5th May, 2005
Mittagong to Sydney Town Hall - a shorter ride of 105km timed to arrive at 1.30pm. Pretty uneventful apart from 2 punctures (not mine) and one topple off the bike at a set of traffic lights when the rider started and then stopped. Nowhere to go, shoes never unclipped and I fell in slow motion onto the road!
A very successful meeting last night in Mittagong with a small group of community people organised to implement Circle of Courage concepts.
Thank you to all who have supported us and followed the journey.
Wed 4/5 Yass to Mittagong
What a surprise – more hills, and real ones. We rode from Yass to Mittagong – 177km in 6.50mins. Legs a bit tired but managed to keep up with the young guys!
Tomorrow we leave later at 7.00am to finish the ride into Sydney. The adventure has been great. Australia is a huge place. It will be tremendous to be home with family. No more breakfasts or meetings on the side of the road, no more 4am wake up calls or sharing a room with a different bloke every night. No more parking the bike in the bedroom every night.
Thanks guys – Stephen, David, Keith, Quentin, Jonathan, Gwen & Col, Val & Barry for the adventure of a lifetime.
3rd May, 2005
Arrived in Yass after 6 hours of riding real hills. The saga continues with Dynamite Dave now pushing Kool Keith up the hills, with such speed that Keith went past me on one hill like I was going backwards - may have been! More of the same tomorrow apparently!
2nd May, 2005
Left an hour later this morning at 6 am. Very cold as we rode to Wagga Wagga – apparently 1-2 degrees. Stopped for a couple of hours in Wagga where Jonathan did interviews with WIN and Prime and a couple of radio interviews.
Continued the ride after lunch to Tarcutta – a few hills which was quite enjoyable after all the flat stuff we have done.
More hills tomorrow to Yass and frosty weather.
The conspiracy continues – Dynamite Dave was seen to assist (with hand on posterior) Keith to draft on leading car. Another tactic to save No. 1’s legs for the sprint finish.
1st May, 2005
Another 5am start after a relaxing rest day in Hay. Reasonably easy, flat ride of 170km through to Narandera, although it did get quite cold mid morning. Arrived about 1.00pm, had lunch (a quick powernap) and into town for a meeting at 3pm, with about 12 people attending.
Observation. Noticed today that the youngest rider appeared to exhibit delaying tactics during the ride. More toilet stops, simulated punctures and frequent phonecalls. Is dynamite Dave showing signs of wear and tear? Has Kool Keith been foxing and will set the pace to the finish? Is a conspiracy happening between the youngest and the oldest to take the final stages. I note that Keith has requested to reside with dynamite Dave for the rest of the week.
30th April, 2005
Arrived in Hay after riding from Balranald – 130km. Lots of tail wind assisted the journey with a patch of light moisture in the middle for a short time. Another puncture today. Our chief mechanic, Dave, replaced the tyre and tube, but when we arrived in Hay at the motel, lo and behold it was flat again! I think the guys are now deliberately putting holes in my tubes! Have to keep an eye on Dave for the next 900km. Arrived in time for lunch at the motel, had a walk around town, cleaned bikes, BBQ tea and basically an early night.
29th April, 2005
Oldest son Leroy’s birthday today – rang him to wish him the best while having breakfast on the side of the road. A pretty easy ride at 150km. The meeting turned out to be very worthwhile as huge issues in the town. Makes the ride worthwhile if one town can take on board the Circle of Courage concepts.
28th April, 2005
Quite an uneventful day, even tho I did have another puncture (and I wasn’t sampling stolen grapes!). Also a bee sting on the stomach – the only bee in outback Balranald as it is extremely dry here! Another very hot day in the thirty’s, but fortunately we arrived about 1.00 after riding 160 km.
Feeling a bit tired, so hopefully will catch up with some sleep this avo / tonight??
27th April, 2005
Arrived in Mildura from Renmark - 142km of headwind heat. 6 kids from Henderson College met us on the edge of town and rode into the mall with us where the mayor did an official welcome.
Henderson College provided tea, and then a highlight of having a ride in a hot-air balloon on the school grounds.
The meeting tonight had about 30 people, the best attendance so far. Well done Mildura!
26th April 2005
Easy short ride today of 80km to Renmark. Jonathan had a TV interview in Berri on the way. We go back to Berri this afternoon for press interviews, meet the mayor and a meeting.
25th April 2005
Left at our usual 5am time. Heaps of young and old going home after a night in the clubs. Many curious to know what we were doing and were convinced we were mad!
Easy ride out of the city, then we hit a few hills so the pace slowed up a bit.
Stopped for lunch at Blanchetown beside the Murray River and as we rode in, stopped to pick a bunch of grapes beside the road! Went to resume ride after lunch only to discover 2 flat tyres! Some burrs had pierced the tyres - six holes in one tube! Don't steal grapes!!
Stayed in Waikerie for the night - meeting response poor - 1 person (and the organiser never even fronted up!!)
24th April 2005
Today's ride was from Kadina to Adelaide. A good ride of 150km with the wind behind most of the way.
Arrived in Adelaide for lunch beside the river. Settled into motel then we walked down the Rundle Mall - very busy for a Sunday afternoon.
Had a relaxed Indian meal - 3km walk to find the place! No meeting, a bit of bike maintenance and into bed for a big ride tomorrow of 180km.
23rd April 2005
Today was a rest day, but we drove to Tanunda in the Barossa Valley for the day. Jonathan did a short presentation to about 500 people in the afternoon. The cyclists came onto the stage as a feature. Stopped for tea in Gawler with more good food – not losing much weight!
22nd April 2005
Today’s ride has been almost flat and the wind has been behind us! Averaged about 29/30 kph most of the way. Stopped at Port Broughton for about an hour beside the harbour and just relaxed.
We stay 2 nights in Kadina, with tomorrow being spent up in the Barossa Valley at a church camp.
21st April 2005
Good ride today of 180km with lots of downs and virtually no wind! We had a few 20km dashes during the day with cruising speeds up to 39/40 kph. Stayed in Port Augusta which appears to be a nice town with lots of youth.
We are heading down to Kadina tomorrow, a ride of about 190km, hopefully with the wind behind us.
20th April 2005
Tonight I am sitting in a meeting at Whyalla. We are actually staying in Cowell and had to drive the 95km north, then we go back to Cowell, and ride back through Whyalla on the way up to Port Augusta.
Very tired physically from a hard ride today of 170km – lots of hills plus a strong side/headwind. Tomorrow we have almost 190km!
As of tonight we have ridden 2500km – a long way sitting on a bike seat! And more to come!
19th April 2005
Left Elliston again at 5am in the dark for a ride of 175km to Port Lincoln. Quite a cold morning so everyone had the winter woolies on. By breakfast, we had covered 75km but still a bit nippy.
We planned to arrive in Port Lincoln about 2pm. We combined lunch with a quick tour in the vehicle into Coffin Bay for q quick look. Very popular place for holidaymakers.
Everything is so dry still with virtually dirt and rocks in the paddocks. Saw our first emus as well as a fox. Lots of pine trees along the side of the road, almost like New Zealand. Saw large areas of burnt trees from last year's fires.
Zack and Libby, thanks for your emails. Miss you guys heaps. Good to talk to you last night even though you should have been in bed!!
18th April 2005
Up at 6.30am for today's ride down to Elliston - a shorter ride of 129km. Had a good breakfast at the hotel and left at 7am.
Virtually no wind to start with, but during the day the south-easterly gained in strength! Lots of undulating terrain. Average speed for the day was about 27km/h.
Stayed at the local pub/motel and once again had a nice meal - sick of lasagne and rice!
We had a wander down to the beach - appeared to be lots of holiday batches and not a lot of people around.
We had a meeting in the local football club with three people, but they were really keen on the concept presented.
Bit tired tonight as I spent half the night swatting mosquitoes last night! It's a bit cold and it looks as though there could be a bit of rain overnight.
17th April 2005
Today started off as an easy day. Left at 9.00 am from Ceduna with 108 km to ride to Streaky Bay. We had to be there at 4.00 pm to meet with the youth club, where a BMX bike draw was being done in conjunction with the end of their youth week.
With a tail wind behind us on rolling undulations, the first 70 km passed by in cruise mode. We stopped for lunch at Smoky Bay, and along came the wind change back to a SE. The next 40 km got harder and harder into a head wind. Another tough day on the bike.
A highlight of the day was a chat with my old mate John Knight in Napier, NZ, who rang just as we were leaving the motel in Ceduna.
Thanks for the encouragement John. Pity you weren’t on the bike with us – good massage for the posterior!!! Maybe we could organise a bike trip for your fiftieth – take Heather and Ray as well!
The scenery was very beautiful today with the ocean on our right and open rolling wheat fields on our left. Streaky Bay is in a sheltered inlet, and looks to be a nice quiet town. We are staying in a large, spacious hotel with a lot of historical character to it. It is beautifully restored and looks out onto the water.
About 40 people turned up for the meeting and Jonathan’s presentation was well received.
16th April 2005
We drove back out to Penong to finish the 71 km back into Ceduna.
After 1940 km, we finally had our first puncture with David being the lucky one.
We were running a bit late, so the two vehicles were used to draft us the last 40 km into town @ about 40 km an hour – hard on the hands.
A breakfast had been organised at the local Sailing Club for 10.00 am. Jonathan spoke with a small group of locals, and we came back to the motel, showered and had lunch. Caught up with a bit of washing, bike maintenance etc and just enjoyed relaxing (plus catch up with 3 days of journal!)
We are heading off to another Aboriginal community tonight for a bonfire. Could be interesting!
15th April 2005
A giant day – 220 km! Lots of undulating hills as we rode out of the Nullarbor. More trees started appearing.
After breakfast, we had a fast patch of 50 km in 1 ½ hours. By 1pm had covered 180 km.
We stopped at a small Aboriginal community for about an hour, then cycled the last 20 km into Penong.
The van had to go into Ceduna to unload, then return to pick up our bikes, so we waited about an hour.
Had tea at 9.00 pm. A long day!
14th April 2005
Today we cycled from Eucla to Nullarbor, about 188 km. The wind had changed overnight from the SW to SE and we were cycling into it – hard work.
As we had to be at a meeting in Yalata, 90 km on from where we were staying, at an Aboriginal community, the pressure was on all day to get there. It probably was one of the hardest days we have had physically.
Drove to Yalata, waited for the elders to organise something – the kids arrived but no adults! By the time we got back to our accommodation it was about 8.00 pm – tea and into bed.
12th April 2005
Today was only 155 km but after lunch the temperature noticeably climbed, apparently about 40 degrees. We still had a bit of a breeze, but the road was more interesting with slight inclines and bends!
Arrived in Madura about 3.00 pm after drafting the transit van for the last 30 km due to the heat. Lots of cold drinks and a swim! The team is holding up okay, apart from the tired muscles.
Saw lots of live kangaroos today. There are dead ones all along the sides of the road, and do they stink! Also saw a dead eagle.
The service at the Madura roadhouse is excellent, with the managers supplying a top meal. Highly recommended as a place to stay – probably not for long though as there is nothing else here to see!
11th April 2005
178 km today. Same start time – not a lot of sleep at the moment!
A very boring day with the longest straightest road in Australia – 146 km long and it seemed to be climbing gradually all the way!
Started to warm up after lunch, plus an easterly wind which made it harder. Had to split the group with about 50 km out so half went on to Caiguna to organise rooms etc while the rest crawled along.
Arrived about 5.00 pm. A very tiring, long day!
10th April 2005
Up again at 4.15 am for an early start on the road. Surprisingly quite cold, but had a thermal top on. We rode for approx. 70 km before stopping for breakfast. The support crew have been amazing with providing heaps of food along the way, but one does feel the effects on the stomach when hopping back on the bike!
Keith has developed a pattern of sneaking away down the road so he can ride at his own pace, which has provided us a bit of a chase at times – even with hard grinding it has taken us 40 – 45 km to catch him!
Unfortunately we had an accident this afternoon. Steve was distracted momentarily and did not see the immediate front rider slowing up, and next moment he was down on the road. A few grazes, but not major. The spare bike had to be set up as gear changes & handle bars a bit munted. New parts coming later in the week.
188 km today through to Balladonia – a roadhouse with motels at the rear. Looked after us really well with tea and breakfast.
9th April 2005
Rest day – no riding! Up at 6.30 for a drive through to Esperance – 200 km away. Jonathan had an interview on the local radio station, went to the local church where Jonathan had the service.
The locals put on a very nice meal, followed by a quick tour along the coastline.
We had a photo shoot at 3.00 for the local paper, and then a meeting at 3.30. A good turnout with about 40 people. Interviews were conducted with a high school chaplain, and a bike shop owner who are both involved with young people and the associated problems.
Today was a long day, after driving back to Norseman for tea at 8.00 pm. Top service by the Eyre Motel managers. They really looked after the team – a great place to stay. Bed eventually at about 11.00.
8th April 2005 - 5.30pm
Had been a great day - the brakes came off and we actually rode harder arriving in Norseman at 12.30pm after leaving Southern Cross at 5.30 this morning.
Keith sneaked off at our first breakfast stop. Everybody was pretty casual about catching him (particularly after the last few days' rides), so there was no panic.
Due to my troubled knee, I thought I would just cruise after him, rather than chase hard with the bunch who were rearing to ride hard. I caught Keith about 3kms out and challenged him to draft behind and give the boys something to chase!
They caught us about 25km down the road much to Keith's pleasure. Keith had the turbo going today!Hopefully more next week.
We drive through to Esperance tomorrow and then leave from Norseman on Sunday.
7th April 2005 - 8pm
We hit the road today at 5am for a long day ahead on the bike – 190 kilometres.
Today was divided into 3 stages – 60kms, 70kms, 60kms with meal stops tucked in between.
The niggle in the knee persisted again making it painful to put pressure on the right pedal. It was eased somewhat after wrapping some insulation tape around the kneecap, which allowed me to finish the day a bit more comfortably.
We had to be in Kalgoorlie for a photo, grab tea, and back for a meeting, which meant that the pressure was on during the afternoon.
Eight people turned up for meeting, and were attentive and seemed keen on the concepts.
Hopefully, the Circle of Courage will gain momentum in the communities over the next few weeks as the word spreads.
Another 5am start for 160 kms tomorrow!
6th April 2005 - 8.30pm
Long hot day to ride 212 kilometres. For the last 40 kilometres of the ride, we had to use the van to break the headwind so as to be in Southern Cross in time.
Rather amusing thing while riding is whenever Keith says stop, that’s it, even if it is almost in the middle of the road!
It is a relief to be in Southern Cross. My body generally feels good, but the right knee is playing up. I certainly miss having a good massage on the legs!
6th April 2005
Rode 102 kilometres this morning, 110 more to go. It’s 10.15am in Merredin right now. Am feeling rather jaded, hungry and ready to have brunch! After all, the last meal I had were lots of liquid and energy bars.
We left at 5am this morning towards Southern Cross. Riding in the dark was pretty significant, especially watching the sunrise while we cycled.
Saw a really funny thing earlier when we were taking a break that made me laugh.
There was a row of caterpillars crawling across the road. It looked a bit like us, following the leader.
What I miss the most from home right now is a nice cold drink with lots of ice!
