first 200 miles west from sea level at Sydney into the Blue Mountains would be the most elevation-challenging of the entire country. Today confirmed that as my Garmin registered 7,520 feet of “evilation” as I call it, the second most in a given day I’ve ever done and the most with a steel bike loaded pack with gear, liquids and food weighing 50+lb. There were four mountains with stretches of slope that were between 11-15% grade. Left Sydney at 5:45AM and pulled into my hotel in Lithgow twelve hours later close to sunset after 96 miles, having taken the last hour in town to visit a bike shop for a few issues and to buy some groceries as my motel is an island onto itself with no services within walking distance.
The Blue Mountains were pretty once I got to 3,000 feet above sea level and could look down on the green valley covered with trees with red and yellow exposed cliffs in the distance. Biked (actually walked) past the highest point on the Sydney-Perth roadway which was noted only on Google and not with any signage. Picture offerings are light today – intermittent rain, moderate winds and ample upward slopes keep me focused on biking.
Research on the ride noted the first 200 miles west from sea level at Sydney into the Blue Mountains would be the most elevation-challenging of the entire country. Today confirmed that as my Garmin registered 7,520 feet of “evilation” as I call it, the second most in a given day I’ve ever done and the most with a steel bike loaded pack with gear, liquids and food weighing 50+lb. There were four mountains with stretches of slope that were between 11-15% grade. Left Sydney at 5:45AM and pulled into my hotel in Lithgow twelve hours later close to sunset after 96 miles, having taken the last hour in town to visit a bike shop for a few issues and to buy some groceries as my motel is an island onto itself with no services within walking distance.
The Blue Mountains were pretty once I got to 3,000 feet above sea level and could look down on the green valley covered with trees with red and yellow exposed cliffs in the distance. Biked (actually walked) past the highest point on the Sydney-Perth roadway which was noted only on Google and not with any signage. Picture offerings are light today – intermittent rain, moderate winds and ample upward slopes keep me focused on biking.
13 April 23 - More Cowra Bells!
On the second day of the ride, I moved beyond the Blue Mountains into more rural Australia. Things will be flatter and sparser in vegetation hereafter. It was another hilly day – covered 104 miles with 5,650 feet of evilation gain. On the plus side, there was more decline than incline and I finished in Cowra at 300 meters (about 930 feet) above sea level.
The weather continues to be pleasant for biking with temps of 50-70F and partially sunny skies. Winds out of the south were a nonfactor today but increasingly sparse cover will make too much sun and too much wind coming from the wrong direction the bane of my biking. I road the Mid-Western Highway the entire day. Drivers gave space but the road surface, mostly two lanes with an occasional third passing lane on hills, was poor with varying amounts of shoulder with frequent “bubbles” where the asphalt heaves up to a foot over the road. Requires vigilance.
Near the end of the ride, a man pulled over in front of me and we struck up a conversation. Helmut is a retired gentleman who has crossed Australia three times and he was very helpful in offering suggestions. Even gave me a pair of his ski goggles to wear in the intense sun that can cook one out here.
Cowra is home to Australia’s International Peace Bell which I got to ring (at 477kg, it makes a loud, deep sound.) The original rests in New York at the United Nations and was cast with donated medals and coins from member nations. Cowra was host to the largest prison escape in British military history when in 1944 about 1,100 Japanese prisoners rushed the barbed wire fences and overpowered guards. It took nine days for the last of the escaped prisoners to be apprehended. So ingrained in their psyche is the shame in being a POW, two prisoners commuted suicide by laying on the tracks of an oncoming train. The death toll was 231 Japanese dead and four Australians. Today, Cowra has a renowned Japanese garden and has a cherry blossom festival every October as signs of the two countries friendship.
On the second day of the ride, I moved beyond the Blue Mountains into more rural Australia. Things will be flatter and sparser in vegetation hereafter. It was another hilly day – covered 104 miles with 5,650 feet of evilation gain. On the plus side, there was more decline than incline and I finished in Cowra at 300 meters (about 930 feet) above sea level.
The weather continues to be pleasant for biking with temps of 50-70F and partially sunny skies. Winds out of the south were a nonfactor today but increasingly sparse cover will make too much sun and too much wind coming from the wrong direction the bane of my biking. I road the Mid-Western Highway the entire day. Drivers gave space but the road surface, mostly two lanes with an occasional third passing lane on hills, was poor with varying amounts of shoulder with frequent “bubbles” where the asphalt heaves up to a foot over the road. Requires vigilance.
Near the end of the ride, a man pulled over in front of me and we struck up a conversation. Helmut is a retired gentleman who has crossed Australia three times and he was very helpful in offering suggestions. Even gave me a pair of his ski goggles to wear in the intense sun that can cook one out here.
Cowra is home to Australia’s International Peace Bell which I got to ring (at 477kg, it makes a loud, deep sound.) The original rests in New York at the United Nations and was cast with donated medals and coins from member nations. Cowra was host to the largest prison escape in British military history when in 1944 about 1,100 Japanese prisoners rushed the barbed wire fences and overpowered guards. It took nine days for the last of the escaped prisoners to be apprehended. So ingrained in their psyche is the shame in being a POW, two prisoners commuted suicide by laying on the tracks of an oncoming train. The death toll was 231 Japanese dead and four Australians. Today, Cowra has a renowned Japanese garden and has a cherry blossom festival every October as signs of the two countries friendship.
14 April 23 - Snake Sighting
Blessed with a mild tailwind today and the climbing on the Mid-Western Highway was early and modest with only one hill above a 10% grade. Managed 161km (100 miles) with 2,250 feet of evilation getting me from Cowra to West Wyalong. Despite oversleeping and starting at 7AM, I was done by 2:30PM.
The terrain has mellowed into anti-phantasmagoria. Wispy, tawny trees line the roadway with fields of yellowish-orange dirt and grass in the distance. The trees, if near sources of water, hold magpies with beautiful calls and a variety of parrots, cockatoos and crows. The most interesting sighting today was outside Caragabai where I saw what looked like a thick, four foot snake strewn across the left side of the road (I’m biking to the left of the left-side driving Aussies). Assumed it was roadkill or a tie strap jettisoned from a vehicle. Thankfully, there were no cars behind me so I gave it a berth and then stopped and looked back to get a picture. It stuck its’ tongue out and hissed at me. Confirmed my intention of avoiding night riding or taking strolls off the highway in the outback. When I was forced to stop a few kms up the road due to construction, the stop sign worker looked at the pic and shook his head. Either he was having me on or it's one of those "15 seconds and your dead" sort of snakes.
The only two towns along the route today – Grenfell and West Wyalong, both have late 19th century downtowns bisected by the highway. I enjoyed walking and looking up – the gables tell stories of the original build date and the purpose (such as ‘1887 Tailor’ or ‘1894 Druggist’). Presently, if occupied, these establishments hold Chinese fast food places and antique shops. Not too dissimilar to small town America.
For nighttime fun on a Friday night, I meandered around the local IGA and picked up some weird fruit as well as some deeply discounted Easter candy. French Fry now has to share space with 24 individually wrapped chocolate bunnies (for a few days anyway). He intends to blog shortly but hasn’t found his grove just yet.
Blessed with a mild tailwind today and the climbing on the Mid-Western Highway was early and modest with only one hill above a 10% grade. Managed 161km (100 miles) with 2,250 feet of evilation getting me from Cowra to West Wyalong. Despite oversleeping and starting at 7AM, I was done by 2:30PM.
The terrain has mellowed into anti-phantasmagoria. Wispy, tawny trees line the roadway with fields of yellowish-orange dirt and grass in the distance. The trees, if near sources of water, hold magpies with beautiful calls and a variety of parrots, cockatoos and crows. The most interesting sighting today was outside Caragabai where I saw what looked like a thick, four foot snake strewn across the left side of the road (I’m biking to the left of the left-side driving Aussies). Assumed it was roadkill or a tie strap jettisoned from a vehicle. Thankfully, there were no cars behind me so I gave it a berth and then stopped and looked back to get a picture. It stuck its’ tongue out and hissed at me. Confirmed my intention of avoiding night riding or taking strolls off the highway in the outback. When I was forced to stop a few kms up the road due to construction, the stop sign worker looked at the pic and shook his head. Either he was having me on or it's one of those "15 seconds and your dead" sort of snakes.
The only two towns along the route today – Grenfell and West Wyalong, both have late 19th century downtowns bisected by the highway. I enjoyed walking and looking up – the gables tell stories of the original build date and the purpose (such as ‘1887 Tailor’ or ‘1894 Druggist’). Presently, if occupied, these establishments hold Chinese fast food places and antique shops. Not too dissimilar to small town America.
For nighttime fun on a Friday night, I meandered around the local IGA and picked up some weird fruit as well as some deeply discounted Easter candy. French Fry now has to share space with 24 individually wrapped chocolate bunnies (for a few days anyway). He intends to blog shortly but hasn’t found his grove just yet.
15 April 23 - Struck Out Seeking Koalas
I was warm bed-challenged in planning today’s ride. There were only two sleeping establishments for the next 154 miles heading west from West Wyalong. Both were booked. No other AirBnB or other sleeping options open and although there was a park in a small rural village 100 miles out, yesterday’s poisonous snake encounter gave me camping consternation. So I chose a southwest route of a shorter distance (88 miles) to the city of Narrandera which had several lodging options. Winds were at my back for the second straight day and the miles came easy. After a short stop in Grong Grong (sounds like it belongs in the BC comic, but it was a village of 150 people), I rolled into Narrandera at 1PM with time to settle in before walking the 4km back into town to explore the city's notable wetlands and large koala sanctuary park.
The park was set within a lovely wooded wetlands area where the trees had blackened bases showing the high water flood marks and uppers that were chalky white, mostly barkless and contorted into unimaginable yoga poses. Sadly, my eyes are for the birds and not bears and I saw no pudgy furry things. Did see my first live kangaroo and enjoyed its not-so-subtle hoppy characteristics.
Lots of annotated pics in the slideshow below.
I was warm bed-challenged in planning today’s ride. There were only two sleeping establishments for the next 154 miles heading west from West Wyalong. Both were booked. No other AirBnB or other sleeping options open and although there was a park in a small rural village 100 miles out, yesterday’s poisonous snake encounter gave me camping consternation. So I chose a southwest route of a shorter distance (88 miles) to the city of Narrandera which had several lodging options. Winds were at my back for the second straight day and the miles came easy. After a short stop in Grong Grong (sounds like it belongs in the BC comic, but it was a village of 150 people), I rolled into Narrandera at 1PM with time to settle in before walking the 4km back into town to explore the city's notable wetlands and large koala sanctuary park.
The park was set within a lovely wooded wetlands area where the trees had blackened bases showing the high water flood marks and uppers that were chalky white, mostly barkless and contorted into unimaginable yoga poses. Sadly, my eyes are for the birds and not bears and I saw no pudgy furry things. Did see my first live kangaroo and enjoyed its not-so-subtle hoppy characteristics.
Lots of annotated pics in the slideshow below.
17 April 23 - Major Tour Announcement
Doubleheader entry today as my motel yesterday in downtown Finley lacked Wi-Fi which ruled out blogging. I had not seen this as a first world issue, so tonight I made sure the motel had it...but I snagged the last room furthest from the reception and the signal is inconsistent to non-existent. So if the blog is choppy, that's my excuse. On the plus side, the heat works, the shower was hot and there's a microwave, fridge, dishware and a hot water kettle.
Yesterday's ride offered a trifecta of challenges that made it hard. After two days of tailwinds, Mother Nature reminded me who's the boss with a consistent 14mph headwind gusting to 30mph nearly the whole ride of 88 miles. The barren and flat landscape offered no respite. It rained much of the morning. I don't mind warmish rain (temps of 60F), but when it seems to come horizontally at the face, it isn't pleasant. Finally, a brace bolt on a front pannier snapped (did this once in Canada too) which caused the pannier to fall to the ground. When this happens without warning, it feels like a flat, only a bit worse as the bike shimmied with a weight imbalance like a brake being applied to only once side of the bike. Thankfully, no cars close by. I had to ride 14 miles with an unbalanced bike with two left panniers, one right and the one that fell off on the back tire. It was Sunday late afternoon when I checked into the hotel and decided to lay low for the night.
Today was a better day. I try to follow the US Navy Seals motto that says "The only easy day was yesterday." Expect challenges and appreciate all the goodness that comes your way. And lots of goodness happened. I took the morning to fix the bike with the help of a garage mechanic who had a small drill bit to extract the bolt end on my front fork without stripping it and had a pleasant three-hour hospital stay getting my dog bite checked out. More on that below. It was noon before I took off biking. Faced another head wind, but only 4-5mph. Aided by the increasing frequency of trees (some are starting to change color as fall is at hand here), the 68 miles were far easier today and I pulled into Shepparton by 4:30PM. This is the first town where I’m certain residents outnumber roos since Sydney. I also crossed an Aussie state, going from New South Wales to Victoria.
The hospital stay I shan’t soon forget. It’s not often one gets treated like royalty on the cheap. Finley is a small rural town but had the first medical center I've encountered since leaving Sydney. My dog bites were slow to heal and I had worked through my stash of antibiotics (infections can gravitate to prosthetics and I have a replacement shoulder to contend with). Tried the GP in town, but I couldn't be seen until the end of the day at best. Went to the hospital and the helpful receptionist said I could be seen sooner, but it would cost quite a bit more. I got the price, thinking it was just the ante to lay at the table. Over the next several hours, I got checked out by a nurse, a medical student and a doctor, conferred to make sure rabies wasn't an issue with dogs in Samoa (were it a bat bite, different story), had all my vitals checked out (the only issue was a low resting pulse of 44) and then had the wounds cleaned, gauzes applied, prescription conveyed for amoxicillin and a goodie bag of several additional gauzes, ointments, bandages, etc. as I was exiting. The staff sent me off with well wishes, collectively saying "All the Best!" and chiming that they never had a bicyclist from America come through Finley before... quite a difference to the facilities and experience on Samoa where I experienced far better 5G fiber internet but far poorer health care.
I settled my bill before I left. My uninsured cost came to $117 with the prescription. Knew they must have done well because only a few km out of town, a guy slows up beside me after seeing me all bandaged up and asks if I need a lift into the next town. I declined.
On to the major tour announcement…after much deliberation the last few days, I’ve decided to reroute my Aussie ride away from the goal of crossing the Nullarbor desert to Perth, opting instead to loop south to Melbourne, then cruising the coast up to Sydney and perhaps extending to Brisbane. A few reasons…for one, my dog bite injury, while improving, is far from healed and I’d shortly be heading into very limited services for several weeks. The doctor said as much...strongly suggesting a stick to civilization. Another is that I was surprised by the mental stamina it took the last few days of pedaling in isolated environs. I’ve done isolation before (in particular…Western Kansas crossing the US and Saskatchewan and Manitoba spanning Canada) but not to the extent this would entail. I enjoy the people interactions, the variety of scenery and the stories that result. The ride may end up being a little shorter but will be more richly annotated. More in the coming days as I map out a plan.
For fun tonight, I decided to send back home my camping gear and my two front panniers and rack, not wanting to risk another bolt blow-out. The Pack and Ship office staff were very helpful, almost sympathetic really given how much it cost to send a 5kg box across the Pacific Ocean. I'm lighter now. Wiser? Not sure. The route I'm aiming for goes coastal from Melbourne counterclockwise to Sydney and perhaps beyond and looks to have more lodging options with careful planning.
Doubleheader entry today as my motel yesterday in downtown Finley lacked Wi-Fi which ruled out blogging. I had not seen this as a first world issue, so tonight I made sure the motel had it...but I snagged the last room furthest from the reception and the signal is inconsistent to non-existent. So if the blog is choppy, that's my excuse. On the plus side, the heat works, the shower was hot and there's a microwave, fridge, dishware and a hot water kettle.
Yesterday's ride offered a trifecta of challenges that made it hard. After two days of tailwinds, Mother Nature reminded me who's the boss with a consistent 14mph headwind gusting to 30mph nearly the whole ride of 88 miles. The barren and flat landscape offered no respite. It rained much of the morning. I don't mind warmish rain (temps of 60F), but when it seems to come horizontally at the face, it isn't pleasant. Finally, a brace bolt on a front pannier snapped (did this once in Canada too) which caused the pannier to fall to the ground. When this happens without warning, it feels like a flat, only a bit worse as the bike shimmied with a weight imbalance like a brake being applied to only once side of the bike. Thankfully, no cars close by. I had to ride 14 miles with an unbalanced bike with two left panniers, one right and the one that fell off on the back tire. It was Sunday late afternoon when I checked into the hotel and decided to lay low for the night.
Today was a better day. I try to follow the US Navy Seals motto that says "The only easy day was yesterday." Expect challenges and appreciate all the goodness that comes your way. And lots of goodness happened. I took the morning to fix the bike with the help of a garage mechanic who had a small drill bit to extract the bolt end on my front fork without stripping it and had a pleasant three-hour hospital stay getting my dog bite checked out. More on that below. It was noon before I took off biking. Faced another head wind, but only 4-5mph. Aided by the increasing frequency of trees (some are starting to change color as fall is at hand here), the 68 miles were far easier today and I pulled into Shepparton by 4:30PM. This is the first town where I’m certain residents outnumber roos since Sydney. I also crossed an Aussie state, going from New South Wales to Victoria.
The hospital stay I shan’t soon forget. It’s not often one gets treated like royalty on the cheap. Finley is a small rural town but had the first medical center I've encountered since leaving Sydney. My dog bites were slow to heal and I had worked through my stash of antibiotics (infections can gravitate to prosthetics and I have a replacement shoulder to contend with). Tried the GP in town, but I couldn't be seen until the end of the day at best. Went to the hospital and the helpful receptionist said I could be seen sooner, but it would cost quite a bit more. I got the price, thinking it was just the ante to lay at the table. Over the next several hours, I got checked out by a nurse, a medical student and a doctor, conferred to make sure rabies wasn't an issue with dogs in Samoa (were it a bat bite, different story), had all my vitals checked out (the only issue was a low resting pulse of 44) and then had the wounds cleaned, gauzes applied, prescription conveyed for amoxicillin and a goodie bag of several additional gauzes, ointments, bandages, etc. as I was exiting. The staff sent me off with well wishes, collectively saying "All the Best!" and chiming that they never had a bicyclist from America come through Finley before... quite a difference to the facilities and experience on Samoa where I experienced far better 5G fiber internet but far poorer health care.
I settled my bill before I left. My uninsured cost came to $117 with the prescription. Knew they must have done well because only a few km out of town, a guy slows up beside me after seeing me all bandaged up and asks if I need a lift into the next town. I declined.
On to the major tour announcement…after much deliberation the last few days, I’ve decided to reroute my Aussie ride away from the goal of crossing the Nullarbor desert to Perth, opting instead to loop south to Melbourne, then cruising the coast up to Sydney and perhaps extending to Brisbane. A few reasons…for one, my dog bite injury, while improving, is far from healed and I’d shortly be heading into very limited services for several weeks. The doctor said as much...strongly suggesting a stick to civilization. Another is that I was surprised by the mental stamina it took the last few days of pedaling in isolated environs. I’ve done isolation before (in particular…Western Kansas crossing the US and Saskatchewan and Manitoba spanning Canada) but not to the extent this would entail. I enjoy the people interactions, the variety of scenery and the stories that result. The ride may end up being a little shorter but will be more richly annotated. More in the coming days as I map out a plan.
For fun tonight, I decided to send back home my camping gear and my two front panniers and rack, not wanting to risk another bolt blow-out. The Pack and Ship office staff were very helpful, almost sympathetic really given how much it cost to send a 5kg box across the Pacific Ocean. I'm lighter now. Wiser? Not sure. The route I'm aiming for goes coastal from Melbourne counterclockwise to Sydney and perhaps beyond and looks to have more lodging options with careful planning.
18 April 23 - Melbourne in a Week
I made Melbourne today, biking 115 miles to the downtown district where I will hole up for two nights to explore Australia’s second largest city tomorrow. While things haven’t gone as planned, I’m happy to have done 665 miles and climbed 22,500 feet in a week coming from Sydney through a mix of the hilly Blue Mountains, enough near desert-like flatness and boredom to satiate my search for serenity without sacrificing my sanity and have a plan that will provide for richer blogging and more interesting biking.
It helped that the weather was ideal for biking (52-65F and mostly sunny skies with a tailwind of 6-10mph). I was mostly on the major road noted as the A39/M39. I traded more traffic for better services and a flatter route that Google's attempts to put me on gravel roads designed for horse traffic. Helps to have an ample shoulder with a rumble strip sandwiched between petrol-powered and pedal-powered transport.
Once in metro Melbourne, I let Google guide me into the downtown business district. I impress easily, but really enjoy seeing how Google directs bikers into the downtowns of large cities. On my cross-Canada ride last year, I road through so many gorgeous parks, alongside rivers and past impressive bridges without much car traffic. Getting into Melbourne had elements of that, especially along the Merri Trail which hugged some river rapids for eight miles, but the last five miles was thick with traffic with a dedicated bike lane noted by painted stripes only. Drivers were courteous and I soon got the weave and bob knack of things by watching food delivery bikers.
Had another pannier problem today. After shipping off my two front panniers to America yesterday, one of my back Ortlieb’s waterproof rear panniers blew a connecting bolt. Not a worry, they’ve been with me over 12,000 miles and have the right to break down. Not a riding hazard, but left unattended, could cause the pannier to fall off. So I bungee-corded it and had it looked at by My Rides Brunswick once in Melbourne. It took an hour, but we are bolted together again and the shop only wanted $13US for the effort. I felt bad and ended up buying a few pieces of gear as that didn’t seem right. Plus my mechanic knew more about the Bucks and the Packers than I did and that should be worth something. Because this part of Australia is 15hrs ahead of Milwaukee, he shared stories about “Super Bowl Monday” in Melbourne where folks take Monday off work and start drinking at 9AM for the Sunday night game.
I totally love my lodging at the Jazz Corner Hotel. Staying alone, I usually pick the cheapest lodging on either Bookings.com or Expedia reasonable close to the downtown where I can walk to get food and see stuff (and after the last few days, a place that has good internet). So I chose an option for under $100 a night and it seems about 1/3 the price of a Chicago comparable plus it has accoutrements like a washer and dryer, oven, dishwasher, full cutlery setup, a balcony overlooking the sunsets from the 30th floor and allegedly a sax played by Charlie Parker in my room. So I’m writing this blog in a plush robe while my dank clothes get washed while drinking some local Australian Shiraz. Tomorrow French Fry and I explore Melbourne and start to plan out the coastal route getting to Brisbane through Sydney.
I made Melbourne today, biking 115 miles to the downtown district where I will hole up for two nights to explore Australia’s second largest city tomorrow. While things haven’t gone as planned, I’m happy to have done 665 miles and climbed 22,500 feet in a week coming from Sydney through a mix of the hilly Blue Mountains, enough near desert-like flatness and boredom to satiate my search for serenity without sacrificing my sanity and have a plan that will provide for richer blogging and more interesting biking.
It helped that the weather was ideal for biking (52-65F and mostly sunny skies with a tailwind of 6-10mph). I was mostly on the major road noted as the A39/M39. I traded more traffic for better services and a flatter route that Google's attempts to put me on gravel roads designed for horse traffic. Helps to have an ample shoulder with a rumble strip sandwiched between petrol-powered and pedal-powered transport.
Once in metro Melbourne, I let Google guide me into the downtown business district. I impress easily, but really enjoy seeing how Google directs bikers into the downtowns of large cities. On my cross-Canada ride last year, I road through so many gorgeous parks, alongside rivers and past impressive bridges without much car traffic. Getting into Melbourne had elements of that, especially along the Merri Trail which hugged some river rapids for eight miles, but the last five miles was thick with traffic with a dedicated bike lane noted by painted stripes only. Drivers were courteous and I soon got the weave and bob knack of things by watching food delivery bikers.
Had another pannier problem today. After shipping off my two front panniers to America yesterday, one of my back Ortlieb’s waterproof rear panniers blew a connecting bolt. Not a worry, they’ve been with me over 12,000 miles and have the right to break down. Not a riding hazard, but left unattended, could cause the pannier to fall off. So I bungee-corded it and had it looked at by My Rides Brunswick once in Melbourne. It took an hour, but we are bolted together again and the shop only wanted $13US for the effort. I felt bad and ended up buying a few pieces of gear as that didn’t seem right. Plus my mechanic knew more about the Bucks and the Packers than I did and that should be worth something. Because this part of Australia is 15hrs ahead of Milwaukee, he shared stories about “Super Bowl Monday” in Melbourne where folks take Monday off work and start drinking at 9AM for the Sunday night game.
I totally love my lodging at the Jazz Corner Hotel. Staying alone, I usually pick the cheapest lodging on either Bookings.com or Expedia reasonable close to the downtown where I can walk to get food and see stuff (and after the last few days, a place that has good internet). So I chose an option for under $100 a night and it seems about 1/3 the price of a Chicago comparable plus it has accoutrements like a washer and dryer, oven, dishwasher, full cutlery setup, a balcony overlooking the sunsets from the 30th floor and allegedly a sax played by Charlie Parker in my room. So I’m writing this blog in a plush robe while my dank clothes get washed while drinking some local Australian Shiraz. Tomorrow French Fry and I explore Melbourne and start to plan out the coastal route getting to Brisbane through Sydney.
18 April 23 - Part II - The Reason for the Ride
Taking a step back to talk about why I ride and how, should you be so inclined, could help. My father passed from dementia systems in 2011. Seeing his seven year slide and the impact it had on my mom as primary caregiver deeply motivated me to want to “do something” beyond trying to lead a healthy lifestyle. So in 2014 I road across the USA unsupported, raising funds for an Alzheimer’s organization out east. After no fundraising efforts in cycling the greatest lengths of the UK and New Zealand, I partnered with UW-Madison last year in my cross-Canada ride and joined their advisory board. I’m impressed with what the UW team does and have continued the partnership as I pedal around Australia.
Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in Wisconsin, and there are currently more than 120,000 residents with the disease. In addition, there are more than 196,000 family caregivers in the state caring for a family member or loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia.
I’ve listed a few of the things that make UW-Madison stand out in its work with memory care issues below. If you have questions or want to share your story, please reach out to me. My response may come after the ride is done, but I’d be happy to connect.
• The vision of UW–Madison Alzheimer’s disease research programs is to improve early and accurate diagnosis, treatment and care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias while, at the same time, focusing on the program’s long-term goal of finding a way to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease. The UW program is one of the leaders in the country in this area.
• By using advanced brain imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET), scientists have learned how to identify people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease up to 30 years before the onset of dementia symptoms. The UW has one of the longest lasting and largest study groups of family members with a history of memory diseases that tracks memory and lifestyle changes over time, aiding in this effort.
• Research has shown some preventive health and lifestyle factors can slow cognitive decline. Our scientists study a range of risk and resilience factors for Alzheimer’s disease, including genetics, exercise, gut health, stress, environmental factors and social determinants of health.
• Early and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias is critically important. Researchers are developing new diagnostic techniques to detect cognitive changes in their earliest stages.
Philanthropy is crucial to the success of the UW–Madison Alzheimer’s disease programs to fund research advancements. My thanks to those who have donated already! I'll follow-up after the ride with a more personalized acknowledgement.
Taking a step back to talk about why I ride and how, should you be so inclined, could help. My father passed from dementia systems in 2011. Seeing his seven year slide and the impact it had on my mom as primary caregiver deeply motivated me to want to “do something” beyond trying to lead a healthy lifestyle. So in 2014 I road across the USA unsupported, raising funds for an Alzheimer’s organization out east. After no fundraising efforts in cycling the greatest lengths of the UK and New Zealand, I partnered with UW-Madison last year in my cross-Canada ride and joined their advisory board. I’m impressed with what the UW team does and have continued the partnership as I pedal around Australia.
Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in Wisconsin, and there are currently more than 120,000 residents with the disease. In addition, there are more than 196,000 family caregivers in the state caring for a family member or loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia.
I’ve listed a few of the things that make UW-Madison stand out in its work with memory care issues below. If you have questions or want to share your story, please reach out to me. My response may come after the ride is done, but I’d be happy to connect.
• The vision of UW–Madison Alzheimer’s disease research programs is to improve early and accurate diagnosis, treatment and care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias while, at the same time, focusing on the program’s long-term goal of finding a way to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease. The UW program is one of the leaders in the country in this area.
• By using advanced brain imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET), scientists have learned how to identify people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease up to 30 years before the onset of dementia symptoms. The UW has one of the longest lasting and largest study groups of family members with a history of memory diseases that tracks memory and lifestyle changes over time, aiding in this effort.
• Research has shown some preventive health and lifestyle factors can slow cognitive decline. Our scientists study a range of risk and resilience factors for Alzheimer’s disease, including genetics, exercise, gut health, stress, environmental factors and social determinants of health.
• Early and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias is critically important. Researchers are developing new diagnostic techniques to detect cognitive changes in their earliest stages.
Philanthropy is crucial to the success of the UW–Madison Alzheimer’s disease programs to fund research advancements. My thanks to those who have donated already! I'll follow-up after the ride with a more personalized acknowledgement.
19 April 23 - Musings About Melbourne
Today was a day of recovery, meandering around Melbourne and planning for the start of the ride up the east coast to Sydney or Brisbane. I had success with most of the hotel’s appliances last night, but not without some guesswork. I can deal with Celsius, but the nomenclature on the knobs (or lack thereof presumptions) made seemingly simple things hard…and I somehow set a timer on the stove to go off near midnight which woke me up with a start.
French Fry and I walked around Melbourne on a cool, overcast day that never got above 60F. Like many big cities, people here are in a hurry and seemingly more reserved than those in my other non-US ride countries. The sights were great however…a good blend of late 19th century with the modern; tastefully done.
I started by visiting Melbourne Central, a shopping mall & transport station wrapped into one. Embedded inside was the Coops Shot Tower, a 50-meter brick building encased in a glass dome within the mall. The shot tower was the tallest building in town on its completion in 1889 and the museum told the story of how shot is produced with the help of hot molten lead and gravity. Next was the State Library of Victoria. I went to see artifacts of the Jesse James of Australia – Ned Kelly, whose armor worn in a shoot out with police in the early 20th century was on display. What I hadn’t expected was the library dome, modeled after the British Museum and the US Library of Congress (two of my favorite buildings in the world). Upon finishing in the early 20th century, it was the largest concrete dome in the world. Not as opulent as the other two but massive in size and still very enjoyable to see from six different levels.
I spent the afternoon at the Melbourne Museum, several churches, a few gardens and some of the museums around Fed Square. Like the Kiwi’s (New Zealanders), the Aussies do well acknowledging the impact the colonization has had on the natives – in this case the Aborigines. It was moving to see so much of the museum exhibits and the narthex's of the church's recognizing this issue in a humbling way.
Australia is known to have the most things in the world that can kill you. An experience today at the Melbourne Museum shows how Aussies deal with it. Somewhat with the indifference Americans have to our level of gun violence which would abhor citizens of most other countries. Here's the exchange I overheard while looking at exhibits of stuffed birds this afternoon between a couple in their late twenties...
[Guy]: "I signed up for the Wacka Wacka Triathlon yesterday."
[Girl]: "Oh. Remember Nikki? Jason's girlfriend? She was in that tri a few years ago."
[Guy]: "How'd she do?"
[Girl]: "She fell behind the pack in the swim and got attacked by a shark."
[Guy]: "Ouch. How's she doing?"
[Girl]: "She isn't. They never found her body."
[Guy]: (with barely a pause) "Well, I better stick with the pack then."
Today was a day of recovery, meandering around Melbourne and planning for the start of the ride up the east coast to Sydney or Brisbane. I had success with most of the hotel’s appliances last night, but not without some guesswork. I can deal with Celsius, but the nomenclature on the knobs (or lack thereof presumptions) made seemingly simple things hard…and I somehow set a timer on the stove to go off near midnight which woke me up with a start.
French Fry and I walked around Melbourne on a cool, overcast day that never got above 60F. Like many big cities, people here are in a hurry and seemingly more reserved than those in my other non-US ride countries. The sights were great however…a good blend of late 19th century with the modern; tastefully done.
I started by visiting Melbourne Central, a shopping mall & transport station wrapped into one. Embedded inside was the Coops Shot Tower, a 50-meter brick building encased in a glass dome within the mall. The shot tower was the tallest building in town on its completion in 1889 and the museum told the story of how shot is produced with the help of hot molten lead and gravity. Next was the State Library of Victoria. I went to see artifacts of the Jesse James of Australia – Ned Kelly, whose armor worn in a shoot out with police in the early 20th century was on display. What I hadn’t expected was the library dome, modeled after the British Museum and the US Library of Congress (two of my favorite buildings in the world). Upon finishing in the early 20th century, it was the largest concrete dome in the world. Not as opulent as the other two but massive in size and still very enjoyable to see from six different levels.
I spent the afternoon at the Melbourne Museum, several churches, a few gardens and some of the museums around Fed Square. Like the Kiwi’s (New Zealanders), the Aussies do well acknowledging the impact the colonization has had on the natives – in this case the Aborigines. It was moving to see so much of the museum exhibits and the narthex's of the church's recognizing this issue in a humbling way.
Australia is known to have the most things in the world that can kill you. An experience today at the Melbourne Museum shows how Aussies deal with it. Somewhat with the indifference Americans have to our level of gun violence which would abhor citizens of most other countries. Here's the exchange I overheard while looking at exhibits of stuffed birds this afternoon between a couple in their late twenties...
[Guy]: "I signed up for the Wacka Wacka Triathlon yesterday."
[Girl]: "Oh. Remember Nikki? Jason's girlfriend? She was in that tri a few years ago."
[Guy]: "How'd she do?"
[Girl]: "She fell behind the pack in the swim and got attacked by a shark."
[Guy]: "Ouch. How's she doing?"
[Girl]: "She isn't. They never found her body."
[Guy]: (with barely a pause) "Well, I better stick with the pack then."
20 April 23 - A Black Swan Event
Moved east of Melbourne in pleasant fall conditions today in my ‘boomerang bike route’. A boomerang is an Aussie Aborigine wooden object that, if thrown properly, circles around and come back to the thrower. I had one and it never really went where I wanted. Fingers crossed on how the ride plays out. For now, that’s looking like what my route might be. Started in Sydney, headed west through some mountains and isolated bush, routed south to visited Melbourne and now I will follow the east coast back up to Sydney and may extend the ride up to Brisbane along ‘the Gold Coast’ which ends close to the Great Barrier Reef. While still in a day-by-day planning mode, this ride may be similar in length to the original cross-Aussie ride but will be more varied and more 'blogable'.
Today fit that description aptly. Well signed and segregated urban bike paths led me out of Melbourne proper before hooking up with a multi-use suburban path that hugged the seashore, taking me southeast to Frankston. After a little road riding, it was bliss. The Bittern Reservoir offered about five miles of wetlands path, much along boardwalks snaking through bogs without bumpers (railings) past shallow ponds, mangroves and short grasses and abundant waterfowl. The lack of railings would be a definite no-no in the litigious US. Next was about three miles of single track through beach forest before arriving at Stony Point where I waited two hours for a ferry to take me a half hour across a body of water to Phillips Island.
The island is an animal lover’s paradise that includes a few koala sanctuaries, a wildlife zoo where tame kangaroos feed out of your hand, several wetlands, a “penguin parade” and hikes and views of forests and rock formations. It seems a 'wild' weekend getaway for Melbournians. I violated my rule of not riding at night and biked six miles to Swan Lake and caught the locally famous 'Penguin Parade' at night. The lake offered incredibly close views of the rare Cape Barren geese from boardwalks along with dusky moorhens and black swans from blinds. As the sun began to set, swamp wallabies came out to feed and one crossed right in front of my path.
The Penguin Parade was somewhat a cross between a Taylor Swift concert and Planet Earth. Roughly 3,000 people paid $30-$75AU ($22-$55US) in a huge commercial spectacle to see a few waddles of the tiny fairy penguins (a/k/a “blue penguins”) move from sea to shore along the sand into their nesting holes on the shrubbery above the beach. I got a front row 'sanding room' seat sitting cross-legged on the ground to see the action. Naturalists described what to expect, then worked the crowd, discouraging any photography. Scoping the spectators was almost more interesting than seeing the penguins. That was the largest spectator event to see a natural animal activity I can recall.
Moved east of Melbourne in pleasant fall conditions today in my ‘boomerang bike route’. A boomerang is an Aussie Aborigine wooden object that, if thrown properly, circles around and come back to the thrower. I had one and it never really went where I wanted. Fingers crossed on how the ride plays out. For now, that’s looking like what my route might be. Started in Sydney, headed west through some mountains and isolated bush, routed south to visited Melbourne and now I will follow the east coast back up to Sydney and may extend the ride up to Brisbane along ‘the Gold Coast’ which ends close to the Great Barrier Reef. While still in a day-by-day planning mode, this ride may be similar in length to the original cross-Aussie ride but will be more varied and more 'blogable'.
Today fit that description aptly. Well signed and segregated urban bike paths led me out of Melbourne proper before hooking up with a multi-use suburban path that hugged the seashore, taking me southeast to Frankston. After a little road riding, it was bliss. The Bittern Reservoir offered about five miles of wetlands path, much along boardwalks snaking through bogs without bumpers (railings) past shallow ponds, mangroves and short grasses and abundant waterfowl. The lack of railings would be a definite no-no in the litigious US. Next was about three miles of single track through beach forest before arriving at Stony Point where I waited two hours for a ferry to take me a half hour across a body of water to Phillips Island.
The island is an animal lover’s paradise that includes a few koala sanctuaries, a wildlife zoo where tame kangaroos feed out of your hand, several wetlands, a “penguin parade” and hikes and views of forests and rock formations. It seems a 'wild' weekend getaway for Melbournians. I violated my rule of not riding at night and biked six miles to Swan Lake and caught the locally famous 'Penguin Parade' at night. The lake offered incredibly close views of the rare Cape Barren geese from boardwalks along with dusky moorhens and black swans from blinds. As the sun began to set, swamp wallabies came out to feed and one crossed right in front of my path.
The Penguin Parade was somewhat a cross between a Taylor Swift concert and Planet Earth. Roughly 3,000 people paid $30-$75AU ($22-$55US) in a huge commercial spectacle to see a few waddles of the tiny fairy penguins (a/k/a “blue penguins”) move from sea to shore along the sand into their nesting holes on the shrubbery above the beach. I got a front row 'sanding room' seat sitting cross-legged on the ground to see the action. Naturalists described what to expect, then worked the crowd, discouraging any photography. Scoping the spectators was almost more interesting than seeing the penguins. That was the largest spectator event to see a natural animal activity I can recall.
21 April 23 - First Taste of an Aussie Rail Trail
Rainy day Friday as I move 94 rural miles east from Cowes to Yarrum. Gently rolling hills with lots of livestock. Could be construed for Wisconsin if you minded the side of the road cars were driving. The highlight was 25 miles on the Great Southern Rail Trail. Like their American counterparts, this route was car-free, relatively flat and often provided shade unlike country roads. It also passed several small villages and farms. Lightly travelled, I met only two other pairs of cyclists. The biggest difference was that each bisecting road or farm lane had spring-loaded gates to open or slithering fences where one had to weave left and right to move straight. Slowed progress, but the scenery made a slow roll enjoyable.
When it rains, French Fry stays in our panniers and studies Australian history and oddities and has a half dozen dog blogs to share, showcasing his vastly superior intelligence over mine. The first one will come today.
I worked for several hours tonight in mapping out the boomerang bike route, securing lodging for the next four nights in advance. I don’t usually do this but Anzac Day is coming up on April 25th and involves lots of family vacation travelling much like Memorial Day does in the States. Warm beds seem to be at a premium.
Rainy day Friday as I move 94 rural miles east from Cowes to Yarrum. Gently rolling hills with lots of livestock. Could be construed for Wisconsin if you minded the side of the road cars were driving. The highlight was 25 miles on the Great Southern Rail Trail. Like their American counterparts, this route was car-free, relatively flat and often provided shade unlike country roads. It also passed several small villages and farms. Lightly travelled, I met only two other pairs of cyclists. The biggest difference was that each bisecting road or farm lane had spring-loaded gates to open or slithering fences where one had to weave left and right to move straight. Slowed progress, but the scenery made a slow roll enjoyable.
When it rains, French Fry stays in our panniers and studies Australian history and oddities and has a half dozen dog blogs to share, showcasing his vastly superior intelligence over mine. The first one will come today.
I worked for several hours tonight in mapping out the boomerang bike route, securing lodging for the next four nights in advance. I don’t usually do this but Anzac Day is coming up on April 25th and involves lots of family vacation travelling much like Memorial Day does in the States. Warm beds seem to be at a premium.
21 April 23 - Dog Blog #1 - French Australia?
French Fry here with a tidbit on how close Australia came to almost being a French colony!
Many of us were told in our World History classes that James Cook “discovered” Australia and that subsequent British expeditions colonized the large island with prisoners. Little known is that the French came within a week of establishing the first European outpost on Australia, a happenstance that might have negated Dave's bike trip here were it not for American involvement (he is a monolinguist and it's pretty hard teaching an old dog new tricks).
While the Englishman Cook first set eyes on Australia in 1770, two British parliamentary inquiries failed to appropriate funds for follow-up trips to solidify the British claim to the lands because it was deemed too expensive and complex. By 1786, the French, having just lost the Seven Years War with Britain, directed their colonizing efforts to the southern hemisphere.
Two French frigates sailed south with supplies to start colonies, but the Americans got wind. Wary of French ambitions, the Americans leaked news of this mission to the Brits who in turn quickly changed course and assembled a fleet of around 1,400 people on 11 ships led by Captain Arthur Phillip and set sail for Australia. The French had a head start, but they were using a British map that included several “treasure islands” that didn’t exist. The French captain, Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse, diverted his fleet in pursuit of these riches, spending over three weeks getting lost in the process. La Perouse got to Botany Bay a few days after the British arrived. The French stayed a few weeks but lacked the dogged determination to make a stand. They graciously accepted their defeat and sailed back to Europe. The rest is history.
Interesting...this was a time between the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 where Britain could be construed as our enemy. We had just come off of support of the French navy to win the Revolutionary War and we chose to backstab the French.
Care to read more? Two sources:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-29/how-the-french-almost-colonised-australia/101008680
"Beating France to Botany Bay: The Race to Found Australia" by author Margaret Cameron-Ash
French Fry here with a tidbit on how close Australia came to almost being a French colony!
Many of us were told in our World History classes that James Cook “discovered” Australia and that subsequent British expeditions colonized the large island with prisoners. Little known is that the French came within a week of establishing the first European outpost on Australia, a happenstance that might have negated Dave's bike trip here were it not for American involvement (he is a monolinguist and it's pretty hard teaching an old dog new tricks).
While the Englishman Cook first set eyes on Australia in 1770, two British parliamentary inquiries failed to appropriate funds for follow-up trips to solidify the British claim to the lands because it was deemed too expensive and complex. By 1786, the French, having just lost the Seven Years War with Britain, directed their colonizing efforts to the southern hemisphere.
Two French frigates sailed south with supplies to start colonies, but the Americans got wind. Wary of French ambitions, the Americans leaked news of this mission to the Brits who in turn quickly changed course and assembled a fleet of around 1,400 people on 11 ships led by Captain Arthur Phillip and set sail for Australia. The French had a head start, but they were using a British map that included several “treasure islands” that didn’t exist. The French captain, Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse, diverted his fleet in pursuit of these riches, spending over three weeks getting lost in the process. La Perouse got to Botany Bay a few days after the British arrived. The French stayed a few weeks but lacked the dogged determination to make a stand. They graciously accepted their defeat and sailed back to Europe. The rest is history.
Interesting...this was a time between the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 where Britain could be construed as our enemy. We had just come off of support of the French navy to win the Revolutionary War and we chose to backstab the French.
Care to read more? Two sources:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-29/how-the-french-almost-colonised-australia/101008680
"Beating France to Botany Bay: The Race to Found Australia" by author Margaret Cameron-Ash
22 April 23 - Sistine Chapel of Australia
Happy Earth Day America! It's not a thing in Australia (yet). Beautiful biking weather as I moved 92 miles northeast from Yarram to Bairnsdale, a large town of 15,000 by regional standards nestled in cattle country in East Gippsland. Today’s ride was uneventful; relatively flat country highways with lots of kangaroo warnings and ample roo road kill. All I took stock of were endless fields of cattle.
Pulled into the Mitchell River Tavern (and hotel) in Bairndale at 2PM and cleaned up before a walkabout. I wasn’t expecting much as nearly every shop I cycled past seemed closed on a Saturday but was pleasantly surprised…
After visiting a very helpful TI (tourist information) office that loaded me with brochures and options for tomorrow, I walked to the adjacent St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Entered the church and did a double-take. I don’t awe easily when it comes to religious edifices, but this blew me away with the richness and completeness of the paintings and is known as the Sistine Chapel of Australia. The story: Francesco Floreani was born near Turin in Italy, studied painting but left Italy for Australia to find work in 1927. Tired of picking peas, he asked the Friar at Bairndale’s Catholic church if he knew of any other work he could do. The Friar, finding out his vocation expertise, offered him the role of painting the church which he did over four years in the 1930s. The result is amazing…see the pics below. Especially moving is the main alter’s depiction of Purgatory, Heaven and Hell. Rarely have I seen such realism outside Italy in a church of any denomination.
Yesterday was my brother’s 20,000 Day Birthday. I celebrated with a kombucha in his honor yesterday, then as I’m 15 hours ahead of Central Time, went to the largest store in Bairnsdale and asked the liquor lady to spare no expense – find me the highest rate Australian beer from Beer Advocate. The best we could do was #8 – Little Creatures Pale Ale at 5.2% ABV. You’re still #1 bro in my mind Mike! So since my brother was once a bat researcher, I did a four-mile stroll at dusk on the Mitchell Riverwalk (not a day goes by when there isn’t something Mitchell in this part of Australia). I was in pursuit of the elusive grey-headed flying-fox, the largest fruit bat in Australia and one of the largest flying mammals in the world. A colony exists by the river but I was outfoxed. Didn’t see any but did include some pics in the slideshow below from placards along the river. Saw and heard loads of birds, a few of which are in short YouTube video clips in the buttons below. Have the audio on to get a sense of the sounds around here. It borders on obnoxious.
Happy Earth Day America! It's not a thing in Australia (yet). Beautiful biking weather as I moved 92 miles northeast from Yarram to Bairnsdale, a large town of 15,000 by regional standards nestled in cattle country in East Gippsland. Today’s ride was uneventful; relatively flat country highways with lots of kangaroo warnings and ample roo road kill. All I took stock of were endless fields of cattle.
Pulled into the Mitchell River Tavern (and hotel) in Bairndale at 2PM and cleaned up before a walkabout. I wasn’t expecting much as nearly every shop I cycled past seemed closed on a Saturday but was pleasantly surprised…
After visiting a very helpful TI (tourist information) office that loaded me with brochures and options for tomorrow, I walked to the adjacent St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Entered the church and did a double-take. I don’t awe easily when it comes to religious edifices, but this blew me away with the richness and completeness of the paintings and is known as the Sistine Chapel of Australia. The story: Francesco Floreani was born near Turin in Italy, studied painting but left Italy for Australia to find work in 1927. Tired of picking peas, he asked the Friar at Bairndale’s Catholic church if he knew of any other work he could do. The Friar, finding out his vocation expertise, offered him the role of painting the church which he did over four years in the 1930s. The result is amazing…see the pics below. Especially moving is the main alter’s depiction of Purgatory, Heaven and Hell. Rarely have I seen such realism outside Italy in a church of any denomination.
Yesterday was my brother’s 20,000 Day Birthday. I celebrated with a kombucha in his honor yesterday, then as I’m 15 hours ahead of Central Time, went to the largest store in Bairnsdale and asked the liquor lady to spare no expense – find me the highest rate Australian beer from Beer Advocate. The best we could do was #8 – Little Creatures Pale Ale at 5.2% ABV. You’re still #1 bro in my mind Mike! So since my brother was once a bat researcher, I did a four-mile stroll at dusk on the Mitchell Riverwalk (not a day goes by when there isn’t something Mitchell in this part of Australia). I was in pursuit of the elusive grey-headed flying-fox, the largest fruit bat in Australia and one of the largest flying mammals in the world. A colony exists by the river but I was outfoxed. Didn’t see any but did include some pics in the slideshow below from placards along the river. Saw and heard loads of birds, a few of which are in short YouTube video clips in the buttons below. Have the audio on to get a sense of the sounds around here. It borders on obnoxious.
23 April 23 - The Wrong Bellbird
This entry posts a day late as I had no WiFi last night. Just glad to have a bed and a place to clean up. Almost didn’t thanks to a Bookings.com boondoggle that I mostly have myself to blame. The day was long and hilly – 98 miles and 4,200 feet of evilation as I cycled northeast from Bairnsdale on the East Gippsland Rail Trail and along an estuary that exhausts the Snowy River into the sea.
Sounds nice and not too hilly, but the Rail Trail was more a mountain bike challenge. Frequent climbs of 4-7% grade meshed exhaustingly with large aggregate underlayment that jarred bike and hands. Gave up on that and returned to the highway before following a TI-recommended route from the sea uphill 15 miles to my intended lodging. That route was equally jarring with unpacked gravel…so when I finally got to the Bellbird Hotel on the Princes Highway at 4:30PM, I was spent. Seemed odd no cars were in the lot and no lights on in the buildings. I looked around.
Turns out the motel was closed.
Though this area had been devastated by bushfires in January of 2020, there was one house up the hill, so I hid the bike and walked to it and a nice lady came out. I expressed my predicament. Turns out I wasn’t the first this had happened to. With the nearest lodging 30 miles away, she offered me a spot in her hay barn or a ride into the nearest town of Cann River. After finding the last bed in town and booking on-line, I took the latter and tipped her generously.
Once settled in, I found out Bookings.com redirected my inquiry to another Bellbird hotel 750km away (500ish miles). On me to check that. So I called that Bellbird and asked them to free up the reservation. After explaining I was pedal biking and where I was, she actually said “So you don’t think you’ll be able to make it tonight?”
This entry posts a day late as I had no WiFi last night. Just glad to have a bed and a place to clean up. Almost didn’t thanks to a Bookings.com boondoggle that I mostly have myself to blame. The day was long and hilly – 98 miles and 4,200 feet of evilation as I cycled northeast from Bairnsdale on the East Gippsland Rail Trail and along an estuary that exhausts the Snowy River into the sea.
Sounds nice and not too hilly, but the Rail Trail was more a mountain bike challenge. Frequent climbs of 4-7% grade meshed exhaustingly with large aggregate underlayment that jarred bike and hands. Gave up on that and returned to the highway before following a TI-recommended route from the sea uphill 15 miles to my intended lodging. That route was equally jarring with unpacked gravel…so when I finally got to the Bellbird Hotel on the Princes Highway at 4:30PM, I was spent. Seemed odd no cars were in the lot and no lights on in the buildings. I looked around.
Turns out the motel was closed.
Though this area had been devastated by bushfires in January of 2020, there was one house up the hill, so I hid the bike and walked to it and a nice lady came out. I expressed my predicament. Turns out I wasn’t the first this had happened to. With the nearest lodging 30 miles away, she offered me a spot in her hay barn or a ride into the nearest town of Cann River. After finding the last bed in town and booking on-line, I took the latter and tipped her generously.
Once settled in, I found out Bookings.com redirected my inquiry to another Bellbird hotel 750km away (500ish miles). On me to check that. So I called that Bellbird and asked them to free up the reservation. After explaining I was pedal biking and where I was, she actually said “So you don’t think you’ll be able to make it tonight?”
23 April 23 - Dog Blog #2 - The World's Longest Golf Course
So while Dave can't seem to get his sleep spots straight, I've got a few stories to share about the Aussie desert we ended up not passing through. The first in on the longest golf course in the world....
The Nullarbor Links is an 18-hole par 72 golf course spanning 1,365 kilometers with one hole in each participating town or roadhouse along the Eyre Highway, from Kalgoorlie in Western Australia to Ceduna in South Australia. Each hole includes a green and tee and a somewhat rugged outback-style natural terrain fairway.
Eash year around now (this year it starts on April 29th), the “Chasing the Sun” Golf Tournament is held where golfers take about a week to complete the 'course' by driving (a car and a club). Some of the holes are closer together than others, but the longest distance between holes is over 120 miles.
Golfers have to get each hole 'certified' to be considered complete. From the looks of things, lots of drinking is involved.
So while Dave can't seem to get his sleep spots straight, I've got a few stories to share about the Aussie desert we ended up not passing through. The first in on the longest golf course in the world....
The Nullarbor Links is an 18-hole par 72 golf course spanning 1,365 kilometers with one hole in each participating town or roadhouse along the Eyre Highway, from Kalgoorlie in Western Australia to Ceduna in South Australia. Each hole includes a green and tee and a somewhat rugged outback-style natural terrain fairway.
Eash year around now (this year it starts on April 29th), the “Chasing the Sun” Golf Tournament is held where golfers take about a week to complete the 'course' by driving (a car and a club). Some of the holes are closer together than others, but the longest distance between holes is over 120 miles.
Golfers have to get each hole 'certified' to be considered complete. From the looks of things, lots of drinking is involved.
24 April 23 - An Adam in Eden on a Somber Eve
A blog trifecta today as my motel last night lacked WiFi. It was a cluster of a day and I was just glad to have a bed and a shower…so today you get three blogs which includes one from French Fry on the world’s longest golf course. I’ve also added some interesting pictures from the past two days. Therein comes out my weird sense of humor. The verbiage is purely for posterity.
Had Goldilocks weather today in a challenging half day of biking (67 miles and 4,400 feet of evilation) to the east coast city of Eden. It isn’t paradise, but take it from Adam…it’s the nicest town I’ve seen since Melbourne. Resting on a promontory, Eden has both rocky outcrops with crashing waves (catch a short video of that with the link below) and a long sandy beach where I talked to two guys from Melbourne who came over to fish for Australian Salmon.
Today is Anzac Day Eve with the Aussie Memorial Day coming tomorrow when French Fry will expand on that a bit. Things shut down on this holiday, so I stocked up on food, finding a Candy Orange melon for dinner that was the sweetest melon with the thinnest rind I’ve encountered. Some pics of daily life on the road in today's slideshow. Lots of celebrating going on tonight in town. So on an Eve in Eden, this Adam may check out a pub playing music if I get my blogging done in time.
In addition to the short video, I’m responding to a listener question on how I plot the days in front of me on the ride. It’s a very short interview with Monty Python’s John Cleese which is linked below.
Tomorrow is another hilly ride with a few stops at National Parks along the way. They seem higher rated that one I road through today which had an unheard of 3.0 composite rating on Google.
If you are out there and have questions to ask, please reach out. If I’ve been giving you a few bucks worth of laughs or insights, consider donating to the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s via the secure link at the top of this page. Trying to reach $5,000 which my wife and I will match and we have a ways to go.
A blog trifecta today as my motel last night lacked WiFi. It was a cluster of a day and I was just glad to have a bed and a shower…so today you get three blogs which includes one from French Fry on the world’s longest golf course. I’ve also added some interesting pictures from the past two days. Therein comes out my weird sense of humor. The verbiage is purely for posterity.
Had Goldilocks weather today in a challenging half day of biking (67 miles and 4,400 feet of evilation) to the east coast city of Eden. It isn’t paradise, but take it from Adam…it’s the nicest town I’ve seen since Melbourne. Resting on a promontory, Eden has both rocky outcrops with crashing waves (catch a short video of that with the link below) and a long sandy beach where I talked to two guys from Melbourne who came over to fish for Australian Salmon.
Today is Anzac Day Eve with the Aussie Memorial Day coming tomorrow when French Fry will expand on that a bit. Things shut down on this holiday, so I stocked up on food, finding a Candy Orange melon for dinner that was the sweetest melon with the thinnest rind I’ve encountered. Some pics of daily life on the road in today's slideshow. Lots of celebrating going on tonight in town. So on an Eve in Eden, this Adam may check out a pub playing music if I get my blogging done in time.
In addition to the short video, I’m responding to a listener question on how I plot the days in front of me on the ride. It’s a very short interview with Monty Python’s John Cleese which is linked below.
Tomorrow is another hilly ride with a few stops at National Parks along the way. They seem higher rated that one I road through today which had an unheard of 3.0 composite rating on Google.
If you are out there and have questions to ask, please reach out. If I’ve been giving you a few bucks worth of laughs or insights, consider donating to the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s via the secure link at the top of this page. Trying to reach $5,000 which my wife and I will match and we have a ways to go.
25 April 23 - Five National Parks in a Day on a Bicycle
Got an earlier start on this Anzac Day, leaving the motel by 6:30AM. I like the early morning riding as by noon it is warm here if the sun is on full throttle…and it has been the last few days. Even in the low 70s with the sun out and little tree shade, I’m hot. It was another hard day of climbing with 5,800 feet of evilation (that’s more than one mile of vertical) across 80 horizontal miles. I counted 11 hills with inclines of at least 10%. There was one hill that reached a 20% incline for five minutes! That should be illegal or at least dangerous enough to warrant flattening out...a bit at least. See the slideshow for support. And I was on tourist highways, not some backcountry bumpkin pumpkin farm dirt road. Could hardly walk up the 20% with my loaded bike. I’m up to managing 8% inclines on the saddle. If it’s more than that for any length of time, I capitulate and do a walkupem.
Had two biking destinations today on a mix of the A1 highway and routes suggested by both Google Maps and the NSWCC (New South Wales Coastal Cycling) which hugged closer to the coast. The first was a half-hour north of Eden – the Pinnacles Walk in the Beowa National Park, the first of five national parks traversed today. Required a 1.5 mile ride downhill on a very bumpy gravel road to a parking lot where I was the lone guest on this holiday. Locked my bike, flipped biking shoes for my webbed sandals and did a one-mile walk to a rock formation reminding me of Canyonlands in Utah but set by the beach. It was also far smaller than the US version but impressive given the seaside setting and the early morning sun hitting the rocks at a pleasing angle. So bumpy was this short spur that one of my water bottles jettisoned on me and I was fortunate to have found it on the return route out of the park. The second stop was a bike trail along the sea called the Grottos. For both of these, I included short videos below.
My sleepover spot is Narooma, something of a misnomer as there were plenty of vacancies around town. I’m back in New South Wales, about 350km (200ish miles) from Sydney. I’m about 1,100 miles in with an equal amount to go if I extend up the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane. In my childish mind, I see it as a boomerang thrown from Sydney that floats around to Melbourne, then overshoots the thrower and ends up in Brisbane. In kilometers/mileage terms, if one could throw a baseball and not a boomerang, the difference between the cross-country Hail Mary bomb and this boomerang may end up being small. The big tradeoff is giving up flat desert for hilly coastal scenery.
Narooma is a touristy, seaside stopover with ample services and a few attractions. I walked a few miles from the motel to Wagonga Head where there’s a rock arch said to be in the shape of Australia and a small seal colony. Included some pics and a short video at sunset of two seals in an argumentative state (sorry for the poor light quality…it was sunset and there was no other angle to film.)
As I approach two weeks in Australia…a few compare-and-contrast observations of people from my rides in the US, UK, New Zealand and Canada relative to Australia. This has been the only country where bikers don’t acknowledge their fellow cyclists on the road. Usually you cross paths or pass/get passed by another biker, you wave a hand, tilt your helmet, say hi or something. Not here. In stores, at rest stops and at public places, the Aussies are kind but distant. I couldn’t keep the Kiwis and Canadians from flocking when they saw me on a bike. Americans were somewhat in the middle of curiosity and helpfulness and the Brits were approachable but reserved (except at pubs after some liquid lubrication). The Aussies keep to themselves. That’s not necessarily bad. Perhaps its their rugged individualism that plays out in parts of the US. I do find the Aussie drivers extremely kind and considerate. Not one issue to date.
French Fry did a blog entry on Anzac Day that will follow this one.
Got an earlier start on this Anzac Day, leaving the motel by 6:30AM. I like the early morning riding as by noon it is warm here if the sun is on full throttle…and it has been the last few days. Even in the low 70s with the sun out and little tree shade, I’m hot. It was another hard day of climbing with 5,800 feet of evilation (that’s more than one mile of vertical) across 80 horizontal miles. I counted 11 hills with inclines of at least 10%. There was one hill that reached a 20% incline for five minutes! That should be illegal or at least dangerous enough to warrant flattening out...a bit at least. See the slideshow for support. And I was on tourist highways, not some backcountry bumpkin pumpkin farm dirt road. Could hardly walk up the 20% with my loaded bike. I’m up to managing 8% inclines on the saddle. If it’s more than that for any length of time, I capitulate and do a walkupem.
Had two biking destinations today on a mix of the A1 highway and routes suggested by both Google Maps and the NSWCC (New South Wales Coastal Cycling) which hugged closer to the coast. The first was a half-hour north of Eden – the Pinnacles Walk in the Beowa National Park, the first of five national parks traversed today. Required a 1.5 mile ride downhill on a very bumpy gravel road to a parking lot where I was the lone guest on this holiday. Locked my bike, flipped biking shoes for my webbed sandals and did a one-mile walk to a rock formation reminding me of Canyonlands in Utah but set by the beach. It was also far smaller than the US version but impressive given the seaside setting and the early morning sun hitting the rocks at a pleasing angle. So bumpy was this short spur that one of my water bottles jettisoned on me and I was fortunate to have found it on the return route out of the park. The second stop was a bike trail along the sea called the Grottos. For both of these, I included short videos below.
My sleepover spot is Narooma, something of a misnomer as there were plenty of vacancies around town. I’m back in New South Wales, about 350km (200ish miles) from Sydney. I’m about 1,100 miles in with an equal amount to go if I extend up the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane. In my childish mind, I see it as a boomerang thrown from Sydney that floats around to Melbourne, then overshoots the thrower and ends up in Brisbane. In kilometers/mileage terms, if one could throw a baseball and not a boomerang, the difference between the cross-country Hail Mary bomb and this boomerang may end up being small. The big tradeoff is giving up flat desert for hilly coastal scenery.
Narooma is a touristy, seaside stopover with ample services and a few attractions. I walked a few miles from the motel to Wagonga Head where there’s a rock arch said to be in the shape of Australia and a small seal colony. Included some pics and a short video at sunset of two seals in an argumentative state (sorry for the poor light quality…it was sunset and there was no other angle to film.)
As I approach two weeks in Australia…a few compare-and-contrast observations of people from my rides in the US, UK, New Zealand and Canada relative to Australia. This has been the only country where bikers don’t acknowledge their fellow cyclists on the road. Usually you cross paths or pass/get passed by another biker, you wave a hand, tilt your helmet, say hi or something. Not here. In stores, at rest stops and at public places, the Aussies are kind but distant. I couldn’t keep the Kiwis and Canadians from flocking when they saw me on a bike. Americans were somewhat in the middle of curiosity and helpfulness and the Brits were approachable but reserved (except at pubs after some liquid lubrication). The Aussies keep to themselves. That’s not necessarily bad. Perhaps its their rugged individualism that plays out in parts of the US. I do find the Aussie drivers extremely kind and considerate. Not one issue to date.
French Fry did a blog entry on Anzac Day that will follow this one.
25 April 23 - Dog Blog #3 - Anzac Day
Anzac Day is a holiday in Australia that marks the anniversary of the first major military action Australia and New Zealand fought in WWI when troops landed in Gallipoli, Turkey in 1915. The mission was to reach Istanbul, eliminate Turkey from the war and provide supplies for Russia against Germany. Of the 70,000 soldiers that landed, roughly 20,000 were Aussies and Kiwis (New Zealanders). The mission failed, and the troops withdrew eight months later with over half of the committed forces killed in action. In the same year, April 25 was officially declared as ‘Anzac Day’ by George Pearce, the acting Australian Prime Minister. By the mid-1920s, Anzac Day had become a national public holiday.
Having been in situ today for this holiday, Dave and I have a few perceptions. Most shops save grocery stores and gas stations close, people tend to celebrate the night before (bars, bands, etc.) and many go to sunrise services on Anzac Day to pay homage to those who served and suffered during WWI and all other engagements. After the morning services, parks and beaches appeared busy as families did what most do on national holidays if the weather is good - hang outside with family and friends.
Anzac Day is a holiday in Australia that marks the anniversary of the first major military action Australia and New Zealand fought in WWI when troops landed in Gallipoli, Turkey in 1915. The mission was to reach Istanbul, eliminate Turkey from the war and provide supplies for Russia against Germany. Of the 70,000 soldiers that landed, roughly 20,000 were Aussies and Kiwis (New Zealanders). The mission failed, and the troops withdrew eight months later with over half of the committed forces killed in action. In the same year, April 25 was officially declared as ‘Anzac Day’ by George Pearce, the acting Australian Prime Minister. By the mid-1920s, Anzac Day had become a national public holiday.
Having been in situ today for this holiday, Dave and I have a few perceptions. Most shops save grocery stores and gas stations close, people tend to celebrate the night before (bars, bands, etc.) and many go to sunrise services on Anzac Day to pay homage to those who served and suffered during WWI and all other engagements. After the morning services, parks and beaches appeared busy as families did what most do on national holidays if the weather is good - hang outside with family and friends.
26 April 23 - The Wisconsin Mound
I usually wear my red U of Wisconsin "Initiative to End Alzheimer’s" bike jersey on the road and there are times when it leads to good conversations about my ride. Today was an example when I had a chat with a spry lady of 93 who is caring for her sister with dementia. I hadn't expected our state to have a strange connection within Australia however...
A took a midday break from biking to visit the Eurobodalla Regional Botanical Garden. Picked up a brochure and saw “Wisconsin Mound” listed as a feature on the map. “How cool is that!” I thought. After taking in the Aborigine plant walk and having a stare down with a family of kangaroos who hopped over from the nearby forest, I sought out the Wisconsin mound. Looked and looked. All I saw was what looked like a septic leech field…so I went back to the gift shop and asked the attendant for more info. She had no idea but went to ask her assistant manager who apologized on arrival for not having an answer. Both of them were frustrated and making such a scene we were drawing a crowd of onlookers. The manager was called in from the gardens. He jumped out of his UTV and said “What’s the problem?”.
“No problem sir” I said. “Just interested in the Wisconsin mound.”
He looked perplexed but went on to say what I feared. It was the diffusing ground for the dirty water from the gift shop and classrooms with its output going back into the nearby ponds. He had no idea how Wisconsin became its name. I asked if I could video interview him for my blog but he declined.
It's a shame that at least someone from Australia connotates Wisconsin with wastewater treatments. Will need to work harder at trying to improve our image.
I faced a stiff 10-12mph headwind today heading due north along the coast but another 4,600 feet of evilation and plenty of trees made this less noticeable. The first eight miles were lovely...a flat cycle/walking path along the sea. Then it got hilly again. Interestingly, I’m 1,250 miles into the ride which is roughly half my original route from Sydney to Perth but I’ve already climbed 42.2% more on this boomerang bike route in half the distance than the full Sydney-Perth route with plenty more evilation to go before Brisbane.
My sleepover after 80 miles is in Ulladulla. A little overly critical in my view as it had its points of excitement. I had a fossil-focused afternoon exploring exposed rocks on the beaches that are loaded with fossils…I did the Gondwana Coast Fossil Walk and the Brodie Park Geological Time Walk with a few bush hikes before it got too dark to be out. The light window here is frustrating. Sunrise around 6:30AM, sunset at 5:30PM. Gives me about five hours less of a light window than when I crossed Canada last year which means I’m shortening my time in the saddle to be able to see a few things during visible hours.
French Fry has been barking at me to publish his next blog. Soon. A teaser…what human creation does Australia have that is longer than the Great Wall of China? It has some dog roots to it.
I usually wear my red U of Wisconsin "Initiative to End Alzheimer’s" bike jersey on the road and there are times when it leads to good conversations about my ride. Today was an example when I had a chat with a spry lady of 93 who is caring for her sister with dementia. I hadn't expected our state to have a strange connection within Australia however...
A took a midday break from biking to visit the Eurobodalla Regional Botanical Garden. Picked up a brochure and saw “Wisconsin Mound” listed as a feature on the map. “How cool is that!” I thought. After taking in the Aborigine plant walk and having a stare down with a family of kangaroos who hopped over from the nearby forest, I sought out the Wisconsin mound. Looked and looked. All I saw was what looked like a septic leech field…so I went back to the gift shop and asked the attendant for more info. She had no idea but went to ask her assistant manager who apologized on arrival for not having an answer. Both of them were frustrated and making such a scene we were drawing a crowd of onlookers. The manager was called in from the gardens. He jumped out of his UTV and said “What’s the problem?”.
“No problem sir” I said. “Just interested in the Wisconsin mound.”
He looked perplexed but went on to say what I feared. It was the diffusing ground for the dirty water from the gift shop and classrooms with its output going back into the nearby ponds. He had no idea how Wisconsin became its name. I asked if I could video interview him for my blog but he declined.
It's a shame that at least someone from Australia connotates Wisconsin with wastewater treatments. Will need to work harder at trying to improve our image.
I faced a stiff 10-12mph headwind today heading due north along the coast but another 4,600 feet of evilation and plenty of trees made this less noticeable. The first eight miles were lovely...a flat cycle/walking path along the sea. Then it got hilly again. Interestingly, I’m 1,250 miles into the ride which is roughly half my original route from Sydney to Perth but I’ve already climbed 42.2% more on this boomerang bike route in half the distance than the full Sydney-Perth route with plenty more evilation to go before Brisbane.
My sleepover after 80 miles is in Ulladulla. A little overly critical in my view as it had its points of excitement. I had a fossil-focused afternoon exploring exposed rocks on the beaches that are loaded with fossils…I did the Gondwana Coast Fossil Walk and the Brodie Park Geological Time Walk with a few bush hikes before it got too dark to be out. The light window here is frustrating. Sunrise around 6:30AM, sunset at 5:30PM. Gives me about five hours less of a light window than when I crossed Canada last year which means I’m shortening my time in the saddle to be able to see a few things during visible hours.
French Fry has been barking at me to publish his next blog. Soon. A teaser…what human creation does Australia have that is longer than the Great Wall of China? It has some dog roots to it.
27 April 23 - Approaching Sydney
Continued biking north today, dealing with hills, headwinds and a little bit of heat as temps got to 76F by early afternoon. That doesn’t seem too hot, but the Aussie sun has been shining brightly this week and makes one feel like a french fry in an air fryer. That’s the potato kind, not my poor dog. I moved 87 miles to Wollongong, the biggest metropolis I’ve passed since Melbourne. Started off relatively rural and hilly and finished utterly urban and fairly flat with thicker traffic than I like…so I go slow and slide along on cycle paths or sidewalks where possible. Today’s ride was less coastal than the last few days with fewer views of the sea.
The only stop of substance prior to Wollongong was the Kiama Blowhole. When conditions are right, wave action creates pressure under a rock that shoots water up like a geyser. It didn’t do that for me or for the busloads of Asian tourists who waited patiently with their cameras for nature to play out as TripAdvisor said. Wollongong is so big, it has its own bus network, a large sports venue and a local brewery that has Drag Queen Bingo on Thursday nights. Not for me…I have way too much planning to do as tomorrow I may reach Sydney.
I did have time to take in the Wollongong Art Museum which showcased Aborigine art and took a walk along a promontory to the harbor. On the route was a lighthouse and a fascinating lighthouse rock pool walk where cannon used to deter a possible Russian invasion in the late 19th century were positioned. On the way back to the motel, I birdwatched. Australia has 56 different species of parrots and I saw a few new ones tonight. One of the memories I will carry from this ride will be the chatter of the birds at dusk. Even in an urban area, the sound overwhelms vehicular noises and is a pleasure to hear (for me anyway…I suppose after a spell it would blend into the background).
I've climbed vertically five miles over the last five days. I can’t recall that pace ever in my touring riding career. So much up it is starting to get me down! So yesterday I jettisoned a few things which included two travel size shampoos. Every place I’ve stayed, even those without WiFi, have offered shampoo and usually conditioner. Well tonight’s CBD (Central Business District) hotel had the WiFi but no shampoo…so soap had to do!
Continued biking north today, dealing with hills, headwinds and a little bit of heat as temps got to 76F by early afternoon. That doesn’t seem too hot, but the Aussie sun has been shining brightly this week and makes one feel like a french fry in an air fryer. That’s the potato kind, not my poor dog. I moved 87 miles to Wollongong, the biggest metropolis I’ve passed since Melbourne. Started off relatively rural and hilly and finished utterly urban and fairly flat with thicker traffic than I like…so I go slow and slide along on cycle paths or sidewalks where possible. Today’s ride was less coastal than the last few days with fewer views of the sea.
The only stop of substance prior to Wollongong was the Kiama Blowhole. When conditions are right, wave action creates pressure under a rock that shoots water up like a geyser. It didn’t do that for me or for the busloads of Asian tourists who waited patiently with their cameras for nature to play out as TripAdvisor said. Wollongong is so big, it has its own bus network, a large sports venue and a local brewery that has Drag Queen Bingo on Thursday nights. Not for me…I have way too much planning to do as tomorrow I may reach Sydney.
I did have time to take in the Wollongong Art Museum which showcased Aborigine art and took a walk along a promontory to the harbor. On the route was a lighthouse and a fascinating lighthouse rock pool walk where cannon used to deter a possible Russian invasion in the late 19th century were positioned. On the way back to the motel, I birdwatched. Australia has 56 different species of parrots and I saw a few new ones tonight. One of the memories I will carry from this ride will be the chatter of the birds at dusk. Even in an urban area, the sound overwhelms vehicular noises and is a pleasure to hear (for me anyway…I suppose after a spell it would blend into the background).
I've climbed vertically five miles over the last five days. I can’t recall that pace ever in my touring riding career. So much up it is starting to get me down! So yesterday I jettisoned a few things which included two travel size shampoos. Every place I’ve stayed, even those without WiFi, have offered shampoo and usually conditioner. Well tonight’s CBD (Central Business District) hotel had the WiFi but no shampoo…so soap had to do!
28 April 23 - Flying thru Sydney, Aided by Two Fairies (sic) and a Tour de France Veteran
Feeling very fortunate tonight in having snaked through the stop-sign congested mess that is Sydney to Woy Woy where I have a room above a lively pub pub that has a nice happy happy hour. This epizeuxis thing is catchy.
Left my Wollongong motel at 6AM, thanks in part to an inability to turn off the heat in the room…which had me up at 4:15AM anyway. My first 20km (12 miles) was along a bike path; rising sun over the sea to my right. Was amazed at how lively the path was. I’ve done marathons with fewer runners than what Wollongong showcased this morning. Made for slow biking but I didn’t mind. Just felt great being out with so many other active Aussies.
After the cycle path ended, I had the silly idea of visiting the Sri Venkateswara Temple, ranked #5 in popularity of Hindu temples in Australia and a 1,000ft climb from the sea over 4km. By the time I struggled to the top in the humid 75F temps, the Hindu attendants must have thought I had bathed in the Ganga, such was my sweaty state. I had the place to myself and was moved by the use of gold leaf in the elephants and monkeys and cross-legged meditating worshipers in the interior (no pictures allowed, but I included a stock photo in the slideshow).
I relied on Google to get me to Circular Quay in the heart of Sydney (near the Opera House) where I took the first of two speed boat ferries north, broken up by 25 miles of additional biking. Each ferry moved me along about eight miles and avoided countless stop signs and variegated bike paths that mysteriously shift from the left to the right side of the bifurcated highway every few miles and then back again. I was hyper alert, as much for texting walkers and untethered dogs as vehicles. Was quite surprised how smoothly things went. I managed 94 miles (16 of which were marine-engine enabled) and 4,100 feet of evilation before getting to Woy Woy. The boat rides bordered on scary – although only 20 minutes each, I had to hang on to my bike each time to avoid it tipping with the sway of the ship.
As I was slithering through Sydney’s suburbs, an older gentleman on a mountain bike sized me up at a stop sign. We engaged in conversation and road together for a spell. I was challenged in making out his thick French accent (though in fairness, more than one Aussie has called my American accent ‘the thickest I’ve ever heard.’ Turns out he was a Tour de France rider; albeit 40 years ago, and he regaled in his glory days of daily training rides of 300km (that’s 186 miles). He also had a bike helmet that had multi-colored zip ties attached to the top of his helmet, protruding upward in all sorts of directions. I’ve seen that before and they look spacey to me…I will try to get a pic in the days ahead if I run into it again. Anyhow, as we parted ways, I shook his hand (my first Tour participant handshake and refused to wash it tonight in the hopes it helps me on the upcoming hills) and thanked him for his company.
My dog French Fry asked to be traded if I didn’t give him more visibility, so he gets in a few pics today and will get a blog post tomorrow. I suggested that a 27-year-old dog probably doesn’t have much value in the marketplace, but he feels he's a jetsetter and that someone will value his talents. Time will tell.
Feeling very fortunate tonight in having snaked through the stop-sign congested mess that is Sydney to Woy Woy where I have a room above a lively pub pub that has a nice happy happy hour. This epizeuxis thing is catchy.
Left my Wollongong motel at 6AM, thanks in part to an inability to turn off the heat in the room…which had me up at 4:15AM anyway. My first 20km (12 miles) was along a bike path; rising sun over the sea to my right. Was amazed at how lively the path was. I’ve done marathons with fewer runners than what Wollongong showcased this morning. Made for slow biking but I didn’t mind. Just felt great being out with so many other active Aussies.
After the cycle path ended, I had the silly idea of visiting the Sri Venkateswara Temple, ranked #5 in popularity of Hindu temples in Australia and a 1,000ft climb from the sea over 4km. By the time I struggled to the top in the humid 75F temps, the Hindu attendants must have thought I had bathed in the Ganga, such was my sweaty state. I had the place to myself and was moved by the use of gold leaf in the elephants and monkeys and cross-legged meditating worshipers in the interior (no pictures allowed, but I included a stock photo in the slideshow).
I relied on Google to get me to Circular Quay in the heart of Sydney (near the Opera House) where I took the first of two speed boat ferries north, broken up by 25 miles of additional biking. Each ferry moved me along about eight miles and avoided countless stop signs and variegated bike paths that mysteriously shift from the left to the right side of the bifurcated highway every few miles and then back again. I was hyper alert, as much for texting walkers and untethered dogs as vehicles. Was quite surprised how smoothly things went. I managed 94 miles (16 of which were marine-engine enabled) and 4,100 feet of evilation before getting to Woy Woy. The boat rides bordered on scary – although only 20 minutes each, I had to hang on to my bike each time to avoid it tipping with the sway of the ship.
As I was slithering through Sydney’s suburbs, an older gentleman on a mountain bike sized me up at a stop sign. We engaged in conversation and road together for a spell. I was challenged in making out his thick French accent (though in fairness, more than one Aussie has called my American accent ‘the thickest I’ve ever heard.’ Turns out he was a Tour de France rider; albeit 40 years ago, and he regaled in his glory days of daily training rides of 300km (that’s 186 miles). He also had a bike helmet that had multi-colored zip ties attached to the top of his helmet, protruding upward in all sorts of directions. I’ve seen that before and they look spacey to me…I will try to get a pic in the days ahead if I run into it again. Anyhow, as we parted ways, I shook his hand (my first Tour participant handshake and refused to wash it tonight in the hopes it helps me on the upcoming hills) and thanked him for his company.
My dog French Fry asked to be traded if I didn’t give him more visibility, so he gets in a few pics today and will get a blog post tomorrow. I suggested that a 27-year-old dog probably doesn’t have much value in the marketplace, but he feels he's a jetsetter and that someone will value his talents. Time will tell.
29 April 23 - Long John's and Cave Beaches
After last night, I have one more thing to check before booking Australian lodging…WiFi? Shampoo? and now “Is there a live band playing below me until 1AM?” The band was good; it just went on longer than I would have liked.
Forecast called for rain today but it stayed away. A combo of partially cloudy skies, a crosswind vs a headwind and flatter terrain (only had 3,100ft of evilation today) allowed me to cycle northeast 105 miles and still have time to take in a few interesting sights. Ended up in Nelson Bay, a town on the Central Coast known for trophy fishing and cruises for dolphin and whale watching amidst the nearby bays and islands.
I went through many parks, alongside large lakes and through several dilapidated wetlands. Riding as the sun rises remains a highlight of the day, especially when I can take a cycle pathway for the first few hours. The oranges and yellow hues mesh with increasingly harsher blues as the sun breaks over the sea to my east.
Three of the places I visited impressed me while there were two I skipped due to inconvenience. I’ll briefly touch on each to give a sense of the sights in the “Central Coast” of Australia and have included some pics in the slideshow. First the sights seen:
• Long John Wharf: I’m not sure if this has connotations to the elongated pastry, but the name rings true as this pier went over 1,000 feet into shallow Tuggerah Lake. I walked it and am glad I don’t have to stain the wood planks.
• Cave Beach: Pics and video tell the story. When I was there, a wedding party in full dress was busy raking the sand to take pics. They should have rented the sandboni.
• Fernleigh Track: A seven-mile rail trail that lived up to my expectations. Ferns and either paperbarks or perhaps a species of eucalyptus slanted in and shaded the paved trail that never inclined more than 2%. Noisy Miner birds and elusive parrot species cackled along the way. Precious.
The two sights I wanted to see but didn’t are nods to my archaeology aficionados and outdoor lovers. The first is the Gosford Glyphs, a set of Egyptian hieroglyphs set into rocks to the west of Gosford where I cycled through at sunrise. Some says these represent proof that ancient Egyptians sailed to Australia while the more accepted view is that they are only about a century old, carved by Aussie soldiers returning back home after serving in Egypt in WWI. The second is called The Big Mosquito, one of a few hundred super-sized roadside objects meant to attract visitors to towns and establishments in Australia. Ossie the Mossie, as this bug is called, rests in Hexham and reflects the large Hexham Grey mosquito that thrives in the wetlands I rode through today. The latter I included in the slideshow. To learn more about the Glyphs, please reference Google.
There’s truth in the Monty Python interview audio clipped earlier when John Cleese said “You’re making it up as you go along!” I check the weather the night before (rain and wind mostly), then compare the New South Wales Coastal Cycle route (NSWCC) and Google Maps bike routes for generally where I want to go. Examine TripAdvisor, Atlas Obscura and Google maps for attractions in the vicinity of the likely route. Look to see the locations, prices and availability of lodging in likely end destinations. Check for body fueling options (drink and food). The latter is less critical since I gave up on the desert. Sleep on it. Wake up, plot a course on Google Maps, put an ear bud in my non-traffic ear and have at it. By about 1PM the phone is nearly out of juice, so I plug in the battery backup device and that lasts until the end of the ride. Soon I will start plotting a return flight to the US. Have about 600 miles to go to get to Brisbane.
Today, this 'bike seat of the pants' approach cost me. Nelson Bay is a ferry jumping off point to get north to Tea Gardens than by a circuitous cycle around an inlet. More of an “as the magpie flies” approach that saves time and often avoids traffic congestion. So I biked to what I thought was the ferry area and found lodging at 4:30PM with an hour of light window remaining. Then I booked the ferry for tomorrow only to find that I have to backtrack seven miles to catch the 8:15AM ferry. So much for sleeping in.
Two updates from recent posts. First, thanks to the lovely lady I met at the gardens yesterday who commented on the punk possum look with bikers wearing zip ties protruding from their helmets. The ties are said to deter divebombing magpies at certain times of the year. I included a pic in the slideshow. Authorities are generally negatively disposed on the benefits of this but it likely can’t hurt. The other came from my brother who confirmed that “Wisconsin Mound” is a real type of mound system. So the name Wisconsin gets a mound to the other side of the world.
French Fry's entry will have to wait. One of my biggest regrets on this ride is taking my tablet over my laptop. It takes a few hours to publish this blog each night and I often run out of time to edify it properly.
After last night, I have one more thing to check before booking Australian lodging…WiFi? Shampoo? and now “Is there a live band playing below me until 1AM?” The band was good; it just went on longer than I would have liked.
Forecast called for rain today but it stayed away. A combo of partially cloudy skies, a crosswind vs a headwind and flatter terrain (only had 3,100ft of evilation today) allowed me to cycle northeast 105 miles and still have time to take in a few interesting sights. Ended up in Nelson Bay, a town on the Central Coast known for trophy fishing and cruises for dolphin and whale watching amidst the nearby bays and islands.
I went through many parks, alongside large lakes and through several dilapidated wetlands. Riding as the sun rises remains a highlight of the day, especially when I can take a cycle pathway for the first few hours. The oranges and yellow hues mesh with increasingly harsher blues as the sun breaks over the sea to my east.
Three of the places I visited impressed me while there were two I skipped due to inconvenience. I’ll briefly touch on each to give a sense of the sights in the “Central Coast” of Australia and have included some pics in the slideshow. First the sights seen:
• Long John Wharf: I’m not sure if this has connotations to the elongated pastry, but the name rings true as this pier went over 1,000 feet into shallow Tuggerah Lake. I walked it and am glad I don’t have to stain the wood planks.
• Cave Beach: Pics and video tell the story. When I was there, a wedding party in full dress was busy raking the sand to take pics. They should have rented the sandboni.
• Fernleigh Track: A seven-mile rail trail that lived up to my expectations. Ferns and either paperbarks or perhaps a species of eucalyptus slanted in and shaded the paved trail that never inclined more than 2%. Noisy Miner birds and elusive parrot species cackled along the way. Precious.
The two sights I wanted to see but didn’t are nods to my archaeology aficionados and outdoor lovers. The first is the Gosford Glyphs, a set of Egyptian hieroglyphs set into rocks to the west of Gosford where I cycled through at sunrise. Some says these represent proof that ancient Egyptians sailed to Australia while the more accepted view is that they are only about a century old, carved by Aussie soldiers returning back home after serving in Egypt in WWI. The second is called The Big Mosquito, one of a few hundred super-sized roadside objects meant to attract visitors to towns and establishments in Australia. Ossie the Mossie, as this bug is called, rests in Hexham and reflects the large Hexham Grey mosquito that thrives in the wetlands I rode through today. The latter I included in the slideshow. To learn more about the Glyphs, please reference Google.
There’s truth in the Monty Python interview audio clipped earlier when John Cleese said “You’re making it up as you go along!” I check the weather the night before (rain and wind mostly), then compare the New South Wales Coastal Cycle route (NSWCC) and Google Maps bike routes for generally where I want to go. Examine TripAdvisor, Atlas Obscura and Google maps for attractions in the vicinity of the likely route. Look to see the locations, prices and availability of lodging in likely end destinations. Check for body fueling options (drink and food). The latter is less critical since I gave up on the desert. Sleep on it. Wake up, plot a course on Google Maps, put an ear bud in my non-traffic ear and have at it. By about 1PM the phone is nearly out of juice, so I plug in the battery backup device and that lasts until the end of the ride. Soon I will start plotting a return flight to the US. Have about 600 miles to go to get to Brisbane.
Today, this 'bike seat of the pants' approach cost me. Nelson Bay is a ferry jumping off point to get north to Tea Gardens than by a circuitous cycle around an inlet. More of an “as the magpie flies” approach that saves time and often avoids traffic congestion. So I biked to what I thought was the ferry area and found lodging at 4:30PM with an hour of light window remaining. Then I booked the ferry for tomorrow only to find that I have to backtrack seven miles to catch the 8:15AM ferry. So much for sleeping in.
Two updates from recent posts. First, thanks to the lovely lady I met at the gardens yesterday who commented on the punk possum look with bikers wearing zip ties protruding from their helmets. The ties are said to deter divebombing magpies at certain times of the year. I included a pic in the slideshow. Authorities are generally negatively disposed on the benefits of this but it likely can’t hurt. The other came from my brother who confirmed that “Wisconsin Mound” is a real type of mound system. So the name Wisconsin gets a mound to the other side of the world.
French Fry's entry will have to wait. One of my biggest regrets on this ride is taking my tablet over my laptop. It takes a few hours to publish this blog each night and I often run out of time to edify it properly.
30 April 23 - Reasons Y-Knot and a Rant About Snakes
As Mike Tyson said…”Everyone Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Mouth.” After a great set-up ride yesterday, I had hoped to enjoy an early morning hour-long ferry cruise on the Y-knot charter across the Karush River to Tea Gardens. I would then ride northeasterly away from the coast on a less mountainous A1 highway through yet more national parks. Things didn’t turn out as planned. Y-knot?
Yesterday I noted my faux pas after reserving the 8AM ferry in thinking I overshot the dock by seven miles based on the Y-knot website (“For Directions, Click Here” button). That seemed odd, so I did more research this morning and it looked like the website pointed to their corporate office located seven miles away on a different bay. My take was that the departure pier was only a mile away…so far so good…but I still arrived an hour early in case I had that wrong. Ten minutes before departure things were quiet…too quiet…until a guy comes down the pier and says “You looking for the 8AM ferry? The captain told me to tell you he isn’t running it as you are the only ticketed passenger.” The economist in me got it; the traveler who had miles to role and a non-refundable motel 100 miles north was a bit put out.
He suggested I try another ferry service a five minute bike ride away. I went there and nobody was around (it is Sunday after all) and their website noted no ferries scheduled until Tuesday. Now really put off (the punch to the face part), I rode back to the Y-knot slip and found the skipper’s mate Gilligan and gave him an update. After some discussion, he agreed to take me three hours later in the hope he’d pick up some mid-day passengers. He found some other passengers and we made a calm crossing, but it was noon by the time we landed in Tea Gardens and it gets dark here by 5PM.
During the wait, I was able to back out of the motel stay and researched other options given a shorter light window. Made no commitments because I wasn’t sure of the road conditions…as it was, Google put me on an eight-mile gravel road to get to the A1 which was pure yuck. [Note: Google is good most of the time but occasionally it assumes a bike path is doable for any type of bike. Occasionally it will infer a heavily laden touring bike can tackle tough single track or gravel riding more suited for a fat tire or suspension mountain bike.] So once I joined the A1, it was like smelling salts revived me. The shoulder was wide, the underlayment smooth, the terrain fairly flat (only 2,950ft of evilation today) and the crosswinds not an obstruction. Managed 68 miles in 4.5 hours which is good for me on a touring bike with gear. I have deadly snakes to thank in part. Ended up in Taree where I have a nice big room in an older motel close to Woolworth’s where I can shop for my dinner.
One update and two rants to go….the videos links yesterday were mislabeled by me as “private” and not “public”. Thanks to my wife for catching that. Hopefully fixed now.
Rant #1 is about snakes. Some peoples, notably the Egyptians, the Hopi First Peoples and the Khasi tribe of Meghalaya worship snakes. Judeo-Christian societies tend to not. It is on my mind here…so much so I’ve developing an Indiana Jones complex. Yesterday I saw snake #2 on a bridge as I was crossing a river. No opportunity to get a pic but it was big, black and only part of it was hanging on the bridge with its tail wrapped around the post and its body and head flaying in the wind below the bridge. Like it was waiting for some unsuspecting paddleboarder to meander under the bridge and get strangled or something. Today I saw two greenish snakes, both sunning themselves on the shoulder pavement. From Wisconsin, I like the harmless garter snakes with the cold faucet sink line thickness. Here they have the circumference of vacuum cleaner tubes and tongues longer than Gene Simmons of Kiss. It’s like comparing a McDonalds Happy Meal to a Man vs Food monster burger. What makes it hard is that the road shoulders contain so much detritus like parts of car tires or tie downs/straps or curvaceous pieces of wood that can easily be mistaken for snakes from a distance. So I go slow, give wide berths to all things in my path and don’t ride at night. I also take breaks standing up, usually in the middle of quiet roads, or if there's a pull-off with a picnic table, I sit on top of the table not on the bench next to it.
Rant #2, and its not a complaint but more an observation…is that someone should reign in the Parks Director of Australia. There are 63 National Parks in the US (as of 2023) and the scarcity factor makes visiting them memorable. In Australia, there are 564 National Parks plus a host of other national this and national that. That’s oversaturation. I applaud the idea of setting aside the land and like that there are no park fees for day visitors, but consideration should be given to consolidation and/or rebranding some of these as more local and not national parks.
As Mike Tyson said…”Everyone Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Mouth.” After a great set-up ride yesterday, I had hoped to enjoy an early morning hour-long ferry cruise on the Y-knot charter across the Karush River to Tea Gardens. I would then ride northeasterly away from the coast on a less mountainous A1 highway through yet more national parks. Things didn’t turn out as planned. Y-knot?
Yesterday I noted my faux pas after reserving the 8AM ferry in thinking I overshot the dock by seven miles based on the Y-knot website (“For Directions, Click Here” button). That seemed odd, so I did more research this morning and it looked like the website pointed to their corporate office located seven miles away on a different bay. My take was that the departure pier was only a mile away…so far so good…but I still arrived an hour early in case I had that wrong. Ten minutes before departure things were quiet…too quiet…until a guy comes down the pier and says “You looking for the 8AM ferry? The captain told me to tell you he isn’t running it as you are the only ticketed passenger.” The economist in me got it; the traveler who had miles to role and a non-refundable motel 100 miles north was a bit put out.
He suggested I try another ferry service a five minute bike ride away. I went there and nobody was around (it is Sunday after all) and their website noted no ferries scheduled until Tuesday. Now really put off (the punch to the face part), I rode back to the Y-knot slip and found the skipper’s mate Gilligan and gave him an update. After some discussion, he agreed to take me three hours later in the hope he’d pick up some mid-day passengers. He found some other passengers and we made a calm crossing, but it was noon by the time we landed in Tea Gardens and it gets dark here by 5PM.
During the wait, I was able to back out of the motel stay and researched other options given a shorter light window. Made no commitments because I wasn’t sure of the road conditions…as it was, Google put me on an eight-mile gravel road to get to the A1 which was pure yuck. [Note: Google is good most of the time but occasionally it assumes a bike path is doable for any type of bike. Occasionally it will infer a heavily laden touring bike can tackle tough single track or gravel riding more suited for a fat tire or suspension mountain bike.] So once I joined the A1, it was like smelling salts revived me. The shoulder was wide, the underlayment smooth, the terrain fairly flat (only 2,950ft of evilation today) and the crosswinds not an obstruction. Managed 68 miles in 4.5 hours which is good for me on a touring bike with gear. I have deadly snakes to thank in part. Ended up in Taree where I have a nice big room in an older motel close to Woolworth’s where I can shop for my dinner.
One update and two rants to go….the videos links yesterday were mislabeled by me as “private” and not “public”. Thanks to my wife for catching that. Hopefully fixed now.
Rant #1 is about snakes. Some peoples, notably the Egyptians, the Hopi First Peoples and the Khasi tribe of Meghalaya worship snakes. Judeo-Christian societies tend to not. It is on my mind here…so much so I’ve developing an Indiana Jones complex. Yesterday I saw snake #2 on a bridge as I was crossing a river. No opportunity to get a pic but it was big, black and only part of it was hanging on the bridge with its tail wrapped around the post and its body and head flaying in the wind below the bridge. Like it was waiting for some unsuspecting paddleboarder to meander under the bridge and get strangled or something. Today I saw two greenish snakes, both sunning themselves on the shoulder pavement. From Wisconsin, I like the harmless garter snakes with the cold faucet sink line thickness. Here they have the circumference of vacuum cleaner tubes and tongues longer than Gene Simmons of Kiss. It’s like comparing a McDonalds Happy Meal to a Man vs Food monster burger. What makes it hard is that the road shoulders contain so much detritus like parts of car tires or tie downs/straps or curvaceous pieces of wood that can easily be mistaken for snakes from a distance. So I go slow, give wide berths to all things in my path and don’t ride at night. I also take breaks standing up, usually in the middle of quiet roads, or if there's a pull-off with a picnic table, I sit on top of the table not on the bench next to it.
Rant #2, and its not a complaint but more an observation…is that someone should reign in the Parks Director of Australia. There are 63 National Parks in the US (as of 2023) and the scarcity factor makes visiting them memorable. In Australia, there are 564 National Parks plus a host of other national this and national that. That’s oversaturation. I applaud the idea of setting aside the land and like that there are no park fees for day visitors, but consideration should be given to consolidation and/or rebranding some of these as more local and not national parks.
30 April 23 - Dog Blog #4 - A Man's Best Friend
After Dave's rants about snakes, its time we talk about Man's Best Friend...well, a relative of it anyway in the dingo.
The Dingo Fence is Australia’s answer to the Great Wall of China, but instead of restraining nomadic tribes, the Aussies aim to keep out the canid Dingoes. As 5,614 kilometers (3,488 miles), it is slightly longer than the Great Wall ever was and runs from Jimbour on the Darling Downs to near Nundroo in the Nullarbor Plain. At one point, it ran for 8,000 kilometers but the use of poison baits has allowed the fence to shrink somewhat to its present length. Mostly made of high wire mesh about six feet high, the motivation is to protect sheep flocks.
Mostly successful, the loss of dingoes has retained sheep but has been 'baaaaaaad' for controlling rabbits, kangaroos and emus which have multiplied with the loss of a former predator.
After Dave's rants about snakes, its time we talk about Man's Best Friend...well, a relative of it anyway in the dingo.
The Dingo Fence is Australia’s answer to the Great Wall of China, but instead of restraining nomadic tribes, the Aussies aim to keep out the canid Dingoes. As 5,614 kilometers (3,488 miles), it is slightly longer than the Great Wall ever was and runs from Jimbour on the Darling Downs to near Nundroo in the Nullarbor Plain. At one point, it ran for 8,000 kilometers but the use of poison baits has allowed the fence to shrink somewhat to its present length. Mostly made of high wire mesh about six feet high, the motivation is to protect sheep flocks.
Mostly successful, the loss of dingoes has retained sheep but has been 'baaaaaaad' for controlling rabbits, kangaroos and emus which have multiplied with the loss of a former predator.
1 May 23 - Big Things, Beaches and Birds
After only one overnight inland, I felt blue water calling and went off-path somewhat to spend the afternoon and night in Nambucca Heads on the South Pacific Ocean (I’ve been miscalling it a sea in recent blogs). Biking conditions were Goldilocks again. Being near water, temp swings throughout the day average only about 10-12F which means I’m not pulling off layers as the day progresses. Today that range was 60F-70F with occasional clouds, a little tailwind, a good underlayment to ride on the A1 highway and no snakes. Continued northeast, managing 112 miles by 2PM after a few short stops for “big things.” Then I had time to explore the surfing town after settling into a Jellystone Park-like small cabin in a campground by the water.
The more time I spend in Australia, the more the people and to an extent the vastness of the scenery reminds me of Texas. The people have a ‘don’t mess with me’ independence streak and are fiercely proud of their largess in many ways. Take roadside attractions…there are over 150 “big things” in Australia. I included the shrimp/crayfish yesterday. Today I’ve added The Big Oyster and the Big Axe along with showing how big my cabin’s toaster is. Hopefully tomorrow I get to see The Big Banana. Loaded with vitamins, I'd hate to passtassium that one.
Nambucca Heads had some beautiful beaches and I meandered around early enough for my bias towards birds to play out in the pics and the video clip below of rainbow lorikeets.
A special thanks to those who have donated to the UW-Madison's Initiative to End Alzheimer's. I will follow-up once I settle back in the States to personally thank you. There's still time to donate if you wish with the secure icon in the upper right.
After only one overnight inland, I felt blue water calling and went off-path somewhat to spend the afternoon and night in Nambucca Heads on the South Pacific Ocean (I’ve been miscalling it a sea in recent blogs). Biking conditions were Goldilocks again. Being near water, temp swings throughout the day average only about 10-12F which means I’m not pulling off layers as the day progresses. Today that range was 60F-70F with occasional clouds, a little tailwind, a good underlayment to ride on the A1 highway and no snakes. Continued northeast, managing 112 miles by 2PM after a few short stops for “big things.” Then I had time to explore the surfing town after settling into a Jellystone Park-like small cabin in a campground by the water.
The more time I spend in Australia, the more the people and to an extent the vastness of the scenery reminds me of Texas. The people have a ‘don’t mess with me’ independence streak and are fiercely proud of their largess in many ways. Take roadside attractions…there are over 150 “big things” in Australia. I included the shrimp/crayfish yesterday. Today I’ve added The Big Oyster and the Big Axe along with showing how big my cabin’s toaster is. Hopefully tomorrow I get to see The Big Banana. Loaded with vitamins, I'd hate to passtassium that one.
Nambucca Heads had some beautiful beaches and I meandered around early enough for my bias towards birds to play out in the pics and the video clip below of rainbow lorikeets.
A special thanks to those who have donated to the UW-Madison's Initiative to End Alzheimer's. I will follow-up once I settle back in the States to personally thank you. There's still time to donate if you wish with the secure icon in the upper right.
2 May 23 - Going Bananas
I’m feeling really punny today, so be forewarned. I got to commune with The Big Banana, arguably the patriarch of the Aussie “Big Things” movement that took fruit in 1964 in Coffs Harbor in the state of New South Wales. As many as 150,000 tourists get their picture taken each year with this walk-through banana before they split. I had to wait several minutes myself. With some nostalgic items, fun facts and videos of bananas inside the edifice, it was an appealing stop.
Another great biking day with excellent temps and only a mild 5mph headwind. Continued mostly on the A1/M1 (Pacific Highway) heading northeast, traveling 94 miles with 3,300 feet of evilation before arriving at tiny Tyndale. This stretch from Syndey north has reminded me of Canada. Lots of trees, a smooth underlayment to ride on, the right amount of evilation and enough civilization to add interest. Tyndale is a food desert with only a gas station to supply me in a 15-mile radius but thankfully they had skim milk and a chicken wrap that will do for dinner. Staying at the “retro” Plantation Motel, rated the top “retro” in New South Wales in one article. It was a nice, quiet stop that let me plan my exit strategy post-ride and gave me daylight time to do a little backyard birding and get to bed before 11PM. The most unique bird sighted was the endangered yellow-tailed black cockatoo. As with most Aussie birds, the more interesting they are, the higher up they hang out and the harder it is to get good pics with my camera. I tried. Dusk and distance won't win me any Nat Geo photography awards I'm afraid.
If fortune favors, I will be in Brisbane in three days. Tomorrow (Wednesday) is a zig-zag from inland to coast through some beachy territory with some interesting cycle trails. Thursday is mostly a straight shot for the Brisbane burbs with a stay at a Zen Meditation Center. Friday morning I wrap the ride at the BRISBANE sign in the downtown area. Then the bike gets dropped off to get packaged up and I hope to take a few days to explore Brisbane and drive up the Gold Coast to the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef for some snorkeling or diving before flying back to the US mid-next week. Loads of logistics in play every day!
Added a piece below the daily pics on my snake management routine.
I’m feeling really punny today, so be forewarned. I got to commune with The Big Banana, arguably the patriarch of the Aussie “Big Things” movement that took fruit in 1964 in Coffs Harbor in the state of New South Wales. As many as 150,000 tourists get their picture taken each year with this walk-through banana before they split. I had to wait several minutes myself. With some nostalgic items, fun facts and videos of bananas inside the edifice, it was an appealing stop.
Another great biking day with excellent temps and only a mild 5mph headwind. Continued mostly on the A1/M1 (Pacific Highway) heading northeast, traveling 94 miles with 3,300 feet of evilation before arriving at tiny Tyndale. This stretch from Syndey north has reminded me of Canada. Lots of trees, a smooth underlayment to ride on, the right amount of evilation and enough civilization to add interest. Tyndale is a food desert with only a gas station to supply me in a 15-mile radius but thankfully they had skim milk and a chicken wrap that will do for dinner. Staying at the “retro” Plantation Motel, rated the top “retro” in New South Wales in one article. It was a nice, quiet stop that let me plan my exit strategy post-ride and gave me daylight time to do a little backyard birding and get to bed before 11PM. The most unique bird sighted was the endangered yellow-tailed black cockatoo. As with most Aussie birds, the more interesting they are, the higher up they hang out and the harder it is to get good pics with my camera. I tried. Dusk and distance won't win me any Nat Geo photography awards I'm afraid.
If fortune favors, I will be in Brisbane in three days. Tomorrow (Wednesday) is a zig-zag from inland to coast through some beachy territory with some interesting cycle trails. Thursday is mostly a straight shot for the Brisbane burbs with a stay at a Zen Meditation Center. Friday morning I wrap the ride at the BRISBANE sign in the downtown area. Then the bike gets dropped off to get packaged up and I hope to take a few days to explore Brisbane and drive up the Gold Coast to the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef for some snorkeling or diving before flying back to the US mid-next week. Loads of logistics in play every day!
Added a piece below the daily pics on my snake management routine.
If the Brain deems an object could be a snake, it issues a SNAKE WATCH to the body. A WATCH is where conditions could occur leading to a slithery snake sunning itself striking a passer-by. The body is put on alert and takes steps to monitor conditions by slowing up.
If the slithering snake does not exist (as shown below - just a tire casing), the WATCH is called off and all bikers may proceed with their normal activities.
If however the snake does exist (as below), the body issues a SNAKE WARNING. Bikers in the impacted area are urged to seek shelter in the lowest room in the house away from windows. Absent that, the biker is advised to stop, wait for any traffic from behind to pass, and proceed with a wide berth around the subject.
3 May 23 - When National Parks Outnumber Breweries
Felt chilled this morning when I left the hotel at 6:15AM. The fog that lingered over the river I biked alongside told me the air temp was materially lower than the water. After a few km on a minor highway, I breezed along the snakeless, smoothly surfaced, wide-shouldered A1/M1 for roughly 100km/62miles before veering off to commercial streets. cycle paths and country roads through Ballina and up the coast to my destination of Byron Bay. I read of a “dreamlike” cycle path along the coast but found the route just so-so. It got hot by noon when I was nearly done with my 87 miles and I was happy my destination, a gated trailer home vacation community called Discovery Park, had a cozy cabin in a park-like setting available early for me to shower and wash my clothes.
As I near the bike ride’s conclusion, I get reflective. Part of this comes from having less stuff to stage. The variables to the ride get fewer now that I’ve prelim plotted my bike boxing, post-ride transport and flight back to the States. Another part comes from where I’m staying. This little cabin is a glorified trailer home with a 1970s feel inside – small kitchenette, tiny bathroom, a set of bunk beds for the kids and a master bedroom far away from the wall heating and cooling unit that will leave me chilled tonight. The environs have two fishing ponds, a place to rent canoes and kayaks and a few pools with kiddie accoutrements. All it's missing is an arcade room. It’s the sort of place my Dad would consider his ultimate family vacation destination. When he passed at the increasingly young age of 77 from dementia in 2011, I was angry. He was a great father and would have been a wonderful grandfather of my two sons as they grew up but the disease robbed him and my family of those experiences. For years I felt hopeless, rather angry at Alzheimer’s for what it did to my family. Slowly I came around to understanding that life isn’t always fair and that we can do something about it. Genes play a big part, but lifestyle choices (diet, exercise, sleep, social circle, mental stimulation) seem to play a role. In addition, we can help causes that help those suffering from memory issues as well as trying to find diagnoses and potential cures. That’s where UW-Madison comes into play with its Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. I’m proud to be riding for them and honored to be a part of an organization looking to meet both of these objectives.
I managed to sea one Big Thing today – not something I caught in my planning…it was the Giant Prawn. See the pics…it has been the biggest of the Big Things I’ve seen to date and I support the superlative. Once settled in, I had long walks from Discovery Parks to see any attractions. I mapped out a route getting me to some wetlands (that were closed…gated off) followed by a walk to one of the 564 national parks. Stumbled across what was until recently the second largest independent brewery in Australia called Stone & Wood until they sold out to a big brewer in 2021 for $500 million Aussie dollars. Must have been the heat or the fact that I’m suffering from national park numbness, but I succumbed to taking the last spot on the 3PM brewery tour and ended up enjoying the well-guided two-hour experience. The fellow tour mates, including Len and his friends, were also fun to be with and the beers, although plentiful, were not high in ABV (Australian alcohol taxes discourage higher octane beers). Once the tour concluded and I picked up some groceries, it was 5:30PM and already dark, so the cabin was my companion as I blogged and did some work on reentering the US next week.
Felt chilled this morning when I left the hotel at 6:15AM. The fog that lingered over the river I biked alongside told me the air temp was materially lower than the water. After a few km on a minor highway, I breezed along the snakeless, smoothly surfaced, wide-shouldered A1/M1 for roughly 100km/62miles before veering off to commercial streets. cycle paths and country roads through Ballina and up the coast to my destination of Byron Bay. I read of a “dreamlike” cycle path along the coast but found the route just so-so. It got hot by noon when I was nearly done with my 87 miles and I was happy my destination, a gated trailer home vacation community called Discovery Park, had a cozy cabin in a park-like setting available early for me to shower and wash my clothes.
As I near the bike ride’s conclusion, I get reflective. Part of this comes from having less stuff to stage. The variables to the ride get fewer now that I’ve prelim plotted my bike boxing, post-ride transport and flight back to the States. Another part comes from where I’m staying. This little cabin is a glorified trailer home with a 1970s feel inside – small kitchenette, tiny bathroom, a set of bunk beds for the kids and a master bedroom far away from the wall heating and cooling unit that will leave me chilled tonight. The environs have two fishing ponds, a place to rent canoes and kayaks and a few pools with kiddie accoutrements. All it's missing is an arcade room. It’s the sort of place my Dad would consider his ultimate family vacation destination. When he passed at the increasingly young age of 77 from dementia in 2011, I was angry. He was a great father and would have been a wonderful grandfather of my two sons as they grew up but the disease robbed him and my family of those experiences. For years I felt hopeless, rather angry at Alzheimer’s for what it did to my family. Slowly I came around to understanding that life isn’t always fair and that we can do something about it. Genes play a big part, but lifestyle choices (diet, exercise, sleep, social circle, mental stimulation) seem to play a role. In addition, we can help causes that help those suffering from memory issues as well as trying to find diagnoses and potential cures. That’s where UW-Madison comes into play with its Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. I’m proud to be riding for them and honored to be a part of an organization looking to meet both of these objectives.
I managed to sea one Big Thing today – not something I caught in my planning…it was the Giant Prawn. See the pics…it has been the biggest of the Big Things I’ve seen to date and I support the superlative. Once settled in, I had long walks from Discovery Parks to see any attractions. I mapped out a route getting me to some wetlands (that were closed…gated off) followed by a walk to one of the 564 national parks. Stumbled across what was until recently the second largest independent brewery in Australia called Stone & Wood until they sold out to a big brewer in 2021 for $500 million Aussie dollars. Must have been the heat or the fact that I’m suffering from national park numbness, but I succumbed to taking the last spot on the 3PM brewery tour and ended up enjoying the well-guided two-hour experience. The fellow tour mates, including Len and his friends, were also fun to be with and the beers, although plentiful, were not high in ABV (Australian alcohol taxes discourage higher octane beers). Once the tour concluded and I picked up some groceries, it was 5:30PM and already dark, so the cabin was my companion as I blogged and did some work on reentering the US next week.
4 May 23 - Koalas and a Holy Hostel on Daisy Hill
I ended my penultimate ride day feeling jumpy. Roundabouts, not roos, were the culprit. I was on high alert as I wound and snaked my way to the burbs of Brisbane, avoiding cars as well as paths packed with people and dogs along the Gold Coast. Thankfully, I’m holed up in a holy hostel on Daisy Hill – the tranquil Buddhist Springwood meditation center. Attended the evening chant and meditation service after spending some time walking the grounds, hanging out with the resident wallabies and a lovely variety of birds. More on that below.
Today’s ride could have been even more stressful were it not for the polite Aussie drivers and the considerate runners, bikers, walkers and dogs that lined the multi-use paths. There were just so much of everything today. Google laid out an 180km day getting me to the meditation center but I ended up with only 153km (95 miles). I’ve been trying to stick to the major roads (the A1/M1 highway or the Old Pacific Highway) which usually has a good shoulder, a smooth underlayment and more moderate hills. Google slithers around on all sorts of roads, not carrying how the magpie flies, and sometimes dumps me onto nasty gravel roads.
As I approached the Gold Coast, signage indicated no bikes were allowed to continue on the M1, so I diverted to multi-use paths along the ocean. It was memorable. I’ve never seen so many miles and miles of continuous developed beach – laden with high-rise hotels and parks with kiddie play areas and BBQ huts on the land side with endless surfing and swimming taking place on the oceanfront. Every body seemed bronzed with that 'retired in Hawaii' look while the paths were packed for a mid-day Thursday. It felt like being in a video game, weaving around the crowds while mesmerized by the scenery. Later, on routing inland, the roundabouts increased with intensity and were spaced about a quarter mile apart for what seemed like ten miles. Rough. Roundabouts are worse than on-ramps as traffic can come from multiple directions.
As for sights seen today…apart from the Gold Coast immersion, the big thrill was the Daisy Hill Koala Centre which was only a half-mile away from the holy hostel at day’s end. It was an amazingly well-laid out conservation center to protect Queensland’s koalas. Four were viewable within close proximity and no crowds. Watched the caretaker carefully set up five varieties of eucalyptus for dinner. Of the 900 eucalypt species in Australia, the koalas prefer only 14. Fussy eaters! And eat they must…about 500 grams of leaves a day which provides the energy equivalent as if we ate a small bowl of cereal. That’s why it’s a rarity to see them move…which I was able to capture in the video link below.
My room in the meditation center is Spartan but fully functional with a bed, table, chair and a fan. It has an outlet, there are outdoor privies and showers and the speediest internet I've encountered in Australia. The Buddhists surely have the fastest router to knowledge. Maybe the latter is because I’m one of only a handful of guests in the center tonight. The bargain price of $40US includes breakfast (only the second breakfast included in Australia) in a communal kitchen. I attended the 7PM chant and meditation service with four devotees and a Buddhist monk. The experience was a reverent one that I found fulfilling. Did realize quickly how out of shape I was for this practice however. We all sat cross-legged with a lectern in front of us. As the monk tapped on a mokugya, all of us chanted from the chosen lesson. This went on for twenty minutes at a slow but steady pace, enunciating each syllable without pausing at commas or the ends of sentences. I struggled to keep up as I was speaking the words and got winded quickly. Only after shifting to a sing-song sort of voice did the breathing regulate. After the chant, the lights were turned off and we meditated for forty minutes. I also fared poorly here as thoughts drifted to cramps from sitting cross-legged and the sounds of the barking dogs in the distance over meditating on the lesson. All-in-all, an interesting experience and I’m appreciative at being allowed to participate.
Tomorrow is hopefully a short ride into Brisbane.
I ended my penultimate ride day feeling jumpy. Roundabouts, not roos, were the culprit. I was on high alert as I wound and snaked my way to the burbs of Brisbane, avoiding cars as well as paths packed with people and dogs along the Gold Coast. Thankfully, I’m holed up in a holy hostel on Daisy Hill – the tranquil Buddhist Springwood meditation center. Attended the evening chant and meditation service after spending some time walking the grounds, hanging out with the resident wallabies and a lovely variety of birds. More on that below.
Today’s ride could have been even more stressful were it not for the polite Aussie drivers and the considerate runners, bikers, walkers and dogs that lined the multi-use paths. There were just so much of everything today. Google laid out an 180km day getting me to the meditation center but I ended up with only 153km (95 miles). I’ve been trying to stick to the major roads (the A1/M1 highway or the Old Pacific Highway) which usually has a good shoulder, a smooth underlayment and more moderate hills. Google slithers around on all sorts of roads, not carrying how the magpie flies, and sometimes dumps me onto nasty gravel roads.
As I approached the Gold Coast, signage indicated no bikes were allowed to continue on the M1, so I diverted to multi-use paths along the ocean. It was memorable. I’ve never seen so many miles and miles of continuous developed beach – laden with high-rise hotels and parks with kiddie play areas and BBQ huts on the land side with endless surfing and swimming taking place on the oceanfront. Every body seemed bronzed with that 'retired in Hawaii' look while the paths were packed for a mid-day Thursday. It felt like being in a video game, weaving around the crowds while mesmerized by the scenery. Later, on routing inland, the roundabouts increased with intensity and were spaced about a quarter mile apart for what seemed like ten miles. Rough. Roundabouts are worse than on-ramps as traffic can come from multiple directions.
As for sights seen today…apart from the Gold Coast immersion, the big thrill was the Daisy Hill Koala Centre which was only a half-mile away from the holy hostel at day’s end. It was an amazingly well-laid out conservation center to protect Queensland’s koalas. Four were viewable within close proximity and no crowds. Watched the caretaker carefully set up five varieties of eucalyptus for dinner. Of the 900 eucalypt species in Australia, the koalas prefer only 14. Fussy eaters! And eat they must…about 500 grams of leaves a day which provides the energy equivalent as if we ate a small bowl of cereal. That’s why it’s a rarity to see them move…which I was able to capture in the video link below.
My room in the meditation center is Spartan but fully functional with a bed, table, chair and a fan. It has an outlet, there are outdoor privies and showers and the speediest internet I've encountered in Australia. The Buddhists surely have the fastest router to knowledge. Maybe the latter is because I’m one of only a handful of guests in the center tonight. The bargain price of $40US includes breakfast (only the second breakfast included in Australia) in a communal kitchen. I attended the 7PM chant and meditation service with four devotees and a Buddhist monk. The experience was a reverent one that I found fulfilling. Did realize quickly how out of shape I was for this practice however. We all sat cross-legged with a lectern in front of us. As the monk tapped on a mokugya, all of us chanted from the chosen lesson. This went on for twenty minutes at a slow but steady pace, enunciating each syllable without pausing at commas or the ends of sentences. I struggled to keep up as I was speaking the words and got winded quickly. Only after shifting to a sing-song sort of voice did the breathing regulate. After the chant, the lights were turned off and we meditated for forty minutes. I also fared poorly here as thoughts drifted to cramps from sitting cross-legged and the sounds of the barking dogs in the distance over meditating on the lesson. All-in-all, an interesting experience and I’m appreciative at being allowed to participate.
Tomorrow is hopefully a short ride into Brisbane.
5 May 23 - Ending My Five Eyes Ride Goal on 5/5
Wrapped up the Aussie bike ride today. The prime objective after I finished crossing the US in 2014 is complete...well sort of as I didn't truly cross this fifth country from end to end at its longest swath as with the other four (see the other blog tabs for US, UK, New Zealand and Canada). Finishing on 5/5 wasn’t planned, but neither was getting bit by a dog or nearly having a run over with a poisonous snake or opting to bike the boomerang vs the straight baseball ride. Prelim thoughts on initial completion is that I'm pleased and content having done the loop over the straight shot to Perth. Not sure if I had the fortitude for the solitude. A combo of my back giving out before the ride started (due to over-shoveling wet snow in March...a Wisconsin thing) coupled with the dog bites and the preponderance of snakes were just too much for me.
I will do one more entry after I conclude the Aussie experience with some reflections. Today's entry is really long...I am including my diay entry which covered the final leg of the ride followed by a day exploring Australia's third largest city of Brisbane. Tomorrow I will do some birding, take a personalized "Brisbane Greeters Tour" of the city and then rent a car to go north four hours to the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef where I aim to snorkel or dive for a day before working my way back to Brisbane, seeing some sights (including another Big Thing or two) along the way. So come back for the wrap and read on if you dare...
I left the Bhodi Chan Meditation Center at 6AM after a rather restless night. I was not a good adherent to the cause but appreciate the mellowness and tranquility of my hosts. I've heard other fitness folks say we tend to put just enough gas in our tank to get the defined objective done. Today fit that. I knew the ride would be short (31km/20miles) but felt I had biked long enough on completion. Was relieved most of this short route was on dedicated paved cycle track paralleling a major interstate but separated by a twelve foot high wall and ample space. Car traffic was thick. I may have finished faster than the car riders given the road congestion.
Got into the touristy part of Brisbane before 8AM and found the “BRISBANE” big letter art display barricaded off for “repairs.” That cut somewhat into my selfie plans. The setting with the letters on the west side of the river meant that the AM sun was coming up and backdropped behind the letters, so the pictures weren’t great. I came back in the afternoon and did it again, sans the bike and gear. See both versions in the slideshow. On the plus side, after this I biked to the Globe Studio motel where the owner let me check in very early into a large room in a strange park-like jungle setting less than 3km from the heart of the city. I dropped off my panniers, put my webbed shoes into the string bag and biked another few km to 99 Bikes which agreed to box my bike for about $40US. Then I walked back to the Globe, showered and plotted out the rest of the day.
The weather was great again with temps ranging from 65-75F and sunny all day. Hard to get mad at a city with that sort of weather. I did 19K steps, taking in the following things in chronological order:
1. St John’s Anglican Cathedral: I spent nearly an hour here, such was my awe at this French Neo-Gothic Cathedral that is the only stone-vaulted church in the southern hemisphere. Took over 100 years to complete. The west-end entrance with its thirteen statuary and pronounced peaked Gothic arches initially struck me on approach. Once inside, the arches continued, culminating in meeting points at the ceiling and long side transits. The morning sun beamed in through the stained glass windows to create dancing patterns of colorful mosaics on the labyrinth floor, the beams and wooden choir area and pulpit. Truly impressive and equally moving how this church, like all I’ve visited in Australia, takes great care to profess inclusiveness for all and a respect for the Aborigine culture.
2. Anzac Square, Memorial and Museum: Brisbane is the third largest city in Australia and mixes the modern skyscrapers and architecturally interesting bridges spanning its formative river with an element of Greek and Roman classical buildings. This included the memorial and eternal flame honoring the sacrifices to those who served in foreign wars. The main shrine was circular, with 18 Romanesque columns in a nod to the armistice signed in 1918 to end the Great War. Lots of school groups here being educated on their country’s past along with a flock of Australian Ibis who were picking bugs out of the relatively rare green spaces in the central part of the city.
3. Brisbane City Hall & MOB (Museum of Brisbane): Neoclassical outside (like the muscular Treasury building nearby with its three ascending tiers of Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns signifying strength and stability), this large sandstone building had an impressive main auditorium decked out for a fancy dinner with the musical elephant in the room being the huge Father Henry Willis organ with over 4,300 pipes. The museum was just so-so with a modern art exhibit but I did the guided tour on the oldest operating elevator in the area to see the inner workings of the clock tower and get good views of the city from above.
4. The Douglas MacArthur WWII HQ Hotel (outside only): MacArthur used what is now a private apartment complex for his HQ for the Pacific Theatre for two years. The museum had limited hours and was closed until Sunday. Wanted to see it not out of adoration of MacArthur but because more than one million US personnel passed through Brisbane as part of the Pacific war effort. MacArthur has Wisconsin roots but I disdain his ostentatiousness and much prefer Eisenhower’s more humble approach (for a taste of this, check out their respective resting places/mausoleums).
5. Trying out a Boba Robotic Bubble Tea Making Machine: Not sure I ever had bubble tea before. Filmed this three minute experience of the robot making me mango green tea with mango jelly, low ice and a regular amount of sugar for $6.45AU.
6. Commissariat Store: Of all the sights seen today, this was the only one that cost anything and it was an inexpensive $6.50US equivalent. Guide Richard took 45 minutes to give me a personalized tour of the 1829 building used to facilitate provisioning the military and to process prisoners. We had a lively talk and I learned much about the history of the building and the founding of Brisbane.
7. Queensland Museum: Did not do the special dinosaur exhibit as my brain was nearing overload, but I did really enjoy the areas devoted to the coral reefs (I hope to visit the Great Barrier Reef on Sunday), the archaeology leading to the connections and differences in the peoples of northern Australia with those of the island peoples to the north like Indonesia). The floor dedicated to Australian animals raised good and bad memories. Got to connect birds I've seen with their backgrounds but also snakes I nearly ran over with their lethalness. Lastly, toured the moving Anzac exhibit in the lower level that houses the only WWI German tank in the world. Reading the stories of those who served in WWI and the emotional rollercoasters of their families in pre-cell phone days was deeply moving. My measly bike ride is so immaterial compared to the experiences and exertion this generation endured.
8. Queensland Art Gallery: Mostly modern art which I confess I’ve yet to hone my appreciation for. Particularly liked the sculptures set in water.
9. The World Turns sculpture: French Fry wanted to see this as it focused on one of his heroes…a native kuril water rat leading to an elephant tipping over. The small overwhelming the large, or, in the author’s mind, history records elements of events while the world just keeps on turning.
My body liked the fact that it walked more than it biked today as I slept well. On to the reef!
Wrapped up the Aussie bike ride today. The prime objective after I finished crossing the US in 2014 is complete...well sort of as I didn't truly cross this fifth country from end to end at its longest swath as with the other four (see the other blog tabs for US, UK, New Zealand and Canada). Finishing on 5/5 wasn’t planned, but neither was getting bit by a dog or nearly having a run over with a poisonous snake or opting to bike the boomerang vs the straight baseball ride. Prelim thoughts on initial completion is that I'm pleased and content having done the loop over the straight shot to Perth. Not sure if I had the fortitude for the solitude. A combo of my back giving out before the ride started (due to over-shoveling wet snow in March...a Wisconsin thing) coupled with the dog bites and the preponderance of snakes were just too much for me.
I will do one more entry after I conclude the Aussie experience with some reflections. Today's entry is really long...I am including my diay entry which covered the final leg of the ride followed by a day exploring Australia's third largest city of Brisbane. Tomorrow I will do some birding, take a personalized "Brisbane Greeters Tour" of the city and then rent a car to go north four hours to the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef where I aim to snorkel or dive for a day before working my way back to Brisbane, seeing some sights (including another Big Thing or two) along the way. So come back for the wrap and read on if you dare...
I left the Bhodi Chan Meditation Center at 6AM after a rather restless night. I was not a good adherent to the cause but appreciate the mellowness and tranquility of my hosts. I've heard other fitness folks say we tend to put just enough gas in our tank to get the defined objective done. Today fit that. I knew the ride would be short (31km/20miles) but felt I had biked long enough on completion. Was relieved most of this short route was on dedicated paved cycle track paralleling a major interstate but separated by a twelve foot high wall and ample space. Car traffic was thick. I may have finished faster than the car riders given the road congestion.
Got into the touristy part of Brisbane before 8AM and found the “BRISBANE” big letter art display barricaded off for “repairs.” That cut somewhat into my selfie plans. The setting with the letters on the west side of the river meant that the AM sun was coming up and backdropped behind the letters, so the pictures weren’t great. I came back in the afternoon and did it again, sans the bike and gear. See both versions in the slideshow. On the plus side, after this I biked to the Globe Studio motel where the owner let me check in very early into a large room in a strange park-like jungle setting less than 3km from the heart of the city. I dropped off my panniers, put my webbed shoes into the string bag and biked another few km to 99 Bikes which agreed to box my bike for about $40US. Then I walked back to the Globe, showered and plotted out the rest of the day.
The weather was great again with temps ranging from 65-75F and sunny all day. Hard to get mad at a city with that sort of weather. I did 19K steps, taking in the following things in chronological order:
1. St John’s Anglican Cathedral: I spent nearly an hour here, such was my awe at this French Neo-Gothic Cathedral that is the only stone-vaulted church in the southern hemisphere. Took over 100 years to complete. The west-end entrance with its thirteen statuary and pronounced peaked Gothic arches initially struck me on approach. Once inside, the arches continued, culminating in meeting points at the ceiling and long side transits. The morning sun beamed in through the stained glass windows to create dancing patterns of colorful mosaics on the labyrinth floor, the beams and wooden choir area and pulpit. Truly impressive and equally moving how this church, like all I’ve visited in Australia, takes great care to profess inclusiveness for all and a respect for the Aborigine culture.
2. Anzac Square, Memorial and Museum: Brisbane is the third largest city in Australia and mixes the modern skyscrapers and architecturally interesting bridges spanning its formative river with an element of Greek and Roman classical buildings. This included the memorial and eternal flame honoring the sacrifices to those who served in foreign wars. The main shrine was circular, with 18 Romanesque columns in a nod to the armistice signed in 1918 to end the Great War. Lots of school groups here being educated on their country’s past along with a flock of Australian Ibis who were picking bugs out of the relatively rare green spaces in the central part of the city.
3. Brisbane City Hall & MOB (Museum of Brisbane): Neoclassical outside (like the muscular Treasury building nearby with its three ascending tiers of Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns signifying strength and stability), this large sandstone building had an impressive main auditorium decked out for a fancy dinner with the musical elephant in the room being the huge Father Henry Willis organ with over 4,300 pipes. The museum was just so-so with a modern art exhibit but I did the guided tour on the oldest operating elevator in the area to see the inner workings of the clock tower and get good views of the city from above.
4. The Douglas MacArthur WWII HQ Hotel (outside only): MacArthur used what is now a private apartment complex for his HQ for the Pacific Theatre for two years. The museum had limited hours and was closed until Sunday. Wanted to see it not out of adoration of MacArthur but because more than one million US personnel passed through Brisbane as part of the Pacific war effort. MacArthur has Wisconsin roots but I disdain his ostentatiousness and much prefer Eisenhower’s more humble approach (for a taste of this, check out their respective resting places/mausoleums).
5. Trying out a Boba Robotic Bubble Tea Making Machine: Not sure I ever had bubble tea before. Filmed this three minute experience of the robot making me mango green tea with mango jelly, low ice and a regular amount of sugar for $6.45AU.
6. Commissariat Store: Of all the sights seen today, this was the only one that cost anything and it was an inexpensive $6.50US equivalent. Guide Richard took 45 minutes to give me a personalized tour of the 1829 building used to facilitate provisioning the military and to process prisoners. We had a lively talk and I learned much about the history of the building and the founding of Brisbane.
7. Queensland Museum: Did not do the special dinosaur exhibit as my brain was nearing overload, but I did really enjoy the areas devoted to the coral reefs (I hope to visit the Great Barrier Reef on Sunday), the archaeology leading to the connections and differences in the peoples of northern Australia with those of the island peoples to the north like Indonesia). The floor dedicated to Australian animals raised good and bad memories. Got to connect birds I've seen with their backgrounds but also snakes I nearly ran over with their lethalness. Lastly, toured the moving Anzac exhibit in the lower level that houses the only WWI German tank in the world. Reading the stories of those who served in WWI and the emotional rollercoasters of their families in pre-cell phone days was deeply moving. My measly bike ride is so immaterial compared to the experiences and exertion this generation endured.
8. Queensland Art Gallery: Mostly modern art which I confess I’ve yet to hone my appreciation for. Particularly liked the sculptures set in water.
9. The World Turns sculpture: French Fry wanted to see this as it focused on one of his heroes…a native kuril water rat leading to an elephant tipping over. The small overwhelming the large, or, in the author’s mind, history records elements of events while the world just keeps on turning.
My body liked the fact that it walked more than it biked today as I slept well. On to the reef!
5 May 23 - Dog Blog #5 - The Battle of Brisbane
French Fry here with my last dog blog – a bone-ified true tail of history from WWII that few know about but more will discover when Brisbane hosts the 2032 Summer Olympics. It’s called The Battle of Brisbane and it pitted the native Australians against the “overpaid, oversexed and over here” Americans in WWII.
Although Australia and America were allies, tensions ran high during the war both here and in England as the austere conditions and more conservative practices of the locals (Aussies in this case) contrasted with the better provisioned and brass/cocky mannerisms of the Americans. The Yanks had the chocolate, the stockings and the alcohol which attracted the local women, leading to resentment from the Aussie males (side note…more than 14,000 Aussie women married American servicemen during the 1940s). Aussies were also generally more respectful of all races and couldn’t understand why Americans segregated black troops. In the case of Brisbane, to the south side of the river with severe penalties enforced if blacks moved out of their zone.
Brisbane reached a boiling point in late November of 1942. In the weeks leading up to this, there were as many as 20 brawls a night between the two sides that left at least three dead. The true spark is debatable. My Brisbane Greeter guide said that the tipping point came when the Aussies invited a black serviceman to their canteen for a drink (north of or on the wrong side of the river) and the Americans got wind and asked that the black serviceman be sent back. The Aussies refused. Wikipedia states the tinder lit when MPs on the American side used heavy-handed tactics on one of their own servicemen and three Aussies intervened in defense of the American. In either case, a fight ensued which led to large crowds gathering on both sides, multiple fisticuffs and the loss of one Australian soldier and the hospitalization of at least 20 others. The city went into lockdown for two nights with intermittent violence breaking out until sufficient MPs from both sides arrived and eventually tempers tapered and order was restored.
Some say there were more deaths than this. Confusion abounds on the true cause and the collateral damage. For the sake on unanimity in the war effort, the press did not report about this until after war’s end and mail from both sides was censored to remove references.
Thankfully, the Australians and Americans were able to work together during the rest of WWII despite their cultural and philosophical differences. Note also that Australia didn’t have a compulsory draft like the US in WWII and Australia was one of if not the leading ally in sending soldiers and support for both the Korean and Vietnam conflicts.
Sometimes I don’t understand you humans. Take a walk in the other person’s shoes first before passing judgment. Take me along too! I’m tired of sitting on the back of a bicycle! Let’s also hope that the military side of our mutual friendship is not called upon in the upcoming decades.
French Fry here with my last dog blog – a bone-ified true tail of history from WWII that few know about but more will discover when Brisbane hosts the 2032 Summer Olympics. It’s called The Battle of Brisbane and it pitted the native Australians against the “overpaid, oversexed and over here” Americans in WWII.
Although Australia and America were allies, tensions ran high during the war both here and in England as the austere conditions and more conservative practices of the locals (Aussies in this case) contrasted with the better provisioned and brass/cocky mannerisms of the Americans. The Yanks had the chocolate, the stockings and the alcohol which attracted the local women, leading to resentment from the Aussie males (side note…more than 14,000 Aussie women married American servicemen during the 1940s). Aussies were also generally more respectful of all races and couldn’t understand why Americans segregated black troops. In the case of Brisbane, to the south side of the river with severe penalties enforced if blacks moved out of their zone.
Brisbane reached a boiling point in late November of 1942. In the weeks leading up to this, there were as many as 20 brawls a night between the two sides that left at least three dead. The true spark is debatable. My Brisbane Greeter guide said that the tipping point came when the Aussies invited a black serviceman to their canteen for a drink (north of or on the wrong side of the river) and the Americans got wind and asked that the black serviceman be sent back. The Aussies refused. Wikipedia states the tinder lit when MPs on the American side used heavy-handed tactics on one of their own servicemen and three Aussies intervened in defense of the American. In either case, a fight ensued which led to large crowds gathering on both sides, multiple fisticuffs and the loss of one Australian soldier and the hospitalization of at least 20 others. The city went into lockdown for two nights with intermittent violence breaking out until sufficient MPs from both sides arrived and eventually tempers tapered and order was restored.
Some say there were more deaths than this. Confusion abounds on the true cause and the collateral damage. For the sake on unanimity in the war effort, the press did not report about this until after war’s end and mail from both sides was censored to remove references.
Thankfully, the Australians and Americans were able to work together during the rest of WWII despite their cultural and philosophical differences. Note also that Australia didn’t have a compulsory draft like the US in WWII and Australia was one of if not the leading ally in sending soldiers and support for both the Korean and Vietnam conflicts.
Sometimes I don’t understand you humans. Take a walk in the other person’s shoes first before passing judgment. Take me along too! I’m tired of sitting on the back of a bicycle! Let’s also hope that the military side of our mutual friendship is not called upon in the upcoming decades.
9 May 23 - The Long-Winded Post-Ride Wrap
This is my last blog for the Australian Boomerang Bike Ride. Before I offer up some concluding comments, a bit on what I did since the Cinco de Mayo 5/5 finish blog. Also, French Fry wanted to get one more “bone-ified” blog which precedes this one and may be of interest to history buffs. You’ll hear about it in nine years if you watch sports anyway.
Queenslanders (referencing the state Brisbane is in) would say Sydney folk are uptight and Melbourne people are gloomy. Queenslanders are chill because they live in paradise on earth. I'm somewhat inclined to agree. I did an insightful walking tour with Jude, a Brisbane Greeters who took no tips but offered many on the city’s history, quirks and points of pride in a three-hour tour of the downtown area. Brisbane will be hosting the 2032 Olympics and infrastructure work is evident everywhere.
I rented a car and drove north five hours to Bundaberg where I spent two days. Here I have to redress a comment made on how I likened Aussies to Texans, a nod to the independence streak I felt each possessed. That is true to a point, but driving gave me a new appreciation for a sense of sanity Aussies possess that is seemingly lost on Americans. People here drive the posted speed limit. There are speed cams set up that automatically ticket drivers for going in excess, timed cams that will also do so if the average speed between two tracking cameras exceeds the speed limit time and safety cams that will ticket you $600US if you are caught looking down while driving. As a somewhat novice left side driver, it was a relief to know I could change lanes and expect the drivers to be in their lanes after checking all mirrors. I can’t say that about America.
In Bundaberg, I had another trailer park experience in a campground. Arrived at twilight and there was a large cadre of teens and twentysomethings hanging around the office. “What a social bunch!” I thought to myself from a distance. On getting closer, I see they are all looking down, solemnly satiating their screen addictions. Once I settled in and tried to connect to Wi-Fi, I realized why they gathered…the signal extended about 10 meters from the office so I lacked internet when in Bundaberg. No worries.
I did a full day trip to the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef to Lady Musgrave Island. After a 2.5 hour boat ride, the highlight for me was doing my first dive in over a quarter-century. A huge thanks to divemaster Carlos as I was really rusty. It helped that the water was calm and clear and reasonably shallow at no deeper than 22ft. The coral was fairly colorful, in part due to cooler water temps (24C/76F) which has kept the coral bleaching from global warming. Not so for the reefs in the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef where the water is 5F+ warmer. Fish variety and quantity was excellent and I saw a few smaller species of turtles and a black-tipped reef shark.
I used Monday to drive back to Brisbane, seeing some gardens and wetlands and touring the Bundaberg Barrel, makers of fizzy sweet drinks like ginger beer and stopping along the coast to admire the Noosa Heads beaches along the Sunshine Coast. Tuesday AM was more wetlands before picking up my boxed bike and starting a marathon 30+ hour, four-flight journey back to Milwaukee. The pics in the slideshow tell the story better than I can. I also included a video of a colony of grey-headed flying fox megabats. For the squirmy, this would be rated PG for Possibly Gross.
On to observations and thanks…
If you have been following this blog, you’ll know I did a 180, literally, in deciding to not stretch the ride across from Sydney to Perth to one where I looped or boomeranged around a in loose counterclockwise circle through the hysterically hilly Blue Mountains, over a bit of the desert, then down to Melbourne and up the east coast past Sydney to Brisbane. Instead of 2,450 miles, it was 2,006 miles. Instead of 34,000 feet of climbing/evilation, it was almost 75,000 feet. Hadn’t expected the hills but had done zilch planning for the route after turning south at the doctor’s recommendation following the dog bites sustained pre-ride in Samoa.
If I had crossed Australia, it would have been my fifth full country ride. The others are tabs on this website. I’m not cross is failing to go the full measure. 2,000+ miles was still a good taste of the places and people. The coastal route was probably more taxing physically given the hills. It was also far more scenic. I had been to Australia with the family in 2017 but this rolling approach over a riding and flying one allowed me to see things from a different seat. This included scary snakes, roadkill and roadside garbage, the beauty of the sunrises over the ocean, the cacophony of the cockatoos as I approached or left a city and the reserved but helpful attitude I encountered at every step of the way. I thank you Australia for the experience. You remain in the top four countries retire-worthy should the US go to a hell in a handbasket and I could bring along all my loved ones.
As for the biking itself, Australia was “unusual”. I encountered only one other touring cyclist on my ride which is really low. There’s a culture of biking here but it is of community cycling and not touring focused. The roads in rural New South Wales (the west and south part) had erratic shoulders and often were ‘rocky roads’ both of which added to hand stress, mental stress and made for slow progress. This was offset by drivers who were very courteous for me and a culture of road safety unlike any other. City cycling ingress and egress was better than the US and UK, probably equivalent to New Zealand but not as good as those nice Canadians.
The weather on paper was idyllic. Temp range was tight (lows and highs of minimal disparity) and it rained very little. Winds were a factor, but mostly in the open plains early in the ride. Likely would have earned more print had I crossed the Nullarbor desert (the name Nullarbor has Aboriginie roots and means "no trees".) The most difficult Mother Nature facet was the intensity of the sun. Even though I biked in the Aussie fall, it was not pleasant to be out from 12PM-4PM. Best summed up by a baker I visited while riding at 3PM who said “What are you doing out biking? I thought bikers only road in the mornings!”
I had previously read Bill Bryson’s “In a Sunburned Country” and knew there were many plants and animals that are more deadly here than in most places on earth. Didn’t really see that in my first visit. More exposed to the elements (biking over driving in a car), it was noticeable this time around and it gave me a new respect. While I’m not a fan of ticks and mosquitoes back where I’m from, they are diminutive in size and with common sense and precaution can generally be managed. The stuff here is bigger and potentially 'badder'.
Perhaps all those facets explain why I encountered few touring riders. I wouldn’t discourage doing it. I quite enjoyed my experience. I’d just go in eyes open and perhaps attempt a longer ride as part of a group than on a solo journey. More so here than in the other countries I’ve done.
I’m grateful for the support of my wife Kathy and for Steve, Amy and Nicole at UW-Madison who helped raise awareness on the ride for the donative organization tied to the ride - the UW-Madison Initiative to End Alzheimers. I’m also very thankful and humbled by those who have given to the cause. Thank you again! Once I settle in, I will reach out to each of you. There’s still time to donate if you wish at the link on the top of this page.
Thanks to all of you who have followed along on the ride and for the many well wishes you passed along. I’m very fortunate indeed to have had the opportunity and support to have made this dream a reality.
This is my last blog for the Australian Boomerang Bike Ride. Before I offer up some concluding comments, a bit on what I did since the Cinco de Mayo 5/5 finish blog. Also, French Fry wanted to get one more “bone-ified” blog which precedes this one and may be of interest to history buffs. You’ll hear about it in nine years if you watch sports anyway.
Queenslanders (referencing the state Brisbane is in) would say Sydney folk are uptight and Melbourne people are gloomy. Queenslanders are chill because they live in paradise on earth. I'm somewhat inclined to agree. I did an insightful walking tour with Jude, a Brisbane Greeters who took no tips but offered many on the city’s history, quirks and points of pride in a three-hour tour of the downtown area. Brisbane will be hosting the 2032 Olympics and infrastructure work is evident everywhere.
I rented a car and drove north five hours to Bundaberg where I spent two days. Here I have to redress a comment made on how I likened Aussies to Texans, a nod to the independence streak I felt each possessed. That is true to a point, but driving gave me a new appreciation for a sense of sanity Aussies possess that is seemingly lost on Americans. People here drive the posted speed limit. There are speed cams set up that automatically ticket drivers for going in excess, timed cams that will also do so if the average speed between two tracking cameras exceeds the speed limit time and safety cams that will ticket you $600US if you are caught looking down while driving. As a somewhat novice left side driver, it was a relief to know I could change lanes and expect the drivers to be in their lanes after checking all mirrors. I can’t say that about America.
In Bundaberg, I had another trailer park experience in a campground. Arrived at twilight and there was a large cadre of teens and twentysomethings hanging around the office. “What a social bunch!” I thought to myself from a distance. On getting closer, I see they are all looking down, solemnly satiating their screen addictions. Once I settled in and tried to connect to Wi-Fi, I realized why they gathered…the signal extended about 10 meters from the office so I lacked internet when in Bundaberg. No worries.
I did a full day trip to the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef to Lady Musgrave Island. After a 2.5 hour boat ride, the highlight for me was doing my first dive in over a quarter-century. A huge thanks to divemaster Carlos as I was really rusty. It helped that the water was calm and clear and reasonably shallow at no deeper than 22ft. The coral was fairly colorful, in part due to cooler water temps (24C/76F) which has kept the coral bleaching from global warming. Not so for the reefs in the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef where the water is 5F+ warmer. Fish variety and quantity was excellent and I saw a few smaller species of turtles and a black-tipped reef shark.
I used Monday to drive back to Brisbane, seeing some gardens and wetlands and touring the Bundaberg Barrel, makers of fizzy sweet drinks like ginger beer and stopping along the coast to admire the Noosa Heads beaches along the Sunshine Coast. Tuesday AM was more wetlands before picking up my boxed bike and starting a marathon 30+ hour, four-flight journey back to Milwaukee. The pics in the slideshow tell the story better than I can. I also included a video of a colony of grey-headed flying fox megabats. For the squirmy, this would be rated PG for Possibly Gross.
On to observations and thanks…
If you have been following this blog, you’ll know I did a 180, literally, in deciding to not stretch the ride across from Sydney to Perth to one where I looped or boomeranged around a in loose counterclockwise circle through the hysterically hilly Blue Mountains, over a bit of the desert, then down to Melbourne and up the east coast past Sydney to Brisbane. Instead of 2,450 miles, it was 2,006 miles. Instead of 34,000 feet of climbing/evilation, it was almost 75,000 feet. Hadn’t expected the hills but had done zilch planning for the route after turning south at the doctor’s recommendation following the dog bites sustained pre-ride in Samoa.
If I had crossed Australia, it would have been my fifth full country ride. The others are tabs on this website. I’m not cross is failing to go the full measure. 2,000+ miles was still a good taste of the places and people. The coastal route was probably more taxing physically given the hills. It was also far more scenic. I had been to Australia with the family in 2017 but this rolling approach over a riding and flying one allowed me to see things from a different seat. This included scary snakes, roadkill and roadside garbage, the beauty of the sunrises over the ocean, the cacophony of the cockatoos as I approached or left a city and the reserved but helpful attitude I encountered at every step of the way. I thank you Australia for the experience. You remain in the top four countries retire-worthy should the US go to a hell in a handbasket and I could bring along all my loved ones.
As for the biking itself, Australia was “unusual”. I encountered only one other touring cyclist on my ride which is really low. There’s a culture of biking here but it is of community cycling and not touring focused. The roads in rural New South Wales (the west and south part) had erratic shoulders and often were ‘rocky roads’ both of which added to hand stress, mental stress and made for slow progress. This was offset by drivers who were very courteous for me and a culture of road safety unlike any other. City cycling ingress and egress was better than the US and UK, probably equivalent to New Zealand but not as good as those nice Canadians.
The weather on paper was idyllic. Temp range was tight (lows and highs of minimal disparity) and it rained very little. Winds were a factor, but mostly in the open plains early in the ride. Likely would have earned more print had I crossed the Nullarbor desert (the name Nullarbor has Aboriginie roots and means "no trees".) The most difficult Mother Nature facet was the intensity of the sun. Even though I biked in the Aussie fall, it was not pleasant to be out from 12PM-4PM. Best summed up by a baker I visited while riding at 3PM who said “What are you doing out biking? I thought bikers only road in the mornings!”
I had previously read Bill Bryson’s “In a Sunburned Country” and knew there were many plants and animals that are more deadly here than in most places on earth. Didn’t really see that in my first visit. More exposed to the elements (biking over driving in a car), it was noticeable this time around and it gave me a new respect. While I’m not a fan of ticks and mosquitoes back where I’m from, they are diminutive in size and with common sense and precaution can generally be managed. The stuff here is bigger and potentially 'badder'.
Perhaps all those facets explain why I encountered few touring riders. I wouldn’t discourage doing it. I quite enjoyed my experience. I’d just go in eyes open and perhaps attempt a longer ride as part of a group than on a solo journey. More so here than in the other countries I’ve done.
I’m grateful for the support of my wife Kathy and for Steve, Amy and Nicole at UW-Madison who helped raise awareness on the ride for the donative organization tied to the ride - the UW-Madison Initiative to End Alzheimers. I’m also very thankful and humbled by those who have given to the cause. Thank you again! Once I settle in, I will reach out to each of you. There’s still time to donate if you wish at the link on the top of this page.
Thanks to all of you who have followed along on the ride and for the many well wishes you passed along. I’m very fortunate indeed to have had the opportunity and support to have made this dream a reality.