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 the smell of rotting
Australia Bike Tour Day 37: Road Trains
Australia's Outback isn't the most populated of places. With a population density of 0.015 inhabitants per km², you're more likely to encounter a troop of kangaroos than you are a person - so I hope you brought plenty of water. Despite the definitive amount of nothingness in Australia's
Australia Bike Tour Day 36: The Wave
Before setting out on this bicycle ride across Australia, I wondered how many people I would see in the Outback every day. It turns out the answer to that question is "hundreds". Am I happy about this? Indifferent, I guess. The majority of the people I come across are Grey Nomads, and the
Australia Bike Tour Day 35: Where Are The Animals?
Hey Australians! Do you know what comes to mind when people outside Australia think about your country? As someone not from Australia who has thought these things, and someone currently in Australia who is hearing these things from friends and family not in Australia, I can tell you that animals
Australia Bike Tour Day 34: Fellow Cyclists
Over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of cycling, and I have found myself largely alone on this bicycle adventure (I haven't even seen any animals). Sure, I've met a few Grey Nomads and the occasional fellow traveler, but no other cyclists - nobody to share in my suffering on the road (or tell me how they
Australia Bike Tour Day 33: Coober Pedy
Nearly a week after entering the Outback and I've arrived in Coober Pedy, the opal capital of the world (apparently). With a population of 1,695 (and a name that roughly translates to "boys’ waterhole") this place has everything I need for an enjoyable day off: plentiful water, a supermarket, a
Australia Bike Tour Day 32: Headwind
I've had my differences with the wind before, but the amount of frustration this large-scale flow of gases has caused me since setting out on my mission to cross Australia via bicycle trumps all my past experience. I can now assure you with near-absolute certainty that the world offers few
Australia Bike Tour Day 31: The Party People
A long and lonely day in the Outback - basically what I have come to expect from this ride. One hundred fifty-five miles (250 km) of desolate Outback road sits between Glendambo and Coober Pedy, and I have guessed that this trip will take me three days (based on the distances I've been riding
Australia Bike Tour Day 30: Last Call For Water
After a homemade breakfast prepared by my new friends the Grey Nomads, I set out into what looks unmistakably like rain. And now it's raining. Luckily, the rain soon clears and is replaced by a headwind (but not before a torrential downpour). I think I prefer the rain. I will have to check