The Nullarbor??

Tourist Tony

George, I wasn't laughing at the time!

jibi

Davidd you can turn the sprockets around and use the other side of the involute.
I hope you understand what I mean.

george

daviddd

both sprockets and chain were done - fitted new thoughout - $199 :<

Feels much better though, ready for the (Oz) Alps now lol. I want to Climb Mt Kozcesku (or whatever) if poss, bout 7000 ft I think (baby Alp)

jibi

2008 has arrived, I spent it at Burnie on Tasmania at the town celebrations with cycling Crits to start. I even saw one girl riding a Dolan framed bike!!!

Then a meal, bonfire and fireoworks on the beach and live bands playing.

But it was about 20 degrees C at midnight, sat outside in T shirt and shorts.



Girl on a Dolan frame



Hot on the beach

For New Year's Day an aussie Brbq with nice people



This photo was taken at 9pm !!!!!

george

......................................................

daviddd

I'm in Bairnsdale but this aft starting on a 100km E Gippsland Rail trail - plus trail detour to Lakes Entrance - should be a great 2 days or so without traffic!!! A1 is busy, but there's a good shoulder to escape into.

jibi

Finally managed to get a ticket for the ferry off Tasmania, so will be back in Melbourne in a couple of days,
I;ll be there for another couple of days to see friends and then I'll be right behind you Dave.

Someone told me about the old railwayline trail out of Melbourne, so first hand info will be good to get. and did you go to Wilson's Prom national Park? I keep hearing good thongs about it.

I have a couchsurfing friend, a cyclist who was a guest when I was in the UK who is back and is in Bruthen at the weekends, Phil Davies, look at my profile and then friends list in CS for his contact details if you would like
george

jibi

Today in Melbourne it is 10 15 am and 37 degrees C already, expected to reach 41 or 2, too hot to cycle, but I am stuck here waiting for some parts. So will just hide in the shade for a couple of days
I hope you are not too hot David.
george

daviddd

didne get te Wilson's prom - too big a detour, and it will be absolutely CRAWLING with visitors in these annual hols, Lakes Entrance was also heaving - not to my liking.
I did the 100km rail trail from Bairnsdale to Orbost - fantastic surface etc, except for a MASSIVE incline up under the Trestle Bridge over Stony Creek - it will take all yr strength to even push the bike up LOL so have plenty of Weetbix that morning at Bruithen.
I cycled 112 km from Cooma to Canberra yesterday - headwind, over 30 deg C, drank 6 litres of fluid, applied sunscreen 3 times, but got here battered and red in after just over 7 hours. My Warmshowers host met me in his 4x4 and took me the 8km from city centre to Kalleen - really nice hosts and a welcome rest. Super-fast computer here too so getting everything up to date this morn while everyone's out at work.
I'm spending 5 or 6 days here, lots to see, want to go on a dawn balloon ride over the city - looks awesome - and have a good look around. Don't let anyone tell you C is boring - it's a lovely place from what I've seen so far - lots of trees, birds and greenery. As usual people are SO friendly.
Big decision for me is how to get from here to Brisbane. I wanted to avoid Sydney but my host says you can get a train from one side of the city to the other very cheaply and avoid most of the city hassle. I may look into this. Also, the Gt Dividing Range has some very big hills that's OK, but will I be making things hard for myself my going too far inland? I may just do the Blue Mtns west to east then hit the coast - another option. My hosts here will help me decide I guess.

Bugly

Canberra to Brisbane - two main options to sydney and north along the pacific highaway (or riding on parallel roads) - did this many years ago - think the traffic now would not be nice at all :oops: . Road less travelled - head to Yass then Cowra working way up to Dubbo, (great zoo btw). Once you reach Dubbo you can go along the nule highway and head straight north. This is a major trucking route but is fairly flat and gets boring once you get past Coonabarabran (good shoulder to ride on most of the way) and about 100 km between towns. The better choice from Dubbo would be to skirt NE and head for Gulong (town on $10 note and birthplace of Henry Lawson well worth a visit ) and Dunnydoo (kid you not) then continue to Armidale , Glenn Innes , tenterfield then turn east on the Warrego highway.

Robert

jibi

I am beginning to think I will never get away from Melbourne.

Just been invited to someone else's house tomorrow.

Soon Soon. I will be back on the road this weekend. I will!!!!

george

daviddd

enough socialising George - GET RIDING!

I'm somewhere halfway between Canberra and Sydney and a storm is about to hit - not found a campsite yet. Had a cracker at the side of the road last night, completely hidden.

daviddd

............and I had a bloody **ncture today! rear of course, nowhere to lean or stand bike, thunder crashing all around........

jibi

The partying is over, I love Melbourne!!!

Back on the bike now, just been through the Dandenongs and the yarra ranges to get the fitness back. Off to Lakes Entrance to stay with a mate, lts hope its not for 3 weeks!!!

I'm right behind you David

george

CyclepathToHell

How bad is the roadkill situation on the Nullabor? I am interested in doing this one day but I have to admit to being very sensitive to roadkill, it can really ruin my day.

If it's littered with dead and dying roos then it probably is not for me.

Tourist Tony

Dead roos are everywhere. They range from fresh ones, which look a bit human, through incredibly bloated ones with limbs sticking out in all directions, to shredded carcasses and piles of bones, The tail seems to keep its shape longest.
Roadkill roos can be detected well in advance...

CyclepathToHell

sounds pretty grim TT. I get pretty upset when I see dead cats, dogs, badgers and foxes on European cycle tours.
it's just the way i'm wired; i can't help it..really, really ruins my day.

Tourist Tony

There are shedloads of other things, from rabbits to foxes and barn owls, I saw three bandicoot dead on the road outside my place in Cairns.
One of the commonest is the bobtailed skink.Lots of them becoming part of the tarmac.
Trust me, you'll get used to it, but they do pong a bit.

daviddd

In parts there are literally hundreds to the km., in various stages of decay from fresh to a pile of dried bones. You doon't smell them too much though unless the wind is right in front or behind.
I've seen a couple of dead wombats too between Melbourne and Newcastle, and lots of dec galahs..

buttercupjan

The dead roos are everywhere on the Nullarbor. I counted over 5000 one day! The smell was unbearable - Have fun!!!!

Jan

CyclepathToHell

5000 dead roos?? Surely you mean 500 (I hope) crikey..

Something I really want to know guys (i've asked before but got no answer) If you pay to camp at one of the Nullabor roadhouse campsites..you do get free drinking water included don't you?? I know that some(all?) charge extra for showers but you don't have to pay the crazy price of the bottled water do you... you get drinking included in the price?

buttercupjan

Nope, it was definitely five thousand!!

The campsites are very basic at the roadhouses, you would have to get 'drinking' water from the toilets and it is usually bore water and tastes revolting. Personally I couldn't bear to drink it, it tasted so bad - I paid for bottled water.

The only time I did rely on bore water I suffered from terrible dehydration on 40 degree heat - the bore water just made me feel sick so I poured it over my head instead!

Good luck.

p.s apart from the dead roos and the water problems, I LOVED the Nullarbor, it was fantastic!

CyclepathToHell

so when you pay 15 dollars (or whatever it is) you are simply paying to pitch your tent and use the dunny?

Sounds like I may as well bushcamp then. I assumed that they would be free running drinking water (i know most charge for showers)

CyclepathToHell

DavidD. i'm loving reading your Oz blog. It's as enjoyable as your crazyguyonabike French adventure. I recently did a trip to France very similar to yours and hope someday to cycle Perth to Sydney. I remember you talking about this trip a year ago oncycling plus..I admire you for going ahead with it and am loving the photos; I would love to see even more pics of the campsites you stay at and the bush camps..

daviddd

thanks cpth, I'll see what I can do re pics.

Roadhouses are a rip-off to camp, even have to pay extra for showers. Use the bush! I found the water OK though.

daviddd

yes, 5000 roos is prob correct!

jibi

Loads of fun. the roadkill is everywhere in OZ.

Just cycled up an amazing road 160 km from Buchan to Jindabyne, along the Snowy River, awesome ride, unsealed (ie gravel and earth) , huge hills, 11 or 12 kms up, but fabulous views, Now off to ride up to Charlottes Pass and Mount Kosciusco, the highest mountain in OZ.

I'm right behind you David,

george

daviddd

good for you George, I opted out of that road when told about the packs of wild dogs, not to mention the poor road quality (I was told). You have suspension though which will be a help, not to mention the trailer - I can see they're distinct advantages in this kind of territory.

I'm in Maclean, 80km N Coff's Harbour and only 300-odd km from Brisbane and 2 weeks off! It's rained for 4 days.

jibi

Hi
The road , barry Way, was quite a mess, one downhill had just been scraped by the graders and was quite wet and greasy, loads of holes and corrugations along most of it, but the scenery was worth it. I had my 59th birthday on this section of road.
Saw no wild dogs, except for 3 strung up on a farm barbed wire fence. wild horses, brumbies, were everywhere.
massive thunderstorms, quite scary out in the bush in the middle of nowhere, when you remember the 2003 fires that raged over a 100 km front. Luckily no fires were started by lightning this time. But the light show through the night was spectacular!!!!
Got stuck in Jindabyne due to another storm with 4 inch hailstones and flash floods, then in Berridale south of Cooma, floods again, had to stay in a room in a pub.
I am now in Canberra and have to report to immigration as I am now an illegal alien, my visa ran out!!!!

Tailwinds
george

daviddd

sounds like you had quite an adventure in the Snowys G. I got a 12month visa so will be Ok for the duration. Are you still going to the states from Cairns?

jibi

Davidd
My Australian trip is nearly over I have to be out of here by the 25th, I have been given a bridging visa to allow me to depart legally .
I will cycle to Sydney so I will have traversed the continent, and then fly out to somewhere, either NZ or Laos

Have fun and take care mate
tailwinds
george