Wednesday, 27 March 2013
Friday, 15 March 2013
Australia
Seeing a bit of Adelaide during the Fringe Festival was good fun. Adelaide surprised with it's pleasant vibe, funky artwork in the streets and laid-back small town attitude for it's considerable size. The festival shows varied from comedy acts and freak shows to music performances. And although for many there is a fee to pay, many are free as well. You can just wander at leisure through the streets and sooner or later something worthwhile will entertain you for a few minutes.
As I have developed a dislike for Australian backpacker hostels I decided to push on just after one night. Riding the Great Ocean Road towards Melbourne was as the name suggests- Great! But I really did not fancy another night in a smelly hostel so decided to bypass Melbourne altogether and traditionally spent another night in the tent.
Even better than the Great Ocean Road was the south eastern part of Victoria and southern New South Wales. The bike loved it and I loved riding it. Since a long time I had not enjoyed riding as much as I did then. The views of forests and green hills really did remind me of Wales. Except the dead kangaroos frequently seen by the side of the road and the huge fern trees I have to date only seen in botanical gardens. This landscape resemblance and the state's name dawned on me so I've looked it up later and found that James Cook who named it did so for the same reasons I thought of. Hmmm, if only I had been born two hundred years earlier I would have had an interesting career... With the engine grunting comfortably in the twisties I was saddened a little when after 2 days of ideal biking roads I hit another boring freeway. But the kilometres signposting Sydney were going down quick and it was just a means to an end.
Sydney is probably the nicest city out of the very few Australian ones I've seen. But I have nothing exceptional to say about it. It's just another one of the world's nicer cities that have some pretty streets and beaches, museums and exhibitions. The botanical gardens are good. Traffic is bad.
I have spent a week here now but really only with 2 days being a tourist. Rest of the time I was going from one motorbike shop to another trying to get them to give me a crate from one of their new bikes and arranging shipment to Korea. The bike had to be drained of petrol, pipes cleaned and battery disconnected by an official dealer with declaration of the work done submitted at customs. This removes the hassle and costs of sending the bike as "dangerous goods" but also means I cannot drive the bike to the airport. I still can't believe how lucky I was to bump into Garry at the campsite here a few days earlier. Garry who decided to help me out of his good will collected various pieces of frames and crates available from the bike dealer and then picked me and my bike up from the mechanic in his ute. It was already well into the night when we finally finished cutting and joining the pieces of wood and metal but in the end we had a crate suitable for shipment. Garry was one of the most positive and innovative people I ever met. He seemed to be in his element when problem solving which made it all seem much easier. Next morning he dropped me off at the shipping agent just by the airport. The rest was too easy. I can't thank the guy enough...
For anyone reading this wanting to ship from Australia, the bike is flying for A$724 and the man to speak to is Paul Rogers at CT Freight.
Will I come back to Australia? Maybe. It's certainly welcoming enough and people are super friendly and always wanting to chat. If you stay a while you can have a really good life and pursue the common Aussie hobbies like fishing, quad and dirt biking, beach sports...and there are vast areas of wilderness to explore. And probably with the crazy amount of money that's easily to be made here you could buy yourself a Harley or a 4x4 to go off-roading on the weekends, a boat and a caravan and a crate of beer every now and then, like many do. I find the place much too easy and predictable. It's comfortable but lacks something. The culture is all too familiar to a European craving the unknown. But in a way it does feel like home now and I am beginning to think that I might miss it. I have had a really good time in Australia. But I am ready to go...plus I have to before I spend all my money here.
As I have developed a dislike for Australian backpacker hostels I decided to push on just after one night. Riding the Great Ocean Road towards Melbourne was as the name suggests- Great! But I really did not fancy another night in a smelly hostel so decided to bypass Melbourne altogether and traditionally spent another night in the tent.
Even better than the Great Ocean Road was the south eastern part of Victoria and southern New South Wales. The bike loved it and I loved riding it. Since a long time I had not enjoyed riding as much as I did then. The views of forests and green hills really did remind me of Wales. Except the dead kangaroos frequently seen by the side of the road and the huge fern trees I have to date only seen in botanical gardens. This landscape resemblance and the state's name dawned on me so I've looked it up later and found that James Cook who named it did so for the same reasons I thought of. Hmmm, if only I had been born two hundred years earlier I would have had an interesting career... With the engine grunting comfortably in the twisties I was saddened a little when after 2 days of ideal biking roads I hit another boring freeway. But the kilometres signposting Sydney were going down quick and it was just a means to an end.
Sydney is probably the nicest city out of the very few Australian ones I've seen. But I have nothing exceptional to say about it. It's just another one of the world's nicer cities that have some pretty streets and beaches, museums and exhibitions. The botanical gardens are good. Traffic is bad.
I have spent a week here now but really only with 2 days being a tourist. Rest of the time I was going from one motorbike shop to another trying to get them to give me a crate from one of their new bikes and arranging shipment to Korea. The bike had to be drained of petrol, pipes cleaned and battery disconnected by an official dealer with declaration of the work done submitted at customs. This removes the hassle and costs of sending the bike as "dangerous goods" but also means I cannot drive the bike to the airport. I still can't believe how lucky I was to bump into Garry at the campsite here a few days earlier. Garry who decided to help me out of his good will collected various pieces of frames and crates available from the bike dealer and then picked me and my bike up from the mechanic in his ute. It was already well into the night when we finally finished cutting and joining the pieces of wood and metal but in the end we had a crate suitable for shipment. Garry was one of the most positive and innovative people I ever met. He seemed to be in his element when problem solving which made it all seem much easier. Next morning he dropped me off at the shipping agent just by the airport. The rest was too easy. I can't thank the guy enough...
For anyone reading this wanting to ship from Australia, the bike is flying for A$724 and the man to speak to is Paul Rogers at CT Freight.
Will I come back to Australia? Maybe. It's certainly welcoming enough and people are super friendly and always wanting to chat. If you stay a while you can have a really good life and pursue the common Aussie hobbies like fishing, quad and dirt biking, beach sports...and there are vast areas of wilderness to explore. And probably with the crazy amount of money that's easily to be made here you could buy yourself a Harley or a 4x4 to go off-roading on the weekends, a boat and a caravan and a crate of beer every now and then, like many do. I find the place much too easy and predictable. It's comfortable but lacks something. The culture is all too familiar to a European craving the unknown. But in a way it does feel like home now and I am beginning to think that I might miss it. I have had a really good time in Australia. But I am ready to go...plus I have to before I spend all my money here.
Wednesday, 6 March 2013
Esperance to Streaky Bay
After three days of riding in the rain brought into the south by Hurricane Rusty from Port Hedland I was getting just a little frustrated with my boots which over the last couple of years seemed to have lost their ability to remain waterproof. But things got better. From Norseman onwards the sun was out again, my things were gradually drying off and I actually enjoyed camping again.
Going across the Nullarbor Plain was tiring. There are fuel stops with inflated petrol prices every 150kms or so which were always a welcome sight. Not because of the petrol so much but I found myself counting the kilometres just so that I can seek refuge in a shade and give my numb bum a break. It was at these stops and campsites where I got to meet other travellers going the same way.
At the end of 2 days riding through nothing but one seemingly endless straight road across an almost treeless flat landscape I was glad to see some mild hills and looked forward to reaching the coast. Unfortunately my clutch cable snapped at a fuel stop. It was early evening and I had a spare so it was no big deal. But those of you who know something about Australian flies will understand how irritating they can be at the end of a day wearing sweaty motorbike gear. After the repair I arrived at Streaky Bay just before darkness and met some of the individuals I have been meeting at campsites and fuel stops. They were just as tired and glad that the Nullarbor was behind us which called for a day of rest, food and beer...
We all went different ways this morning. Except for Marinus, a biker from Norway who I met again on the ferry from Lucky Bay to Wallaroo. Looks like we'll camp out together again when we reach the shore tonight. Tomorrow we hit Adelaide.
I'll try add some photos of the Nullarbor when I get to a computer.
Going across the Nullarbor Plain was tiring. There are fuel stops with inflated petrol prices every 150kms or so which were always a welcome sight. Not because of the petrol so much but I found myself counting the kilometres just so that I can seek refuge in a shade and give my numb bum a break. It was at these stops and campsites where I got to meet other travellers going the same way.
At the end of 2 days riding through nothing but one seemingly endless straight road across an almost treeless flat landscape I was glad to see some mild hills and looked forward to reaching the coast. Unfortunately my clutch cable snapped at a fuel stop. It was early evening and I had a spare so it was no big deal. But those of you who know something about Australian flies will understand how irritating they can be at the end of a day wearing sweaty motorbike gear. After the repair I arrived at Streaky Bay just before darkness and met some of the individuals I have been meeting at campsites and fuel stops. They were just as tired and glad that the Nullarbor was behind us which called for a day of rest, food and beer...
We all went different ways this morning. Except for Marinus, a biker from Norway who I met again on the ferry from Lucky Bay to Wallaroo. Looks like we'll camp out together again when we reach the shore tonight. Tomorrow we hit Adelaide.
I'll try add some photos of the Nullarbor when I get to a computer.
Friday, 1 March 2013
I'm off again
I left Fremantle around 10 this morning. The landscape, flat and dry went by just like my thoughts of work, and friends I have made and will miss. The last few months were good. I got to understand the Australian lifestyle as one that is very relaxed. Things are easier here. Finding work, place to live, activities and all without stress. And most days really are as sunny as people say. I loved living with my cool and funny flatmates no more than just a 10 minute bicycle ride from the beach. But now I am happy to be moving again and having a change of setting.
The sky was grey by the time I reached Lake Grace. I put my waterproofs on and kept going along the longest straight stretch of road built across a salt lake in Western Australia. The scenery of seemingly never ending wild scrubland and the salt lake all around me was truly spectacular. Alas the weather worsened with approaching darkness and in the end I was a relieved to see the sign for Lake King Caravan Park.
Now I am sitting in a little run down but fairly cozy caravan, drying my clothes, sipping tea and thinking that life isn't so bad.
The sky was grey by the time I reached Lake Grace. I put my waterproofs on and kept going along the longest straight stretch of road built across a salt lake in Western Australia. The scenery of seemingly never ending wild scrubland and the salt lake all around me was truly spectacular. Alas the weather worsened with approaching darkness and in the end I was a relieved to see the sign for Lake King Caravan Park.
Now I am sitting in a little run down but fairly cozy caravan, drying my clothes, sipping tea and thinking that life isn't so bad.
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