When I bought a bicycle in Melbourne and decided that I was going to ride it across Australia’s Outback, I literally had no idea what I was doing (but I did know how to ride I bike, so I had that going for me). Along the way I learned a lot about bicycles, Australia, and […]
Australia Bike Tour Day 59: DARWIN!
I didn’t die. I rode a bicycle 2,428.24 mi / 3,907.04 km across Australia from Melbourne to Darwin and I didn’t die. Mission accomplished. Today finished the longest bicycle journey of my life. Whether or not this journey will retain the title will remain to be seen. I arrived in Darwin early this morning and […]
Australia Bike Tour Day 58: The Boredom
“Really boring.” When people ask me how this ride has been (or, as I anticipate, when people ask me how it was), this is what I tell them. There’s no sugar-coating it, riding a bicycle across the Outback is fucking boring. Other adjectives I commonly use to describe the experience are: frustrating (headwind), frightening (thunderstorms), […]
Australia Bike Tour Day 57: Bush Camping
What’s known elsewhere in the world as wild camping, dispersed camping, or freedom camping is (also) known in Australia as bush camping. For those unfamiliar with the aforementioned terms, they all essentially mean that you’re camping outside a designated camping area (there’s a fine line between this and homelessness). As much as I would like […]
Australia Bike Tour Day 56: My First Fall
Fifty-five days and 2,290 miles (3,685 km) without serious incident – my bicycle trip across Australia appears to be going smashingly. That is, until today; because today, I was forced to roll the “Days Without An Accident” counter back to zero. Yes, today I fell off of my bike (while it was moving). And what […]
Australia Bike Tour Day 55: Night Riding
“OH MAH GAWD! Riding your bike at night is so dangerous!” This is the most common reaction people have when I tell them I’ve started bicycling at night to avoid the blistering heat of the day. However, the assumption that bicycle riding at night is somehow more dangerous than bicycling riding during the day typically […]
Australia Bike Tour Day 54: It’s So Hot
The Outback is not a very hospitable place for bicyclists (mostly thanks to the flies and wind), and you can be assured that I would not be bicycling across it were it not the middle of Australia’s winter. Until now, the sun and the heat have not been too great of obstacles (the rain has […]
Australia Bike Tour Day 53: Hot Springs
Since making it north of the Tropic of Capricorn, I’ve begun to see subtle changes in the landscape – most notably the shift away from “endless desert wasteland in every direction”. I can’t quite decide if this fact brings me overwhelming joy or soul-crushing sadness. With the green comes more wildlife (still no snakes), and […]
Australia Bike Tour Day 52: Mrs. Molly The Shopping Trolley
People tell me I’m crazy for bicycling across Australia, but I know from experience that the things I’ve elected to do with my life barely scratch the surface of the truly crazy adventures in the world. Case and point? Mrs. Molly the Shopping Trolley. Yes, today I met an awesome man from Switzerland who, instead […]
Australia Bike Tour Day 51: The Longest Ride
Two weeks ago, I managed to ride 123 mi / 199 km from Erldunda to Alice Springs in a single day – I was impressed with myself. That being said, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t bothered by the fact that I was a mere kilometer away from hitting 200 (that’s only […]
