Market Day

Day 143
Hobart

If it’s Saturday, it must be Salamanca. The market takes place every weekend throughout the year. You can get just about anything you want or need from over 300 vendors. The area was very lively by the time we arrived this morning. We worked our way passed fresh produce, Tasmanian handicrafts and coffee carts. Chris couldn’t resist the apple turnovers or the Dutch doughnuts – not surprising. I really enjoyed all of the live music. The melodies wafted through the air like the smell of a nice hot mug of cappucino. The people who provide the entertainment are called “buskers”. One “busker” in particular caught my attention. He was a boy of no more than 12 or 13. He was getting crazy on his acoustic guitar while playing The Knack’s “My Sharona”. His performance definitely had some passion. It was great to see a young person developing a talent rather than hanging out at McDonald’s and talking on a cell phone…
The rest of the day has been spent getting the bikes cleaned and packed. We normally have limited area, cleaning supplies and tools to do a proper job. Not this time – Tildy gave us full run of “Beruit” and furnished soap, rags and a hose. We’ll be sending a whole case of Twinkies to our host when we return home.
We’re only two days away from our next country. The excitement has been building for awhile. I’ve definitely felt nervous but now I’m just psyched. New languages, new food, and new cultures. It sounds thrilling and daunting at the same time. At least we’ve got the riding part down so far. This is actually the part of the world that I have been most eager to travel to. Thinking ahead also makes me think back to the initial planning stages for this trip. One reason we chose to bicycle tour was due to a book I purchased a few years ago. I used to buy guidebooks at the Eagle Library periodically; hardbacks for a buck and paperbacks for a quarter. I suppose I was always in the process of getting travel ideas. One day I found “Cycling Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam” and a light bulb went on. Hmmm…I guess the rest is history.
LK

Prisons and Tessellated Pavement

Day: 142
Hobart to Port Arthur to Hobart
Time: 10 hours or so
Distance: 372 km
Avg Speed: 110
Terrain: Didn’t Matter

We broke our streak and rented a car for a tour of Port Arthur and the surrounding area. We did it right though and got a big land yacht with bad mileage.
We cruised out to Port Arthur south of Hobart to check out the old prison they had there. The prison was one of many set up in Tasmania for people coming from the British empire as well as Canada and America. I figured that this is where people who had performed horrible crimes against humanity came. I was quite surprised to find out that people were sent here for as little as stealing a shirt. When you enter the site you are assigned a prisoner whom you are to follow around the introductory area. My prisoner was sent here for the theft of £5 worth of drugs from a pharmacy. I really didn’t see the logic of sending someone halfway around the world for a crime of that sort, but I guess the government operated on the ‘one bad apple’ ideal of population management. The Port Arthur prison was chosen for its geographic isolation as well as its location near a bay. The prisoners all had work detail that ranged for cobbling, and tailoring to ship building and road construction. The site also housed a boy’s prison that was isolated from the main men’s prison. The boys were usually 14-17 years old, but there was evidence of boys as young as 9 being sent there. Back then an 8 year old could be tried as an adult and a 9 year old sentenced to death. Times were certainly different. The boy’s prison got off to a bad start though, with the first 68 boys showing up dead drunk, having consumed six dozen stolen bottles of wine on the ship journey down.
The waters surrounding the prison were rumored to be filled with man eating sharks and the alternative route of escape through the forest offered very little hope as well. The peninsula that Port Arthur is located on is attached by a narrow isthmus called Eagle Hawk Neck. Here there were more guards stationed as well as a line of dogs chained up at intervals across the land and on platforms off the shore.
We also visited some geological areas of interest like arches, blow holes and the geometric tessellated pavement. Here horizontal stone had cracked into squares and was regularly being worn down by the sea water and salt crystals.
We felt a little guilty about renting a car to go see these sights, but soon got over it when we covered 100 km in just over an hour. You can see the sights quite well from a car, but on a bike you can feel the sights and the land around you. That is an essence of bicycle riding that is hard to describe and forget.
Vroom, Vroom
CK

Needles and Pills and Doctors, Oh My!

Day 141
Hobart

Today reminded me of a MasterCard commercial -

Travel Consultation: $185
Rabies Shots: $200
Typhoid Booster: $40
Malaria Pills (all 214): $150
Giardia Pills: $52
Mosquito Net: $55
Water Purification Tablets: $30
Protecting our health while traveling through Southeast Asia: PRICELESS

You can’t really be a cheap bastard when it comes to your health.

Here’s to lollies and bandaids,
LK

Hobart Town

Day 138 and 139
Hobart
Location: 42˚ 52’ 50” S, 147˚ 19’ 30” E

Day 2 in Hobart. So far we’ve done laundry and gone shopping. Not very productive for the Kehmeiers, but we’re resting. Tomorrow we may actually go sightseeing depending on the weather.
Since there is not much to report, we can share a bit of information regarding the city of Hobart and the state of Tasmania.
Separated by Bass Straight, Tasmania is the island state of Australia. Tassie, as it’s affectionately known, is recognized for natural beauty. In fact, over 20% of the 68,000 sq kilometers it covers is protected as World Heritage Area. In addition to magnificent scenery, Tasmania also boasts a range of good food and drink. We’ve sampled everything including mouth-watering dairy products from King Island and enjoyable wines from the Tamar Valley. After seeing just a glimpse of Tasmania, Chris and I both know that this area of the world deserves a return visit.
Lying on the shores of the Derwent River, Hobart was founded in 1803. Originally a penal colony, the city is now the administrative and financial heart of Tasmania. It is the eleventh most populous city in Australia with just about 200,000 people. Hobart is an important sea port and is the base of operations for the Antarctic operations of Australia and France. The city has a beautiful backdrop of green hills and historic buildings. We look forward to exploring all the nooks and crannies in the coming days.
Here’s to today’s geography lesson,
LK

Getting Down to H-Town

Day 137
Bicheno to Hobart
Time: Three Hours
Distance: 179 kilometers
Avg Speed: As fast as you can go in a coach on winding roads
Terrain: Duh, hills!

Location: 42° 54' S, 147° 18' E

It’s official – we’re tired. The second bus ride in four days is a sure sign that four and a half months on the road have caught up with us. Rather than continue on and risk potential meltdown, we decided to get a room in Hobart for the week. Our host at the Bicheno Backpackers was kind enough to help us with our search for accommodation and had a roomed booked for us before we hopped on the bus. If you ever find yourself on the east coast of Tassie, be sure to stay with Hannah and Matt! They are lovely people and made our short stay very enjoyable.
The bus ride seemed to pass quickly and we reached Hobart by early evening. Within a few minutes we had our bikes and panniers ready to roll. We have become well practiced with the bus routine. With an address in hand, we began to plot our route through the city. A woman standing near us jumped into the conversation and gave us first hand directions by memory. Thanks to all of the friendly Aussies, we have had little need to read maps during our stay. Ten minutes later we rolled up in front of the Astor Hotel.
Chris waited with the bikes while I climbed up the red carpeted stairs. I found my way to the reception desk, picked up the phone and waited. An animated voice answered on the other end and quickly said “wait right there”. A few seconds later our host, Tildy, came down the stairs.
I don’t think I can actually describe our host to do her justice. She is, to say the least, unique. Tildy, you see, is no ordinary hotel owner. She is quick witted and full of energy. She is vibrant and full of life. Tildy fires off the questions in rapid succession and is on to the next thought before you have a chance to even think about an answer. You can tell she is a very good egg and we are really looking forward to our stay here. She even has our itinerary planned for the week. Night one: a glass of wine and a movie that’s artsy but still understandable. Night two: Dominoe’s pizza and Bridget Jones’ Diary on the portable DVD player. Night three…
LK

Wineglass Bay

Day: 136
Bicheno to Coles Bay to Bicheno
Time: All Day
Terrain: Rocky and Sandy

We found a nice place to rest our heads in Bicheno so we decided to take a shuttle down to Freycinet National Park. The park is on the Freycinet Peninsula on the east coast of Tasmania. It is home to a great little range of granite peaks called the Hazards along with one of the most beautiful beaches around. Wineglass Bay and Wineglass Beach see over 140,000 visitors per year. Most of them come in on the foot track, but some do sail into the bay to enjoy the scenery. The water was too rough for commercial boat tours today so we had the beach to ourselves and only 50-60 other people. The beach itself is quite large so we were all spread out and had a little patch of sand to ourselves. The hike to the beach is about 1 hour long so most people hike it as an out and back. We had all day so we decided to do the hike as a loop and cross the isthmus to Hazards Beach and out along Great Oyster Bay. The rain held off most of the day and we enjoyed dry weather. It was a nice hike, even with dead legs, and we only saw one snake. It was shy and slithered off into the bush before we could get a photo of it. We did manage to get some photos of some nasty little jelly fish here called blue bottles. They were washed up all along Hazards Beach so we took the opportunity to take a few photos. I think they look like a little bubble of blueberry gum on the ground.
The shuttle picked us up at the visitor’s center and we enjoyed one of the more scary rides on a shuttle in a while. The driver insisted on driving as fast as the van could go and still hold the road.
The backpackers we are in has all the double rooms in one building and all the bunk rooms in another. We are in the double room building and found that our new house mates were a family from China. We ended up cooking dinner together and while they were cooking lobster, potatoes, carrots and peas, I was whipping up a Thai soup with rice noodles. The matriarch of the family took great interest in what I was cooking and remarked that it looked delicious. It was a good little meal, but if I had my choice I think I would have liked to have the lobster.
We are fading fast with our legs right now, so we are catching a bus to Hobart tomorrow. 4 ½ months riding the road has caught up with us. We don’t really want to miss out on the terrain between here and Hobart, but we don’t really want to get ill or completely blow up either. We are going to treat ourselves right before we head off to Asia where we will take some more time off before getting back on the road.
CK

Chasing Blue Sky

Day 135
St Helens to Bicheno
Time: 4:33:27
Distance: 76.79 km
Avg Speed: 16.8 kph
Terrain: Rolling (as flat as Tassie can get)
Location: 41˚ 52’ 41.5” S, 148˚ 18’ 18.9” E

More rain this morning. According to our fellow bicycle touring friends, the weather required “level 2” rain gear. This translates to rain coat and pants. They go to “level 3” with booties and gloves. I think that would send us right back to bed or to the nearest café.
We started our route south along the east coast today. It wasn’t long before we left St Helens behind and found ourselves right on the ocean. Even on a cloudy day the water was beautiful. We stopped a couple of times to watch the waves and catch a glimpse down the shoreline. In the distance we saw some blue sky and figured by the end of the ride we would be in sunshine. I read in the guidebook that this area of coastline and south is Tassie’s driest, averaging six hours of sunlight a day. We’re already behind on the first day. Hopefully we won’t be making up for all of those clear days at Mt Cook.
This part of the state is home to both land and sea industries. Grazing had a hand in rapid settlement in the early 1800s while whaling and fishing also became important. The early pioneers were even helped by the convicts that had served time in the region.
We were almost to the edge of the clouds when we stopped for lunch at another beach. We said a quick hello to a surfer who was checking out the waves. “Tuesday would have been fun” he remarked. I think I recall hearing about flash floods that day. He drove away as we ate our vegemite sandwiches. As I spread the yeast extract on the roll, I thought it kind of looked like chocolate. Sure doesn’t taste like chocolate.
By 2:30pm we rolled into Bicheno. After getting a room at the backpackers we went straight to the café for some cappuccinos and wireless internet. Our friends had scoped the place out last week and gave us the lowdown. We updated the blog, checked email and downloaded the latest Jack Johnson album.
We never did catch up with the blue sky or the sun today. At least we’ve got some new tunes to give us a bright outlook.
Aloha,
LK

Mail Route

Day: 135
Scottsdale to St. Helens
Time: All Day
Distance: Not Sure
Avg Speed: Pretty Quick
Terrain: HILLY

We decided to get a little ahead of the curve today and took a series of mail vans for 100km or so. We were glad that we opted for the mail route since it rained all day and the terrain was hilly on the ridiculous side. The rural bus route here uses rural mail carriers to shuttle both parcels and people. The first bus was the Scottsdale to Derby, and included a trailer full of packages and 3 other passengers. We swung off the highway to the little towns and post offices to pick up and drop off mail. We got into Derby around 11:30 and waited around until 12:15 for the Derby to St. Helens leg. This is where the trip really got interesting. We were guests of the rural mail carrying couple Bob and Shirley. They had been doing the mail game since May 1998. That is when Bob had stopped hauling logs. They knew the route, the people and all the good stops. We ran up to little farm houses to deliver mail to old ladies and they even dropped us off for 10 minutes at a cheese factory and café while they ran out on a little loop. I couldn’t quite bring myself to pay $10 for a 250 gm chunk of cheddar, but we did manage to have a milkshake and a couple of kiss biscuit (little jam filled cookies). The highlight of the trip was our fellow passenger, Richard. He was from Sydney, and had recently moved down here to start a Chinese museum with antiques found in the barn of his father’s.
During the 1800’s Chinese immigrants had come over to this area to mine. The head of the Chinese community was a wealthy mandarin man and his wife. She had spoken both French and English along with her Chinese. This mandarin couple had befriended his great grandfather, who also spoke Chinese, and used his barn to store some things. The mining eventually petered out and the Chinese workers and the community as a whole had gone back to China. They left all their things in the barn and never returned for them. Richard had wanted to start a museum with these goods and was having trouble getting his idea off the ground.
He had no car and caught a ride with Bob and Shirley once a week for groceries. He had taught art at the art school in Sydney, and after he left the car Shirley told us that he had paintings he had done hanging all over his house. She also added that he had paintings hanging in studios in Sydney and Hobart. He was a very interesting and eccentric person. The bus ride was a kind of a shortcut for us, but the people that we met and the little places we saw were just magic.
Here’s to mail buses and the people that we meet along the way!!
CK

Super Tuesday

Day 133
Lilydale to Scottsdale
Time: 3:05:22
Distance: 26.57
Avg Speed: 8.56
Terrain: Rolling
Location: 41˚ 09’ 36.2” S, 147˚ 31’ 7.1” E

It’s Wednesday here but still the day before in Colorado and there’s a lot going on. As you know, it’s an election year and I think it will prove to be an important one. Don’t worry; I’m not going to share my political opinions or aspirations. What I will say is that we’ve been able to follow the news at home in detail throughout our trip. The amount of information has surprised me and I believe that the US news agencies don’t reciprocate. It just goes to show how much influence the United States has throughout the world.
We stopped early again today. The weather front to the northeast was expected to bring more rain this afternoon. We rolled into Scottsdale around lunch and started working on a plan to get to move a bit faster. We booked a bus ticket for tomorrow to get us closer to some of places of interest on the east coast. It should be interesting; part of the trip will be on the mail run to St Helens.
On a trip like this, we are constantly thinking about what to see and what not to see. Time, finances and transportation are all part of the equation. We’ve come to realize that it’s best to think that we may never return again to visit. If it costs a little more and we have the time and the legs we usually go for it. In this case, we need a little more time so we accept having to take a bus to get to the highlights.
We’re on night two of the pub accommodation tour. We’re not so interested in the tent right now; especially with the rain we’ve seen the last couple of days. Hopefully the weather will clear up soon and we can get in a few more nights on the ground before we send the tent home.
Take good care,
LK

Zigging and Zagging

Day: 132
Greens Beach to Lilydale
Time: 4:33
Distance: 68.01 km
Avg Speed: 14.9 kph
Terrain: Rolling

We jumped out of the comfort of our nest this morning. It was difficult to leave a familiar face behind and head off into the unknown. Our goal is to head over to the east coast and roll on south to Hobart. We were trying to get another 40 km further this afternoon, but after riding in the rain for an hour we decided to hole up at the pub in Lilydale. Before you start thinking that we were drinking the afternoon away, you should know that here you can generally rent a room to stay in at the local pub. We rolled our bikes into the overhang by our room and the skies absolutely opened up for a solid hour. We were glad that we grabbed some lodging and didn’t try and press forward.
We both had a wonderful time hanging out and visiting with friends from the valley. It was nice to catch up on the gossip and happenings in the Eagle County. Whether it was sailing, hiking, flying kites, cooking, eating (lots of that), wine tasting, cocktail hour, or just visiting we had a great time being a tourist local.
The riding today wasn’t overly difficult or very busy. It just involved a bit of route finding and map reading. We managed to stay away from the logging trucks and toured charming farm land. Leslie had to cajole me at a rest stop to get moving because I was busy picking blackberries on a bush hanging over a fence row. She had to give it a go as well and we had a little snack of fresh berries along the road.
Tomorrow will be different from what we had planned. We shall see if we can get the show back on schedule since it flew off the first day.
Adios.
CK
How about those Giants?!?!

Goodbye Victoria, Hello Tassie

Days 128-131
Devenport Ferry Dock to Greens Beach

We had an early arrival in Devenport, Tasmania a few days ago. The ferry wasn’t too bad, but who can really sleep in a half reclined chair with fifty people snoring around you. Thank goodness for earplugs. We rolled our bikes of the cargo deck, called our friends and found the nearest café. Three days later we are feeling like locals after a weekend of food, fun and plenty of sleep in a real bed. Here are some of the highlights from the last few days:

-Sunbathing and kite flying at a beautiful (and deserted) beach
-Hanging on the trapeze while sailing on a catamaran
-Hiking along the beach for a mug of cappuccino
-Happy Hour whenever we felt like it
-Watching Chris dunk chips (fries) in a seafood pastry
-Catching up with news from home
-Getting to know new friends

We’d like to thank our hosts, Louise and Clive, for opening their home to us. We enjoyed their hospitality and company more than anyone could imagine. They have been around the block a few times (including a few trips on bicycles) and were kind enough to share some wonderful stories and many bits of useful information. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

CK and LK

Messenger Mode

Day 127
Torquay to Geelong (then to Melbourne via train)
Time: 2:52:00
Distance: 38.8 km
Avg Speed: 13.5 kph
Terrain: Flat
Location:

I got my first taste of city riding in San Francisco. I was visiting a friend and we rode what I like to call “messenger style” throughout the streets. What I remember most was being able to get across town faster than any car, train or bus. What I really liked was the fast pace of riding through traffic and split second decisions to keep moving. Hmm, perhaps I’m just an adrenaline junkie…

Today we found ourselves back in Melbourne. We rode to Geelong from Torquay and got on a train back to the city. The end of the line was Southern Cross Station, familiar territory. We had some time to kill before our ferry to Tasmania departed so we stored our gear and set off through downtown on our bikes. I have come to love riding through cities and find myself in full-on “messenger style” every time we hit the urban jungles. I was like a dog with a new haircut without the weight of my panniers. Chris was content to play follow the leader as I traversed my way toward the lunch stop. Our touring rigs aren’t as chic as the single-speed fixies that passed us, but at least we were turning the pedals, hanging it all out there.
We went to the Carlton neighborhood for lunch. A friend back home mentioned that the area was great for Italian food. She was correct as we had a couple of very tasty pizzas followed by our new favorite treat, gelato. I keep thinking we’ll run out of sweet treats to sample but so far we’ve always come up with something new. My mom thinks we look pretty thin in our photos…if she only knew what we were eating everyday.
We’re on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry tonight. We arrive very early tomorrow morning in Devenport and then will ride to Greens Beach to visit some friends. We’re looking forward to another few days of rest after a couple of good weeks of touring in Victoria. We’ll be riding from north to south through Tasmania. They say there are many hills in “Tassie”, but I’m more interested in what the riding is like in Hobart.
So long for now,
LK

Convoy

Day: 127
Lorne to Torquay
Time: 3:17
Distance: 49.95 km
Avg Speed: 15.10 kph
Terrain: rolling
Location: 38˚ 20’ 25.2” S, 144˚ 19’ 14.2” E

We officially ended our tour of the Great Ocean Road today. We crossed under the memorial arch this morning and stopped for a picture opportunity. We ended up waiting our turn since we timed our stop with three tour buses.
We picked up a third in our party last night. We ran into an Austrian fellow who is doing a trip along the same lines as ours. He is from the town that Governor Arnold is from. In fact he wowed us with a spot on impersonation of the man. It was too funny. He started his trip with a trek in Nepal, followed by diving lessons on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, a 4x4 journey across the center of Australia to Adelaide and when we met him, he was cycle touring. He had bought his bike in Adelaide and was working his way east in our direction. He was actually going to New Zealand in a couple of weeks so we ran out for beers and Leslie and I gave him the low down. He was quite appreciative of the info and we made plans to meet for breakfast. We finally met someone who is in love with food as much as we are. We finally got on the road around 10:30 or so and the three of us headed on down the road. He had to get to Geelong today so he could make train into Melbourne tonight. He had to get his bike packed for New Zealand and then he was heading to Tasmania to trek a bit. We stopped along the way for an ice cream break. He ended up with iced coffee and Leslie and I ended up with Slush Puppies. I had to tell the other two how my sister and I would get Slush Puppies from the market where we grew up in Reno. Grape is still the flavor to have. We rolled into Torquay and stopped at an info center to find a place to camp. I asked our Austrian friend if he wanted to buy Leslie’s front pannier rack for his tour. He had been talking about getting a front rack and since Leslie wasn’t using hers it seemed like a good idea. We ended up switching it out in the alley between a bike shop and surf board shaper. The wind was just right and the alley was filled with epoxy fumes the whole time. A few zip ties and a couple feet of duct tape later we were in business and having ice cream again before he got on the road. We are now back to a twosome and camping like we have been for the past 4 months. We have now graduated to campgrounds full of surfers rather than families on holiday. I prefer the surfer.
Hasta la vista…baby.
CK

A Surprise around Every Corner

Day 125
Apollo Bay to Lorne
Time: 2:47:26
Distance: 43.44 k
Avg Speed: 15.5 kph
Terrain: Beautiful Coastal Road
Location: 38 32 14.8 S, 143 58 39 E

Today was one of those days. It was the kind of day that just felt right. It didn’t ever get too hard to pedal, the temperature was perfect and every view was unbelievable. It was day four on the Great Ocean Rd.

The guidebook claimed that the route from Apollo Bay to Lorne would be the most scenic. I had my doubts since we had seen some fantastic landscapes in the previous three days. However, I have to agree that the 44 kilometers we pedaled today were pretty darn incredible.
We started early this morning after a really good rest. The road was flat and the traffic was light. About the only sounds we heard were the birds singing and the waves crashing. After the first few kilometers we found ourselves riding above the water with grand views of the Southern Ocean. The highway is definitely carved into the hillsides along this section of coast. We got into a rhythm as we ducked and rolled in and out of each cove. Each corner held a new view for us and each one was a nice surprise. We didn’t know what stretched out before us; we only knew that there would be more surprises if we kept pedaling.
Being the philosophical person that I am, I analyzed this during the ride. I realized that this kind of uncertainty is fun. So many of the uncertainties that we encounter each day are not exciting; finding a place to sleep, buying food, etc. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve enjoyed all aspects of our life on the road, but a day like today has a powerful affect. It definitely recharged our souls and gave confirmation to the reasons why we went on this trip.
Looking forward to more surprises,
LK

Day 124: Lavers Hill to Apollo Bay

Time: 3:00
Distance: 48 km
Avg Speed: 16 kph
Terrain: Up and Down
Location: 38 44 28.4 S, 143 40 31.6 E

We left Lavers Hill early this morning. We camped at the local ground behind the local pub/gas station/take away/bistro. We ate dinner at the bistro and it was really quite good. I had my first taste of kangaroo and it wasn’t bad at all. It was a fillet so it was pretty tender, and hardly gamey at all. I am not sure if it was farm raised or wild. Our neighbors in the campground spent their long dinner hour (actually hours) in the pub. They showed back up at their tents at 11:30 last night and played music and partied until our alarm went off at 5:30 this morning. Earplugs work wonders. We tried to be noisy, but how noisy can you be taking down a tent and riding your bikes?
To add insult to injury my cycle computer wasn’t working this morning. I am amazed at how hooked I am to that thing. I just love watching the numbers go by. We arrived in Apollo Bay early this afternoon and took the opportunity to do some laundry and take some much needed showers. We also shared the biggest, sweetest and juiciest mango either of us had ever seen. I know it is kind of a side note, but it was good. Apollo Bay is a little seaside village along the Great Ocean Road. It was hopping with tourists today since it is a holiday weekend. They had cleared town by late afternoon and we had the beach and town to ourselves. The ocean is beautiful here with waves crashing on fine sand beaches stretching into the distance either way. We are off tomorrow; hopefully after a good nights sleep.
CK

Lord of the Flies

Day 123
Port Campbell to Lavers Hill
Time: 3:37:58
Distance: 49.54 k
Avg Speed: 13.6 kph
Terrain: Rolling with one big 19k climb
Location: 38˚ 41’ 4.9” S, 143˚ 23’ 3.9” E

When you travel for long amounts of time, you get to know yourself pretty well. Chris has learned that he’s not a big fan of bugs. His insect stories began during a late night meeting in Fiji with a cockroach and continued in Costa Rica with giant caterpillars. More recently he’s been in near nervous breakdown mode with the flies in Australia. Today he packed his bug head net toward the top of a pannier just in case. It didn’t take but fifteen minutes of riding and he was sporting a whole new look. Function trumped fashion in my case and I donned mine as well. We both looked like a cross between bee keepers and aliens. The nets we actually ok to ride with. The hoop keeps the netting out of your face and it’s possible to drink water without too much trouble. The only problem I found was a little wind drag while descending hills.
Let’s get to the important stuff…
We started out a little earlier today to stop at a few viewpoints along the Great Ocean Rd. The first stop was Loch Ard Gorge which was the site of an 1878 shipwreck in which only two people survived. We had a chance to hike down to the beach where the two survivors washed ashore. It was breathtaking to witness the energy of the ocean driving through the narrow opening of the sheer limestone cliffs.
The next stop was the infamous Twelve Apostles. A century ago they had been named the Sow and Piglets but someone decided that a name like that wasn’t appropriate. I guess they needed to dress it up a bit. Anyway, the Apostles are limestone sea stacks that have been weathered over time by wind and water. The unique geologic formations stood like sentinels just off the coast and demanded our attention. It would have been easy to waste several hours just gazing down the shoreline.
Unfortunately, we had to move on because a large climb loomed in the distance. We said farewell to the dry plateau and limestone cliffs and starting climbing through the dense eucalyptus forests of the Otway Range. We were thankful for a cooler cloudy day since it was granny gear for most of the ascent. We reached Lavers Hill by mid afternoon and will be looking forward to a nice pub meal this evening.
Here’s to keeping the flies at bay,
LK

Day 122: Warrnambool to Port Campbell

Time: 4:08
Distance: 68.32 km
Avg Speed: 16.4 kph
Terrain: Rolling
Location: 38 37 10.5 S, 142 59 48.2 E

We had an odd morning this morning since I forgot to run to the grocery store last night for some breakfast this morning. We had coffee and split a cup of muesli before we left for some more food for the road. It is Australian Day here today. It is the equivalent of the 4th of July in the states without the fireworks. We considered ourselves lucky at the time to find a grocer open and then a café as well. We rolled out of town by 9:00 and began our journey east. We took back roads for the first hour of the day through some pretty farm land and into a small town for a bathroom break. From there we jumped on the Great Ocean Road and promptly met up with an Australian cycle tourist from Adelaide. He is taking a year off as well, but will be working his way around Victoria and New South Wales as a volunteer. He is working with a group called WWOOF, which is Worldwide Opportunities On Organic Farms. They put him up with room and board and he provides 5 hours or so of labor per day in exchange. We have seen a lot of this group on our travels. It is kind of a neat way to see the countryside and make a positive impact as well. We left our new Aussie friend and took some back roads towards Childers Cove. About 20 minutes down the road we saw our first live snake. We had read about tiger snakes in the Grampians Visitor Center and were warned that they were poisonous. I saw it first and swerved and Leslie gave it a wide berth after me. It was about a meter long and by the time we had grabbed our camera to take a picture it was upon us! The snake had made a b-line towards Leslie’s back tire and began striking it. I thought for sure we were done for but right at that point…GOTCHA! It actually slithered off before we could even snap a photo. We did ride the rest of the back roads right down the middle though. By the time we made it to the beach we were in full force Aussie saluting. An Aussie salute is a wave that you make to get the flies out of your face. Everyone does it, all the way from the news reporters in the field to the tennis players at the open. The fact that there is a name for it means that it is commonplace. The beach scenery was spectacular today and the riding went by quick. We are hoping for some better light tomorrow as we head off to some famous landmarks along our route.
Happy Australia Day!!
CK

The Shipwreck Coast

Day: 121
Portland to Warrnambool
Time: 6:14:00
Distance: 99.11 k
Avg Speed: 15.8 kph
Terrain: Flat
Location: 38˚ 23’ 40.3” S, 142˚ 29’ 18.2” E

It’s too bad we had to get up early today – we really liked our sweet pad in Portland. The road was calling and we needed to pound out 100 k to Warrnambool. We are on a bit more of a schedule than New Zealand and wanted to set ourselves up to be riding the Great Ocean Rd starting tomorrow. The weather report called for more winds from the east and south and we were prepared for a long day. Fortunately, the wind was more like a breeze until we got just outside our destination.
The Great Ocean Rd has been a goal for us since we decided to include Australia in our travels. It’s touted as one of the prettiest coastlines in the world and is on every suggested itinerary in our Cycling Australia book. For just about 300 kilometers we should be treated to some awesome scenery. Beginning as a track when the telegraph line between Victoria and Tasmania was built in 1859, the road itself was constructed between 1918 and 1932. Without much funding, the project succeeded with returning WWI servicemen and Depression era workers.
The coastline is also known for many shipwrecks during the 1800s. Over 160 ships have wrecked in the area from Port Fairy to Apollo Bay (west to east). Ships traveling to or from the east coast of Australia had to navigate Bass Straight and the going was treacherous to say the least. Today there are a few automated lighthouses and some very large wind machines to guide the way.
Tonight we’re back in the tent. We miss our friends in Portland, but are grateful for the time they shared with us.
See you,
LK

Tour de Portland

Day 120
Portland rest day 2

Our gracious hosts took us out to show us the sights today. We started the day with a little hike to a local gannet colony, followed by a trip out to see a lighthouse and ending with a look at some blow holes on an old volcanic flow.
The hike to the gannet colony was through the greenery and native scrub next to the giant aluminum smelter on the outskirts of town. There is a natural buffer between the plant and the ocean which contains a nice path leading to a gannet colony. In years past the colony resided on a small outcropping of rocks off of shore. Being the prolific breeders they are, they bumped some unlucky ones to the mainland where they are more exposed to predatory dangers. The park service has the point fenced off to offer a little protection.
We then went on over to the Cape Nelson Lighthouse. Since Leslie and I are land lovers we rarely get to see old lighthouses. This one was a beautifully maintained white and red number perched on the limestone cliffs. All in all pretty cool.
Our tour then took us over to Cape Bridgewater where we looked at some blowholes where an old lava flow had met the sea. The sea wasn’t quite rough enough to get them really going, but it provided a great soundtrack. We then grabbed some coffees at the local café and shot on back to Portland.
We ended the evening with a great, meat-a-rific Aussie barbeque. The green salad and potato salad were nice compliments to the pile of chicken and beef. We ended the meal with some left over pavlova from the our first night in town. I was jazzed because our hostess entrusted me with her recipe. It is a baked meringue base with whipped cream and fruit on top. My description doesn’t do it justice. You will have to take my word on it. YUMMY!!
CK

The Old Bond Store

Day 119
Portland Rest Day 1

We’ve done the usual tasks today while catching up from the last week of riding. Lucky for us we have a very comfortable place to stay while we rest. Somehow, we keep finding our way to interesting and historic buildings on this trip. Our current accommodation is no different and we are at home in our apartment of classic bluestone architecture and stylish contemporary design. Sit back, relax, and let me describe the fascinating history of this structure.
The entire building was originally the “Bond Store” where tobacco, flour and other supplies were stored in the mid 1800s. Back in the day, supplies were delivered by ship to the Portland Bay settlement and transferred to the store. Citizens were then required to pay taxes on their goods before they could receive them. Essentially, the bond store was the middle man.
In 1908 the store was sold and became the home of the Portland Observer. Our host’s great-grandfather was the first editor of the newspaper and the business, which also added commercial printing and stationery, was handed down through several generations. In 1980 the printing operation moved a few blocks down the street and the building transformed again, this time into a restaurant.
In 2006 the most recent incarnation came about – holiday apartments. The design mixes old and new in seamless fashion. The bluestone walls and wooden beams are the historic foundation of the living space. The modern additions have the bedroom sitting above the kitchen in a loft and the rest of the living space open to the ceiling. Custom ironwork in the staircase and loft railings ties everything together. It’s been such a pleasure to be some of the first guests to enjoy the finished product of beautiful and handcrafted workmanship. We’re looking forward to more adventures in unique accommodation.
Take ‘er easy,
LK