‘Oh, merde!’ I knew what that meant. Another flat tire. And to think we hadn’t even hit the road yet. Gently stirring the concoction of instant oats, milk powder, raisins and sugar that would be our breakfast, I pushed our mechanical troubles to the back of my mind. With the constant drone of traffic on [...]
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Queensland Encounters: it’s not just cows and kangaroos
We’re bumping along another lonely country road, calling to the cows as they chomp lazily. A family of sprightly kangaroos bounces past. The morning mist is heavy, but brilliant rays of sun peek through with the promise of another gorgeous Queensland day. The Tropic of Capricorn’s not far now. A week’s ride perhaps. Less if [...]
The Big Blur
Guyra, Glen Innes, Deepwater, Glencoe, Sandy Flat, Boonah…names of small Australian towns we’d rolled through in the last week. I couldn’t conjure up an image of a single one. Just as package tourists on 10 day/ 14 country European vacations, all the places had blended into one. There were tumble-down general stores and [...]
Tackling the Tablelands
“Is this the way to Hanging Rock?” “Are you going to attempt to cycle all the way up there?” “No, not attempt. I AM going to cycle up to Hanging Rock!” I was fed up with people doubting my abilities. Telling me a place was ‘too far’ or ‘too remote’ or ‘too difficult’ to get [...]
Back to Oz
“Please step aside. We need more information about your visit.” The request was pleasant enough, but I was still worried. Nobody likes to be stopped at immigration. “Have you been to Australia before?” “Yes, for three months back in 2012,” I replied, trying to sound cool and casual. “Are you working in Australia? “No, of [...]
Farewell New Zealand
“How far to the Summit?” “You’re almost there–it’s just on the other side of the tunnel—you’ll need a torch, it’s pretty dark inside.” I was relieved. We’d just dragged our bikes through the washout at Siberia Gully. I was hungry. I was getting tired. This was a bad combination. It generally heralded the coming of [...]
Into the Heartland
The Maori people paddled their canoes to New Zealand’s shores some 700 years ago. Descendants of these early settlers still populate the East Cape. The East Cape sometimes gets a bad rap. Concerned New Zealanders from other parts of the country urged us to watch out for the biker gangs. We were warned not to [...]
People of the World
One of the things I enjoy most about bicycle touring is the chance to capture images of all the interesting people of the world. Here are some of those individuals: For more images from around the world check out our FLICKR page
Taking to the Trails!
Mountain biking trails on a fully loaded bicycle? Yes, it’s possible. I know. From experience. No entirely positive experience. But one I ultimately don’t regret. Now, I’d come to New Zealand expecting some fairly laidback cycling. I got about 100 kilometers of it. On the Otago Central Rail Trail. That was easy. No steep gradients. [...]
A Forgotten World
One reason bicycle touring is so beloved is that it drags us away from all the distractions of daily life. While out riding, we stop obsessing over Twitter followers, Facebook likes and the latest i-phone apps. Being out on the bike, we distance ourselves from the latest political upheavals and forget about Islamist militants in [...]
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