5:49 PM - Tent up already. Recieved my first "you'd be keeping fit" comment of the trip. Found a milk crate. Furniture yay!
Dec 25th Seymour to Euroa
8:43 AM - Was just asked if i was riding around australia and whether i'd like to have breakfast, and if not breakfast a christmas lunch.
2:11 PM - Currently doing some washboard testing. Sadly this doesn't involve firemen, but rather corrugated unsealed roads.
2:57 PM - Currently being harassed by an old man with a VB in his hand telling me how I'm carrying too much gear. Always keen for experts advice. Racist bastard to match. Said 'you from Melbourne? You must be a dago.' He thinks i'm male which can only be a good thing.
3:22 PM - If you are intolerant of intolerant people does that make you intolerant also? Actually maybe i'm just intolerant of people.
5:54 PM - Short tour, day one: distance 64 km, average speed 13 km/h, Top speed 42 km/h, wildlife spotted: 1 roadkill echidna :(, meals offered: 2.
10:02 PM - Sleeping under the stars tonight, and, as it turns out also under a possum who has decided to run up the tree i'm under.
Dec 26th Euroa to Glenrowan
9:12 AM - Yay i just saw a large echidna. It was even alive and not very shy.
11:31 AM - A little bit lost after travelling about 4 km on a bush track complete with two fallen trees to climb over.
11:33 AM - How hard is it to pee with bitey ants crawling over shoes? Very.
1:37 PM - Headed in the general direction and got unlost. Made it to a town with no water left in the town hall tank. Fuck. Tis not the nullabour.
1:40 PM - 11 km of stupid hwy with no shoulder later in heat and 100ml water left made it to next town which has water taps. Hooray! No dying.
1:44 PM - Clearly carrying 1.7 litres of water ain't enough in country VIC. Also, i hate crest signs. And not a fan of snakes.
9:18 PM - 77 km today. Nearly killed me in 39 degree heat at times plus scarce water. Consider it training. Also saw a goanna and a roadkill turtle
Dec 27th Glenrowan to Everton
2:53 PM - Only rode 49 k today and i've had enough. Tent is up and i'm chillin at the only store in town eating an iceblock.
2:55 PM - A dirty old man invited me to swim in the pool. Halp!
7:04 PM - How cute. A cubby house with its own water tank. So far i have met three people today, two of them dedicated cyclists.
Dec 28th Everton to Beechworth and back, Everton to Myrtleford
9:41 AM - Just finished 16 k climb this morning. 43 k to go today. I'm being awarded a free coffee from a racer cyclist. :-)
11:38 AM - 2 hrs to ride up the hill and 45 minutes down. 34 degrees in the shade. Another 27 k to go today. I guess i better get to it as it is only going to get hotter.
12:29 PM - 17 k to go. 42 degrees. Just saw a man fall onto barbed wire. Asked you ok mate? Said he was. Asked need water? No. Asked you sure. Yep.
1:04 PM - Ok whose brilliant idea was it to cycle through the fires of hell? 44 degrees.
1:22 PM - Oh my god. The only water tank for 10 k is empty. That bloke back there is fucked. He's carrying 700 ml and it is deadly hot. I'll make it
1:36 PM - Just gave away 1 litre to a couple riding who were counting on water in tank. I should leave some more for that guy.
2:49 PM - Made it to campsite. Can i die now? No i'm actually feeling ok. A little hungry as forgot to eat lunch. Only 36deg here. Where's my jumper?
3:37 PM - I just realised i always put down my tent feet to east, head to west. So if i ever get lost i'll just put up my tent.
4:38 PM - Has anyone invited dog tents yet? If not, that idea is mine. Grey nomads arguing while parking their van is too funny.
4:59 PM - 60 something k today in stupifying heat. I'm fucked. I should explore the town but that requires getting up off the grass and off my arse.
8:04 PM - Eating lentil & ant dhal. Wasn't my fault. Stupid insects. Dislike them almost as much as these jerks with jetskis currently invading.
8:10 PM - Having a chat with a fellow tourist. Talking tech.
Dec 29th Myrtleford to Bright and back
12:12 PM - 68 k by noon. Do i stop for the day or keep moving? I would like to buy a swimming pool, fill it with icecream & eat my way to the deep end.
12:17 PM - Someone came up level w me on their racer today, said That's a lot of weight you're carrying there, & passed me adding holy duckin jesus :/
12:40 PM - Nope that's it for the day. No camps nearby. Tomorrow 41 k, thur 47, fri 44, sat 71, sun 48, then train back home. Nom o'clock!
4:51 PM - Riding a bicycle for the first time in 5 days with nothing tied to it to visit the shops is weird. Feels unstable. Wobble wobble.
4:54 PM - Earlier today i was doing 29 km/h in the drops on flat ground with a slight headwind, fully loaded for about 5 km. Felt like superwoman.
4:56 PM - Now its still 32 in the shade and feel like crap. Currently drinking 1 L tropical juice. I may drown.
11:46 PM - Just had dinner and long chat with two fellow touring cyclists, john and eve and umah i ate some of their chicken. Naughty vegetarian.
Dec 30th Myrtleford to Moyhu
9:25 AM - Just clicked over 400 km. Another hot day and unsealed washboard roads. Beautiful views though.
10:04 AM - 8 k to go for the day and it's only 10 am. Everytime i hit some unexpected washboards i say to rear panniers you kids ok back there? I maintain that you are not crazy because you talk to panniers, unless they start talking back.
3:03 PM - Just experienced a bogan moment now i've checked into campsite. It involved a ute, a shiela, winnie blues, men at work (band) and an horn.
Dec 31st Moyhu to Benalla
10:35 AM - Will have done over 600 km by the end of this 10 day tour. The heat has really limited the hours i can be on the bike without fainting.
10:38 AM - Just ran into your standard old couple in a commodore who said it's good to see the young people doing things like this.
10:40 AM - Am I still a young person then? Apparently i'm 20 something. Clearly my helmet is good for covering grey hairs.
10:58 AM - Was bitten through my shirt by a blow fly or something this morning. Taught some cows some new words.
2:39 PM - At an art gallery. Dean Bowen is now one of my favourite artists.
2:56 PM - I'm at a caravan park where the unpowered sites are on dirt, so i got a powered site for some nice grass.
2:58 PM - Anyway it looks silly cos i have a bivvy on a site meant for a car and caravan. I could have a picnic. I'm surrounded by grey nomads.
4:00 PM - This caravan park is full of scary bogans, angry in the heat and it's likely to be alcohol fueled violent fun tonight. Can not wait.
Jan 1st Benalla to Nagambie
3:32 AM - Stuck in a thunderstorm. Many mm falling. Tent leaking at seams. I may drown. Send my love to wife and family, the ship is going under.
4:04 PM - Just clicked over 600 km. This will be a 101 km day. About 11 km from destination.
5:15 PM - Made it, Checked in, purchased ice block, is shown site, eats ice block. This is the order things happen each day.
6:36 PM - No wait i lied. THIS is the most bogan campsite. My neighbours are sitting around listening to top 40.
6:45 PM - Cooking salt and pepper squid. Nom.
8:33 PM - More bad weather on the way. Would like no tent leaks plz.
Jan 2nd Nagambie (rest day)
12:07 AM - I'll have permanent hearing damage by the time this storm is thru with me. Plz let it not hail.
9:13 AM - Today is my rest day and its like 22 degrees, perfect for cycling. Screw you weather.
9:33 AM - Just rode to a market and was within mm of being run over by a guy towing his boat. Bikes are invisible here.
10:59 AM - If there is anything more boring and stupid than watching water skiing i've yet to see it.
11:55 AM - It's so windy where I am sitting right now that my wind turbine is charging my phone and i'm not cycling.
12:23 PM - I hope this headwind turns around for tomorrow. It's awfully strong.
1:52 PM - Went into a museum and was told it was a gold coin donation. I said ok and looked at some display while fishing out a coin. The guy then yelled at me and told the other worker i hadn't paid. A) i was looking for a coin and B) donation?
6:01 PM - Vegie burger cooked up by a firey. Mmm extra saucy. Look, the money raised goes to a good cause ok. And a nice arse.
7:31 PM - Lol. Somebody at the campsite just drove their shiny prado through some palm fronds and spent 5 minutes inspecting the paint for damage. They must be part of the 21.7% of the car market who own SUVs in oz, 99% of which are Fuckheads. An example, these people driving an "offroad" vehicle but staying in a motel room of the campsite. I've seen more dirt roads on my not-even-a-mountain-bike bike in the last 8 days than the average 4WD in Australia.
7:42 PM - Halp! I'm surrounded by Grand Cherokes, jetskis, and bogans living out of their means! That will make a good photo.
9:35 PM - Bogan equals playing truth or dare when you are 25 with two kids trying to sleep in the tent. Urge to kill rising.
9:51 PM - Why yes, seeing as you asked, the kids do have rats tails. Whoever invented ear plugs, i thank thee a thousand times.
Jan 3rd Nagambie to Seymour
8:32 AM - Last day of the tour. Only doing about 10-13 km/h on gravel road with a strong headwind.
11:41 AM - On the train back home now. I hate it when people put their luggage in the bicycle bit. How dare they!
13:30 PM - Just clicked over 700 km a couple k from home.
1 comment:
Epic tour!
I trust the bogans weren't too bad - and it sounded like you met some nice people.
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