Tuesday 25 July 2006

July 20th - Gympie to Hervey Bay

DistanceOverall Total
123 km2636 km


Back into the sneaky undulating aussie country side, where its never actually flat, and there seems to be more rises than downhill sections. Got into Hervey Bay about 3ish, and stayed in the Koala hostel.

July 19th - Noosa to Gympie

DistanceOverall Total
65 km2513 km


I missed the bus to Steve Irwins "Zoo Australia", and since noosa seems to be as dead as a dodo at night time i said screw this and hit the road again. The legs didn't aggree with this decision, made really slow progress, so just called it a day in Gympie and crashed out.

July 18th - Brisbane to Noosa

DistanceOverall Total
142 km2448 km


Bit of a long and boring day just getting out of Brisbane. Made some good progress on the motorway for 100km, then the last 40 beside the sea into Noosa.

July 16th - Ipswich to Brisbane

DistanceOverall Total
45 km2306 km


Easy 40km ride from ipswich into brisbane city centre.

July 13th - Murwillumbah to North Tamborine

DistanceOverall Total
112 km2147 km


Mr Warning in the morning from Murwillumbah.



Started heading for Tweed Heads, and hit the gold coast. Followed the coast north passing through surfers paradise.



Headed for Mt Tamborine, some tough climbing but worth it for the views from the top. Stayed in a really nice cottage on Kidd lane in North Tamborine.

July 14th - North Tamborine to Ipswich

DistanceOverall Total
114 km2261 km


Great start to the day dropping off the Mt Tamborine back to the lowlands. Stopped for lunch in the town of Beaudesert.

The final run into Ipswich was pain with tight, endulating roads with lots of city traffic.

Was passing this scrap yard, went this dog appears at my wheel, running along side and going mental. I unclipped one foot from the peddal in case the dog did anything and i had to stop. Seems to be going fine, near past this dogs patch, and its slowing down when the fucker makes a last effort and bits my leg - just a little scratch but still sore and some blood. Anyway the dog thinks its great now, and is on for more of this game.. I don't agree.. so the defensless leg thats been bitten, now turns into an offensive weapon. I flick the leg and get the heal to connect with the right ear area of the dogs head, he decided the game wasn't that much fun then..

Get into Ipswich and find Adam St, where Noel and Deirdre live.

July 12th - Byron Bay to Murwillumbah

DistanceOverall Total
82 km2035 km


Easy enough day today cutting inland towards an acient volcano crater, the dirt road climb over the crater rim and descent was interesting. Mr Warning is the original centre of the volcano, and the only piece of rock that has not been eroided.

Sunday 9 July 2006

July 9th - Woodburn to Byron Bay

DistanceOverall Total
68 km1953 km


Feeling good this morning, have to switch the rear tube, seems the valve has given up the goast. Hit Ballina after 1.5 hours, and have a nice ride along the coast into Byron.

Going to chill here for a few days, maybe try surfing.

July 8th - Grafton to Woodburn

DistanceOverall Total
100 km1885 km


Easy day following the clarence river as it heads east towards the coast.

July 6th - Armindale to Dorrigo


DistanceOverall Total
124 km1661 km


Another tough day heading back towards the coast. The locals in armindale reckon the road is flat, but a 2000m climb over the distance says there wrong.

July 7th - Dorrigo to Grafton

DistanceOverall Total
124 km1785 km


From dorrigo i can take an easy route to Coff Harbor, but being me i take more difficult route and head directly to Grafton, a descent which in fact involves more climbing. The first 20km are paved, but then we have 20km of dirt roads. Some dodgy downhill sections and slippy turns - TOO EASY. The last 10km to the main road, is a nice 700m drop on good roads, avaraged 40kmph on the drop.

Final 75km into grafton was bit of a pain, but the next two days will be easier.

July 5th - Walka to Armindale


DistanceOverall Total
64 km1537 km


Nice clear but cool weather for this easy stage to the main town of the highlands.

July 4th - Nowendoc to Walka

DistanceOverall Total
72 km1473 km


Knew today would be easier after yesterdays climb, but the 70km was still fairly tough, with overcast and drizzly weather all the way.

Tuesday 4 July 2006

July 2nd - Newcastle to Gloucester


DistanceOverall Total
125 km1324 km


Wayne, david, sven.. which one do you blame, or all of them. Herr Kinsmann better deliver the goods now. Bit pissed off that the "man u" ronaldo had to score the winner. Alle le bleu.

Getting out of newcastle on a sunday was good, since with three lane highways for the first 40km on the pacific highway. I reckon a monday morning would have seen me playing death cycling with large trucks.

Hit "The Buckets Way" which is another of these aussie road that seem flat, but have never ending slight rises and large decents. For a simple 150m climb, i had to accended over 800m today.

Yet again the navigator has under estimated the distances, we're going to have to review the staff profile.

July 3rd - Gloucester to Nowendoc


DistanceOverall Total
77 km1401 km


The cycle book i'm using recommends traveling this stage in the opposite direction.
Warning one. As quoted from the book, "the 6.4 km winding very steep descent", warning two. So of course i'm doing it against the grain - so the enjoyable downhill stage turns into a 7 hour slog with over 2000m climbing. You know its steep then the trucks are coming downhill at about 5kmph, and there are runoff ramps about every 1km.



Anyway - at the end of the day - it was all TOO EASY. The mountain was broken.

Nowendoc has about 4 buildings, a general store, a motel and two others that seems to be used by horses. The dude running the general store is a belfast man who came out here in 1961, had a good chat with him about ship building and other random things.

July 1st - Newcastle

Great weather for chilling in newcastle. Will head inland into the great
dividing range tomorrow for a few days, so recharging the batteries is a good
idea.



Start of tour de france, maybe next year!!

June 30th - Kincumber to Newcastle


DistanceOverall Total
90 km1389 km


Headed towards avoca beach and hit the coast at tergial.

The pacific highway is fairly busy as it approaches newcastle. Get the
first drops of rain as i approach swansea, decide to stop for lunch and
let the weather pass.

The rain has stopped after lunch but the roads are wet and cold for the final
30km into newcastle. Find the YHA with no hassel.

Vince Golding the new owner of my trek fuel 90 mountain bike is from newcastle,
had suggest checking out "The Brewrey". I confirmed that it this as its name suggest - have beer.

World cup quater finals, had a feeling the germany game would go to penalties.
Didn't care about the other game, german will beat them in the semi either way.

June 29th - Sydney to Kincumber


DistanceOverall Total
75 km1299 km


Headed north out of sydney CBD, across the harbour bridge. Eventually find Manly beach and work my way up the coast, getting to Palm beach eventually.



Use the ferry to cross the channel. The late start and ferry delay, means i have to stop in Kilcumber to the night.

June 24th - 28th - Sydney

June 24th - Sydney 1

Wake up about 7ish, with some auld dude snoring into my ear, an accidental
of movement woken him - punk. So we seem to be close to sydney, i think we
must be ahead of schedule. We hit the sydney subarbs and the train like
slows to waking pace - completly ridiculose. The old dude has started snoring
again,, get me of this train..

Eventually get into sydney main station. At last a proper city. Anyway, sort
of somewhere to stay. Ireland play the aussies tonight, so arrange to meet a
friend of my sisters. The irish mafia are everywhere. Watch the match in coogee,
the bar has this special on once the game that all scooner beers are free until
the first point is scored. We had a scare after 5 min when ireland looked liked
kicking a point, but our man o'gara went for the line. Someone scores after about
15 mins, and ther must be about 20 beers of the table in front of us. Needless to
say these where all drank, the result of the game was forgotten, and of course we
have to head back into the city for some dodgy irish pub.

June 25th - Sydney 2

Think i got home about 4ish, with the biggest collection of aussie coins in
my pockets that anyone has ever gathered.

I woke up about 4ish (pm). Small tour of the town, various promises of never
drinking again.

June 23th - Adelaide to Sydney

10.00am

Left adelaide on a 24 hour train journey to sydney.

4.00pm

I know why the train takes 24 hours, because its only going about
30kmph - i reckon i'd cycle quicker. Seems every OAP in austalia is
afraid of flyling or else they gets a free ticket, because the average
age on the train has to be in the triple figures. Train stops for a
hour at broken hill, maybe there's a retirment village there.

7.00pm

Broken Hill - having been stuck on the train for 8 hours i was looking
forward to this stop, to strech my legs for an hour. I was back in my
seat after 15 minutes - absolutly NOTHING to do in this town.

23.00pm

Two dudes have got on from somewhere in the middle of nowhere. I now know how
to track, kill and a render various native and ferial animals of the austalian
outback. Seems shooting is the main leisure activity of the two dudes. Kangeroos,
foxes, emu's, wild boars, rabbits, cats and many more animals are on the nightly
hit list for these boys. Beers and four wheel drive vechicals are also needed.

00.43pm

All the beer has been drunk and the bar's closed. The track seems to have been built over every bump.

June 20th - Kangaroo Island Bus Tour

Seal Bay



Remarkable Rock





At last, they have found some thing that will fit on my head. Might be a bit heavy for the bike but..





Another cool aussie sun set

June 21th - Cape Jervis to Adelaide

DistanceTimeOverall Total
101 km4h1224 km


Always going to a boring day with a return leg back to adelaide. Had to get the
8.30 ferry which was as choppy as the irish sea in winter. Was feeling a little
bit green when we arrived.



A nasty 350m climb for the 5 km was tough, and not cleaning the chain after the dirty roads on monday was not the best idea. Had a strong head wind all the way, which made the going hard, and you know your up against it when you have to peddle to keep the bike going downhill.

June 19th - Kangaroo Island Cycle


DistanceTimeOverall Total
101 km4h1224 km


Another really well setup YHA hostel, just 5 mins from the port in penneshaw.



Having booked myself on a bus tour tomorrow, i took the bike and did some
off road touring, around the davids penisula end of the island.


The dirt roads are fine to cycle on, but alot of concentration is need to avoid
holes and stones. I found cycling in the middle of the road the best, as the road
edges tended to contain patches of soft sand that the front wheel would stick in.



The town of penneshaw from above, with the main land in the back ground.

June 18th - Adelaide to Cape Jervis

DistanceTimeOverall Total
113 km4h 52m1123 km


Started about 9am and meet a lot of sunday cycle groups leaving from adelaide
for the hills as i made my way out of the city.

I worked my way down the feriuer penninsula

The sea link ferry covered the 12km strech between kangeroo island and the main
land in 45 minutes.

Since i arrived at the ferry at 3, and the next sailing wasn't until 6, i was about i capture this neat sun set across st vincents bay.

A day had a couple of a small climbs, with the last 20km a constant rise. The decent to the ferry from 350m was quick.