Day ten - Anglesea to Seaford, Melbourne

Our last day of cycling began with a delicious breakfast of eggs and tomatoes on toast ... yum. Anne's sister Megan decided to get on her bike for the 60 km ride to Queenscliff. We had a great ride with a tailwind and mostly flat terrain - we took the backroads and coastal route and once again had some great scenery. Well done Megan it was great having you as part of the team !!! Queenscliff was pumping when we arrived as there was a music festival on and it was in full swing. We headed for the bakery for our usual pie and chocolate milk and sat out on the street to soak up the atmosphere and chill out in the sun. It was then time to head for the ferry which would take us across the bay to Sorrento - unfortunately we lingered too long and ended up missing the ferry by one minute... never mind it was back to the festival for a drink and catch up with some of Megan's friends for another hour. After a tearful goodbye to Megan, Anne and I made our way on to the next ferry just in time as no sooner had we boarded the ferry than the heavens opened and there was a torrential downpour... lucky us ..

We arrived at Sorrento to a few drops of rain but were hopeful that the worst had passed. We now only had 60kms left to Anne's sister Sarah's house and we were hoping to make it without getting wet. It wasn't to be and 15 kms into the ride the heavens opened once again.. We took shelter in a bus stop and decided to wait the worst of the weather out. Anne's Mum had bundled Sarah's three kids in the car and had come looking for us .. luckily they arrived just at that moment and we were able to load our panniers into the car (much to Anne's disgust as she felt it was cheating! - I however was keen to keep my gear as dry as possible) From there it was head down bum up and hold on - we sped through the next 40kms in the pouring freezing rain feeling like we were riding in a river at times. We arrived at Sarah's house around 6.30pm cold and wet looking like a couple of drowned rats. How good was the hot shower !!!!

Day ten - Anglesea to Seaford

We have arrived safely in Seaford Melbourne - What a feeling .... What a feeling .... da da da dee da ... The cycling trip from Adelaide to Melbourne is done and dusted - another trip ticked off the bucket list !!! ... Wow

It has been quite a day and after a long day in the saddle, a plate of fish, chips and potato cakes, a bowl of ice cream and two glasses of champagne .. I am ready to call it a night...

I have just spent the last 1/2 hour writing today's blog but somehow managed to delete it all before posting it so I am giving up and will do my best fill you all in on our last day of riding, tomorrow.

Nigh nigh

Day nine - Lorne to Anglesea

We are having a bit of a rest day today which is a nice change. After a leisurely start this morning we cruised along the 30 km stretch from Lorne to Anglesea. Once again the views were spectacular and we were forced to stop off at various scenic spots along the way. We are now at Anne's sister's house enjoying some home comforts and some time out of our cycling shorts.... bliss :)

We will spend the rest of the day here doing some washing, going to the beach and just hanging out ... we will be back on the bikes tomorrow for the last real day of the ride.... :(

Day eight - Apollo bay to Lorne

Well here we are in Lorne all snug as a bug in a nice cabin. Once we left Apollo bay we were treated to 44kms of stunning coast road. Pedaling was painless as our minds were occupied trying to take in the views and the sounds of the surf crashing below. Quite an amazing road made even more enjoyable by the lack of traffic. Pity the sun wasn't shining but the misty sea fog gave quite an eerie and remote feel. We ended up doing 120kms today so decided to leave the next thirty kms to anglesea for tomorrow morning. Hopefully the sun will be out in the morning and we'll get to see the great ocean road in its full sunny glory. Once again looking forward to what tomorrow brings. We might even get to hang out at the beach for a couple of hours. It will be great to spend some time with Megan, John, Angus and Myee. Looking forward to a bit of a sleep in tomorrow morning yeah!!

Day eight - Lavers Hill to somewhere

Afternoon all !!! Been busy busy busy this morning and have just stopped for a hot pie and a choccy milk in Apollo Bay. Got up at the crack of sparrows today(or kinda)to a grey drizzle... not happy :( but then we had an amazing thrill filled descent through eucalyptus forest back down to the coast.. gotta love the smell of those eucalyptus trees and gotta love those downhills. We then debated whether to do the extra 24 km out and back to Cape Otway. Finally we decided to head out for a looksee ... what a treat!!! we saw lots of Koalas hanging out in the trees, big ones baby ones (oh soo cute), fat ones, thin ones ... and we have 50 photos to prove it .... the Cape itself was interesting and we did a bit of a walk around the lighthouse and surrounding buildings. It was then back on the bikes for a bit of a wee climb back onto the main road and down to Apollo Bay. Stopped off for a quick sprint through a rainforest at Mait's Rest. Better get back on the deadly treadlies .. not sure how much further we'll get today ... might end up at Wye River, Cumberland River, Lorne or if our bodies and bums are up to it we may push on to Anne's sister's house at Anglesea... ciao d

Day seven - Warrnambool to Lavers Hill

Well if the other day was amazing then today was super amazing. Started the day off with a crash - nothing serious - anne didn't hear me say turn left so when I turned left right in front of her she couldn't do anything but plough straight into me - luckily no major damage was done - it must have looked hilarious for the two people we crashed in front of !!! Never mind ... We started off along a cycle path that led us to a very quiet backroad out of warrnambool... So nice to be away from the traffic. We then hit the great ocean road and had kilometres of scenic treats - every few kms we were off our bikes looking at arches, bridges, blow holes, the 12 apostles and more. WOW WOW WOW!!! Felt like a bit of a tourist, got the camera out at every corner. What an amazing spot ... We then headed into Port Campbell for lunch and then climbed up to lavers hill where we are currently scoffing a yummy pasta dinner in the motor inn we are staying in. Splashing out on accom tonight... No tent tonight ... Great views and you should see the size of the Lemon meringue pie oh my god!!! I have never seen anything like it in my life. Off to eat now .. It was another great day on the bikes... Got a huge downhill in the morning .... Woo hoo yipeee yip yip

Day seven - Warnambool to Port Campbell

Up and at em today. Heading along the Great Ocean Road towards Port Campbell. Not sure how far we will get today as there is heaps to see along the way. Lots of little gems to tempt us off the road and onto walks and white sandy beaches. Should be a good day. Will be off the main road too yeah. Later gater

Day six - Portland to Warrnambool

Hi all ... not our favourite day today but still a goodie. The traffic today was a bit more intense and the scenery a little less appealing .... it was a bit like being thrown from yesterday's fantasy land of remoteness and blissful conditions into a blender and "the real world of cars and people" Saw lots of people and cars today whilst on the road .... however we did stop in the lovely town of Port Fairy and did some sightseeing on Griffith's Island and we also spent some time chilling on the beach here in Warrnambool this afternoon. Beautiful beach and coastline so tomorrow's ride on the Great Ocean road promises to be a goodie. We might need to haul our arses out of bed a bit earlier tomorrow as I think we might need to get a few more kms under our belt than we did today. In the tent tonight so hopefully we'll get a decent sleep.

Day six - Portland to Warrnambool

Just about to leave Portland aiming for warrnambool via port fairy. Just had a hearty breaky of yoghurt peanut butter and banana. Feels quite hot today just hope the tailwind is still with us. Enjoy your day at work everyone. We miss you all .....

Day five - Mt Gambier to Portland via Nelson

Oh what a day ... Da da da da. The ride today was a cyclist's dream we had rolling hills, lots of changes in scenery, blue sky and a tail wind to boot. The best day yet ... It was made even better by the fact that we crossed out of south Australia and into Victoria yippee. Today has all merged into one but I am sure we saw enough animals to fill Noah's arc. My favourite for the day was an echidna, oh soo cute. Unfortunately I couldn't get the damn thing to pose for a decent photo!!! Must be losing my touch!! The only negative about today's ride was the 50 or so semi trucks that came roaring past at high speeds on reasonably narrow roads. All we could do was hold on tight and hope our clothes weren't ripped from our bodies from the windage they left behind. Oh my god .. Quite an experience... Although I must say they were courteous and they did their best to give us a wide berth. I found myself laughing at cars that passed us during the day thinking to myself is that all you've got? Where's the noise? where's the windage ? .... Prob not an ideal response and I promise to respect all vehicles tomorrow.


We spent this morning doing some sightseeing in Mt gambier. We even joined a guided tour which took us down to the base of the blue lake. It was a real geology lesson ... Sandstone.. Granite .... Lava ... Calcium deposits etc etc. Was good to do even if we joined the tour in our cycling shoes and manky Lycra ... Hope we didn't smell too bad ... One of the ladies on the tour asked me how we managed our laundry just after we got out of a small lift ... So maybe we did? ..

Now in Portland in a backpackers unit in a caravan park. Anne is getting her ears talked off by a yokel local living here whilst he waits for his caravan to be delivered from Perth. Catch ya in the morrow. Can't wait to get back on the bike... Just wish we could do something about the tan lines .... Not a good look at all ...

Day five - Mt Gambier to Portland

Woke up looking like two zebras with reddy brown and white stripes on our legs and arms. Not going to be a good look when we hit
the beaches. The wind is up bright and early which is more than can be said for us. Bit of a slow start this morning... I think becos we are only going 108 kms today we think we are on cruise mode. Hopefully we won't spend the day battling a headwind. Off to the pharmacy now as my eye has swollen up like i've been in a fight - better try to get something for that or I might be cycling with one eye closed. Will aim for Nelson for morning tea .... Then Portland for the night.

Day four - Robe to Mt gambier

We made it to Mt Gambier slightly wind blown but in one piece and in a reasonable time. The rain stopped before we left our snug cabin which we were pretty happy about. We started the morning as tourists with a tour of the historic robe township before heading out back onto the main road towards Mt gambier. The wind was strong but was more of a sidewind than a headwind and at times it became a tail wind woo hoo! Even when it was more of a headwind than anything I practiced the mantra.. Work with the wind work with the wind... I am not sure if it made any difference to the wind direction but it sure as hell made me feel better and prevented me from getting annoyed by it. The road from Robe to Beachport was beautiful, the verge was grass, there was hardly any traffic, and there was lots to see. We passed a couple of lakes, saw some more kangaroos, some more emus and even a tortoise (unfortunately it was dead and not really photo worthy) Beachport itself was a beautiful little port town on the coast with a lovely beach. We stopped briefly there for a drink and a mars bar before continuing on to Millicent. The next 33 kms to Millicent was reasonbly flat and we covered it quite quickly. We raided the bakery for lunch then sat in the visitor information centre to get out of the wind. I don't think the lady working there minded us taking a power nap in a nice sunny corner. At one of her tables. From Millicent we headed in to Mt Gambier via the Tantanoola caves. The caves were amazing. Unfortunately, anne's camera stopped working so we didn't get any piccies. Once again we are tucked up in a nice warm cabin and looking forward to a good sleep. Hopefully the legs will be less sore tomorrow. Mt Gambier is full of things to look out so we'll have a tiki tour in the morning of the Blue lake and a few other points of interest. Hope the winds die down over night and the temps warm up a bit tommorrow.

Day four - Robe to Mt gambier

So so happy that we were in a cabin last night. Boy did it rain and blow all night. It is not much better now but it seems the rain has abated somewhat. We are not looking forward to getting out in it as it is quite cold too. We are just hoping the wind will be in our favour. Hoping to get to Millicent which is around 82 kms away for lunch and then Mt gambier for the night. They are forecasting 36 degrees in Mt gambier today so it will be interesting to see if that happens or not considering it is about 13 degrees here now. Better get on the bike.

Day three - Policeman's Point to Robe

Done it, have had a hot shower and am now relaxing over a cup of tea and a gingernut. Have found a lovely cabin in a caravan park with an incredible view out to sea. Lovely to be by the water again. The ride from Kingston this afternoon turned out to be very scenic. We passed through a state forest and more vineyards. We even found a couple of moundlike hills which kept us entertained. The bodies are holding up okay just the usual tight shoulders and sore bottoms. Got another big ride through to Mt gambier tomorrow. Hopefully the sun will come out for a bit. Time for dinner now ... Spaghetti on toast and some noodles yum yum.

Day three - lunch stop

We are now at Kingston and have stopped for a hot pie and a sticky bun. Once again the road was flat flat flat and not much changed in the way of scenery for the whole 90 something kms. At least the wind stayed away and the temperature was cool and perfect for riding. We saw a bit of wildlife today - a wallaby, some emus, lots of sea snail things that squished under our tyres and a dead roadkilled wombat on the roadside. Got another 43 or so kms to Robe so will try and do that as quickly as possible incase the winds pick up again. With a bit of luck we might even get a hill for a change yipee. Opps the heavens just opened so it looks like we will be hanging out in the bakery for a wee bit longer.

Day three - Policeman Point to Robe

We are aiming for another reasonably decent day today so have decided to hit the road early in an attempt to beat the headwind and the flies. Had an amazing sleep last night which was morev
than welcome after our first night. Having an apple and peanut butter roll for breaky... Yum yum. Fingers crossed the wind holds off for a while. Catch you later.

Day two - Meningie to Policeman's Point

After lunch we had a 30 min rest under a tree next to Lake Albert - we were woken by an odd couple who sniffed us out when they saw our bikes leaning against a nearby tree. They were cyclists themselves (the guy was legally blind and so took the back seat of their tandem) and wanted to know everything about where we'd come from and where we were going. We spoke to them for about 30 mins and then hit the supermarket to stock up on supplies for the afternoon and tomorrow. Then we headed out of town to do the final 51 kms of the day. It was a lot harder than expected as the wind had picked up and become a very frustrating headwind. It was a real slog but the scenery was quite amazing as we were cycling along the coast for most of the afternoon. We are now in a very comfy budget motel (luckily there was no caravan park around so we get to sleep in beds - yay!! About to go and have a meal at the pub. We have got another big day tomorrow. Hopefully the rain that has just started falling will be gone when we get up.

Day two - Strathalbyn to Meningie

After all the promise of a spectacular night with thunder lightning torrential rain etc it was a bit of a fizzer. All we got was a few strong winds and a couple of drops of rain. It was hot as and trying to sleep in the tent was like sleeping in a sauna. It was so hot I bailed and slept outside on the concrete floor of a shelter. It wasn't the most restful night but at least we didn't get hit by lightning. Today has been flat flat flat and we have already made it to our next destination and it is only two pm. Looks like we'll push on and aim for policemans point another 50 km away. Altho the terrain has been mostly flat the scenery has been quite varied we started with wineries and vineyards this morning then moved on to open grasslands and finally salt water lakes. It is a good feeling to have done 90 kms by lunch and makes up for yesterdays pathetic efforts. Happy to have the iPod on these long flat roads I am not sure the locals appreciate the bike dancing and singing tho. Gonna eat my chicken sandwich now .. Having a break before the next leg... Lovely place meningie right by a lake. Will update you later. Oh what a life.....

Day one - Adelaide to Strathalbyn

Well well well... What a day this one has turned out to be... We left the airport around one o'clock and headed out into a nice flat run thru suburbia in around 37 degrees celcius.... Yehah we are on our way on our bikes and it is a lovely day. Unfortunately this elation was short lived as the temps rose up to 42 degrees and the terrain headed into the hills. Oh my god we have never experienced temps like this before. We spent the whole day riding for fifteen mins then diving for cover for at least half an hour in a shaded spot to get our heart rates down to an acceptable level. At some stage during the day I created the word unsane as what we did today was more than insane. Anyway after 7 hours of fifteen mins spurts and lengthy rests we managed to cover 64 or so kms. We arrived here in strathalbyn just before dark and just before an incredible electrical thunderstorm. Now we are sitting in the tent watching the light display and praying that the tent doesn't blow away. Altho the day was a struggle with the soaring temps the scenery was amazing and we met some lovely people. Happy happy. Can't wait for tommoro. Oh here comes the rain too it is going to be quite a night.

Last minute stuff

Just getting the final preparations done .... have had a last minute frustration- the pedals don't come off so the bikes can fit in the boxes .. being hammering away to try and get them off but have given in and decided to cut a hole in the box instead .. not sure if it is the right move but it seemed a good idea at the time !!! Just been online to look at the weather situation in Adelaide ... 43 degrees celcius tomorrow ! Oh my god .. not sure how we'll cope but I guess we will play it by ear. I just hope the fires stay away ! mmm not really in the plan but fingers crossed we'll be able to achieve our goal of averaging 100 kms or more a day.

Gear list so far .... hope i havent forgotten anything ..

Gear list for trip:

Two pairs cycling shorts
Two cycling tops
One short sleeve poly
One long sleeve poly
Three pairs of socks
Two bra tops
One pair long pants for evening
One rain jacket
One pair overpants
One pair cycling shoes
One leg warmers one arm warmers
One cap
One jandals
One warm top for night time
One bikini One towel
One pair walking shoes
Light weight long sleeve tops for sun protection

Sun screen
Chammy cream
Shampoo conditioner
Soap Deoderant
Tooth paste Tooth brush
Comb
Contact stuff
Insect repellent

Tent
Sleeping bags
Sleeping mats
Sleeping sheets
Head torch
Insect repelent

Cooker
Plates and cups
Pocket knife fork spoon
Lighter

Tubes
Lube
Repair kit
Duct tape
Bike lock
Tools

Money
Passport
Camera
First aid
Maps
Money

Preparing to ride from Adelaide to Melbourne

What to take on the ride?