Handcycle OZ - 2005

New Website

2006-06-05T15:06:00.000+10:00

Have rebuilt the HandcycleOz website and moved the blog to:
http://web.mac.com/dashz/iWeb/HandcycleOz/Home.html

Or click on the Main Site link on the menu --->

Day 367 - IT'S OVER!!!

2006-04-09T09:31:00.000+10:00

Yesterday was mad with so many things happening... We had a lot of bodies under the roof last night as well and it was quite a party...

The house looked like a bomb had gone off this morning and it will take me ages to clean it up....

My head is still spinning from everything and it will be a while before the dust settles I think....

I have a million things to do in the wake of the journey and look forward to some peace and quiet...

So, it's finally over with lands seen, records broken and many, many people met...

I want to thank everyone who has made this possible, from the business' to the mums and dads who kept us on the road.... Too many to list today but you know who you are... I will be eternally grateful for your generosity....

The impossible has been made possible and an incredible chapter in my life draws to a close...

THANKYOU....

Day 366 - Brisbane - Cleveland - Coochiemudlo Island - 15,918.24km

2006-04-07T11:17:00.001+10:00

Today was a hugeeeee day....

We skulked into Cleveland last night to make camp in a friends front yard (Thanks Dave, Meg, Cate, Emily & James)... They made us very welcome and we enjoyed the company of many friends over a BBQ and a few cool drinks...

This morning we made our way back to the city for what would be a very busy day...

First up was a ride into the city to King George Square and a reception with the Lord Mayor of Brisbane and many other interested parties.... A few speeches, a few presentations and a refreshment break before jumping back on the handcycle for the second leg of the day....

Next up was riding through Brisbane and out to the bay where we had a bit of an event waiting...

We were met and escorted by the local Police & Fire Department past Cleveland High School where the road was lined with very enthusiastic students... The same happened down the road with students from Cleveland Primary... There was a lot of sreaming and waving (I loved it)...

Eventually (and slowly) we arrived at Library Square in Cleveland where we were met by the Mayor who led a series of presentations and speeches. This was a terrific point in the journey and there were so many people from so many places who had come to the party....

But the show must go on... And I got back on the handcycle for the final leg to Coochiemudlo Island following my old practice route along the bike paths past Coochie before boarding the barge home...

Again, there was an amazing turnout at the ramp with the Coochie locals making me feel very welcome with champagne and gifts....

We met and talked with everone before slowly trekking up over the hill and into the backyard where it all began....

The final formalities complete I got off the hancycle for the last time on this journey... Relieved and overjoyed that I actually made it....

Time for a beer!

Carnage Count: 3 Cane Toads

Day 365 - Southbank (Brisbane) - 15,869.59km

2006-04-07T11:17:00.000+10:00

What seemed like a quick ride from the Gold Coast to the city was hampered by the spagetti line I needed to follow to avoid riding on the M1... It is a very difficult (to follow) route that takes you about 20km further....

However, despite the extra distance, the hills and the headwind I was happy to be riding into Brizzie and somehow managed to grind it out...

Was pretty tired at the end but soon washed it away when we made our way quietly to a friends house in Cleveland for the night... Lots of good food, good friends and a few quiet cold ones...

Carnage Count: 2 Snakes, 1 Roo, 3 Unidentified & Lots of Caterpillers

Day 364 - Labrador (Gold Coast - QLD) - 15,795.78km

2006-04-06T09:45:00.000+10:00

The fog & mist we woke to dissappeared quickly as we drove to the start site today...

The predicted showers never came and it turned into a glorious day as I handcycled back into Queensland...

We also bumped into a film crew from NBN news who captured our arrival just inside the border...

We made camp thanks to Pine Ridge CV park then headed back to Surfers to check out the beach... The boys went swimming while I wandered around town...

Later Cr Dowling made his way from Redland Bay to meet with us and catch up on the journey... He also treated us to a terrific dinner...

A great day at the office!

Carnage Count: 3 Cane Toads, 4 Unidentified & 2 Birds

Day 363 - Murwillumbah Rest Day

2006-03-31T10:24:00.000+10:00

Here we are just south of the border enjoying the last scheduled 'rest' day of the trip... And just as well as it has been raining steadily since 5am...

Of course the rest days have rarely been used for rest and today is no exception with a myriad of phone calls to make, lots of details to finalise, a collection to do and a website to update...All in a days rest!

Seriously... I am keen to move on, the forecast is dodgy but nothing will stop me now...

Day 362 - Murwillumbah - 15,729.27km

2006-03-31T10:19:00.000+10:00

After a great time with the team from Rainbow Power in Nimbin I was happy to be back on the road again...

There were lots of hills but the riding was magnificent and the expected rain stayed away...

We even stopped in at the Uki Public school and had some fun with the Year 1's & 2's...

It was hard to stop when we got here because we are sooooooo close to home but at this point I need to stick to the schedule as we have a lot of engagements next Monday...

Carnage Count: 3 Unidentified Bodies & 1 Cane toad

Day 361 - Nimbin Rest Day

2006-03-29T16:02:00.000+10:00

Tucked into a few chores in the morning, laundry, downloading photos etc...

After this we headed over to the Nimbin Central School where we had a great session with some very vocal and interested kids who asked terrific questions and kept us busy for a few hours...

Next, we had a great lunch of pasta at the Nimbin Hotel (Thanks!) and I went into town with Dave Christmas to do a collection... It went very well and I got to meet many local characters...

This evening we have a shindig happening at the Rainbow Power Company...

Day 360 - Nimbin - 15,678.20km

2006-03-28T13:41:00.000+10:00

It seems like just a year ago we were here getting the solar panel fitted at the Rainbow Power Company...

This time however, I rode into town instead of driving and it was daytime and along the way I got to enjoy the scenery of the area...Mind you, I did need to ride around the country to get here...Maybe I took a wrong turn at the first lights!

Anyhow, the end is approaching rapidly and it is nice to see familiar faces and places again... Many thanks to Dave and the Rainbow Power team, their solar panel, battery and inverter were an integral part of our journey...

Later we were entertained at the Nimbin Hotel and were treated to pizza by the Nimbin Pizza & Trattoria...

Carnage Count: 3 Cane Toads, 3 Frogs, 1 Possum and 3 Unidentified (and smelly) Corpses

Day 359 - Lismore Rest Day

2006-03-27T16:11:00.000+10:00

Had a good day out and about collecting and meeting people...

We even asked the Zen Sushi guy to sponsor us dinner which he was happy to do except he was not open for dinner, Bummer! However, he gave us anything left when his shop closed at 4.15pm so we had an early dinner Japanese feast...and it was GOOD! Cheers!

Website updated thanks to 'The Bush Telegraph' in Lismore...Cheers!

Day 358 - Lismore Recovery Day

2006-03-27T16:08:00.000+10:00

We have an extra day here, and being a Sunday I used it to catch up on computer stuff, fix the backrest on the handcycle, back up my photos to the reserve hard drive, prepare for the final week and finalise accommodation for the remaining week...

With that done I tucked into some movies and a couple of quiets...

Oh yeah, spectacular sunny warm day today...go figure!

Day 357 - Lismore - 15,645.82km

2006-03-27T15:39:00.000+10:00

Rain rain rain...

That about sums it up... Had to dodge it all day long and spent a fair amount of the day wet and cold...

Got to Woodburn, our original destination to find no caravan parks so I pressed onto Lismore through showers and over hills...

Was happy to get there a day early and am looking forward to a day of rest...

We had an amazing dinner at the Bascilico, really really good food, and our hosts at the Roadrunner CV park were happy to have us for an extra night so it all worked out well...

Carnage Count: 1 Lizard, 3 Frogs, 1 Bird & 3 Unidentified

Day 356 - Maclean - 15,558.74km

2006-03-24T14:21:00.000+10:00

Today was all about rain and how to dodge it...

Unsuccessfully I might add... I got drenched 3 times today... Twice on the handcycle and once setting up camp (Maclean riverside CV park)...

It would have been a terrific ride otherwise, relatively short, mostly flat and with the wind behind me... The forecast is for more of the same and I have another 2 rides in a row to get to Lismore....Bugger!

We met the mayor upon arrival, had a brief chat and got the book signed.

Also, a mate of mine stopped by on the way to Newcastle...was good to see a familiar face...I must be close to home!

Carnage Count: 2 Mice, 1 Rat, 2 lizards, 1 Turtle, 4 Unidentified & 2 Birds

Day 355 - Grafton Rest Day

2006-03-23T11:44:00.000+10:00

After yesterdays slog it was good to sleep in and it was just as well as the weather is terrible again today...Hope it clears up soon as I have 3 days riding in a row to Lismore....

So a quiet one by the fire!!!

Day 354 - Grafton - 15,512.24km

2006-03-23T11:37:00.000+10:00

Hard work today to bang out 80km but luckily the threatening weather held off for most of the ride...

Had a great stop with a bunch of kids from the North Coffs Primary (Hope that is right)... They cheered us on from the side of the road and we did a quick Q & A session...

Our digs are thanks to the Sunset CV Park... Many thanks...

Carnage Count: 1 bird, 2 frogs, 3 possums & 2 unidentified

Day 353 - Coffs Harbour Rest Day

2006-03-21T14:26:00.000+10:00

We had some huge rain last night and today but the new caravan held up magnificently...

We braved the weather and hit the town to do some collecting...

The weather forecast is grim for the next few days but we are hoping to stay ontime...

A generally quiet day...

Oh yeah, last night we had the most amazing dinner at 'The European' restaurant near the jetty... Highly reccommend it, the food is awesome...

Day 352 - Coffs Harbour - 15,428.84km

2006-03-20T15:55:00.000+10:00

Remarkably we made our appointment with the Mayor of Coffs today and are back on our timetable...

More significantly, I have just 2 weeks to go and only 9 ride days, yes I am down to single figures and its all starting to get a bit weird and surreal...

I am looking forward to home and the finish line but will miss the road a lot I think...

Its soooo close....

The riding was good today and the expected showers gave way to sunshine... Broke a cable on the handcycle but luckily had just enough spare cable to fix it...

Out digs in Coffs are at the Coffs Harbour Tourist Park (Cheers)

Carnage Count: 1 Bird

Day 351 - Macksville - 15,373.07km

2006-03-20T15:46:00.000+10:00

After a rather hectic weekend my schedule did not get easier today...

I decided to make up the time right away and ride two scheduled days in one... So here we are 103km later... All the usual stuff, wind, sun and hills but I was just so happy to be riding again I hardly noticed... What I did notice was the sudden scourge of suicidal frogs (see carnage count), I spent half the day dodging them...

We are staying at the Nambucca River Tourist Park where we all jumped into the pool after our hard day... Later, but not much later we went into town and had some amazing Pizzas at Salz's Place...

I didn't make it through the movie after dinner before falling asleep...

Carnage Count: 4 Snakes, 1 Lizard, 4 Rabbits, 1 Roo, 1 Hawk, 3 other Birds & 74 Frogs

Roadside Mall: 1 Number Plate...

Day 350 - Port Macquarie Rebuild

2006-03-20T15:39:00.000+10:00

It was a long day at the office... But today we managed to take possesion of a new caravan, almost the same as Mork, just slightly older and a different layout inside...

We had to get all our equipment from one to the other, reorganise it all to the new order and refit other items such as the solar panel and battery...

In the meantime it needed temporary registration to get back to Queensland which we organised throught the RTA who are thankfully open on Saturdays...

It is my great pleasure to say that we managed the changeover and will leave Port Macquarie just 24 hours later than scheduled...

A big thanks to the individuals, companies and media who made this possible...

UNBELIEVABLE!

Day 349 - Port Maquarie - Emergency Day

2006-03-20T14:41:00.000+10:00

Well, instead of enjoying a rest day here we are in crisis management mode with the caravan being scrutinised to access the damage... (Totalling some $13,000)

Watsons Caravans have made us the amazing offer of a replacement van and thanks to the efforts of many people, RACQ have been able to access the damage and fastrack the insurance claim meaning we will be able to pick up the new van tomorrow...

This is an extraordinary turn of events and it looks like our journey will be delayed just 24 hours!

I can hardly believe it and thank all those who made this happen...

Tonight, the 16th anniversary of my arrival in Australia I will enjoy a Guinness and sleep easy...

Day 348 - Port Macquare - 15,271.66km

2006-03-17T09:25:00.000+10:00

DISASTER....

Today the caravan was rear ended on the highway and has been all but written off!!!

It has sustained major damage to the rear which may take up to 10 weeks to repair... This has left us homeless and without a support structure... We are currently considering options but they all seem to involve resourses we don't have...

Watsons Caravans in Port Maquarie have been awesome in helping us and are doing everyhing possible to get us back on the road but it still looks grim...

The local council and mayor have also been magnificent securing us a hotel for a few nights and feeding us....

Thanks to everyone who has helped...

Carnage Count; 2 birds, 1 Roo, 1 Possum, 1 rabbit & 1 Squashed

Day 347 - Taree - 15,188.37km

2006-03-17T09:12:00.000+10:00

A pretty big day on the road but conditions were great for riding so I was having a good time...Even with the hills...There is also a fair bit of roadworks around making riding fairly hairy but I am pretty used to it now...

We arrived at the Twilight CV park (our sponsors) early afternoon then headed into town for some collecting and food shopping...

We had an awesome dinner at the Royal Hotel where we sat eating while looking over the river...Great spot and great food...

Carnage Count: 2 Snakes & 1 Possum

CYCLING QUEENSLAND COME & TRY DAY

2006-03-17T08:48:00.000+10:00

Try handcycling yourself...

Cycling Queensland is having a 'Come & Try' day on Sunday 21 May 2006 in Brisbane...

Have a look at their website HERE for more information...

Or contact Skye Janovsky on

skye.janovsky@cycling.org.au

Day 346 - Bulahdelah Rest Day

2006-03-14T09:08:00.000+10:00

Busy day today...

On the net updating in the morning...

New tyres for caravan this afternoon thanks to Buladelah Tyre & Mechanical Service... Tyres seem to be a theme lately!

Buladelah Primary School at lunchtime and a spot of collecting afterwards....

Day 345 - Bulahdelah - 15,120.12km

2006-03-14T08:59:00.000+10:00

Our arrival in Bulahdelah was really fun... We were met by Cr Lynette Lawry outside the pub and were treated to some terrific country hospitality...A few locals also rocked up and we chatted about the trip...

She made sure everything was perfect... We got lunch and dinner thanks to Barry at the Plough Inn Hotel, internet at the Courthouse (cheers Malcolm) & a couple of nights at the Mount Alum CV Park...

It was hot today too, so we jumped straight in the pool at the caravan park to cool off....

Carnage Count: 1 Roo, 2 Echidnas, 1 Lizard & 2 Unidentified

Roadside Mall: 2 Number Plates

Day 344 - Karuah - 15,077.06km

2006-03-14T08:55:00.000+10:00

Today was the sort of riding you dream about...

A small climb to the top of the hill, a fast cruise down the hill then relatively flat the rest of the way on wide smoothe roads with the wind at your back and the sun overhead...Purrrrfect!

Got some on the spot sponsorship on arrival from the Karuah CV Park for tonight and spent the afternoon repairing the handcycle... Some cables were on the brink of death so I replaced them...

Another slap up feed of curry leftovers thanks to Sarah in Newcastle...

Carnage Count:2 Birds, 1 Furry thing & 1 Snake
Roadside Mall: 3 Number Plates

Day 343 - Newcastle Rest Day & NEW PHOTOS

2006-03-11T09:50:00.000+10:00

Well, its the weekend so things are pretty quiet...

A trip to the beach and town will fill most of the day...

Check out the latest photos here... Up to Week 48 and a few from Canberra

Day 342 - Charles Town/Newcastle - 15,018.79km

2006-03-11T09:43:00.000+10:00

Had a great ride up the coast today...yes, a few hills but nonetheless good riding...It was warm too, just the way I like it...

We are staying with Sarah, another friend from the road who we met in WA 6 months ago...

We were treated to a roast dinner and I got to sleep in a real bed...first one since Melbourne...

We talked and laughed long into the evening...

Day 341 - Bateau Bay Rest Day

2006-03-11T09:35:00.000+10:00

I was exhausted yesterday and woke to find myself in uncommon territory... Very sore and tired...

So much so that the best I could manage was to laze around reading a book and recovering...

And that pretty well summed up my day...

The boys went a playing in the surf and later managed to organise dinner at Shelly's Surf Bar Restaurant... We had some great pizzas... And its a pretty cool place... Cheers!

Day 340 - Gosford/Bateau Bay - 14,957.20km

2006-03-11T09:21:00.000+10:00

Today was big in every way...

Big ride, 85km of large hills that left me exhausted.....

A great meeting with the Mayor of Gosford where we were treated to lunch and they helped us replace all the tyres on Mindy....This was very timely as we had just picked up another nail in one tyre (making two) and the remaining 2 tyres were bald....

After lunch I jumped back on the handcycle and we went to Bateau Bay and the Blue Lagoon CV Park (Our sponsors)...Its a great spot right on the ocean with a cool pool and a spa...Yes, Wendy & Doreen, I finally found one and it was awesome...

Finally we had a terrific pasta dinner (and dessert) sponsored by the Cafe la Soul which is located in the resrt grounds....

Crashed like a rock after dinner!

Day 339 - Sydney Admin Day

2006-03-11T09:19:00.000+10:00

Spent most of the day in preparation for the last 4 weeks riding...Organising accommodation and talking to councils...

Generally very quiet...

Day 338 - Sydney Repair Day

2006-03-11T09:14:00.000+10:00

The best layed plans all went out the window today...

A ride through the city and accross the bridge was cancelled due to heavy roadworks on the north side making riding conditions considerably dangerous...

The repairs to the caravan were also cancelled on discovering how far away the repair place was from our caravan park.....

So instead the boys went to the beach and I worked on photos for the website while watching a few movies...

A hot day ended with a swim...not bad at all...

Day 337 - Rest Day

2006-03-05T20:25:00.000+10:00

While the crew went off to play in Sydney (beaches or something) I used the time to catch up on some web page stuff..namely the photos page...I have added a few more weeks to the link...(Week 41 onward)

Also went to vist my friend Jo who is studying Dentistry here in Sydney...I was lucky to see her as her course is very intense and she hardly has a moment to spare...We had some good Thai food for dinner and caught up on gossip...

NEW PHOTOS

2006-03-04T21:43:00.000+10:00

Have posted some photos of Tasmania... See Week 42

Click on Image Gallery or here to see them...

Day 336 - North Ryde (Sydney) - 14874.29km

2006-03-04T21:33:00.000+10:00

Well, here we are in Sydney!

The traffic is mad, the air is hard to breathe but the satisfaction of reaching this milestone is untouchable...

We have now been to every state and capital in Australia and all that remains is to mosie on up the coast to Brisbane...

The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter by the day...Just 4 weeks to go now and I'll be home...Amazing!

We are enjoying the hospitality of the Lane Cove CV Park for the weekend and we settled in pretty quickly...I was extra happy to have a good accessible shower again...

In the afternoon we decided to go into town as we have arrived on Mardi Gras day! The parade was terrific and the amount of people in the city was mad...I had a lot of trouble seeing the parade from my shortened position but I did get a few glimpses...A lot of effort has gone into it and as far as I can tell everyone was having a good time...

Carnage Count: 1 Bird & 3 Unidentified

Day 335 - Casula (Sydney) - 14,836.74km

2006-03-04T21:26:00.000+10:00

Well, I thought yesterday was fast but today was something else...

We dropped another 300m in elevation today but it was long and gradual giving me an overall average of 24.77kmph... At one stage after an hour it was nearly 30kmph!!!

So a really fast day but we needed to pull up as we are not due in central Sydney until tomorrow...

We backtracked to Camden where we are being sponsored by the Poplar CV Park to hold up for the day...

We had a terrific dinner thanks to the Thai House in Camden...Really really good Thai food....

Carnage Count: Nil again (Mainly due to terriying speeds!)

Day 334 - Bargo - 14,784.44km

2006-03-04T21:21:00.000+10:00

A great start to the day when we had 600 kids as an audience at the morning assembly of the Moss Vale Public School...We wish we could have been there longer!

A late start for riding, getting on the road around midday...It was OK apart from the heavy traffic but all of the climbing up to Canberra came down today as we dropped about 300m over the ride giving me a great average speed around 18kmph...

We have a place to camp thanks to the Bargo Caravan Park...Cheers!

Pizza for dinner....

Canrange Count: Nil (I know it is a shock to me too!)

Day 333 - Moss Vale - 14,744.86

2006-03-01T14:36:00.000+10:00

A much bigger and harder ride than anticipated today....The hills were bigger & I decided to ride into town (an extra 13km)... Hard work again but I think I am getting used to it...

We even had to dodge a few showers...

Eventually we arrived at the Moss Vale Village CV Park (Cheers!) and quickly set up before heading into town....

Internet is thanks to the local Library...Many thanks!

Carnage Count:3 Roos, 3 Foxes, 3 Birds, & 2 piles of Bones

Day 332 - Goulburn - 14,675.50km

2006-03-01T14:32:00.000+10:00

Another mostly hilly ride but the good weather kept me smiling and cruising along...

We were met by the Mayor of Goulburn on arrival and the local press...

After this we made camp at the Goulburn South Motor Park (Cheers!) where I crashed as soon as we were set up... I arose around 3pm and we went into town for a bit of a collection followed by dinner at the Tattersals Hotel...Which we were very grateful for!

Another early night for some wary travellers...

Carnage Count: 2 Roos, 2 Rabbits, 1 Fox, 2 Piles of Bones & 5 Unidentified

Roadside Mall: 1 Number Plate (ACT - which completes my set!)

Day 331-2 - Rest Area - Lake Grace - 14,630.04km

2006-03-01T14:27:00.000+10:00

After the excitement of the morning at Parliament House we set of for Sydney around midday...

It's pretty hilly stuff but the Federal Highway is a pretty good riding road so all in all it was a good ride...

Found a good rest area (with a toilet) to spend the night, cooked up a BBQ, watched a movie then hit the hay...

Carnage Count: 1 Lizard, 1 Roo, 1 Fox & 1 Cockatoo

Day 331-1 Parliament House Canberra - 14,582.37km

2006-02-27T10:26:00.000+10:00

A short run into the city and up to the steps of Parliament this morning...

Turned out to be a fantastic event where we met the Prime Minister, the Speaker, Our Local Minister, the Queens Baton relay runners and many other terrific people...

Prime Minister John Howard also signed our Guinness Book of records log book!

We were given a tour of parliament House before setting of in the direction of Goulburn...

A special thanks to CR Peter Dowling, Federal Member Andrew Laming & their staff for making today possible...

Day 330 - Canberra Rest Day

2006-02-27T10:16:00.000+10:00

Today we went to the National Zoo...

Its a smaller zoo but you can see things up close like Tiger & Otter feeding...The bears are pretty cool too!

Later we shopped for our final roadstay day and enjoyed a fabulous meal at Mama's Trattoria in the city... The boys even had dessert which apparently caved their heads in... Many Thanks!

Day 329 - Canberra Admin Day

2006-02-27T07:49:00.000+10:00

Started day with a visit to Queanbeyan shops to do a bit of a collection...

In the afternoon we went to Manuka Oval and I took the crew to their fist AFL game...It was a pre-season game with the Kangaroos coming out on top...

It was a really hot day and I was amazed that the players survived...A good time was had by all...It was also fun to explain all the rules...

Day 328 - Canberra Repair Day

2006-02-24T13:50:00.000+10:00

With the whole day set aside for fixing the problem on the caravan we packed up early and set off to get it done...

But...

Aparently the warranty does not cover the problem (what a surprise) and not only that they had not allocated enough time to fix it. They can't do it until next Tuesday (after we have gone!) So we need to carry the problem through to Sydney and hope the other cables dont break... We also need to find about $800 to pay for it!

Life is full of surprises...Bugger!

That pretty much sums up today!

Day 327 - Canberra - 14,576.83km

2006-02-24T13:42:00.000+10:00

We cut the 3 day trip from Cooma into 2 and arrived in Canberra 1 day early....We used the time to get aqainted with the city and check out some of the sights...

It is a very well presented city with lots of trees but strangely wheelchair unfriendly....Odd things like lack of curb cuts & locked loos...

Steffi leaves us today to get back to Geelong...

We watched an amazing sunset over the hills and I reflected on how far we have come to get here....I felt at peace...

Carnage count: 3 Roos, 1 Lizard, 5 Piles of Bones & 2 Unidentified

day 326 - Rest Area, Colinton - 14,515.01km

2006-02-24T13:36:00.000+10:00

Loads of hills on the way out of the mist shrouded Cooma but eventually the sun broke through and I managed to clock up 15km further than anticipated...

We stopped at a rest area then doubled back to the Bredbo Public School where we were welcomed by the whole school...28 students + teachers... We had a lot of fun and nearly everyone got a ride on the handcycle...

A thunderstorm came through in the afternoon and we nearly had heart attacks when a bolt of lightening landed very close to us...The noise of the thunder was awesome...

Carnage Count: 3 Foxes, 2 Roos, 2 Rabbits & 4 Unidentified Furry things

Day 325 - Cooma Rest Day

2006-02-21T09:09:00.000+10:00

Back to school...Today we visit Cooma North Primary School...

Otherwise I have been hammering away at the much needed admin...

Thanks to the info centre in Cooma for our internet today...Cheers!

Day 324 - Cooma - 14,427.24km

2006-02-20T15:52:00.000+10:00

The hills were not so bad today and I enjoyed a generally downhill ride to Cooma arriving late morning... I was met by accident by some people we had camped next to way back in Western Australia...Small world!

Have been busy with admin and planning all afternoon and am looking forward to a good break here...

Our hookup is thanks to the Snotel Caravan park...Cheers!

Carnage Count:12 Roos, 8 Piles of Bones, 4 Hares, 2 rabbits, 5 Lizards & 3 unidentified

Day 323 - Nimmitabel - 14,427.24km

2006-02-20T15:45:00.000+10:00

Well, if I thought the last few rides were big, I had no idea! Today we climbed to an elevation over 1000M.....about 5-6 times descending into deep valleys in between... It was really hard work and at one point we reached an elevation of 1136M...Finally settling in town at 1080M...

It was slow and hard going and I went to sleep not long after we arrived. The guys went of for a bit of exercise...

I was exhausted and was still tired when I got up for dinner...We were treated to T-Bones by the Federal Hotel which I wolfed down leaving nothing but my cutlery on the plate....Thanks, we really needed it!

Nimmitabel is so high that most evenings it is in the clouds...literally...It is a strange and errie place at 6pm thats for sure! Nice friendly people though...

Carnage Count: 4 Roos, 1 Snake, 8 Lizards, 2 Birds, 1 Hawk, 2 rabbits & 5 Unidentified

Day 322 - Bombala Rest Day

2006-02-20T15:41:00.000+10:00

On the scheduled rest day we went into town and met the locals (and did a bit of a collection)

It was a good day and we were treated to lunch by The Heritage Guest House - Bombala...Terrific toasted sandwiches!

Later, Steve from the Imperial Hotel served up some excellent steaks... Cheers!

The crew spent the afternoon at the pool while I cought up on some admin...

Day 321 - Bombala - My Birthday

2006-02-20T15:37:00.000+10:00

We spent the better part of the day in relaxation and recovery....

After some tough riding and some heavy socialising we all needed a real break....It was divided amongst reading, sleeping and watching movies...

Its another milestone on the journey....I have celebrated many moments; Christmas, New Years and now my Birthday...It all seems to fly by so fast...

Day 320 - Bombala - 14,375.11km

2006-02-20T15:29:00.000+10:00

Elevation 716M

Today was big in so many ways... We finally crossed into New South Wales (My last state to cross)... It felt great to get here knowing that in just a few weeks I will be home... We also climbed a LOT of hills today, up and down, big rises and big falls leaving me exhausted by the time we arrived....

We are a day early, having conquered the mountains and seeing as tomorrow is my birthday we did a little celebrating...A hot chicken, some music, some cards and a few timly drinks kept us entertained...Well into the evening!

We are being hosted by the Bombala Council Caravan Park who have excellent facicites (especially for wheelchairs) and have allowed us an extra night because of our early arrival, it is also in a great spot near town and right on the river....Many Thanks!

Carnage Count: 3 Roos, 3 Snakes, 3 Lizards, 5 Birds, 5 Piles of Bones & 1 Unidentified Body

Day 319 - Rest Area 4km South of NSW Border - 14,328.70km

2006-02-20T15:21:00.000+10:00

Up, up & up is the order of the day... Really good riding through the Cann Valley...Pretty quiet road with lots of trees and birds...Elevation 351M

It was also exciting to have turned North... As we now head to Canberra, Sydney and Home...It feels good to be going in this direction and the weather for it was spectacular...

Along the way we passed by and stopped at the Noorinbee school where we had an informal talk with the kids and teachers while I was still on the handcycle....They are a terrific (and clever) bunch who asked all the right questions...

Our campsite at the rest area near a stream is also a really good spot....Quiet and relaxing...

Carnage Count: 2 Small Birds, 1 Crow, 2 Hawks, 1 Lizard, 1 Roo, 1 Rabbit & 1 Unidentified Furry Thing

Day 318 - Cann River - 14,288.41km

2006-02-20T15:14:00.000+10:00

Its just as well that I broke this leg into 2 parts as its pretty hilly here...And I was pretty tired when we broke into town and made our CV park (Thanks to Cann River CV Park)

I noticed today that under a heavy canopy of trees the GPS looses its connection and doesn't quite add up the mileage...I wondered how often this has happened? Maybe I have come a lot further than I think...

Great little town next to the river....everything is close...We even had a good feed at the Cann River Hotel (Cheers!) just 100m away....

Quiet evening at the park throwing the footy and playing some cards...

Carnage Count: 1 Bird, 1 Roo & 2 Unidentified...

Day 317 - Bellbird Creek Hotel - 14,257.83km

2006-02-20T15:04:00.000+10:00

We were up in the middle of the night due to rain and it hung on long enough in the morning for us to do a collection around town before setting off around midday...

It was pretty hilly stuff today so the sight of the Bellbird Ck Hotel was welcome relief...They let us set up out the back...

Small drama with the windup caravan today...One corner did not wind up! We have it booked to be fixed in Canberra but need to use a piece of wood for the next 8 days...Not easy to erect, but good enough for us to sleep inside...

Had great fun in the evening playing Euchre with the locals in their weekly competition at the Hotel...I even won a bottle of Port! They also did a collection for us...A really good night and a great place to stop!

Carnage Count: 2 Birds

Day 316 - Orbost - 14,220.10km

2006-02-20T14:22:00.000+10:00

Today we said goodbye to the ocean for the next 3 weeks as we headed inland to Orbost under a cloudless sky...It was hard work riding through the hills but worth it for the scenery...

We even passed over the famous Snowy River...

Our digs are care of the Snowy Rover Orbost CV park and we had a fantastic feed of Pizza thanks to Mary's Place...Fabian who always gets the chilli flavoured pizza was set quite a challenge...He looked like he was melting...

Carnage Count: 1 Bird

Roadside mall: 1 Number Plate

Day 315 - Lakes Entrance Rest Day

2006-02-11T10:19:00.000+10:00

Laundry and other domestic chores in the morning...

Collecting and resting in the afternoon...

Day 314 - Lakes Entrance - 14,165.31km

2006-02-11T10:15:00.000+10:00

Two schools and a ride today!

First up was the Bairnsdale Special School... Then I rode to Lakes Entrance... Then we went to the Lakes Entrance Primary School... So lots of fun today and lots of enthusiastic kids to talk too....

Pretty tukered out by the end of the day so we bought a hot chicken and headed home for a restful evening at out sponsored park, The Koonwarra CV Park...

The lads went for a swim at the beach but I made the most of the quiet time by watching a movie...

Carnage Count: 1 Snake, 3 Rabbits

Roadside Mall: 1 Number Plate

Day 313 - Bairnsdale - 14,126.30km

2006-02-11T10:08:00.000+10:00

Really early start today due to a live interview on ABC Gippsland at the Sale studios at 6.15am....It went well and we still got away pretty early...

The ride was marred by a bit of rain but thankfully we made it to Bairnsdale just before it really came down...We were greeted by Cr Bob Haldene, the deputy mayor and Mike Quist who layed on some food and drinks then assisted us to get to the St Marys School. We needed help as it was pouring down and we needed to get the handcycle there...They provided a ute..perfect!

As usual the kids were great and we had a good time talking about my journey...

We were also stopped on the road by WIN TV who took some footage and did an impromptu interview....Tomorrow night they tell us....

Busy Day!

Dinner was thanks to the Commercial Hotel and our Hookup thanks to the Big 4 Caravan Park

Carnage Count: 1 Fox, 1 Snake, 14 Rabbits, 5 Birds, 2 lizards & 1 Unidentified

Day 312 - Sale - 14,058.43km

2006-02-11T10:04:00.000+10:00

Pretty good ride today in relatively good conditions...We were all pretty tired though so we took the time to rest up a little before going into town...

Had a good dinner at the Gippsland Hotel thanks to Jim and our lodgings care of the Sale Motor Village...

Carnage Count:2 Foxes, 4 Roos, 1 Wombat, 1 Bird & 1 Unidentified Corpse

Day 311 - Yarram Rest Day

2006-02-11T09:56:00.000+10:00

As usual, no rest for the wicked....

Went down to the local school today and addressed a large and enthusiastic group of kids... It was good to get back to the schools now the holidays are over. Luckily I was not as rusty as I thought I might be...

Afterwards Gareth & I made a good collection around town while Fabian spent the day with his girlfriend...

Dinner was thanks to the Commercial Hotel

Day 310 - Yarram - 13,984.73km

2006-02-06T15:59:00.000+10:00

Casual start and a ride with the wind at my back...A nice change that saw us beat the ensuing storm and make camp early (Thanks to the Yarram Rosebank Tourist Park)...

Wonderful views accross the rolling landscape to the ocean and the strange but mesmerising turbines at the windfarm drew my gaze from as far back as I could see them...

Internet thanks to the Yarram Library...Cheers!

Carnage Count: 3 Foxes, 2 Furry Splattered Things & 2 Birds

Day 309 - Foster - 13,932.56km

2006-02-06T15:50:00.000+10:00

Wow! Took the back road today which was nice and quiet but boy was it hilly... Luckily for us (and my sanity) there were terrific views of Wilsons Promenade National Park to be seen from the top...After that it was downhill all the way to Foster and our CV park sponsors (Prom Central CV Park)...

I was really tired and spent the afternoon relaxing and catching up on admin (route planning) while the crew went for a look at the National Park...

Pizza for dinner and a few movies...

Carnage Count: 4 Foxes, 3 Birds & 2 Unidentified Furry things

Day 308 - Wonthaggi - 13,868.23km

2006-02-06T15:41:00.000+10:00

Really good riding today....Hot and sunny and relatively flat...

Was made special by Dean and Sue (I met Dean on my second day - He has also rode around Australia) who made a special effort to drive out and see us on the road... We spent a terrific hour on the side of the road telling war stories...Thanks for the cookies...they did not last the day!

Passed a lot of friendly cyclists today...some of whom were at the CV park...Thanks for your support...and thanks to the lady who dropped of the T-Shirt while I was on the phone...

Home tonight was thanks to the Coalfields CV park and for dinner we cooked T-Bones on the BBQ....

Also had fun catching up with some friends by phone in the evening...Just a great day at the office!

Carnage Count: 1 Roo, 1 Fox, 6 Birds, 2 Rabbits, 3 Unidentified & 1 Snake

Roadside mall: 1 Number plate

Day 307 - Tooradin

2006-02-06T15:34:00.000+10:00

Just 24km beyond Frankston was our next stop which was just as well because the power cord for the caravan was accidentally left in Frankston...

It worked out well though because we were able to bring Lorna a bit closer to Melbourne to catch a train and luckily the round trip was short!

Fabian arrived by bus not long after we got back and we set about integrating together as the new team...

Our hookup was thanks to the Tooradin CV Park and dinner thanks to the Lookout Hotel

Carnage Count: TBA

Day 306 - Frankston - Victoria

2006-02-06T15:27:00.000+10:00

Lots of things happening today...

Firstly, as we arrived into Port Melbourne we had to pick up Gareth (He is replacing Lorna who has decided to move on and is heading to Perth in a few days). This worked well as he was waiting for us at the dock...

Then we had to find our way back into the city where we met Amanda from the council and set up to leave from City Square (where we stopped a few weeks before). At this point we are rejoined by Lorna and Fabian departs to spend some time with his girlfriend...

Then I head off again, first for Port Melbourne and then to Frankston...

A busy sort of day ending in a big climb to the Frankston Tourist Park (our sponsors) where we made camp in the blazing sun...

An awesome farwell (for Lorna) and welcome (for Gareth) dinner was sponsored by the Via Mare restaurant in Frankston...Really good Italian food and really friendly staff!

Carnage Count: TBA

Day 305 - Devonport

2006-02-06T15:18:00.000+10:00

We made an early start today to be sure to arrive early in Devonport as Lorna is flying back to the mainland to meet with some old friends for the evening...

This meant a pretty relaxed afternoon for Fabian & I as we are taking the overnight ferry back to the mainland leaving around 8pm...

On it we watched an amazing sunset over the ocean and enjoyed a movie onboard before hitting the sack...In the cabin we had the best bathroom...Possibly the best I have seen for a wheelchair to date....

And so our adventure to Tassie comes to an end...We have had amazing extremes of weather and terrain to deal with all wrapped up in awesome scenery and great food...I am glad we came here and look forward to visiting again another time...By car though!

Carnage Count: TBA (Dont have my notebook on me)

Day 304 - Deloraine - 13,662.20km

2006-02-02T18:50:00.000+10:00

Early start today to beat the predicted rain...

It worked well and we made town early then all hit the rack for a bit of a sleep...

Digs car of the Apex CV Park and food thanks to Gangsters Pizza....Cheers!

Carnage Count:9 Possums, 1 Roo, 3 Birds, 4 Unidentified

Day 303 - Longford Rest Day

2006-01-30T14:26:00.000+10:00

Serendipidy was working well today... A planned rest stop here was timely due to the amount of rain falling this morning....

It was quite cold too but has cleared this afternoon...I rugged up and watched some movies while Lorna & Fabian went exploring...

Thanks to the Online Acess Centre for sponsoring our web update...Cheers!

Hoping for more clear weather tomorrow...

Day 302 - Longford - 13,616.53km

2006-01-30T14:16:00.000+10:00

Weather forecast was for rain today so we got up before dawn to make a quick getaway to see if we could beat the weather...

It was very quick riding on generally flat ground with no specific wind trouble...And only a drop or two of rain but nothing that stopped me...

We made it before 11am and set up and waited for the rain to come...It did eventually but we were well wrapped up by then...

Thanks to the Longford Riverside CV park for our hookup...

Carnage Count:11 Possums, 2 Roos, 1 Tassie Devil, 3 Rabbits, 7 Unidentified & 3 Birds

Day 301 - Ross Rest Day

2006-01-28T15:48:00.000+10:00

It feels amazing to have passed 300 days on the road and today I slept in to celebrate...Just 65 days to go! Two more big cities to mark off and about 3000km to go...I am looking forward to getting home and it looks soooo close on the map...

In the afternoon we wandered the groovy little town set on the edge of the river with lots of big shady trees...Its a good spot and we had fun meeting the locals...This area is known for the 'Female Factory' where female convicts were processed...

A cool swim in the afternoon followed by a good meal....

Day 300 - Ross - 13,549.03km

2006-01-28T15:41:00.000+10:00

A real slog in the heat and headwind today but strangely enjoyable... I managed to find a good space helped along with some music and just ground out the km's...

Passed over the highest point on the Midland Highway today at 488m elev. It was a big climb but slow coming down the other side due to the winds...

It was very hot riding and I enjoyed a long cold shower afterwards...

Later we tucked into dinner at the local Pizza place - Cheers!

The Ross CV park has also put us up for 2 nights seeing as we arrived a day early...I am looking forward to the rest...

Some movies, cards and cold drinks in the evening...

Carnage Count: 1 Tassie Devil, 3 Possums, 2 Unidentified, 2 Rabbits, 4 Birds & 1 Lizard

Roadside mall: 1 Number Plate & 1 Beenie

Day 299 - Melton Mobray - 13,483.34km

2006-01-28T15:35:00.000+10:00

Was really hot on the road today...Just the way I like it...Ended up beyond the target distance today and camped on the side of the road...

Seemed like it was up hill all the way but then all of Tassie has been that way...

BBQ T Bones for dinner with BBQ Potato, Broccoli and Onion...

Heat finally subsided in the evening helped along by some small showers....

A light haze is everywhere due to the ongoing forrest fires...

Carnage Count: 3 Unidentified Furry Things, 2 Birds, 1 Lizard & 1 Possum

Day 298 - Hobart Maintenance Day

2006-01-25T11:49:00.000+10:00

Mindy is in the LPG hospital to see if we can get her to run better...She has been stuttering when using gas...

Meanwhile the team have been wandering Glenorchy collecting...

Yesterday we drove down as far south as we could go in a car and found the 'End of the Road". Later we climbed Mt Wellington for spectacular views of Hobart by night...

Day 297 - Hobart Rest Day

2006-01-24T12:03:00.000+10:00

We were back in town first thing this morning as we discovered an oil leak in the car late last night...Luckily it turns out to be a minor problem with the power steering and did not end up costing the earth...In fact, it is easily maintained with fluid and Co-Op Toyota sponsored the labour...Cheers...

Later we went into town to do some collecting which was greatly helped by a wonderful article in the local newspaper 'The Mercury'....

One day we will even get to rest some on a rest day....

Day 296 - Hobart - Glenorchy - 13,435.37km

2006-01-24T11:53:00.000+10:00

Yep, another great day today... A small but challenging ride over a big hill and into Hobart followed by a terrific meeting with the Lord Mayor outside the council chambers...

We were also met by a bevvie of press and I had a lot of fun telling my story and keeping a cheesy smile for the cameras....It really was a grand welcome...Many thanks from handcycleOz...

After our meeting I rode on to Glenorchy and our hosts for the next few days (Elwick Cabin & Tourist Park) where we made camp and then headed right back to town for an amazing meal provided by Australia's Oldest Established Hotel.

Carnage Count: 3 Roos, 5 Unidentified Furry things, 1 Bird & 1 Lizard

Day 295 - 7 Mile Beach TO - 14,407.74km

2006-01-24T11:37:00.000+10:00

Another exhilerating ride today in conditions that would put most people off... The temperature was well into the 30's today meaning it was hot, hot, hot...Just the way I like it...

It was also hard work tackling some more big hills but the ride down made it all worthwhile...especially when I topped out at a new record speed of 84.4kmph...Excellent!

Neville at the 7 Mile Beach CV park put us up for the (hot) night and the Pines Tavern kept our bellies full...

Carnage Count: 7 Possums, 9 Unidentified Furry things, 5 Birds, 1 Lizard & 1 Tassie Devil

Day 294 - Triabunna - 13,341.38km

2006-01-24T11:28:00.000+10:00

What a great ride today...

Just a wonderful cruise along the coastline with errie clouds over the islands followed by blazing sunshine guiding the way to Triabunna where we were hosted by The Triabunna CV Park and fed at the local Motel...Cheers Guys

Days like this make it all worth while....

Carnage Count: 7 Possums, 3 Lizards, 1 Roo, 1 Snake, 1 Fox & 1 Cat

Day 293 - Swansea Rest Day

2006-01-20T13:00:00.000+10:00

Another day of recovery...

Internet, sleep, food, shopping and collecting...All in a days work!

Day 292 - Swansea - 13,291.00km

2006-01-20T12:48:00.000+10:00

Today I needed to cross the ranges from the central plains to the East Coast... This promised to be a difficult task and from the outset it was! Climbing directly from Campbell Town some 380m to an elevation of 586m...

It went up and down some with the peaks at the following elevations; 600m, 682m, 654m & 662m...This means that my 3 highest elevations on the journey to date happened today! I also hit my lowest average speed of 6.23kmph...That was up until I came down the other side....20km of sheer downhill riding pleasure followed by a speedy cruise into town...

Really enjoyed the ride today, tough as it was...

Had an awesome dinner at the Blue House...Many Thanks!

Carnage Count: 22 Possums, 1 Rabbit, 1 Bird, 5 roos & 1 Lizard

Day 291 - Campbell Town - 13,222.11km

2006-01-20T12:44:00.000+10:00

What appeared to be a relativlely easy ride was made very difficult by a persistant and cold headwind...It made a warm sunny day quite cold....

Nevertheless, we made it and enjoyed an afternoon in the sun and out of the wind...

Found a great place to camp at the Lions reserve by the river...very peaceful with the fantastic sound of a flowing river in the background...

Dinner was thanks to Zeps...Really good Italian food...

Carnage Count: 19 Possums, 7 Birds + 1 Owl & 2 Parakeets, 4 Roos, 1 Lizard & 1 Snake

Day 290 - Launceston Rest Day

2006-01-20T12:40:00.000+10:00

A much needed rest day after yesterdays efforts...

We got busy helping Lorna slot into the team then made our way into town for shopping, sightseeing and collecting before enjoying a great feed at the Tasmanian Hotel (Cheers Guys!)

Amazing amount of rain dropped in the afternoon...Apparently a feature of Tasmania...Otherwise lovely...

Day 289 - Launceston - 13154.08km

2006-01-20T12:31:00.000+10:00

We got up pretty early today and were greeted by a glorius day which was just as well as I had to make up a days riding today...About 100km in all on countryside I am not familiar with...

Well, not familiar in the have been there sense but it looks a lot like the rolling countryside in NZ and Scotland...Very green and very spectacular...

Coming into Launceston I reached 74.5kmph coming down the hill (into a headwind)...That shoulsd give you some idea of the hills...

It was good but hard riding and I was very tired at the end of the day...

We were also joined by a new crew member today, Lorna who flew in from Melbourne as a ring in...She is settling in well and looking forward to the journey...

Carnage Count: 15 Possums, 1 Owl, 7 Other Birds, 1 Cat, 1 Rat, & 8 unidentified...

Day 288 - Travel to Devonport, Tasmania

2006-01-20T12:19:00.000+10:00

Unfortunately, Matthew was unable to join us to go to Tasmania so Fabian and I set off accross the Bass Strait on our own...

It was a gentle crossing which we both slept through most of...Finding ourselves a comfortable couch to lie on we passed the time quickly waking only for a meal...

Devonport looked great in the evening sun and we made camp quickly thanks to our hosts at the Abel Tasman CV park...

Day 287 - Training Day

2006-01-14T18:44:00.000+10:00

As we rapidly approach the '300 days on the road' mark we head south and accross the Bass Strait to Devonport and Tasmania...I have new crew under training as I write and we head off with the sparrows at about 5-30am tomorrow...

We hope for small seas and a fast crossing and nothing but sunshine and apples down south....

Matthew & Fabian are now on board and I sadly say goodbye to the wonderful duo of Doreen & Wendy...Thanks guys...it was amazing with you on board...Thanks for making the journey from Perth to Melbourne just that much better...

We have had an awesome stay with Jo, Hayden and the kids...Feeding us and plying us with alcohol...helping keep the handcycleoz wheels rolling...I am sad to leave and look forward to seeing them again...

NEW PHOTOS - WEEK 36 ONWARD

2006-01-13T16:04:00.000+10:00

Check out the new photos by clicking here...

Day 286 - Administration Day

2006-01-13T15:08:00.000+10:00

Web site stuff, uploading photos etc...

Then into the city again for some more recruiting activity...

Also booked the ferry to Tasmania...We leave on Sunday just one day after my original plan...It means I'll have to make a day up somewhere but I am sure I can cope...It also came in slightly cheaper at a mere $1350.00 return...I hope a few sponsors out there can help us pay this one!

Matthew & Fabian are going to join us on Saturday for some learning activities...

Day 285 - Crew Recruiting

2006-01-13T15:04:00.000+10:00

Went into the city today and talked with a few guys about the trip... After getting home I decided to take two guys to Tasmania, Matthew (An Aussie) and Fabian (from Germany) and see how they work out...It is a good time to learn the ropes with relatively light traffic on the Apple Isle...

More work on the photos today as well as picking up the car...They removed the cows head, I guess to work on the engine, so we will have to reattach it...

Long day...

Day 284 - Maintenance Day

2006-01-13T14:57:00.000+10:00

Took the car to Toyota for maintenance today...quote came back around $2500, but after some discussion the essentials, a water pump and the service were the only critical things...Even so, I had to leave it an extra day for the part and it still cost $650.00 (After a reasonable discount - Cheers)

Also spent some time working on the photos from the last month...

Have had a few bites for the crew position and will be talking to a few people tomorrow...

Day 283 - Melbourne Rest Day

2006-01-10T12:54:00.000+10:00

Today the focus has been raising some media attention and getting prepared for the next leg of the journey...

With all the crew posters up it is now a waiting game for replacement crew and the departure date for Tasmania...

The current crew, Wendy & Doreen are working on cleaning the vehicles and making them ready for the final 3 months...

Day 282 - Melbourne City - 13,053.66km

2006-01-09T18:18:00.000+10:00

Rode through the streets of Mebourne today passing Footy park and other landmarks along the way...It was good going through the suberbs rather than along the freeway as I got to see so much more and now have a better feel for the city...

We met with Cr David Wilson from the City of Melbourne who presented us with a generous cheque for the kids and organised a reporter from The Age to contact us. This led to an interview and photo session out at St Kilda which was a lot of fun despite the threatening weather...

We also managed to put up a bunch of posters for new crew in packpackers around St Kilda...I hope to get new crew by Friday...

Tonight we will rest some more and help Hayden drink his beer....

Carnage Count: 1 Bird

Day 281 - Seabrook (Melbourne) - 13,024.41km

2006-01-09T08:06:00.000+10:00

Up early again after a terrific sleep...No earplugs, just wonderful quiet forest.

Passed through the seaside towns of Anglesea and Torquay on the way to Geelong where I found myself inspired to ride on through to Jo's house in Melbourne some 50km farther...

So I ended up riding my biggest day in over 1 month (106.77km) it was worth it to get to town a day early and be prepared for tomorrows ride into the city...

Was fun to finally meet Jo's kids, Mathew and Jordan who became mysterously well behaved upon our arrival...A few quiets and a good feed rounded out our day...

Day 280 - Aireys Inlet - 12,918.26km

2006-01-09T08:01:00.000+10:00

Very early start to beat the heat and traffic meant we had a fantastic and quiet ride through to Lorne enjoying spectacular views of the south coast on some of the worst road surfaces to date! Ahhh, the contrasts...

After Lorne it was mad on the road...There was a big swimming event there and the town was bursting with traffic and people...

By contrast, our site for the night, in a paddock on the Glen Cottages farm was absolute bliss. No other campers, just birds, wildlife and the occasional horseback rider...Thanks Angus!

Day 279 - Apollo Bay Rest Day

2006-01-09T07:56:00.000+10:00

We enjoyed a bit of a sleep in today before heading out to do a spot of collecting... A small but very busy seaside town proved to be very generous.

Our day finished with a sponsored dinner at the hotel...Cheers!

After 4 hard days riding it was good to get some recovery...Much needed before the push to Melbourne...

Day 278 - Apollo Bay - 12,854.66km

2006-01-05T13:53:00.000+10:00

Today was not much easier than yesterday though I did enjoy the first 10km screaming back to the coast which we got to glimpse for about 1 minute before heading inland and up some more hills...

There is however, an interesting thing about this alleged 'coast road'... So far, in 170km we have been on the coast for about 25km... I am thinking it should be renamed the 'Great Hilly Inland and Sometimes Coast Road'....

We have been promised a lot more coast from here on however....I'll keep you posted!

We also got to see a few Koalas in their natural habitat...ie; chilling out in a tree!

Carnage Count: 2 Kangaroos

Day 277 - Lavers Hill - 12,808.96km

2006-01-05T13:48:00.000+10:00

Today we woke to find the flag missing off the handcycle... The mystery was solved when Wendy discovered it in one of the covered areas by a still smoldering fire...Someone had a bit of fun the night before...

Todays ride was one of the hardest I have done... Lavers Hill is at an elevation of 480m and is at the crest of many, many hills which I crawed up over nearly 7 hours.... I set a new lowest average speed record of 9.26kmph and was really exhausted at the end of the day....It was also one of the coldest rides I have had and it took me ages to thaw out...

A much needed massage was gratefully accepted...I slept good too!

Carnage Count: 1 Lizard & 1 Bird

Day 276 - Port Campbell - 12,761.15km

2006-01-05T13:44:00.000+10:00

Finally we made it to the Great Ocean Road (GOR) although there was very little ocean to be seen for the first 50km... When it did arrive it was spectacular and refreshing although a lot of hills seemed to be appearing...

We made camp at the Pt Campbell CV park (cheers!)where we toughed it out without power again...and it was really cold with an icy southerly blowing...

Also, you'd need to be some kind of sailer to dock at this port...pretty scary stuff!

Carnage Count: 5 Birds, 3 Foxes & 2 Lizards

Day 275 - Warrnumbool - 12,692.27km

2006-01-05T13:39:00.000+10:00

A cold and blustery day today but nonetheless a short ride to the next town made it pretty easy going...

Its the Monday after New Year so everything except cafes were closed making our collection rather dismal but at least we had a relaxing day...A big thanks to everyone who was working!

The campsite (Shipwreak - thanks) was mad with millions of people enjoying their holidays...It was soooo good to have power again!

Carnage Count: 1 magpie

Day 274 - Port Fairy - New Years Day

2006-01-05T13:30:00.000+10:00

Really cold and wet today so we spent the majority of the day indoors taking time out in the evening to go to the movies to see 'Narnia' which we all enjoyed...

Afterwards we went down to the sea to watch the sunset then finished the day with a Pizza...

Day 273 - Port Fairy - New Years Eve

2005-12-31T10:42:00.000+10:00

Just a relaxing day in a seaside village...Well it would be if it were not for the thousands of tourists descending on the village for the annual parade, fireworks and market...

A day exploring is on the agenda...