Sometimes paradise sours. A dose of extreme weather does the trick on the South Island. We were warned. That I’ll admit. Pack your rain gear and lots of layers we were told. Snow’s possible any time of year. And it
Surviving New Zealand
Looking Back on 2012
2012 has been a good year for us. It is, quite possibly, the only year I haven’t seriously contemplated giving up this bicycle touring gig. The year began on the hazardous Chinese highways (with a missing passport no less!) and
Pedaling through Paradise
We’d been hearing about New Zealand’s charms for years. One of the best cycling destinations in the world we were told. Rugged mountain passes, spectacular coastal roads, stunningly beautiful countryside and miles and miles of unpaved backroads where the sheep
Good Times on the Great Ocean Road
America’s got the Pacific Coast Highway, Australia’s got the Great Ocean Road. Both are stunningly beautiful with jaw-dropping views. Both are prone to the kind of weather that sends sane cyclists to an indoor spinning class. And both are worth
Headwinds, Flies and Forest Fires
Rugged coastline, pristine beaches, sleepy fishing villages, rolling farmland, world-class diving and spectacular seafood. The Eyre Peninsula has it all according to the Australia Tourism Board. Given our shoestring budget, I knew the last two were out. But those first
Stranded in the Southwest
You must visit Southwest Australia. We’d been hearing that mantra since we touched down in tropical Darwin almost two months back. And how could we resist? Locals promised us some of the best scenery in Australia- fields of colorful wildflowers,
End of the Outback
Six weeks and nearly 4,000 kilometers and we finally reach our first real Australia city: Perth! To say that distances in the outback are vast is to state the obvious. Never before have we biked a region so remote. After
Between Dawn and Dusk
My wristwatch alarm begins buzzing at 3:45 AM. Its high pitched insistence startles me from a deep sleep. My muscles ache with exhaustion. 3:45 , I’m sure you will agree, is an ungodly hour to rise. The Australian bush, where
The Final Continent
As we touched down in Australia I’d expected a surge of emotion. This was, after all, our final continent (unless we manage to bike Antarctica one day). Back in 2006, the plan was a simple cycle tour to Cape Town.
Tour de Timor
Despite dire warnings (You’ll sink! You’ll be crushed by the crowds! You’ll catch a nasty disease!), we’d survived half a dozen Indonesian ferries. The trip to Timor was to be our last. The journey was slated for a mere 18