The last week on the saddle took me from Canberra to the finish line in Camden, passing through Goulburn, Wollongong and Sydney Harbour before reaching the familiar streets of my hometown Camden. When I left Canberra I pedalled out with the scientist Richard Callaghan, who cycled with me to Lake George. By the time we said goodbye, the wind had picked up and I was blown northwards by a strong tailwind to reach the Big Marino by sunset…
Its been an incredibly challenging ride from Albury to reach the Australian capital of Canberra. True to form, I created the most difficult route to enjoy a brutal mountainous climb before my finish line next week in Sydney. Most of you will be familiar with my usual monthly post covering thousands of kilometers at a time, but I though being so close to the finale I should share with you the this weeks gruelling ride with Wilson… Continue Reading
It”s now just ten or so days until I finish my charity expedition, and to say I’m nervous is a massive understatement. The constant anxiety is making sleep at best sporadic, and during the days I’m trying hard to focus on enjoying the adventures of the road. And really, its hard to imagine a better ride than in the state of Victoria…
It’s been a gruelling month of riding to overcome the vast distances of the Australian outback, and as I’ve dropped southwards I’ve gone from +40 degree of the dry heat of the Northern Territory to a now wet and cold Victoria. I didn’t take on the open stretches beyond Katherine, however, without making a visit to the stunning Katherine Gorge…
Things are different up in the North End. On my first day in Darwin I was standing near the PM welcoming home troops from Afghanistan, then soon afterwards I was holding a crocodile! After over three years abroad, it was strange being around so many Aussies and it took a good few days to adjust! My parents had driven over 3000km from Sydney to welcome me back at the airport, and it was fantastic to catchup and stay with my cousin Larissa and her family for the week.
It didn’t take long for us to get out on the Adelaide River to feed the crocs, as well as check out the huge termite mounds…
I didn’t spend too much time on the bike whilst in Java and Bali. Instead, I visited international schools to promote AICR and focused on just resting up the legs before my ride through the Australian Outback. In Jakarta I stayed with a couple friends, Sego and JP (+flatmates Simon and Felix), who were happy to have me shack up with them for a few weeks. It was a fantastic time and a great opportunity to get an insight into the international school scene! Besides, the alternative would have been pedaling through the challenging traffic of Java. On my trip I’ve learned to listen to my body, and after 1400km in Sumatra it was time for a break… Continue Reading
I rode 1400km in Sumatra, between Riau and Lampung Provinces, and along the way encountered some of the most friendliest and hospitable people in the world. Most travellers only visit the north of the island, so I didn’t even see let alone meet another “boule!” In short, I had Sumatra to myself (I even met a middle aged woman who hadn’t even seen a foreigner before – so you could imagine what the children were like). The Sumatrans greatest passion in life is taking photographs, so I captured countless smiles on the camera as I made my was south towards Java.
So this post is a celebration of all the beautiful people I met on the island…
