The Blue Dot moves north towards Sydney. 

Perth is okay. Adelaide is good. Melbourne is marvellous. 

We have spent the last few days wandering the streets and taking in the sights since we arrived on Sunday. Although we would love to have a full on, non stop, city break the reality is a little different because we are knackered. On our first day we actually had to return to our hotel in the afternoon to have a wee sleep. Ah poor old cycling people 😴

Sundays are a bit of a concern for me in Australia as many restaurants and bars don’t open. I believe it’s largely to do with wage rates that apply on a Sunday. Thankfully, I have an inbuilt beer radar and even though the hotel recommended two bars that were closed we luckily came across The Mitre pub. It transpired its actually the oldest building in Melbourne and, if you think about it, it’s really a museum that sells beer. The food was also great so next time you’re in Melbourne then please visit this ‘museum’ as part of your cultural day. 

Here’s a couple of photos of central Melbourne and the Yarra River.

Here is Flinders Street Station, a cultural icon in Melbourne.

And here’s me in the conservatory at Fitzroy Gardens. I think the photo brings out my sensitive and soft nature. 

Now a photo of the world famous cricket ground, the MCG.

To be honest I’ve just put that photo in for my pal Brian. He’s a stadium groupie and collects pictures of them. He even got a job at a national stadium just to be near one. So Brian, this photo is for you. Enjoy! 

Finally, a photo of every guys’ desire, second only to beer. 

Yes it’s a cakes. Honestly, how good is that display guys?

Sorry, no time to write anything else. We are cycling north towards Sydney tomorrow and tonight I have to revisit a certain ‘museum’ to do some carb loading. Old Lardy ass and Little Miss Perfect are back on the road again! 

I said I was tempting fate when I wrote about how lucky we have been with the rain during our cycle across Oz. Well, next morning as we prepared to leave Apollo Bay the rain was lashing down. We were a bit concerned as the Great Ocean Road hugs the steep shoreline as it winds it’s way around the coastline promontories and is regularly closed due to subsidence in wet weather. In the last week it had been closed, open, closed and was now open again. 

It wasn’t long before we were pretty well soaked through. As I tend to lie in a more reclined position I find the water runs up my sleeves and under my jacket. Susan doesn’t fare much better.

Apologies for the blurred rain spots on the photo as I couldn’t keep the camera dry. Susan isn’t actually smiling – her face is frozen in that position for it was the coldest October day for 6 years. Here is a photo of our way ahead – you can just make out the road.  

Soon we were cycling around minor landslides and rockfalls. Rivers flowed down the hills and over the road. We kept wondering whether we had passed the section that is regularly closed but soon decided the whole thing was pretty precarious in this weather. The road was littered with fallen rocks and we were glad we had our cycle helmets as we cycled under the cliffs. 

Thankfully we were only cycling 44km that day to Lorne and the lovely old Grand Pacific Hotel. By the time we arrived we were frozen, wet and walked like penguins because we couldn’t feel our feet.  That’s actually why penguins walk like that, so I’m told. 

A couple of hours after we cycled the Great Ocean Road was closed and remained that way for two days. The alternative would have been a cycle inland over the mountains. No thanks. 

Susan managed to get an extra fan heater for our room and turned the bathroom into an oven and dried our clothes. It was a great effort but the following day it was, unfortunately, still raining. Our dry clothes were soon wet clothes as we set off for Geelong 

The rain was on and off as mini storms swept across from the Southern Ocean.  The wind was either behind us (hooray) or hitting us from the side (oh no!) and several times I thought we were going over. 

Here’s a repeat of the picture of Susan sheltering under the gum trees because I just love these gum trees. Oh it’s okay I made sure the lightning had stopped before we sheltered. In case you’re wondering (you’re probably not) she is holding her seat cushion trying to keep it dry. Men don’t do that kind of thing so my seat cushion is on the bike getting wet. 

We stopped at a cafe and met Johnny Isaak (johnnyisaak.com) who was sheltering from the rain.  He is cycle touring from Hobart to Darwin or maybe Cairns – I can’t really remember because my brain was frozen. Johnny is only the fourth touring cyclist we’ve met in Australia.

I do remember we did have some nice coffee and wonderful cake. Now I know there’s lots a cake people who want more information so I had raspberry and apple tea cake whilst Susan had lemon and ricotta. You know there’s so much rubbish cake out there that it makes a pleasant surprise when you come across a small cafe in a small town that beats the rest. Here’s a picture of us smiling during a brief interlude in the rain. You just can’t keep us down when it’s a great cake day! 

We passed under the memorial arch for the Great Ocean Road that recognises the magnificent efforts of those returning WW1 soldiers who built the road. 

After 66km and a reasonable 2,500 feet ascent we reached Geelong and were made very welcome by the motel.  Goodbye Great Ocean Road. 

The following day we cycled 77km into Melbourne. I ditched the Garmin Edge for the day as the routing is so dreadfully poor despite the efforts of the Garmin help desk.  Google maps was called into action and found the Federation Trail that followed the route of an old open sewer. It’s okay the sewer isn’t used anymore but it wouldn’t have bothered us anyway – people would have actually complained about the smell of us cycling alongside the sewer. Anyway with the help of Google we avoided most of the city centre traffic.  Outstanding.  

So here we are in Melbourne for a few days sightseeing before our final push to Sydney. 

3,877 km to date. 

‘come in she said I’ll give you shelter from the storm’ 

We left the lovely Raglan Motor Inn, Warrnambool, said goodbye to Ian and Sally, our hosts for two nights, and cycled with a bit of a tailwind towards the Great Ocean Road. 

The Great Ocean Road is a fantastic scenic 243km route along the south east coast of Australia. It was built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932 and is dedicated to those killed during World War 1. Construction was by hand through dense wilderness and steep coastal mountains and through their outstanding effort these guys created the world’s largest war memorial.

On this day the weather was changeable and although, throughout the day, we went through the usual routine of rain jackets on, rain jackets off, we didn’t actually get wet. Whilst eastern Australia has had record rainfall in recent weeks we have escaped with a couple of minor showers – it all seems to happen around us and we’re not complaining. I know I shouldn’t have said that because I know what’s going to happen now! 

As soon as we hit the Great Ocean Road the skies cleared and the coastline looked magnificent.  Pictures really can’t convey the grandeur of the scenery along the Southern Ocean. 

After 69km we arrived at Port Campbell and walked into town where we shared the biggest bag of chips in the world. Thank goodness Susan is a big eater. 

The following day started with a nice cycle along the coast to another scenic attraction known as the 12 Apostles which are a collection of limestone stacks. Currently, there are 8 stacks as one fell into the sea in 2005. What happened to the other 3? Well there was only ever 9 so it’s a bit of a misnomer. 

The scenery is magnificent and on this day the skies cleared. Oh it was also very windy and gusting galeforce but I’m not going to complain – it was westerly 😀

That was the fun part of the day because then we had to cycle up Lavers Hill with tight hairpin bends and long inclines at grades of 10 and 12%.  Now with this bike, the trailer and all the weight, we are happy at 5%, still okay at 7%, not so pleased at 8% and hurting at 10% and above. 

Well it doesn’t actually hurt but it’s just the hardest push on the pedals to keep going forward. Okay thats not quite true either because at 10% it’s hurting Susan. It could also hurt me as well if I put in the effort but I’m too sensible to pedal as hard as she does. I’m more of the strategic planning leader sitting waiting to be taken somewhere by the worker. Anyway, steering takes a lot of concentration and I’ve also got to keep my energy in reserve just in case. Don’t think I don’t care because I often let her stop to catch her breath and offer consoling words like ‘are you okay’. And I often praise her in public just like all the management books tell you to do. People often ask us if we have an motor on the bike – I nod yes and point to Susan. See, I’m a born leader. 

Anyway, Susan tells me it was as steep a climb as anywhere in Canada and I believe her. I don’t even have to check my GPS to confirm 910m climbing. I just had to look at her to tell it was a tough day on the bike. Certainly the toughest in Australia to date. 

Thankfully, we found an excellent roadhouse at Lavers Hill where the food was excellent and the local beer was addictive. This was followed by multi vitamin tablets, enough fish oil tablets to sink a fish, ibuprofen, gelatine, hot jelly drink, a leg rub down with volterol and sleeping by 9pm. Yes we were fit and ready for the next day. 

The following day was a relatively short 48km cycle to Apollo Bay. Unfortunately there were more hills with big gradients and it was another hard days cycle. That said, the cycle through the rainforest of the Great Otway National Park was wonderful (apart from the uphill bits of course). 

We are now having a days break in Apollo Bay.  It’s a lovely town with a bit of a touristy atmosphere and we are loving it. As the advert said ‘paradise on earth’. We could easy relax here for a week but we are only a few days from Melbourne and there’s lots more to see on this coastline.  Tonight we are back at the Brewhouse. We are already regulars as they have the most magnificent array of local beers and the kind of beer food you dream of. 

There’s a beach nearby too and at every beach we visit Susan goes paddling. 

Now if you could have a pub where you could combine beach paddling and beer drinking then Susan and I would be in heaven.  

3690km to date. 

We left the lovely seaside town of Robe and covered 82km to Millicent and the Sandpiper Motel where we got a room upgrade because we looked like we needed it. At our age we really don’t have to tell anyone how hard we have cycled that day. It’s more of a visual thing – they just look at us and their next sentence always starts with ‘oh my …’.  Thankfully, it’s nothing a shower, sleep and beer can’t temporarily fix. 

Leaving Millicent, we only had a short 47km cycle to Mount Gambier and finished at 1230hrs – our earliest finish to date. It actually felt like we were on a holiday so we went to the pub. Of course, as I am an aficionado (Susan calls me something else but I’m not allowed to say) of pubs we went to the oldest bar in Mount Gambier, voted South Australia bar of the year.  What a great day. Here’s a picture of our motel – nothing to do with the story but I like the picture. 

Our cycle next day from Mount Gambier to Portland was another great day for cycling. The weather was sunny 30c and we rode through extensive forests and over hill after hill. It was just like Canada. Now Susan doesn’t like hills, she hates them. She calls them … oh sorry I’m not allowed to say that either! She’s never forgiven them for hurting her knees in Canada. Oh and they make her ‘pant’ like a big dog waiting on a bone (I’m probably going to be told to take that bit out!).

We also had a problem with trucks and cars on this road. It was single carriageway with no shoulder and nobody wanted to ‘share the road’ with us. I think we held them back for ten seconds when they were in a hurry to do something important. Three times we were actually run off the road.  That said, it was lovely scenery and despite 2,500 feet of climbing and 105km of cycling, I thought it was a great day. 

As I’ve already posted a picture of myself and Susan at the border of South Australia and Victoria, here’s a picture of just me – well you get enough pics of Susan.

Susan took the picture and she’s obviously made sure my face is in shadow.  I don’t know why but it’s the same in all the pictures she takes of me 🙂 Apologies for the poor border sign that I have to pose with – Australia doesn’t do them with the same grandeur as Canada. 

Now that we have had a photo of me and the motel I think I should even it up. Susan takes lots of photos and she is our ‘nature’ photographer i.e. she takes photos of plants and animals. So here’s one of some emus. 

I know what you’re thinking – can’t really see them. Well they were closer but by the time we stopped and Susan ran towards them with her camera they were off! Don’t blame them. Now here’s a photo of some cows.

I know what you’re thinking again- they’re still small and they’re just cows! Well that’s the problem with being a ‘wildlife’ photographer -just appreciate the composition 🙂

Okay that’s enough of Susan’s photos, let’s get back to me. At times we listen to music as we cycle so here’s a short video of life on the tandem. 

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If the video doesn’t play because of some technical thing then you’re not actually missing anything. If it does play then I have two things to mention.  Firstly, apologies for the gratuitous crotch shot. I’m not trying to be Madonna and it wasn’t intentional. I was taking the video whilst steering with one hand and the car overtaking us was a complete surprise! I kind of had a wobbly moment. Secondly, the big black thing on the front is my handlebar bag. Susan calls it my man bag. It has all my ‘essentials’ that every man needs and acts as a great windshield. Countless bugs come flying out the trees and head straight for my ‘man bag’ which is soaked in DEET repellent. Bugs seem to regard it as the ‘head of the beast’ and so I am grateful it saves the real ‘head of the beast’ i.e. my face!  Did I mention that the bush flies like to go for your eyes where the moisture is? Yes you’re damn right – I should get a bigger man bag!

After Portland we cycled 99km to our present location in Warrnambool. The name Warrnambool originates from the indigenous Australians name for a local volcanic cone. The first European discovery of the area was by Lieutenant James Grant, a Scottish explorer, in 1800. Honestly, where would the world be without the Scots 🙂

We are having a rest day today because we are tired – the kind of weary tired that only old people cycling a bike can feel.  Tomorrow we head for the Great Ocean Road and some seriously great scenery and some seriously great big hills. I can already hear Susan panting!

3,525km to date. 

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Great day for cycling. Crossed from South Australia to Victoria.