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Sightseeing with friends and wine tasting

Søndag 12. marts 2017 - Torsdag d. 16. marts 2017               (Update d. 26. april 2017)

Adelaide Airport - Shakespears Backpackers 10 km
Sightseeing and restdays in Adelaide

Vi stod op klokken 7 næste dag. Solen var lige stået op og nu skulle vi bare finde de sidste kilometer ind til Shakespears Backpackers. Da teltet var pakket sammen, forsatte vi af stien langs med lufthavnen og inden længe kunne vi se at vi var ved den ydre ringvej. Det er så smart at Adelaide er delt op i nord / sydgaående veje og øst vest gående veje. Så det er super let at finde rundt.
Inden vi cyklede hen til vores hostel, fandt vi en hyggelig park, hvor vi fandt overdækket bænke og borde. På barbecuen kogte vi vand til vores morgenkaffe og så sad vi ellers i ly af regnen, som netop var startet. Skønt at vi kunne sidde i læ og spise vores morgenmad.
Efter morgenmaden cyklede vi direkte hen til overnatningsstedet. Vi kunne checke ind med det samme, men måtte sidde og vente til klokken 11 inden vores senge var ledige. Vi havde købt overnatning på en mixed sovesal med plads til 8 personer. 
Det er altid spændende hvilke mennesker vi kommer til at sove sammen med, men vi var super heldige og fik værelse med en pige fra Schweiz og et par fyre fra Tyskland. Senere kom en pige fra Kina (Conni Song), hun var vildt hyggelig og ville gerne snakke, men det var ikke altid lige let at forstå hvad hun sagde.
Shakespear Backpackers var et fedt sted at være. En god base for sightseeing og møde andre mennesker.
Altid underholdende at se de forskellige type mennesker der er på sådan et sted.
Vi spildte ikke tiden. Da vi havde fået vores senge og fundet plads til alt vores bagage, gik jagten ind efter to cykelkasser. Vi ville gerne pakke cyklerne, så de var klar til flyveturen til Singapore om nogle dage og så havde vi ikke det at tænke på. Martin og Zoe kom næste dag og så skulle vi ud og opleve Adelaide og vinområderne. Så det var bare med at være efektive.
Vi fandt to cykelkasser og fik pakket cyklerne i løbet af 2 timer. Så kunne vi stille dem ind i et depotrum, hvor de så kunne hygge sig de næste dage. 
Senere gik vi ud for at kigge lidt på byen. Den mindede os meget om Buenos Aires. Vi kunne godt se at der var festival. Et sted var der afrikansk cirkus og et andet sted stod vi i længere tid og kiggede på nogen der dansede street dance/break dance alt imens en DJ leverede musikken.
De næste dage gik med hygge sammen med Martin og Zoe´. Et glædeligt gensyn, men det var vildt underligt at tænke tilbage på at sidst vi så hinanden var til jul i Brisbane og siden da havde vi cyklet 3200 kilometer.
Vi oplevet så meget og vi havde hver især en masse at fortælle.
Vi lejede en bil og delte udgifterne, da det var den billigeste og letteste måde at komme rundt og se. Så den første dag kørte vi til Hahndorf, som er en lille by der blev grundlagt af tyske imigranter i 1839 og er nu en vel besøgt turistby. Her var cafe´er og butikker anlagt langs med hovedgaden, som lå i skyggen af en alle´ af træer.
Rigtig hyggeligt.
Efter Hahndorf gik jagten ind på at finde en eller to vingårde hvor vi kunne smage noget vin. Zoe´ havde meldt sig som chauffør, så Martin, Heidi og jeg kunne bare smage løs.
Det første sted var en lille vingård. Her fik vi en udsøgt service, hvor en person fortalte os om de forskellige vine vi smagte på. Vi betalte 10 AUD for at smage 5 vine og hvis man købte noget ville vi få 10 AUD discount på det vi købte. Jeg mener det var Hahndorf Hill Winery stedet hed.
Vi er ikke vinkendere nogen af os, så det var rigtig skægt at skulle sige noget om den vin vi smagte og samtidig lyde som om vi havde bare lidt forstand på det.
Næste sted prøvede vi en stor vingård - Shaw and Smith. Her kostede det 5 AUD og her var ingen service. faktisk følte vi os som et nummer i rækken. en kvinde fyldte 5 vine op til os og gave en "lyn" hurtig beskrivelse og så kunne vi sidde og smage. Denne gang var det Martin og Marianne der smagte og vi hyggede os gevaldigt med det. Specielt Martins måde at beskrive en vin på, gik hen og blev vildt skægt. Han kunne smage fyrværkeri.
Senere var vi forbi et galleri og kigge lidt på malerier af Nora Heysen. Vi trode faktisk det var en vingård, men så fik vi lidt kulturelt med også.
Vi sluttede af med at køre op til et udsigtspunkt, hvor vi kunne kigge ind over Adelaide og alle vinmarkerne.
Sidste dag sammen med Martin og Zoe´, kørte vi til Barossa Valley. Vi ville prøve og se om vi kunne finde tre vingårde.
Første valg blev Seppeltfield, et sted Zoe´ var blevet anbefalet. Det var en kæmpe vingård, med kæmpe indgangsparti og flot og prangende. Vinsmagningen var gratis og igen havde vi en person som forklarede omkring de forskellige vine. Fra vinkortet valgte vi 5 vi ville smage. 4 vine og en portvin til at slutte af på.
Vinene var gode, men portvinen var exceptionel. Wow den smagte godt. Var det ikke frodi vi skulle cykle videre på vores tur, ja så havde vi købt en flaske. Desværre exportere Seppelfield ikke deres vine. Så det blev nok en -once in af lifetime taste.
Næste sted blev velkendte Jacobs Creek. Et flot sted, men også den dårligste vin vi smagte, efter min mening.
Men så kom finalen, hvor vi besøgte Penfolds. Her smagte vi 4 vine og sluttede af med at smage Grand Rare Tawney. Jeg er meget glad for portvine og denne smagte himmelsk. Hverken Martin eller jeg kunne skjule hvor godt det smagte. Vi må havde udtrykt os ret så godt, for efter the grandfather, fik vi lov til at smage the Grand grand father. Vi var målløse. Prisen var også godt med, en falske kostede 500,- kr. Men det var den også værd i smagen. En udsøgt oplevelse og atter måtte vi nøjes med at smage. Men Penfolds kan købes i Danmark.
En rigtig dejlig og god måde at afslutte vores fantastiske rejse rundt i Australien. Vi nød dagen sammen med Martin og Zoe´. 
Om aftenen var vi ude at spise lækker Thai mad, så var vi ligesom tunet ind på næste kapitel af rejsen - Asien.
Tak til Martin og Zoe´ for at komme til Adelaide og mødes med os. Vi nød jeres selskab.
 


English

Sunday 12th March 2017 - Thursday 16th March 2017 (      Update dated 26th April 2017)

Adelaide Airport - Shakespears Backpackers 10 km
Sightseeing and restdays in Adelaide

We got up at 7 o'clock the next day. The sun had just risen and now we should only find the last miles to Shakespears Backpackers. When the tent was packed, we followed the path alongside the airport and soon we could see that we were at the outer ring road. It is so clever that Adelaide is divided into north / south roads and east-west roads. So it's super easy to find your way around there.
Before we rode to our hostel, we found a nice park where we found covered benches and tables. On the barbecue we cooked water for our morning coffee and then we sat in the shelter of the rain that had just started. Nice we could sit in the shelter and eat our breakfast.
After breakfast we cycled directly to the accommodation. We could check in immediately, but had to sit and wait until 11 o'clock before our beds were available. We had bought accommodation on a mixed dormitory room for 8 people.
It's always exciting which people we are going to sleep with, but we were super lucky and got a room with a girl from Switzerland and a couple of guys from Germany. Later a girl from China checked in(Conni Song), she was very nice and wanted to talk, but it was not always easy to understand what she said.
Shakespear Backpackers was a cool place to be. A good base for sightseeing and meeting other people.
Always entertaining to see the different types of people who are in such a place.
We did not waste time. When we had got our beds and found room for all of our luggage, the hunt went in for two bicycles boxes. We would like to pack the bikes so they were ready for the flight to Singapore in a couple of days and then we did not have to think about it. Martin and Zoe came the next day and then we had to explore Adelaide and the wine areas. 
We found two bike boxes and packed the bikes in 2 hours. Then we could put them into the storage room where they could enjoy the next days.
Later we went out to look a little on the city. It reminded us a lot about Buenos Aires. We could see that the festival was on going. At one place there was an African circus and at another square we stood for a long time and looked at someone break dancing while a DJ delivered the music.
The following days went well with Martin and Zoe. A pleasent reunoin, but it was strange to think back that we saw each other at Christmas in Brisbane and since then we had cycled 3200 kilometers.
We experienced so much and we each had a lot to tell.
We rented a car and shared the cost as it was the cheapest and easiest way to get around. The first day we drove to Hahndorf, a small town founded by German imigrants in 1839 and is now a well-visited tourist town. Here were cafes and shops along the main street, which lay in the shadow of old trees.
Very cozy.
After Hahndorf the hunt went on to find one or two vineyards where we could taste some wine. Zoe had signed up as a driver so Martin, Heidi and I could taste the wines.
The first place was a small vineyard. Here we got an exquisite service where a person told us about the different wines we tasted. We paid 10 AUD to taste 5 wines and if you bought something we would get 10 AUD discount on what we bought. I think the winery was Hahndorf Hill Winery.
We are not wine-lovers any of us, so it was real fun to say something about the wine we tasted and at the same time it sounds like we just had little sense of it.
Next place we tried a large winery - Shaw and Smith. Here it cost 5 AUD and there was no service. In fact, we felt like a number in the row. A woman filled 5 wines to us and gave a "lightning" quick description and then we could sit and taste. This time it was Martin and Marianne who tasted and we thoroughly enjoyed it. In particular, Martin's way of describing a wine went on and became wildly funny. He could taste fireworks.
Later we passed a gallery and look at paintings by Nora Heysen. We actually thought it was a vineyard, but then we got a little cultural as well.
We ended up driving up to a viewpoint where we could look over Adelaide and all the vineyards.
Last day together with Martin and Zoe', we drove to Barossa Valley. We wanted to try and see if we could find three wineries.
First choice, Seppeltfield, a place Zoe' had been recommended. It was a huge vineyard, with huge entrances and beautiful and flashy. The wine tasting was free and again we had a person who explained about the different wines. From the wine list we chose 5 we wanted to taste. 4 wines and a port wine to finish off.
The wines were good, but the port wine was exceptional. Wow it tasted good. If we did not have to cycle, yes we would have bought a bottle. Unfortunately, Seppelfield does not export their wines. So it was probably an -once in of lifetime taste.
Next place became  the famous Jacobs Creek. A nice place, but also the worst wine we tasted, in my opinion.
But then the final came where we visited Penfolds. Here we tasted 4 wines and ended up tasting Grand Rare Tawney. I am very fond of port wine and this tasted heavenly. Neither Martin nor I could hide how well it tasted. We must have expressed ourselves so well, because after the grandfather we were allowed to taste the grand grand father. We were speechless. The price was also good, a fare cost of 500, - kr. But it was also worth it. An exquisite experience and again, we just had to taste. But Penfolds can be purchased in Denmark.
A really nice and good way to end our fantastic trip around Australia. We enjoyed the days together with Martin and Zoe.
In the evening we went for delicious Thai food, so we were got tuned into the next chapter of the trip - Asia.
Thanks to Martin and Zoe´ for comming to Adelaide to seeing us off. We had a wonderfull time.

 


 

 


Pelicans, meeting danes and arriving in Adelaide

Tirsdag d. 07. marts 2017 - Søndag d. 12. marts. 2017           (Update 22. april 2017)

Salt Creek - Meningie 66 km
Meningie - Wellington 53 km
Wellington - Goolwa 90 km
Goolwa - Mt. Compas 53 km
Mt. Compas - Adelaide 76 km

Endnu en varm dag på vores rejse. Da vi cyklede afsted fra Salt Creek var vores første mål Jack´s point Pelican Observatory. Det er et område med en af verdens største bestande af pelikaner. Vi var spændte på om der overhovdet ville være nogen, når vi kom derhen.
Efter 15 kilometer var der et skilt ved vejen, hvorpå der stod Jack´s Point. Vi cyklede hen til P pladsen og forsøgte at finde et sted med skygge, hvor vi kunne stille cyklerne. Fra P pladsen skulle vi gå cirka en kilometer inden vi var ved udsigts skuret, hvor der også var plancer omkring pelikanerne.
Der var rigtig nok mange pelikaner, desværre var de ret langt væk, så en kikkert havde været dejlig at have.
Men vi så dem og fik taget en del billeder. Senere kom store flokke flyvende hen over vores hoveder. Det var så utroligt smukt. De fløj i V-formation og man kunne ikke høre dem overhovedet. De svævede bare stille og roligt forbi. 
Da vi kom tilbage til cyklerne, var der kommet en bil med to personer i. Da de stod ud af bilen, kunne jeg høre, at de talte dansk, så jeg sagde: Goddaw. Det viste sig at være et par fra Kerteminde, Per (www.lejenklown.dk) og Katja.
De var på en 6 ugers rejse rundt i Australien og havde oplevet en masse. Inden vi havde set os om var der gået en time og vi havde alle fået fortalt om vores oplevelser. Hyggeligt at møde nogen fra Danmark, da det ikke dem vi møder flest af.
Vi cyklede videre og Per og Katja gik ud for at se pelikanerne og senere blev vi overhalet af dem, hvor de dyttede og vinkede farvel til os.
Langs vejen vi cyklede den dag, var der flere saltsøer og nogen gange havde vi en kraftig lugt af svovl. Ikke en dejlig lugt at cykle i, slet ikke når det også var varmt og luften stod stille. Vi kunne også stadig se klitterne helt ude ved havet. Den største saltsø vi så, var da vi kom til Pranka Point. Den lå helt ud til vejen, så vi forsøte at komme helt tæt på. Men vi skulle passe på, for selvom at saltet lignede sne og så ud til at være hårdt, var den ret smattet nogle steder og vi kunne godt synke i.
Senere var vi var heldige at se 4 Emuer. Vi havde begge set emuer i fangeskab, men at se dem i den vilde natur, var godt nok specielt. Vi kiggede godt nok lige en ekstra gang, da vi så dem.
Da vi holdt ind for at få frokost på en rasteplads, var der en fyr som standsede for at checke op på, at vi havde nok mad og drikke. Han ville både give os vand, bananer og müslibarer. Ham snakkede vi med et stykke tid.
Han kunne fortælle os at der var en stor festival i Adelaide (The Fringe), så vi havde valgt det rette tidspunkt at komme til Adelaide. Der ville ske en masse ting rundt omkring i byen, med teater osv. Noget gratis og andet kostede noget. Det lød spændende og vi tænkte en god måde at afslutte vores cykeltur rundt i Australien.
Dagen sluttede i byen Meningie, som ligger helt ud til Lake Albert. Vi skulle betale 20 AUD for at campere, så havde vi også udsigt over søen, men mega langt til toilet byggingen, så det var med at gå i god tid hvis vi skulle på WC.
Næste dag blev en kort dag. Vi cyklede igennem fladt landskab og sumpområder. Vi ville cykle til Wellington og så se hvad vi havde lyst til derfra. For at komme til Wellington, skulle vi krydse Murray River. Det foregik med en lille kabelfærge. Som oprindeligt var blevet etableret i 1839 og var den første og vigtigste færge til krydsning af floden. helt indtil i begyndelsen af 1900 tallet, blev færgen manuelt betjent og skulle man med på det tidspunkt, var det normalt at passagerne blev bedt om en hjælpenede hånd, til at trække i kablet. Det skulle vi ikke. Turen tog højst 5 minutter. På den anden siden af floden, lå så Wellington. En lille bitte sovende by, men stadig med en lille park og campingplads. Vi sad i parken og spiste vores frokost og derefter cyklede vi på opdagelse.
Temperaturen var ved at være oppe på 40 garder og vi havde ikke lyst til at cykle videre. Istedetfor ville vi se om der var et sted vi kunne gemme os med vores telt, så vi kunne slippe for at betale.
Vi cyklede ud til Wellington bådsrampe. Her var både barbecue, toiletter og en lille park. Helt perfekt tænkte vi, men lige ved indgangen til det hele sod med store bogstaver NO CAMPING. 
Nå men, vi havde masse af tid, så vi tog vores underlag og lagde os i skyggen under et træ, helt ned til floden. Her var en skoleklasse ved at gøre klar til en kanotur og deres klasselære kom hen for at snakke lidt med os.
Her lå vi i lang tid, slappede af og nød stilheden. Vi besluttede os for at cykle hen til campingpladsen for at campere, efter vi havde kigget andre steder i landsbyen.
Ligesom vi havde betalt og gik hen for at finde vores plads, var der pludselig nogen der råbte:Hej piger, forfølger i os? Da vi kiggede nærmere på de to hold der sad der, kunne vi se det var dem vi havde mødt i Southend for 5 dage siden.
Vores aftensmad blev take away, fra den lille tankstation, som lå lige overfor campingpladsen. Ham der havde tanken, var en skæg Inder. Han kunne godt lide at "rådgive" omkring hvad vi skulle spise og drikke og så bestemme hvor vi skulle sidde, imens vi ventede på maden. Ja, maden blev en curry pie til hver og en minch pie til hver og pommes frites. Ketchup fik vi i et lille plastic bæger. Det hele tog vi med over til teltet og sad på bedste campingvis og spiste.
Da vi stod op næste morgen, var alt dækket i et tygt lag tåge og morgenen var dejlig kølig. Det passede os godt, efter den varme dag der havde været dagen før.
Det første stykke vi cyklede igennem, var goldt og øde. Det gik over i de første store vindistrikter, mindst 10 vingårder enten cyklede vi forbi eller så skilte som pegede i retningen af.
Nu var der vinmarker så langt vores øjne kunne se. Vi cyklede igennem den hyggelige vinby Longhorn Creek. Her laver de bl.a en lækker vin der hedder Heartland, som jeg ved min bror er meget vild med. Så nu kunne jeg drille ham og fortælle at vi havde været der.
Vi nåede til byen Strathalbyn og satte os foran turist informationen, hvor der var bænke og borde. Her spiste vi vores frokost og faldt i snak med et australsk ægtepar. Senere kom en fyr ved navn Steve Pap over til os. Han cyklede også, men ikke på en almindelig cykel. Han havde en Trike (Trehjulet cykel).
Han ville høre lidt til vores tur og fortalte også om hans ture han havde været på. Et af hans helt store ønsker var at cykle Pamir Highway. Så da han fandt ud af at vi havde cyklet den, skulle han have en masse gode råd.
Jeg prøvede også hans cykel. Den var virkelig mystisk at cykle på, da det er ligesom en ligge cykel og man er helt tæt på vejen.
Senere gik vi hen i den flotte park der var i byen og lagde i skyggen. Igen ville vi se om der var et sted der kunne bruges til at campere på for fri. Vi cyklede endda ud til et Greyhound stadion. Men havde ikke heldet med os.
VI besluttede os for at cykle mod Goolwa og se om der ikke ville være et sted undervejs vi kunne Wild campe. Igen var vi ikke heldige, så vi endte i Goolwa på en caravanpark. Vi nåede det lige inden det blev mørkt. 
Ruten vi havde valgt for at komme til Adelaide, var egentlig lidt en omvej. Da vi cyklede fra Geelong, havde vi regnet med at skulle bruge alle 21 dage på turen og ankomme d. 12. marts. Men vi havde cyklet lidt hurtigere og lidt flere kilometer per dag, så derfor cyklede vi sydpå mod Goolwa og derfra mod Adelaide.
Fra caravanparken cyklede vi ned til Goolwa Wharf, hvor vi kunne se over til Hindmarsh Island og nu stod vi kun få kilometer fra udmundingen af Murray River.
Fra Whafen var det muligt at tage et lille turisttog til Port Elliot. Dette skulle efter sigende være den første anlagte togruten i Australien.
Vi cyklede videre mod Port Elliot og fandt ind på en cykelsti, som tog os igennem områder med kæmpe sommer recidenser og med flot udsigt ud over havet. Flere steder var er godt gang i surferne, som forsøgte at ramme den perfekte bølge.
Vi tog os rigtig god tid, både fordi vi ville nyde de sidste kilometer langs med havet og fordi vi ikke havde så mange kilometer at skulle cykle den dag.
Ved middagstid var vi lidt udenfor Victor Habour og her fandt vi en bænk vi kunne sidde på og spise vores toastbrød med lidt smøreost og samtiig nyde udsigten.
Alt imens vi sad der, kom et yngere par cyklende. De standsede ud for os, da de kunne se vi var på en længere tur. De var fra Sydney og kunne også godt lide at tage på tur med deres cykler. Igen fik vi en længere snak og endnu engang havde vi mødt søde rare mennesker.
Vi forsatte ind til Victor Harbour, her købte vi os en kop kaffe på "måge restautanten" (McDonald). Ikke fordi deres kaffe er billig, men så kunne vi sidde og bruge deres WIFI.
Fra Victor Habour tog vi hovedvej A13, vi ville cykle mod Mt. Compas og se om der var et sted undervejs der ville egne sig til fri camping.
Navnet Mt. Compas sagde ligesom at vi så skulle til at cykle opad, så vi fik en længere stigning. Da vi næsten ar oppe på toppen, blev det ligen en tand for spændedne. Vi var lige holdt ind på en lille plads lige ved siden af vejen. Her var der en info tavle omkring det stengæde vi cyklede langs med. Pludselig så vi en lastbil komme glidende oppefra. Der var en stor røgsky bagefter den og den styrede lige over imod os. Pyha, hvor skulle vi springe hen ???? Nåede vi lige at tænke.....men til vores held fik chauføren styr på bilen og den standsede få meter fra os. Det viste sig at være et kabel til bremserne på bagvognen der var kappet over og det havde bevirket at bremserne havde blokkeret.
Fra toppen fik vi en masse frie kilometer. Desværre var der ikke nogen steder der egnede sig til fri camping, så vi cyklede til Mt. Compas Caravan Park. En lille hyggelig plads. På hver side af vejen hen til pladsen groede der store budske med brombær, så undervejs standsede vi op til flere gange for at spise af de søde bær. Da vi nåede pladsen var receptionen lukket og der var kun et telefon nummer på døren. Vi forsøgte at ringe fra min telefon, men der var "no reception" på netværket.
Så vi gik hen til nogen af dem der camperede og fik dem til at ringe nummeret op. De fik at vide af manden der ejede pladsen, at vi bare skulle sætte vores telt op og så kunne vi betale næste morgen, hvor han var tilbage.
Da vi cyklede afsted fra Mt. Compas næste dag, regnede vi med en kort dags cykling.
Efter vi havde cyklet igennem lille hyggelige Mt. Compas, skulle vi over Lofty passet. Da vi nåede toppen, fik vi den smukkeste udsigt ud over MacLaren Vale vindistriktet med St. Vincent golfen i baggrunden. Vil sige at det blev en perfekt afslutning på turen rundt i Australien. Sådan en udsigt, som den "grand finale" passede os vældig godt. Lige meget hvor vi kiggede hen, kunne vi se grønne vinmarker og kiggede vi os over skulderen, kunne vi se de bløde bakker med gylden brune farver og turen ned oppe fra passet blev flyvende.
Tror vi havde regnet med at når vi var kommet over passet og ned på vinmarkerne, så var det nok mest fladt ind til Adelaide. Der måtte vi tro om igen, der kom nogle gode bakker undervejs.
Vi var spændte på, hvordan vi ville finde vej ind til Adelaide. Om vi skulle ind igennem en masse trafik og snørklede veje. Men vores tvivl blev afløst af, vel anlagte cykelstier, som startede 45 kilometer fra centrum. Det var faktsik et trail som hed Coast to Wine.
Alle stierne var vel afmærkede, så det blev virkelig en let sag at ankomme til Adelaide.
Noget der ikke blev så let, var at finde overnatning. Vi havde bestilt overnatning fra d. 12. marts til d. 16. marts på Shakespears Backpackers. Men vi havde kun d. 11. marts, så vi skulle bruge en nat mere.
Da vi var godt 15 kilometer fra centrum, så vi et skilt til en campingplads. Men det vidste sig at være en plads kun for fastlæggere og ingen telte. Nå, op på cyklerne og så videre til næste campingplads. Det blev BIG4 i Marion.....alt udsolgt og her fik vi at vide at alt i Adelaide var udsolgt pga. festivalen og et kæmpe barsketball stævne. Ups ikke så godt.
Vi kiggede på hinanden og blev enige om at så måtte vi bare finde en park at slå lejr i.
Først cyklede vi hen til et sted vi havde set nogen skrive om på campermate. Det var ikke så oplagt, da parken var omgivet af store paracelhuse. Vores næste plan blev at cykle ud i området omkring Adelaide lufthavn, her kunne vi se på google maps at der var nogle store grønne områder.
Vi cyklede langs en stor kanal og helt ude for enden var der et picnic sted med borde og bænke der var overdækket. Her satte vi os for at spise vores aftensmad. Boller med kylling og coleslaw og norrish juice. Vi havde udset os et sted, som kunne bruges, men vi ville vente til det blev tusmørke.
Da der stadig var ret lang tid til tusmørke, blev vi enige om at cykle lidt længere ud og se om der var et andet og bedre sted. Det var der. Langs en sti lige ved lufthavnen, var der et sted hvor vi kunne slå teltet op bag ved en budsk og helt herude var der nok ikke nogen der kom, før næste morgen. Så teltet blev sat op og vi nåede det lige i de sidste flotte solstråler og inden det begyndte at regne.
Nu kunne vi falde i søvn til lyden af fly der lettede og landede og blive mindede om vores arbejde hjemme i Danmark. 
 


English

Tuesday 7th March 2017 - Sunday 12th March 2017                                  (Update April 22, 2017)

Salt Creek - Meningie 66 km
Meningie - Wellington 53 km
Wellington - Goolwa 90 km
Goolwa - Mt. Compas 53 km
Mt. Compas - Adelaide 76 km

Another hot day on our trip. As we rode away from Salt Creek, our first goal was Jack's Point Pelican Observatory. It is an area with one of the world's largest colonies of pelicans. We were excited about whether there would be some when we got there.
After 15 kilometers there was a sign by the road, on which Jack's Point stood. We rode to the Parking area and tried to find a place with shadow where we could put the bikes. From the parking area we had to walk about a kilometer before we were on the lookout, where there also were displays about the pelicans.
There were really many pelicans, unfortunately they were quite far away, so a pair of binoculars had been nice to have.
But we saw them and took some pictures. Later large flocks came flying over our heads. It was so incredibly beautiful. They flew in V-formation and you could not hear them at all. They just floated quietly past.
When we got back to the bikes, a car with two people in had arrived. When they got out of the car, I could hear they spoke Danish, so I said: Goddaw. It turned out to be a couple from Kerteminde, Per (www.lejenklown.dk) and Katja.
They were on a 6 week trip around Australia and had experienced a lot. Before we knew of it an hour had passed and we had talked about all our experiences. Nice to meet someone from Denmark, as it is not the ones we meet most of.
We rode on and Per and Katja went out to see the pelicans and later we were overtaken by them where they waved goodbye to us from the car.
Along the way we cycled that day, there were several salt lakes and sometimes we had a heavy smell of sulfur. Not a nice smell to ride in, not at all when it was hot too and the air stood still. We could still see the dunes all the way out at the ocean. The biggest salt lake we saw was when we came to Pranka Point. It was just beside of the road so we tried to get close. But we had to take care, because even though the salt looked like snow and looked hard, it was soft in some places and we could sink in.
Later we were lucky to see 4 Emuos. We had both seen emu's in the zoo, but seeing them in the wild nature was special. We looked once more when we saw them, not believing what we saw.
When we stopped for lunch at a resting place, there was a guy who stopped to check that we had enough food and drinks. He would both give us water, bananas and muesli bars. We talked to him for a while.
He told us that there was a big festival in Adelaide (The Fringe), so we had chosen the right time to come to Adelaide. There would be a lot of things going on around the city, with theater etc. Somethings for free and other things would cost someting. It sounded exciting and we thought what a good way to end our bike ride around Australia.
The day ended in the town of Meningie, which is right next to Lake Albert. We had to pay 20 AUD to camp, we got a spot with a view of the lake, but soooo far to the toilet building, so we had to go well ahead of time if we had to go to the toilet!!!
The next day was a short day. We rode through flat countryside and swamp areas. We wanted to ride to Wellington and then see what we wanted from there. To get to Wellington, we should cross the Murray River. It took place with a small cable ship. Originally established in 1839, it was the first and most important ferry crossing the river at that time. Until the beginning of the 1900s, the ferry was manually operated and at the time it was normal that passengers were asked for a hand to pull the cables of the boat. We should not. The trip took a maximum of 5 minutes. On the other side of the river, Wellington lay. A little sleepy village, but still with a small park and campground. We sat in the park and ate our lunch and then we cycled on to discover the small town.
The temperature was up to 40 degrees and we did not want to ride on. Instead, we wanted to see if there was a place we could free camp for the night.
We rode out to Wellington boat ramp. Here were both barbecue, toilets and a small park. Absolutely perfect, we thought, but just at the entrance to the park there was a sign: NO CAMPING.
Well, we had a lot of time, so we took out our tarp and laid us in the shade under a tree, right down to the river. Here was a school class getting ready for a canoe trip and their classroom came to talk a little with us.
Here we lay for a long time, relaxed and enjoyed the silence. We decided to cycle to the campground to camp after we had looked elsewhere in the village.
Just as we had paid and went to find our place, there was suddenly someone who shouted: Hi girls, are you following us? As we looked at the two couples sitting there, we could see it was those we had met in Southend 5 days ago.
Our dinner was take away, from the small gas station, which was just opposite the campsite. He who had the place was a bit of a funny guy. He liked to "advise" about what we should eat and drink and then decide where to sit while we waited for the food. Yes, the food we got was: a curry pie for each and a minch pie for each and a large fries. Ketchup we got in a small plastic cup. We took it all over to the tent and sat on the ground in the best camping style and ate.
When we got up the next morning, everything was covered in a foul layer of fog and the morning was lovely cool. It suited us well after the hot day that had been the day before.
The first piece we rode through was gold and deserted. It crossed into the first big wine district, at least 10 vineyards we cycled by or signs pointing in the direction of.
Now there were vineyards as far as our eyes could see. We rode through the cozy wine town of Longhorn Creek. Here they make a delicious wine called Heartland, which I know my brother is very much crazy about. So now I could tease him and tell that we had been there.
We reached the city of Strathalbyn and sat in front of the tourist information, where there were benches and tables. Here we ate our lunch and talked to an Australian couple. Later a guy named Steve Pap came over to us. He also cycled, but not on a regular bike. He had a Trike (Three-wheeled bike).
He wanted to haer little about our trip and also told about his tours he had been on. One of his great wishes was to ride the Pamir Highway. So when he found out we had cycled it, he had a lot of questions.
I also tried his trike. It was really mysterious to ride it, as it is like a bike but you are quite close to the road.
Later we went to the beautiful park that was in the city and lay down in the shade for a while. Again, we wanted to see if there was a place that could be used to camp on for free. We even rode to the Greyhound stadium. But no luck.
We decided to cycle towards Goolwa and see if there would be a place along the way we could Wild camp. Again we were not lucky so we ended up in Goolwa at a caravan park. We reached it just before it got dark.
The route we had chosen to come to Adelaide was a bit of a detour. When we rode from Geelong, we had expected to spend 21 days on the trip and arrive on 12th March. But we had cycled a little faster and a little more kilometers a day, so we rode south towards Goolwa and from there to Adelaide.
From the caravan park we drove down to Goolwa Wharf where we could see over to Hindmarsh Island and now we were just a few miles from the mouth of the Murray River.
From the Whaf it was possible to take a small tourist train to Port Elliot. This should happen to be the first railway establised in Australia.
We rode on to Port Elliot and found a bike path that took us through areas with huge summer recidivities and beautiful views over the ocean. Several places where surfers who tried to hit the perfect wave.
We took our time both because we wanted to enjoy the last miles along the ocean and because we did not have so many miles to cycle that day.
At noon we were a little outside Victor Habour and here we found a bench we could sit on and eat our toast bread with cheese and enjoy the view.
As we sat there, a younger couple came cycling. They stopped in front of us as they could see we were on a longer trip. They were from Sydney and also liked to ride their bikes. Again we had a longer talk and once again we had met so nice people.
We left for Victor Harbor, where we bought a cup of coffee on the "McDonald's". Not because their coffee is cheap, but so we could sit and use their WIFI.
From Victor Habour we took the A13 highway, we wanted to ride towards Mt. Compass and see if there was a place along the way that would be used for free camping.
The name Mt. Compas said it all, we would have to ride upwards, so we got a longer climb. As we were almost at the top, it became a little to scary. We were just on the side of the road. Here there was an info board about the stalk we were cycling along. Suddenly we saw a truck sliding downhill. There was a bigcloud of smoke after it and it steered straight  towards us. Wow, where should we jump to???? We just managed to think ..... but to our luck the driver got control of the car and it stopped a few meters from us. It turned out to be a cable for the brakes on the back trolley that was cut over and it had caused the brakes to block totaly.
From the top we got a lot of free kilometers. Unfortunately, there were no places suitable for free camping, so we rode to Mt. Compas Caravan Park. A little nice place. On each side of the road to the campground grew large buds with blackberries, so along the way we stopped several times to eat of the sweet berries. When we reached the campsite the reception was closed and there was only a phone number on the door. We tried to call from my phone, but there was "no reception" on the network.
So we went to some of those who camped and made them call the number. They were told by the man who owned the place that we just had to set up our tent and then we could pay the next morning where he was back.
When we rode off from Mt. Compas the next day, we counted on a short day's cycling.
After we had cycled through little cozy Mt. Compass, we should pass over the Lofty pass. When we reached the top we got the most beautiful view over the MacLaren Vale wine district with the St. Vincent golf in the background. Would say it was a perfect end to the trip around Australia. Such a view, like the grand final, suited us very well. No matter where we looked, we could see green vineyards andif we  looked over our shoulder, we could see the soft hills with golden brown colors and the trip down the pass we were flying.
We had figured that when we had crossed the pass and got downto  the vineyards, it was probably flat all the way to Adelaide. There we had to think a second time, some good hills still came along.
We were excited how we would find our way in to Adelaide. If we were going through a lot of traffic and crowded roads. But our doubts were replaced by well-established cycle paths, which started 45 kilometers from the center. It was actually a trail called Coast to Wine trail.
All the trails were well marked, so it was really an easy matter to arrive to Adelaide.
Something that was not so easy was to find accommodation. We had booked accommodation from March 12th to March 16th at Shakespears Backpackers. But we only had March 11th, so we had to find accommodation for one more night.
When we were 15 kilometers from the center, we saw a sign for a campsite. But it was a place for long term campers only and no tents. Well, on the bikes and on to the next campsite. It became BIG4 in Marion ..... everything sold out and here we were told that everything in Adelaide was sold out due to the festival and a huge barsketball event. Ups not so good.
We looked at each other and agreed that we just had to find a park to camp in.
First we rode to a place we had seen someone write about on the campermate app. It was not so obvious as the park was surrounded by large houses. Our next plan was to cycle out in the area around Adelaide Airport. Here we could see on google maps that there were some big green areas.
We rode along a large canal and at the end of the road there was a picnic spot with tables and benches that were covered. Here we sat down to eat our dinner. Buns with chicken and coleslaw and norrish juice. We had seen somewhere that could be used for camping, but we would wait until it became twilight.
As there was still a long time for twilight, we decided to ride a little further and see if there was another and better place. There was. Along a path near the airport, there was a place where we could hit the tent behind a bush and out of here there was probably not anyone who came before the next morning. So the tent was set up and we managed to do it just in the last beautiful sunset and before it started to rain.
Now we could fall asleep to the sound of airplanes that took off and landed and were reminded of our work at home in Denmark.


 

 


Wild camp and Salt Creek

Fredag d. 03. mar. 2017 - Mandag d. 06. mar. 2017                    (Update 09. apr. 2017)

Mt. Gambier - Southend 80 km
Southend - Robe 78 km
Robe - Granites Rest Area 68 km
Granites Rest Area - Salt Creek 68 km

Friske og ved godt mod sagde vi farvel til Kirsten. Sandy havde vi taget afsked med aftenen før, da han skulle tideligt op og på arbejde.
Vi fik en dejlig dag på cyklen, men flad vej og endda medvind. Vi cyklede igennem skovområder og nød naturen. Lidt inden vi kom til landsbyen Tantanoola opdagede jeg et sinkhole lige ved siden af vejen.
Der var en lille P-plads og en mærkelig platform lavet af træ. Det så spændende ud, så vi holdt ind og ville se nærmere på hullet.
Da vi gik hen imod hullet kunne vi se en trappe der var lavet så men kunne komme ned i hullet og der var et skilt, hvorpå der stod Fossil Cave og at det kun var personer med et helt specielt dykker certifkat, der måtte dykke i grotterne der altså var her. Så gav det mening, med platformen af træ. Det var til dykkere der skulle dykke ind i grotten, så kunne de have iltflasken til at stå på platformen, så den var lettere at tage på ryggen.
Det måtte vi da se nærmere på, vi gik ned af trappen og nu kunne vi se en grotte til hver side af hullet. Hullet i sig selv var cirka 3 meter dybt og havde engang været gemt under jorden. Men på et eller andet tidspunkt er sinkhullet kolapset og grotterne kommet til syne.
Først kiggede vi nærmere på grotten til højre. Der var ganske rigtigt vand og vandet var fuldstændigt klart. På grund af afspejlingerne på vandet, var det svært at se hvor hullet ind i den underjordiske grotte var. Vi prøvede at filme under vandet med mit GoPro kamera. De klip har vi efterfølgende set, men det eneste vi kan se er det klare vand og så noget sort, som nok var hullet ind i undergrunden.
Hullet til venstre var lidt større, men ellers meget lig det andet. Her filmede vi også. Vi kunne blive eninge om, at man godt nok ikke skulle lide af klaustofobi for at dykke ind i sådan nogle grotter.
Meget spændende at der findes så meget under jorden, som ikke er udforsket og noget vi ikke tænker over til hverdag.
Efter vores udforskning af Fossil Cave, cyklede vi af en bagvej til den gamle stationsby Tantanoola. På den måde slap vi for trafik og havde næsten vejen for os selv. I Tantanoola kiggede vi lidt nærmere på den gamle stationsbygning inden vi fortsatte til Millicent.
I Millicent, fik vi svaret på om vindmøllerne var lavet af Vestas. Foran turist info var der sat en kæmpe vindmølle vinge op og der var lavet et skilt foran, med informationer om de forskellige vindmølle typer og nederest stod der de var leveret af Vestas, Give. Nu da vi stod helt på den anden siden af jorden og så dette skilt, så blev vi stolte helt ind i knoglerne.
Foran informationen stod der også et mindesmærke for "Ash Wendnesday Bushfires". Det var d. 16. feb. 1983 hvor der var mere end 180 brande indenfor 12 timer og 75 mennesker blev dræbt.
Brandende opstod på grund af lang tids tørke og det menes at der var nogen der også havde påsat brand plus at el-ledniger var forældet. Der var en kraftig blæst med helt op til 110 km/h. Denne brand er kendt som en af de værste bushfires i Australiens historie.
Efter en god pause i Millicent og lidt indkøb til vores aftensmad, cyklede vi videre mod Southend. Southend lå lidt afsides, så vi kom til at cykle i modvind de sidste 6 kilometer dertil.
Igen tænkte vi, hvad er der lige ned af denne vej og havd har Southend at byde på. Der var ingenting at se andet end tørre buske og af og til et skilt med en wombat.
Igen blev vi overrasket, da vi nåede til Southend. Her var faktiask to campingpladser og en lille generalstore og her boede omkring 700.
Da vi kom helt ned til Ravioli Bay, kunne vi godt forstå hvorfor Southend lå hvor den lå. Stranden var fromet i en kæmpe bue og her var hvidt sand så langt øjet rakte og smuk smuk turkisblåt vand. Desværre blæste det ret så meget og faktisk med en kølig vind, så vi fandt en sted med læ og sad og nød udsigten, alt imens vi drak en liter icecoffee.
Vi slog lejr på Southend Caravan Park og da vi var ved at sætte teltet op, var der to damer som kom nede fra stranden, hvor de havde været nede og fiske. De tilbød at hjælpe med at sætte teltet op, da de nok troede vi ville få besvær med det i vinden. De kunne jo ikke vide, hvor mange gange vi allerede havde sat det op.
Vi sagde tak, men nej tak. Det skulle nok gå, hvilket det også gjorde.
Dagen startede overskyet, men allerede da vi cyklede afsted fra Southend kom solen igennem. Vi havde en dejlig medveind, så cyklerne rullede afsted med 23 kmh og åd flere og flere kilometer.
Først på turen havde vi bløde bakker på vores højre side og havet på venstre side kun 1 kilometer væk.
Lige inden vi ville holde frokostpause, mødte vi en australsk mand på cykel, som var på vej den modsatte vej.
Først troede jeg han var kommet til skade. Han havde en langærnet skjorte på og på benene havde han noget der lignede gazebind. Så jeg troede han var væltet, men det viste sig at være imod solen, fordi han ikke ville bruge solcreme. Han kunne give os nogle gode råd til turen efter Kingston S. E.
Da vi cyklede videre mødte vi to slanger. Den første var en brownsnake, som lå i grøften og forsvandt hurtigt ind i kradtet, da vi cyklede forbi. Den anden var en tigersnake, vi var ikke sikker på at den var i live, da den bare blev liggende i grøften. Vi tog også billeder af den, man fra laaang afstad og med zoom.
Dagen sluttede i byen Robe. Byen kan beskrives som en ferieby for de rige, lidt ligesom Skagen i Danmark. Her var hyggelige cafe´ er og dyre restauranter. En utrolig flot starnd, som lå i en stor bugt, med noget dejligt badevand. De havde også to campingpladser, men de var dyre, så vi ville finde et sted hvor vi kunne campere uden at betale. Efter vi havde spist lidt is, cyklede vi rundt i byen for at se om der var et sted vi kunne skjule os.
Vi fandt først en legeplads i et industrikvarter, som kunne bruges. Her var endda toilet og barbeque. Men vi var nødt til at vente til efter 18 inden vi kunne slå lejr, så vi kunne være sikker på der ikke kom nogen.
Vi købte noget mad til aftensmad og cyklede hen til et andet sted vi havde set på campermate. Det var et rest area, hvor selfcontained campervans måtte være natten over. Det var helt perfekt, vi kunne gemme os lidt fra vejen, vores eneste problem var bare at der sad en mand i en bil og vi ville ikke sætte lejr inden han var kørt.
Så vi satte os ned og lavede en kop kaffe, så det så ud somom vi bare holdt en pause. Pladsen lå lige ned til en sø, så vi havde en dejlig udsigt.
Manden i bilen kørte efter 45 minutter og så fik vi sat lejr. Senere kom der to campervans, som også blev natten over. Det var et rigtigt dejligt sted, hvor der var ro og fred, så vi fik en god nats søvn.
Næste dag cyklede vi videre til Kingston S E. Undervejs cyklede vi igennem fladt landskab med grønne buske og områder med knastørt gyllent græs. Senere skovområder og bølgende bakker. Vi så det første vinområde - Mt. Benzon Wine District.
Da vi nåede til Kingston S E regnende vi ikke med at cyklede videre, da vi havde set at der var et stort område lige i midten af byen, hvor der var fri camping. Så først spiste vi vores frokost og så gik vi hen for at finde et passende sted at sætte vores telt op. Vi nåede knap nok at sætte teltet op, inden der kom to hen til os og sagde om vi ikke havde set skiltet. Hvilket skilt???? Det hvorpå der stod at telte ikke måtte være på pladsen. Det havde vi ikke set, men det betød at vi ikke kunne slå lejr der. ØV ØV ØV....det skæge i den situation var at dem der kom hen og sagde det til os, var to tyske turister (Turist polititet døbte vi dem). 
Så vores plan blev, at vi først tog en lur i parken lige ved siden af campingstedet. Derefter handlede vi ind til aftensmad og bestemte os for at cykle 20 kilometer mere, til et sted der hed Granites rest Area.
Her slog vi teltet op på en lille firkant med græs og sand, med havet lige bagved. Hele rastepladsen var asfalteret, så vi var helidige at vi lige nøjaktigt kunne passe teltet på den lille firkant.
Da vi havde sat lejr, gik vi ned til det brusende hav og fik os en forfriskende tur i vandet. 
Aftensmaden blev spagetti bolognese, men desværre havde vi valgt en australsk sauce, som bestemt ikke havde noget at gøre med bolognese......så dette måltid kommer ikke med i historie bøgerne.
Men det gjorde "turistpolitiet" der imod. 
Hvor heldige kan man være. Næste morgen, da vi lige var vågnet og stak hovedet ud af teltet. Hvem kom kørende ind på rastepladsen.........det tyske ægtepar.....Turistpolitiet. De kiggede noget da de så os og det var lige før de ikke ville hilse, da vi sagde godmorgen. 
Da vi cyklede afsted fra The granites, blev de første 7 kilometer på grusvej, da vi kommer ud til hovedvejen, får vi en god medvind og på et tidspunkt flyver vi afsted med 33 kmh. Vejen er nærmest flad og landskabet ligeså. 
Vi ser flere små salt søer undervejs, hvor vejen ligger i læ af træer og buske på hver side.
Vi nåede til Salt Creek klokken 14:30. Salt Creek består af en lille cafe med tankstation, hvor vi kunne campere bagved og der var en kopi af et olie tårn, som skulle fortælle om tiden, hvor der havde været olie i området. Der var også en telefonboks. Vi forsøgte at ringe fra den, da det var min fars fødselsdag. Men det lykkedes ikke at komme igennem og måske virkede telefonen slet ikke. Boksen blev brugt af svaler, til at lave reder, så telefoenen var fyldt med skidt og møj fra fuglene
Vi gik en tur i området for at se lidt nærmere på salt søerne, som der var her. Et meget specielt område og vi så også en del Pelikaner.

 


 

Friday 03rd March 2017 - Monday 06th March 2017                    (Update 09. Apr. 2017)

Mt. Gambier - Southend 80 km
Southend - Robe 78 km
Robe - Granites Rest Area 68 km
Granites Rest Area - Salt Creek 68 km

We said goodbye to Kirstenin the morning. We had said goodbye to Sandy in the evening as he had to get up early and work.
We had a nice day on the bike with flat a road and even tailwind. We rode through woodlands and enjoyed nature. A little before we arrived at the village of Tantanoola, I discovered a sinkhole right next to the road.
There was a small parking space and a strange platform made of wood. It looked exciting, so we stopped and wanted to look closer at the hole.
As we walked towards the hole we could see a stairway that was made so that you could get into the hole and there was a sign wich said: Fossil Cave and that it were only people with a very special diving certificate that could dive in the caves.That was what it was. Then it made sense, with the platform of wood. It was for divers who had to dive into the cave, so they could put the oxygen bottle on the platform and so it was easier to put on the back.
We wanted to take a closer look. So we went down the stairs and now we could see a cave to each side of the hole. The hole itself was about 3 meters deep and once stored underground. But at some point the zinc hole has collapsed and the caves appeared.
First we looked closer to the cave to the right. There was quite some water and the water was completely clear. Because of the reflections on the water, it was hard to see where the hole into the underground cave was. We tried to film under the water with my GoPro camera. We have seen the clips later, but the only thing we can see is the clear water and something black, probably the hole into the underground.
The hole on the left was a little bigger, but otherwise very similar to the other. Here we also filmed. We talked about that you probably should not suffer from claustrophobia to dive into such a caves.
Very exciting that there is so much underground that is not explored and something we do not think about everyday.
After our exploration of the Fossil Cave, we rode a back road to the old station town of Tantanoola. That way we left the traffic on the main road and almost got the road for ourselves. In Tantanoola we looked a little closer at the old station building before moving on to Millicent.
In Millicent we got the answer if the wind turbines were made by Vestas. In front of the tourist info a huge windmill wing was set up and a sign was made in front, with information about the different wind turbine types and at the bottom it said that they were supplied by Vestas, Give. Now, when we were standing on the other side of the earth and saw this sign, we became proud all the way into the bones. That ia a major Danish achivement.
In front of the information there was also a memorial for "Ash Wendnesday Bushfires". It was February 16th. 1983 where there were more than 180 fires within 12 hours and 75 people were killed.
Burning occurred due to long-term drought and it is believed that there was someone who also had started the fire and that the electricity was outdated. There was a powerful wind up to 110 km / h. This fire is known as one of the worst bushfires in Australia's history.
After a good break in Millicent and a little shopping for our dinner, we continued to Southend. Southend was a bit remote, so for the last 6 kilometers we had to turn down a sideroad.
Again, we thought what can be down this road and what has Southend to offer. There was nothing to see but dry bushes and sometimes a sign with a wombat.
Again, we were surprised when we reached Southend. Here was two campsites and a small general store and around 700 people lived here..
When we got down to Ravioli Bay, we could easily understand why Southend lay where it lay. The beach was hushed in a huge bow and there was white sand as far as the eye stretched and beautiful beautiful turquoise blue water. Unfortunately, it was very windy and the wind was cold, so we found a spot of shelter and sat and enjoyed the view, while we drank a liter of icecoffee.
We camped at Southend Caravan Park and when we were putting up the tent there were two ladies who came from the beach where they had been fishing. They offered to help us set the tent as they thought we would have trouble with it in the wind. They could not know how many times we had already set it up.
We said thank you, but no thanks. It would probably be OK, as it did.
The day started cloudy, but already when we rode out off Southend the sun came through. We had a nice tailwind, so the bicycles rolled with 23 kmh and ate more and more kilometers.
At first we had soft hills on our right side and the sea on the left side just 1 mile away.
Just before we had a lunch break, we met an Australian man who was biking.He was heading the opposite way.
At first, I thought he was hurt. He had a long-sleeved shirt and on his legs he had something that looked like gazebind. So I thought he was overthrown, but it turned out to be against the sun because he would not use sunscreen. He could give us some good advice for the trip after Kingston S. E.
As we rode on, we met two snakes. The first one was a brown snake that lay in the ditch and quickly disappeared into the scratch as we cycled past. The other was a tiger snake, we were not sure it was alive when it just lay in the ditch. We also took pictures of it, from afar with our zoom camera.
The day ended in Robe. The city can be described as a holiday town for the rich, a bit like Skagen in Denmark. Here were nice cafe's and expensive restaurants. An incredibly nice beach, lying in a big bay, with some nice bathing water. They also had two campsites, but they were expensive so we would like find a place where we could camp without paying. After we had eaten some icecream, we rode around the city to see if there was a place we could hide.
We first found a playground in an industrial area that we could used. Here was even a toilet and a barbeque. But we had to wait until after 18 before we could set camp so we could be sure no one came.
We bought some food for dinner and cycled to another place we had seen on campermate. It was a rest area where selfcontained campervans cloud stay overnight. It was absolutely perfect, we could hide ourselves a bit from the road, our only problem was just that a man was sitting in a car and we did not want to camp before he was gone.
So we sat down and made a cup of coffee, so it looked like we just had a break. The place was just down to a lake so we had a nice view.
The man in the car drove after 45 minutes and then we sat camp. Later there came two campervans, who also stayed overnight. It was a really nice place where there was peace and quiet, so we had a good night's sleep.
Next day we rode on to Kingston S. E. During the day we rode through flat countryside with green bushes and areas with crushed golden grass. Later forest areas and rolling hills. We saw the first wine area - Mt. Benzon Wine District.
When we reached Kingston S E we did not want to ride on, as we had seen that there was a large area right in the middle of town where there was free camping. So first we ate our lunch and then we went to find a suitable place to set up our tent. We barely reached to put up the tent before two came over to us and said if we had not seen the sign. Which sign ???? The sign which said that no tents were allowed . We did not see that, but that meant we could not camp there.... the point in the situation was that those who came and told us were two German tourists (Tourist Police we called them). ;-)
So our plan was that we first took a nap in the park right next to the campsite. Then we went to shop food for dinner and decided to ride 20 kilometers more, to a place called Granites Rest Area.
Here we pitched the tent on a small square with grass and sand, with the sea just behind. The entire resting place was asphalted, so we were lucky that we could precisely fit the tent on the small square.
When we had set camp, we went down to the roaring sea and gave us a refreshing dip in the water.
The evening meal was spaghetti bolognese, but unfortunately we had chosen an Australian sauce, which certainly had nothing to do with bolognese ...... so this meal does not get in the history books.
But that did our "tourist police".
How lucky can you be. The next morning when we just woke up and got our head out of the tent. Who drove into the resting place ......... the German couple ..... the tourist police. They looked once more when they saw us and it was like they would not greet us when we said good morning.
As we cycled from The Granites, the first 7 kilometers were on gravel road, as we got to the main road, we got a good tailwind and at one point we hit the speed of 33 kmh. The road was almost flat and the landscape was similar.
We saw several small salt lakes along the way, where the road lies in the shelter of trees and shrubs on either side.
We reached Salt Creek at 14:30. Salt Creek consists of a small cafe with a gas station where we could camp behind and there was a copy of an oil tower that was about the time when there had been oil in the area. There was also a phone box. We tried to call from it because it was my father's birthday. But it was not possible to get through and maybe the phone did not work at all. The box was used by swallows to make nests so the phone were filled with dirt and bumps from the birds.
We went for a walk in the area to look a little closer at the salt lakes here. A very special area and we also saw some Pelicans.



 


Yambuk to Mt. Gambier

Lørdag d. 25. feb. 2017 - 02. mar. 2017                                                           (Update 08. april 2017)                                           
Pausedag i Warrnabool
Warrnabool - Yambuk Lake 64 km
Yambuk Lake - Portland 62 km
Portland - Nelson 75 km
Nelson - Mt. Gambier 39 km
Pausedag i Mt. Gambier

Efter at have cyklet Great Ocean Road, holdt vi en dags pause i Warrnabool. Vi sov længe og lavede dejlige pandekager til morgenmad. Om aftenen gad vi ikke rigtig at lave aftensmad og det var jo lørdag, så vi flottede os og var ude at spise pizza.
Vi var kommet til cykeldag 83 og den gik fra Warrnabool til Yambuk Lake. Vi havde set at der skulle være et Rail Trail fra Warrnabool til Port Fairy og efter et besøg på turistinformationen, var vi klar til at cykle trailet.
Vi havde fået en brochure over stien, som viste hvor langt der var imellem de små byen og højde profilen kunne vi også se. Turen var beskrevet som, en tur der var egnet til hele familien. Børn såvel som voksne. Så det passede nok også til os ??
Stien gik igennem områder med landbrug, vådområde med lidt klitter og var godt anlagt og i god stand. Der var massevis af græshopper, som mindede om sommerfugle.
Lidt efter middag nåede vi til Port Fairy, som var en utrolig hyggelig by. Byen afholder en folk music festival hvert år i marts og det bar byen også præg af. Torvet i midten af byen havde en lille scene og hjørnet blev kaldt Fiedlers Green (Violinisternes grønne område). Bygningerne i byen var orginale og stadig i den engelske gamle stil og der var mange cafe´ er der virkelig fristede. 
Fra Port Fairy havde vi 21 kilometer inden vi nåede til Yambuk Lake. Vi skulle dreje fra hovedvejen og cykle ud mod havet, godt 5 kilometer. Vi tænkte godt nok da vi cyklede ud af vejen, hvor er der en campingplads her???? Der var et landbrug ellers var der ikke noget at se i miles omkreds. Men lige som vi havde tænkt det, kom vi til en lille hyggelig campingplads.
Her blev vi taget imod af campingmutter, som var det sødeste menneske. Vi ville egentlig gerne have købt en sodavand eller andet koldt, men de solgte ingenting. Så campingmutter undskyldte mange gange. Vi sagde det skulle hun ikke tænke på vi kunne altså godt drikke koldt vand. Men inden vi havde set os om, så kom hun med en form for icetea/saftevand, som hun lige fandt frem fra privaten. Det kunne vi blade i vores vand og resten kunne vi bare give tilbage næste dag.
Da vi kom udenfor, faldt vi i snak med en hollandsk mand. Han ville gerne høre om vores tur og vi fik også en masse at vide om ham og hans kærestes tur i campervan rundt i Australien. Han kom tilbage senere med nogle brikjuice til os. Så utrolig al den venlighed vi møder på vores vej.
Yambuk Lake lå helt ud til havet. Så om aftenen gik vi en tur ned til stranden og op til en udsigtspunkt hvor vi kunne nyde solen gå ned. Da det blev mørkt, sad vi og beundrede den smukke stjerne himmel med miilioner af stjerner. Det er somom der er mange flere stjerne hernede end i Danmark.
Fra Yambuk cyklede vi tilbage til landevejen og cyklede i selskab med massevis af vindmøller langs med kysten. På et tidspunkt cyklede vi forbi et skilt, hvorpå der stod at men kunne komme på vindmølle tour. Det fik os til at trække på smilebåndet. Det der er en hverdags ting for os i DK, er en turistattraktion i Australien. Vi snakkede om, det måske var Vestas der har leveret vindmøllerne.???
På et tidspunkt siger Heidi, tænk sig hvis vi drejer til højre, hvor lang tid der vil gå inden vi rammer kysten igen. Ind i det uendelig Australien. Dette land er bare så ufattligt stort og har de vildeste vider.
Inden vi nåede til Portland, drejede vi af hovedvejen, for at slippe for en kæmpe bakke og derved kom vi helt ud til vandet igen. 
Portland er en større by, hvor cruise skibe ligger til og den ligger smukt hævet over vandet. Det nød vi godt af, da vi skulle have frokost. Her sad vi på en bænk og nød udsigten ud over det flotte vand.
Efter frokosten, skulle vi finde ud af hvor vi ville sove, første campingplads ville havde 32 AUD.....pure opspind. Så vi cykler til den anden plads som ligger lige i dkanten af byen. Vupti.....
20 AUD. Se det var en pris vi kunne gå med til og så var 12 UAD sparet.
Cykledagen fra Portland til Nelson, blev en meget varm en af slagsen. Inden vi cyklede afsted, kørte vi til ALDI for at handle billigt ind, da vi ikke var sikker på der var indkøb i Nelson.
Det var vores held, vi skulle cykle forbi campingpladsen på vej ud af Portland efter indkøb. Jeg havde glemt at fortælle Heidi at vi havde to poser i køleskabet, så da vi pakkede inden afgang, havde Heid kun taget en pose i køleskabet, men lige som vi cyklede forbi campingpladsen, slog det mig at jeg havde da masse af plads i min ene fortaske og så tænkte jeg....hvor er vores brød. Så vi måtte lige ind på campingpladsen og hente pose nummer to.
Allerede fra starten af dagen kunne vi mærke, det blev varmt og vi drak også ekstra meget. Inden længe kunne vi godt regne ud, vi nok ikke havde fået nok vand med. De andre dage havde det passet fint med 2 flasker hver, men ikke i 41 graders varme. Vi forsøgte at cykle ind til tre bondegårde, men var vildt uheldige, for der var ingen hjemme. Udover vandet havde vi 1/2 l cola og 6 brikjuice, svarende til 1,5 l vædske. Men det eneste der slukker tørsten i sådan en varme er altså vand.
Vi havde stadig 13 kilometer til Nelson og havde kun en slurk vand tilbage, da vi var heldige. Der var en resteplads, hvor et ægtepar i en campervan lige var holdt ind. Dem spurgte vi om de havde lidt vand de kunne undvære. Det havde de, så nu kunne vi klare os til vi nåede Nelson.
Da vi nåede Nelson, var det første vi så en BP tankstation og cyklede direkte derhen. Her mødte vi to andre cyklister. Inden vi fik hilst ordenligt på dem, skulle vi have KOLDT vand og ICECOFFEE og SODAVANDS IS. Så satte vi os i skyggen i et lille skur ved siden af tanken, hvor de to andre cyklister også sad.
De var et ungt par fra Melbourne, som var på deres første cykleltur. De var på vej til Adelaide og havde også cyklet The great ocean road. De kunne også fortælle at de var løbet tør for vand på dagens etape, da de også havde undervurderet varmen. De havde et lidt mere stramt program end vi havde, da deres mål var at nå Adelaide på 7 dage og der var stadig 500 km.
Så de var ikke sikker på de ville blive i Nelson eller om de ville cykle videre. Vi så dem aldrig igen.
Vi blev i Nelson og slog lejr på en lille campingplads helt ned til vandet. Faksisk er Nelsons slogan: Where the river meets the Ocean. Fordi den ligger ved udmundingen af Glenelg River og Discovery Bay. På pladsen, var der mange der kom for at fiske og her gik snakken lystigt imellem mændene der fiskede. Tror de syntes det var lidt hyggeligt at sådan to piger på cykel pludselig dukkede op på pladsen. Vi fik et par kommentar og faldt i snak med et ægtepar der lå lige ved siden af os. De kunne fortælle at der var en masse at se i området. Ting som selv de ikke var klar over fandtes. Det lød virkelig interessant, så vi var spændte på hvad de næste dage ville byde på.
Selvom vi "kun" skulle cykle 39 km fra Nelson til Mt. Gambier, var det en hård dag. Igen havde vi varmen at slåes med og måske havde vi ikke nået at hydrere os fra dagen før.
Vi skulle krydse grænsen fra staten Victoria til South Australia og selvom at begge stater er Australien, er der regler for hvilke fødevarar der må tages fra en stat til en anden. Så  da vi var 5 km før stats grænsen til South Australia, stod der store skilte med at frugt og honning ikke måtte tages fra Victoria ind i SA og da vi kom til grænsen, stod der et skilt mere og en "lille" skraldespand, hvor man så havde muligheden for at smide sin frugt og honning i.
Vi tænkte, at hvis vi kom igen sidst på eftermiddagen, var der måske nok frugt i spanden til at man kunne lave sig en god frugt salat laugh. Der stod også på skiltet hvor stor en bøde du ville få, hvis du blev taget med noget i dine tasker.
Vi nåede Mt. Gambier lige i den værdste hede, så vi cyklede lige direkte hen til Woolies og overgav os til Airconditionen i foretningen og fik købt noget dejligt koldt at drikke. Herefter søgte vi han til infocenteret og lagde os på vores presenning for at få os en lur. Vi havde en aftale medWarmshower host Sandy og Kirsten, som boede lige bagved infocenteret. Men vi havde regnet med at ankomme senere, så derfor ville vi vente lidt inden vi cyklede hen til dem.
Alt imens vi lå og hvilede os, var der pludselig en ung turcyklist, som kom over til os. Det viste sig at være en svensk fyr (Andre´), som havde cyklet fra Sverige og var på vej New Zealand. Han havde ikke betalt for en eneste overnatning siden Europa. Dette ved at bruge warmshower og wild campe alle mulige steder.
Han havde mødt det unge par fra Melbourne og derved havde han fået at vide om os. Lidt ligesom i gamle dage, hvor der ikke fandtes andet end budbringere på heste.
Han havde hverken en hjemmeside eller var på Facebook, så en ret atypisk ung mand. Efter en hyggelig snak, cyklede han afsted igen og vi cyklede op til adressen, hvor Sandy og Kirsten boede.
Der var ikke nogen hjemme, da vi kom derop. Men jeg sendte en SMS til Sandy, om at vi netop var ankommet til deres hus og herefter gik der ikke mere end 10 minutter, så holdt han udenfor huset.
Han kom bare lige for at lukke os ind og vise os tilrette og 5 minutter senere var han kørt igen, tilbage på arbejde. Sikken en tillid.
Vi var lige ankommet og var blevet lukket ind i to personers private hjem. Sandy, sagde vi skulle bare føle os hjemme og så kom Kirsten inden alt for længe.
En times tid senere kom Kirsten hjem. Hun arbejdede som kunstner og før det havde hun været lære. Hun skulle have en udstilling åbnet i et nyt forsamlingshus i Mt. Gambier om to dage og havde nok at se til med opsætningen. Sandy arbejdede som paramedic/Ambulance redder og havde nogle meget lange dage, da han arbejdede 4 x 12 timer og havde så 3 dage fri.
Han havde bygget to flotte touringscykler til ham og Kirsten. De hang så fine i garagen og ventede på at skulle på deres første tur. Sandy havde købt alle tingene han havde bygget cyklerne af forskellige steder i verden, kun det bedste men samtidig til den rette pris.
De var de sødeste mennesker og så havde de den sødeste hund, en golden retriver, som hed Buddy og hun var en rigtig Buddy. 
Kirsten, lavede lækker salat og barbecue med kødspyd og lækre pølser til aftensmad og det sad vi udenfor og nød alle fire, da Sandy var kommet hjem fra arbejde.
Vi havde nogle hyggelige snakke og Kirsten, fortalte os om de ting, vi burde se på næste dag. Faktisk, var det mening at vi kun skulle være der en nat, men da vi fandt ud af hvor meget der var at se på i Mt. Gambier. 
Spurgte vi om vi kunne bliver en extra dag. Det var overhovedt ikke noget problem.
Godt nok skulle Kirsten ordene en del ting næste dag, men vi skulle bare føle os hjemme og gøre de ting vi havde lyst til.
Så næste morgen efter morgenmaden, tog vi cyklerne og cyklede ind til centrum. Vi skule forbi posthuset, for at høre hvad det ville koste at sende en pakke fra Adelaide til Bangkok. Så kiggede vi lidt på byen og gik på museum, hvor vi så en maleri samling af en lokal kendt maler.
Så gik vi på Cafe´ Metro, da Kirsten havde sagt det var byens bedste. Herefter gik vi i biografen på museet (Gratis), her var der en documenter film om hvordan vulkanerne omkring Mt. Gambier havde formet landskabet fog dannet nogle store krater for mange mange år siden.
Vi var de eneste der var inde at se filmen, hvilket virkelig var mærkeligt, da det var en meget spændende og oplysende film. Virkelig prof lavet og den hel rette måde at starte en tur rundt i og omkring Mt. Gambier.
Efter 1 gode time var filmen færdig og nu skulle vi ud og opleve noget af det vi havde hørt om i filmen.
Først gik vi om bag museet, her var første kæmpe sinkhole, lige i midten af byen. Et Kæmpe lodret hul, som gik 15 - 20 meter ned i jorden. Vi kunne gå ned af nogle trapper og kigge ned i bunden, men desværre var der ikke adgang ind i grotten, som går langt ind under byen.
Herfra tog vi cyklerne og cyklede op til kraterkanten af Blue Lake. Navnet er søen velfortjent, den havde den vildeste flotte blå farve og vulkan krateret tårnede sig 40 - 50 meter på hele vejen rundt. Spektakulært. Tænk sig hvad for et brag af røg, lava og aske det har givet da vulkanen brød ud. Det er slt ikke til at forestille sig.
Men det mere vilde er, at søen faktisk kun er blå et halvt år af gangen og næsten skifter farve til mere grå i løbet af en nat. Hvorfor ved man faktisk ikke med sikkerhed.
Vi fik os en skæg oplevelse. Ligesom vi kom op til krateret, var der en fyr der henvendte sig til os og spurgte om vi var undervejs på en længere tur, da han havde bemærket vores cykler og kunne se det var touring cykler.
Da vi kigger på fyren, mener vi begge vi har set ham før. Jeg må tilstå at først troede jeg det var Lance Armstrong, for han mindede om ham i udseende(Sorry Mathew), men så siger Heidi, det er da Mathew Harris, ham vi har fulgt via Facebook, (Arctic Cyclist) da han cyklede fra Holland og tilbage til Australien for kort tid siden.
Så nu gik snakken. Han ville høre om vores tur og vi ville høre om hans planer og vi skulle have taget billeder.
Vildt at vi skulle løbe ind i ham, da vi nu havde fulgt ham på hans tur. Han kendte også Tara, vores bedste veninde. Så det var skægt, at kunne sende et billed til hende og skrive: Se hvem vi lige har mødt.
Sidste på eftermiddagen, var vi helt færdige efter en spændende dag i Mt. Gambier og vi havde ikke engang set alt hvad der var at se. 
Vi var virkelig glade for at vi kunne blive ved Kirsten og Sandy en dag mere. Da vi kom tilbage, gik snakken frem og tilbage med Kirsten, som fortalte hvad hendes dag var gået med og vi fortalte vidt og bredt hvad vi havde oplevet.
Aftensmaden stod Kirsten for igen og havde lavet en lækker lasagne med salat. Vi havde købt nogle Carlsberg, da vi syntes de skulle have en lille gave, med lidt dansk islæt.
Efter aftensmaden, sad vi og små snakkede. Det var rigtigt hyggeligt.


English
Saturday 25th February 2017 - 02nd March 2017                                    (Update 08th April 201)

Restday in Warrnabool
Warrnabool - Yambuk Lake 64 km
Yambuk Lake - Portland 62 km
Portland - Nelson 75 km
Nelson - Mt. Gambier 39 km
Restday in Mt. Gambier

After cycling the Great Ocean Road, we held a day's break in Warrnabool. We slept late and made lovely pancakes for breakfast. In the evening we did not bother to make dinner and is was Saturday, so we treated us and went out to eat pizza.
We was Cycling Day 83 and it went from Warrnabool to Yambuk Lake. We had seen that there should be a rail trail from Warrnabool to Port Fairy and after a visit to the tourist information, we were ready to ride The trail.
We had been given a brochure about the trail, which showed how far it was between the small towns and the elevation profile, we could also see. The trip was described as, a trip that was suitable for the whole family. Children as well as adults. So it would fit us as well we thourght ??
The path went through areas with agriculture, wetland with little dunes and was well built and in good condition. There were hoards of locusts, which reminded us of butterflies.
A little after noon we reached Port Fairy, which was an incredibly nice town. The Town host a folk music festival in March every year and the bar city was also influenced by that. The square in the center of town had a small stage and the corner was called Fiedlers Green. The buildings in the city were original and still the English old style and there were many Cafes.
From Port Fairy, we had 21 kilometers before we reached Yambuk Lake. We had to turn off at the main road and cycle towards the sea, well five kilometers before the campesite. We did wonder when we cycled along the way, is there a campsite here ???? There was an agricultural otherwise there was nothing to see for miles around. But just as we had thought about it, we came to a small cozy campsite.
Here we were welcomed by camping mother, she was so sweet and smily. We would really like to have bought a sodas or other cold drink, but they sold nothing. So the camping mother apologized many times. We said it was allright we could drink cold water instead. But before we had at chance to leave it with that, she came with a kind of iced tea / lemonade, which she just took from her private fridge. We could poor it in our water and the rest we could just give back the next day.
When we got outside, we fell into conversation with a Dutch man. He would like to hear about our trip and we also got to know lot about him and his girlfriends trip in  their rented campervan around Australia. He came back later with some juice for us. So incredible all the kindness we meet on our way.
Yambuk Lake was only 200 m from the ocaen. So in the evening we went for a walk down to the beach and up to a vantage point where we could enjoy the sunset. When it got dark, we sat and admired the beautiful starry sky with millions of stars. It's like there are many more star down here than in Denmark.
From Yambuk we cycled back to the road and cycled in the company of dozens of wind turbines along the coast. At one point we cycled past a sign that said windmill tour.s 400 m. It made us smile. What is an everyday thing for us in Denmark, is a tourist attraction in Australia. We talked a little about that it might be Vestas that has delivered the wind turbines. ???
At one point said Heidi, just think if we turn right, how long it will take before we hit the coast again. Into the infinite of Australia. This country is just so large and has the wildest advanced nature.
Before we came to Portland, we turned of the main road, to get avoid a huge hill and thus we came right out to the water again.
Portland is a major city, where cruise ships moor and it is beautifully situated above the ocaen. That we benefited from when we were having lunch. Here we sat on a bench and enjoyed the view over the beautiful water.
After lunch, we had to find out where we would sleep, the first camp site should have 32 AUD ..... pure fabrication. So we bike to the other place located right in the beginning of the city. Hey presto .....
20 AUD. Now that was a price we liked and we saved 12 AUD by cycling 1,5 km more.
The Day from Portland to Nelson, was a very hot one. Before we rode along, we drove to Aldi to shop cheaply, because we were not sure if there was shopping in Nelson.
It was our luck, we were cycling past the campsite on the way out of Portland from shopping. I had forgotten to tell Heidi that we had two bags in the fridge, when we packed before departure, had Heid only taken a bag in the fridge, but just as we cycled past the campground again, it struck me that I had a lot of space in my one fort bag and so I thought .... where is our bread. So we just had to enter the campsite and retrieve bag number two.
From the beginning of the day, we could feel the heat and we drank so much extra that the other days. Before long, we could figure out we probably not had enough water. The other days had just been fine with 2 bottles ofor each, but not at 41 degrees. We tried to stop at three farms, but was really unfortunate, because there was no one at home. In addition to the water, we had half a liter o cola and 6 small juices, corresponding to 1.5 L of fluid. But the only thing that quenches thirst in such a heat is the water.
We still had 13 km to Nelson and had only a sip of water back when we were lucky. There was a rest stop beside the road, where a married couple in a campervan had just pulled up. Those we asked if they had a little water they could do without. They had, so now we could get by until we reached Nelson.
When we reached Nelson, the first we saw was a BP gas station and biked there directly. Here we met two other cyclists. Before we greeted them properly, we had to have COLD water and ICECOFFEE and LOLLI ICECREAM. Then we sat in the shade in a small shed beside BP where the two other cyclists also sat.
They were a young couple from Melbourne who were on their first cycle tour. They were on the way to Adelaide and had also cycled The great ocean road. They could also tell that they had run out of water on this stage as they too had underestimated the heat. They had a little more rigorous program than we had when their goal was to reach Adelaide in seven days and there were still 500 km.
So they were not sure they would stay in Nelson or whether they would ride on. We never saw them again.
We stayed in Nelson and camped at a small campsite right on the water. Nelson's slogan is: Where the river meets the ocean. Because it lies at the mouth of the Glenelg River and Discovery Bay. At the campesite, there were many who came to fish and the chat went merrily between the men who fished. They might have thought that it was a little cozy that two girls on bikes suddenly appeared on the campground. We got a few comments and chatted with a couple who was right next to us. They could tell that there was a lot to see in the area. Things that even they did not realize existed. It sounded really interesting, so we were excited about what the next day would offer.
Even if we "only" had to cycle 39 km from Nelson to Mt. Gambier, it was a hard day. Again we had the heat to cast with and maybe we had not had time to hydrate from the day before.
We had to cross the border from the state of Victoria to South Australia and even though both states are Australia, there are rules for what food can be taken from one state to another. So when we were 5 km before the State border to South Australia, there was large signs with fruit and honey not to be taken from Victoria into SA and when we got to the border, there was a sign more and a "small" dustbin you then had the opportunity to get rid for your fruit and honey.
We thought if we came back late in the afternoon, there were perhaps enough fruit in the bucket to be able to make a good fruit salad. There was also the sign how much fine you would get if you were taken with something in your bags.
We reached Mt. Gambier right in the midday heat, so we cycled  directly to Woolies and enjoyed the aircon inside while we got something nice and cold. From there we went to the info center where there was a big park and layed down on our canvas for a nap. We had a deal with Warmshower host Sandy and Kirsten, who lived just behind the information center. But we had expected to arrive later, so we would wait a bit before we biked over to them.
All the while we layed and rested, there was suddenly a young guy who also was cycling who came over to us. It turned out to be a Swedish guy (Andre'), who had cycled from Sweden and were heading for New Zealand. He had not paid for a single nights sleep since Europe. This by using warm shower and wild campe all sorts of places.
He had met the young couple from Melbourne, thereby he had been told about us. A little like the old days, when there was nothing but messengers on horses.
He had neither a website or was on Facebook so a rather atypical young man. After a pleasant chat, he rode off again and we rode up to the address, where Sandy and Kirsten lived.
There was no one home when we got up there. But I sent a text message to Sandy, that we had just arrived to their house and just 10 minutes later Sandy came to let us in.
He let us in and showed us around the house and five minutes later he was gone again, back to work. What a trust.
We had just arrived and had been admitted into this private home. Sandy said we should just feel at home and Kirsten will bee here before too long.
An hour later, Kirsten came home. She worked as an artist and before that she had been teaching. She had to have an exhibition opened in a new hall in Mt. Gambier in two days and had enough to do with the setup. Sandy worked as a paramedic / ambulance driver and had some very long days where he worked 4 x 12 hours and then had 3 days off.
He had built two great touring bikes for him and Kirsten. They hung in the garage, waiting to going on their first trip. Sandy had bought all the things he had built the bikes of different places in the world, only the best but also at the right price.
They were the sweetest people and they had the cutest dog, a golden retriever named Buddy and she was a real buddy.
Kirsten, made delicious salad and barbecue with chicken and delicious sausages for dinner and we sat outside and enjoyed it all four, as Sandy had come home from work.
We had some pleasant talks and Kirsten, told us about the things we should look at the next day. Actually, we thourght that we would only be there one night, but when we found out how much there was to see in Mt. Gambier.
We asked if we could stay an extra day. It was no problem at all.
Still Kirsten had a few thingsto do the next day, but we should just feel at home and do the things we wanted to.
So the next morning after breakfast, we took the bikes and cycled into the center. We went past the post office, to hear what it would cost to send a package from Adelaide to Bangkok. Then we looked at the city and went to a museum where we saw a collection of paintings by a local famous painter.
Then we went to Cafe 'Metro as Kirsten had said it was the city's best. Then we went to the cinema at the Museum (Free), here was a Documentary film about how volcanoes around Mt. Gambier had shaped the landscape and formed some large craters many many years ago.
We were the only ones who had come to see the movie, which was really strange since it was a very exciting and enlightening film. Really prof made and the whole right way to start a tour in and around Mt. Gambier.
After one good hour the film was finished and now we were going out to experience some of what we had heard about the film.
First we went on behind the museum, this was the first giant sinkhole, right in the middle of the city. A Huge vertical hole, which went for 15 to 20 meters into the ground. We could go down some stairs and look down at the bottom, but unfortunately there was no access into the cave, far beneath the city.
From here we took the bikes and cycled up to the crater rim of Blue Lake. The name of the lake is well deserved, it had the wildest beautiful blue color and the volcano crater towered 40 to 50 meters all around. Spectacularly. Imagine what a blast of smoke, lava and ash that has given when the volcano erupted. Hard to imagine.
But the more crazy thing is that the lake actually only is blue at-a-half year term and almost changes color to grayer over one night. Why?? nobody really dont know.
We got us a fun experience. Just as we came up to the crater, there was a guy approaching us and asked if we were underway on a longer trip, as he had noticed our bikes and could see it was touring bikes.
When we look at the guy, we believe both we've seen him before. I must confess that at first I thought it was Lance Armstrong, because he reminded of him in appearance (Sorry Mathew), but then Heidi said, that's Mathew Harris, whom we have followed through Facebook, (Arctic Cyclist) as he cycled from Holland and back to Australia recently.
So now the talk went on for a while. He wanted to hear about our trip and we would hear about his plans and we got pictures taken.
How funny that we ran into him when we had folloed him on his trip. He also knew Tara, our best friend. So it was funny to post a picture to her and write: Look who we just met.
Late in the afternoon, we were quite finished  after an exciting day in Mt. Gambier and we had not even seen everything there was to see.
We were really happy that we could stay with Kirsten and Sandy one more day. When we came back, the talk went on back and forth with Kirsten, who told what her day had been about and we told far and wide what we had experienced.
Dinner was made by Kirsten again and she had made a delicious lasagne with salad. We had bought some Carlsberg as we thought they should have a small gift, with a little Danish touch.
After dinner, we sat and talked for a while. It was really nice and relaxing to stay at their house.
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Great Ocean Road 245 km

Mandag d. 20. feb. 2017 -  Fredag 24. feb. 2017                                                   (Update 3. april. 2017)

Geelong - Lorne 70 km
Lorne - Apollo Bay 49 km
Apollo Bay - Lavers Hill 52 km
Lavers Hill - Port Campbell 53 km
Port Campbell - Warranbool 70 km

Great Ocean Road var en af de strækninger vi havde glædet os til, helt fra starten af vores tur.
Vi startede fra Geelong og cyklede mod Torquay. Dette er fødebyen for Rip Curl og Quicksilver. Hvilket var ret let at se, da vi ankom til byen. Her var to KÆMPE store butikker og det var tydeligt at se at dette var et surfer paradis. Alt hvade med surfing at gøre og her finder man Bells Beach, som også er et meget berømt surf sted blandt surfere. 
Her bliver hvert år afholdt Rip Curl Pro surfer mesterskaber. Det er også herfra at Great Ocaen Road starter.
Vejen blev bygget at hjemvendte soldater fra 1. verdenskrig og blev opført, som et mindesmærke for de soldater der døde under krigen. 
Vejen skulle være med til at gøre kyst strækningen mere tilgængelig.
Fra Torquay cyklede vi først et stykke inde i landet og kunne ikke rigtig se havet, men så kom vi ud til kysten og skulle cykle ad snoede vejen med klipperne til den ene side og det oprørte have til den anden. Havet havde den smukkeste tyrkisblå farve og bølgerne slog ind mod land, med kæmpe skvulp. Let at forstå at med de store bølger, er det "let" at surfe på disse kanter.
Vi kom forbi Split Point, hvor der står et fyrtårn og her holdt vi pause for at tage billeder. Kort efter fyrtårnet, er stedet hvor man køre igennem Memorial porten. Her er et mindesmærke for opførselen af vejen og der er bygget en port med påskriften Great Ocean Road.
Selvom at vejen går langs med kysten, er det ikke en flad kyststrækning som vi kender fra DK. Vejen snoede sig omkring små bugter og gik op og ned i bølger. Nogen gange helt op i 100 meters højde, så der var god udsyn langs kysten.
Turen far Lorne til Apollo Bay, blev i det dejligste solskin og næsten ingen vind. De første 25 kilometer var stadig langs med klippesiderne og hvor vi kunne standse på flere forskellige udsigts steder og nyde udsigten.
Nogen steder minder vandet om stoe swimmingpools, så klart er vandet. Vi nyder ruten og hvor flot den er anlagt. På et tidspunkt kommer vi forbi et sted, hvor det var muligt at se resterne af et skibsvrag. Faktisk kunne vi se en af kanonerne stikke op af vandet og ankeret. Vildt efter så mange år. Det var tilbage fra 1800 tallet, hvor nogle af de første englænder og irer kom til Australien for at bosætte sig. Sejlturen tog omkring 90 dage og var ikke helt ufarlige.
Senere på dagen ændrede landskabet sig. Ud imod havet var der mange træer, som var afbrændet og stod som sorte skulpture imod det flotte blå vand. Kilpperne går overi at være bølgende bakker med blomsterne gyvel og køer der går og græsse.
I Apollo Bay camper vi på The showgrounds og får en fin plads, lige ned til et lille vandløb og med udsigt til store bakker med blomster i fuld flor. Ikke et skidt syn.
Næste dag skulle vi cykle ind i landet og op i højlandet og vi vidste at der ventede os en ret så hård dag. De første 5 kilometer var stadig flade, men blev hurtigt afløst af en vej som skulle føre os op til Lavers Hill.
Men vejen var delt op over to hårde stigninger. Først cyklede vi op i 450 meter og fik en dejlig tur ned til et faldt stykke på en eng, hvor vi kom helt ud til kysten igen. Herfra kom de sidste 18 kilometer, som også blev de hårdeste. Vi holdt en par pauser undervejs, når det begyndte at svie for meget i lårbasserne.
Da vi nåede til den lille landsby Lavers Hill, var det lige før vi cyklede direkte ind i den lille general store der var. Vi havde virkelig brug for noget koldt og læskende, det kunne ikke gå hurtigt nok.
Heidi vill direkte til Lavers Hill Tavern, for hun var bange for at der ikke var plads til os, da vi ankom sidst på eftermiddagen. Men der var ingen grund til panik. De havde en stor grasmark med plads til 20 campingvogne og vi var de eneste der var der.
Senere kom der en anden cyklist. Han var fra New Zealand og havde cyklet de sidste par dage i hælene af os. Han havde været til et bryllup i Melbourne og havde planlagt at cykle Great Ocean Road over den næste uges tid. Så han havde god tid.
Han sagde også at stigningen herop, havde været en af de hårdere og det var somom den aldrig fik ende.
Om aftenen gik vi på The Tavern og spiste Tavern Open Hill Burger with the lot and chips. Det bekom os godt ovenpå en hård dags cykling.
Vi vågnede til diset vejr og småregn, så vi tog mere tøj på end normalt. Vejen er med os denne dag, fra starten skal vi rulle nedad. På første stykke nedad mødte vi en italiensk mand (Pier Luigi Delvigo), som kom gående opad bakken med en sækkevogn. Vi standsede for at snakke med ham. Han kaldte sig "Siberian Walker" og kan findes på FB og Google under samme navn. Da han blev pensioneret som 67 årig, besluttede han sig for at vandre og hans første mål var at vandre tværs over Rusland. Men han blev ved og har vandret i mange år nu.
Han har været på italiensk og russisk TV. Hans mål i Australien var at vandre fra Perth til Brisbane.
Han fortalte at han havde været nødt til at tage al hans bagage på en sækkevogn, da hans ryg ikke kunne holde til vægten af hans rygsækken mere. Han var ved godt mod, men så lidt afpillet ud. Vi har efterfølgende kunnet se at han har tabt sig en del kilo siden han startet, fra hans videoer på YOUTUBE.
Et vildt inspirerende møde med en interresant mand. 
Efter vi havde taget billeder og udvekslet kontakter, fortsatte vi ned  igennem skoven, hvor vi fik belønningen fra dagen før, ved at suse ned igennem skoven og få foræret en masse gratis kilometer, som vi kalder det når vi slipper for at træde i pedalerne.
På et tidspunkt bliver vi overhalet af fyren fra NZ. Han siger vi mødes nok i Princetown. Inden vi nåede så langt, holdte vi en pause for at plukke af de vilde brombær, der voksede langs med vejen. De er så saftige og søde og så var de gratis. Vi havde set at i butikkerne kostede en bakke 5 AUD. Så det ville vi gerne spare på vores budget.
I Princetown mødte vi NZ fyren igen, som var ved at koge noget pasta. Vi spiste en lille snack og kiggede på mindst 20 kængooroer, der græssede nedenfor et udkigpunkt.
Efter Princetown fortsatte vi til det første stop inden "de tolv apostle". Her er det muligt at gå ned på stranden ad nogle stejle trapper og få et bedre indtyk af hvor langt der er op der nedefra. Det er en utrolig kyststrækning, med de lodrette limsten som tårner sig 30 - 40 meter op imod himlen. Gigantisk syn!!!
Efter en times tid på stranden, gik vi tilbage til cyklerne og forsætter til hoved atraktionen - De tolv apostle. 
Inden vi nåede derhen, mødte vi fyren fra NZ, han havde tabt hans pung og mobiltelefon og han mente han kunne huske, hvor det kunne være. Så nu måtte han cykle 15 kilometer tilbage og så håbe på at han fandt det hele i god behold. 
Vi sagde til ham, hvor vi ville sove for natten og at hvis han ikke fandt tingene. Kunne vi hjælpe ham med penge, så han ville kunne klare sig resten af turen. Han fortsatten den modsatte reting og vi fortsatte mod De tolv Apostle og faktisk faldt det så heldigt, at vi nåede 5000 km cyklet, ligesom vi holdt ud for skiltet hvorpå der stod - De tolv apostle.
Vi kan afsløre vi var ikke de eneste der, var kommet for at se på denne atraktion. Alle jagtede det perfekte billede, med selfistick og selv udløser og gruppe billeder osv osv..... Men det var også fascinerende og utrolig flot. Der var lavet gangstier, så man kunne få et godt udsyn. Altsammen fra flere forskellige vinkler.
Igen gik der hurtigt en time her. Herefter cyklede vi til Port Campbell og cyklede forbi købmanden og betalte dyre penge for indkøbet. Fødevarene skal jo transporteres HELT herud og det koster, men vi tror også det er fordi det er et turiststed, så sættes priserne derefter.
Inden vi faldt i søvn, snakkede vi om NZ fyren og håbede på at han havde fundet hans ting. Vi havde ikke set ham på pladsen.
Vi fik svaret næste morgen. Imens vi sad og spiste morgenmad, dykkede NZ fyren op. Han var kommet på pladsen ret så sent, efter han havde fundet hans ting i god behold. Men det havde givet ham 40 kilometer ekstra. Så nu ville han blive en ekstra dag, for at hvile og fordi han havde god tid.
Vi skulle cykle det sidste stræk af vejen indtil Warrnabool. Vi fik set London Bridge, Lorch Ard, Bay of Island, Bay of Martyrs. Altsammen limstens formationer dannet af havet og naturen.
Efter vores mening skulle Great Ocean Road slutte efter Bay of Martyrs, for de sidste 40 kilometer indtil vi nåede Warrnabool, var der ikke noget af betydning. Meget flad vej, som førte os igennem landbrugsområder og egentlig ikke noget af betydning.
I Warrnabool checker vi ind på en lille hyggelig campingplads og besluttede os for at blive 2 nætter. Benene var trætte efter 5 dages cykling i selskab men den flotte natur, så nu glædede vi os til at sove længe næste dag.


English 

Monday 20th feb. 2017 - Friday 24th feb. 2017                      (Update 3rd. april 2017)

Geelong - Lorne 70 km
Lorne - Apollo Bay 49 km
Apollo Bay - Lavers Hill 52 km
Lavers Hill - Port Campbell 53 km
Port Campbell - Warranbool 70 km

Great Ocean Road was one of the trips we had been looking forward to, from the very beginning of our tour.
We started from Geelong and cycled towards Torquay. This is the birth town of Rip Curl and Quicksilver. Which was pretty easy to see when we arrived to the city. Here were two HUGE shops and it was obvious that this was a surfer's paradise. All had someting to do with surfing. It is here you find Bells Beach, which is also a very famous surf spot with surfers.
Here are annually held Rip Curl Pro surfing championships. It is also from here to Great ocaen Road starts.
The road was built by the returning soldiers from the 1st World War and was erected as a memorial to the soldiers who died during the war.
The road was also built to make the coast more accessible.
From Torquay we cycled for some time into the country and could not really see the sea, but then we came out to the coast and were cycling along winding road with cliffs on one side and the stormy seas to the other. The sea had the most beautiful turquoise color and the waves beat against the coastline, with huge splashes. Easy to understand that with the big waves, it is "easy" to surf around here.
We passed " The split point ", which has a lighthouse and stayed here for a while to take pictures. Shortly after the lighthouse, is the place where you drive through the Memorial Gates. Here is a memorial and a gate with the inscription Great Ocean Road.
Although the road goes along the coast, it is not a flat coastline that we know from DK. The road winds around small bays and goes up and down in waves. Sometimes up to 100 meters high, so there was good viewpoints along the coast.
The trip father from Lorne to Apollo Bay we had beautiful sunshine and almost no wind. The first 25 kilometers were still along the cliffside where we could stop at several vantage points and enjoy the view.
Some places reminded us of big pools so clear was the water. We enjoyed the route and how nice it was planed. At one point we passed a place where it was possible to see the remains of a shipwreck. In fact, we could see one of the guns sticking out of the water and the anchor. Incredible after so many years. It was back to the 1800's where some of the first Englishman and Irishman came to Australia to settle. The trip took about 90 days and was not completely harmless.
Later that day the landscape changed. Out towards the sea, there were many trees that were burned and looked like black sculptures against the magnificent blue sea. The rocks turned into rolling hills with broom flowers and cows that was grazing.
In Apollo Bay we camped at The showgrounds and get a nice spot, right down to a small stream and overlooking the large hills with flowers in full bloom. Not a bad sight.
Next day we had to ride into the country and up into the highlands and we knew that there awaited us a pretty hard day. The first five kilometers were still flat, but was quickly replaced by a path that would take us up to Lavers Hill.
The road was divided over two tough climbs. First we cycled up to 450 meters and got a nice trip down to a piece of a meadow where we got all the way to the coast again. From here came the last 18 kilometers, which was also the toughest. We held a few breaks along the way, when it started to sting too much in our thighs.
When we reached the small village of Lavers Hill, we nearly rode directly into the small general store. We really needed something cold and refreshing, it could not go fast enough.
Heidi wanted to go directly to Lavers Hill Tavern, because she was afraid that there was no room for us when we arrived this late. But there was no need to panic. They had a big grass field with space for 20 caravans and we were the only ones who were there.
Later came another cyclist. He was from New Zealand and had cycled the last few days after us. He had been to a wedding in Melbourne and had planned to cycle the Great Ocean Road for the next week. So he had plenty of time.
He also said that the increase up here, had been one of the harder and it was as if it never got to end.
In the evening we went to The Tavern and ate Tavern Open Hill burger with the lot and chips. It certainly did us well on top of a hard day's cycling.
We woke up to misty weather and drizzle, so we dressed in more clothes than usual. The road was with us today, from the start, we got to roll downhill. On the first piece downwardly we met an Italian man (Pier Luigi Delvigo) that was walking up the hill with a hand truck. We stopped to talk to him. He called himself "Siberian Walker" and can be found on FB and Google under the same name. When he retired as a 67 year old, he decided to wander and his first goal was to hike across Russia. But he went on and walked for many years now.
He has been on the Italian and Russian TV. His goal in Australia was to walk from Perth to Brisbane.
He told that he had been obliged to take all his luggage on a hand truck because his back could not hold the weight of his backpack any more. He was in good spirits, but lokked a little scrawny. We have subsequently been able to see that he has lost some kilos since he started from his videos on YOUTUBE.
A inspiring meeting with a interesting man.
After we had taken pictures and exchanged contacts, we continued down through the forest where we got the reward from the day before, by hurtle down through the forest and was given a lot of free kilometers, as we call it when we do not have to pedal.
At one point we was passed by the guy from NZ. He said we might meet in Princetown. Before we got that far, we held a break for picking the wild blackberries that grew along the way. They were so juicy and sweet and they were free. We had seen that in stores a tray cost 5 AUD. This we would like to save on our budget.
In Princetown we met the NZ guy again, which was about to boil some pasta. We ate a small snack and looked at least 20 kangaroos that grazed below a lookout point.
After Princetown we continued to the first stop before "the twelve apostles." Here it is possible to walk down to the beach along some steep stairs and get a better Indentation of how far it is up from below. It is an incredible coastline, with the vertical limestone that towers 30 to 40 meters up to the sky. Gigantic views !!!
After an hour on the beach, we went back to the bikes and continue to the main attraction - The Twelve Apostles.
Before we got there, we met the guy from NZ again, he had lost his wallet and cell phone and he thought he could remember where it could be. So now he had to commute 15 kilometers back and hope that he could find the stuff again.
We told him where we would sleep for the night and that if he did not find his things. We could help him with money so he could survive the rest of the trip. He continued the opposite direction and we continued towards the Twelve Apostles and actually got so fortunate that we reached 5000 km cycled as we held in front of the sign which read - The Twelve Apostles.
We can reveal we were not the only ones who had come to look at this attraction. All chasing the perfect shot, with selfistick and self-timer and group images etc etc .....  it was truly also fascinating and incredibly beautiful. There were footpaths made, so you could get a good view. All from different angles.
Again went quickly an hour here. Then we cycled to Port Campbell and cycled past the grocery store and paying expensive money for the purchase. Food has to get transported COMPLETELY out here and it costs, but we also believe it is because it is a tourist place, so prices are set accordingly.
Before we fell asleep, we talked about the NZ guy and hoped that he had found his thing. We had not seen him yet that night.
We got the answer the next morning. As we sat and ate breakfast, the NZ guy showed up. He had arrived at the site quite late, after he had found his things in good condition. But it had given him 40 km extra. So now he would stay an extra day to rest and because he still had good time to reach Warrnabool.
We had to ride the last stretch of the road until Warrnabool. We saw London Bridge, Lorch Ard, Bay of Islands, Bay of Martyrs. Everything limestone formations formed by the sea and nature.
In our view, should the Great Ocean Road end after Bay of Martyrs, for the last 40 km until we reached Warrnabool, there was nothing of importance. Very flat road that led us through farmlands and nothing really important.
In Warrnabool we checked in to a small cozy campsite and decided to stay 2 nights. The legs were tired after 5 days of cycling in the company of the beautiful scenery, so now we were pleased to sleep in the next day.


Melbourne meeting Penny

Lørdag d. 18. feb. - 19. feb 2017                                                                                             (Update 01. april 2017)

Melborne Havn - Big 4 Caravanpark (Coburg) 22 km
Tog fra Melboune Southern Cross til Geelong 
Cyklede 30 kilometer rundt i Melbourne og til Showground i Geelong.

En længere transportdag ventede os. Vi var oppe klokken 6 og fik pakket. Så indtog vi en simpel morgenmad, som bestod af et par skiver toastbrød og smøreost.
Vi skulle kun cykle et kort stykke før vi var ved færge. På vej derhen købte vi lidt juice og noget dejlige påskeboller. Så havde vi mad til de 9 timer det ville tage at sejle til Melborne.
Da vi kom hen på havnen, blev vi guidet ned til in-check og fik udleveret vores boarding kort, som allerede var printet og derefter kunne vi gå direkte ombord. Lige med et lille men. Vi havde stadig benzin i en en af vores brændstofsbeholder og dette måtte ikke komme med ombord. Så vi skulle hælde det over i en anden beholder, de havde ved check pointet.
Da vi gik ombord, var der en far og hans søn, som vi faldt i snak med. De havde cyklet hele "loopet" af Tasmanien, vel og mærke på 10 dage. Men de havde heller ikke så meget bagage som os. Ydermer havde de cyklet på racer cykler. 
Vi skulle stille cyklerne i et separat rum, her var der en matros som hjalp til med at binde dem ordenligt fast, så de ikke kunne vælte under turen. Han var i et højt humør og lavede fis og balade. Tror virkelig han elskede hans arbejde.
Så gik vi op på skibet for at se nærmere på faciliteterne og for at finde et godt sted at sidde. Der var masse af plads, så det var let at finde et sted.
Tiden ombord gik med at opdatere lidt på hjemmesiden og gå rundt både inde og ude. Der var faktisk biograf ombord, men vi brugte den ikke. Da vi havde sejlet 4 timer kom vi igennem et område med oprørt vand og jeg kunne godt mærke at jeg kunne få tendens til lidt søsyge, Men heldigvis var det kun for en tid vi skulle igennem det oprørte hav og jeg klarede den. Det skal siges at der var andre der ikke klarede den.
En time før vi nåede Melborne, kom der en meddelese fra kaptajnen om at et af verdens største cruse skibe (Queen Mary 2), lige var sejlet fra Melbourne og om 20 minutter ville den sejle lige forbi vores skib. Så alle passager inklusiv os gik ud på dækket for at se når den sejlede forbi. Hold nu op hvor var den stor. Den er 345 m lang og kan have 2.650 passager ombord. Vi kunne vinke til passagerne og se dem tydeligt, så tæt på kom den.
Herefter vendte vi opmærksomheden på indsejlingen til Melbourne, vi blev på dækket, så vi kunne tage billeder og filme og få en vandvittigt flot oplevelse. Skyerne hang tungt ned over skyskraberne og det så meget truende ud. Men det var helt specielt, med vandfronten forest og skyskraberne i baggrunden. Jeg vil våge at påstå at Heidi fik taget et af de bedste billeder indtil nu på turen, af indsejlingen. (Scroll ned og bedøm selv).
Da vi kom i land, var klokken 18:00 og nu ventede der os en lille cykeltur på 20 kilometer ud til BIG4 Caravanpark i Coburg. Nogen vil nok tænke hvorfor i alverden vi valgte at cykle derud, det var der en helt speciel grund til, vi skulle mødes med Penny,  som vi havde arbejdet sammen med i lufthavnen og vi havde lavet en aftale til morgenmad næste morgen og Penny bor i Coburg.
Vi blev positivt overrasket over hvor cykelvenlig Melbourne er som by. Et kæmpe net af cykelstier, så det var super let at finde derud. Vi brugte GPS og google maps, som så førte os via cykelstier hele vejen til Coburg. Vi havde lidt travlt, da vi skulle nå derud inden det blev mørkt. Vi nåede det lige nøjaktigt, nu var det bare spændende om der var plads.
Pyha vi var heldige at få den allersidste spot, det viste sig at der var White Night Festival og et kæmpe campervan træf  i byen og derfor alt mere eller mindre udsolgt. Vi måtte sætte teltet op i mørke. Som aftensmad, havde vi købt toastbrød og smøreost i en lille kiosk lidt nede af gaden fra campingpladsen.
Efter toastspisning gik vi direkte i seng og glædede os til at mødes med Penny næste morgen.
Vi var kun lige cyklet fra campingpladsen, da vi mødte Penny, som kom cyklende os imøde, på hendes fine rød hvide cykel. Vildt mærkeligt at tænke på, sidst vi så hinanden var i lufthavnen i Danmark og nu var vi her midt i store Melbourne på vores cykler.
Penny tog føringen og førte os sikkert igennem trafikken til en hyggelig lille café. Her tilbragte vi 1 1/2 time, hvor snakken gik med forskelloge fortællinger om hvad hun gik og lavede og hvad vi havde oplevet. Penny havde en plan om at blive i Australien i 1 år og lige nu arbejdede hun dobbelt, den ene sted var på Melbournes største hostel og det andet var for Circ de Soleil. Hun ville spare en masse penge op på kort tid og derefter rejse rundt og opleve Australien.
Hun foreslog os at vi skulle cykle forbi bydelen Fitzroy inden vi skulle med toget til Geelong. Fitzroy er kendt for sine alternative butikker og massevis af cafe´er og så er der malet diverse motiver på væggene af husene. Så da vi havde spist morgenmad og hygge snakket, var det desværre tid til at sige farvel til Penny. Hun skulle på arbejde og vi skulle gerne nå til Geelong. Men vi var super glade for at vi havde nået at sige hej.
Vi cyklede til Fitzroy og gik rundt en times tid. Så var det til frokost og vi fandt en hyggelig cafe´, det eneste Marianne bare ikke lige var klar over, var at cafeen var vegan og altså ingen kød.
Så lidt uheldigt, da jeg prøvede at høre om de havde sandwich med kylling....... Heidi fik mig ledet på rette spor.
Efter besøget i Fitzroy, satte vi GPS til at finde Southern Cross Station. Undervejs dertil kom vi forbi en velodrom bane, hvor der var en lille konkurrence igan for børn, her satte vi os for at kigge lidt og for at sidde i ly for regnen, da det lige var begyndt at regne. Imens vi sad der, var der to som spurgte ind til vores rejse. den ene mand kunne lidt svensk, da han og hans kone havde levet i Sverige engang. Den anden mand havde været i Danmark, men kun i Legoland i Billund sagde han. Så kunne vi fortælle at det sted kendte vi meget vel, da det var der vi arbejdede. Han kunne faktisk også fortælle at inspirationen til cykelstierne i Melbourne var kommet fra København. Da vi kom til Southern Cross fik vi købt billetter til toget klokken 15:10. Det havde været planen hele tiden at vi ville tage toget dertil, da der ikke var noget specielt at se på mellem Melbourne og Geelong. Imens vi sad og ventede på toget, fik vi øje på faren og sønnen fra færge, så dem fik vi lige en lille snak med. Verden er nu ikke så stor som vi går og tror.
Togturen tog 1 time og så skulle vi cykle ud til Showgrounds, som er et område, hvor der normalt er hesteløb og andre slags løb, men man kan også campere der. 
Da vi havde sat teltet op, cyklede vi hen for at handle ind til aftensmad og samtidig købte vi en trimmer, så vi selv kunne klippe vores hår. Vi havde ikke været ved frisør siden Alexandra på New Zealand (05. december 2016), så vi trængte virkelig.
Vi lavde vores egen frisør salon på toilettet, hvor vi lagde vores presenning ud på gulvet og derefter gik igang med at klippe. Resultatet blev ret flot, eftersom det var første gang vi havde gjort det.


English

Saturday 18 February. -  Sunday 19. feb. 2017 (                                                                 Update 01 April 2017)

Melborne Harbor - Big 4 Caravan Park (Coburg) 22 km
Trains from Melboune Southern Cross to Geelong
Cycled 30 kilometers around Melbourne and to Geelong Showground.

A longer transport day awaited us. We were up at 6 o'clock and got packed. Then we took a simple breakfast, which consisted of a few slices of toast and cream cheese.
We should only cycle for a short distance before we were at the ferry. On the way there we bought some juice and some lovely Easter buns. So we had food for the nine hours it would take to sail to Melborne.
When we came to the harbor, we were guided down to in-check and were given our boarding pass, which was already printed and then we could go directly onboard. Just a little but. We still had petrol in one of our tanks and this was not allowed on board. So we had to pour it into another container, they had at the checkpoint.
When we boarded, there was a father and his son, who we talked to. They had cycled all the "loop" of Tasmania, in oly 10 days. But they had not so much luggage as us. And they had cycled on road bikes.
We had to put the bikes in a separate room, here was a sailor who helped to bind them properly fixed, so they could not tip over during the trip. He was in high spirits and made jokes with us. Really think he loved his job.
Then we went up to the ship for a closer look at the facilities and to find a good place to sit. There was lots of space, so it was easy to find a place.
The time on board went with update some of the website and go around both inside and out. There were actually a cinema on board, but we did not use it. When we had sailed four hours we came across an area with rough water and I could feel that I could tend a little seasick, but luckily it was only for a time we were going through the rough sea and I made it. It must be said that there were others who did not make it.
An hour before we reached Melborne, an information came from the captain that one of the world's largest cruse ships (Queen Mary 2), had just sailed from Melbourne and in 20 minutes it would sail right past our ship. So all passengers including us went out on deck to watch as it sailed past. Holy moly it was BIG. It is 345 m long and may have 2,650 passengers on board. We could wave to the passengers and see them clearly, so close it came.
Then we turned our attention to the entrance to Melbourne, we were on the deck so we could take pictures and film and got a water witty nice experience. The clouds hung heavily over the skyscrapers and it looked very threatening. But it was very special, with the waterfront in front and skyscrapers in the background. I have to say that Heidi had taken one of the best pictures so far on the trip, of the arrival to Melbourne. (Scroll down and judge for yourself).
When we came ashore, it was 6PM and now awaited us a little bike ride of 20 kilometers to the BIG4 Caravan Park in Coburg. Someone will probably think why on earth we chose to bike there, it was a very special reason, we would meet with Penny, who we had worked with at the airport and we had made an appointment for breakfast the next morning and Penny live in Coburg.
We were pleasantly surprised at how bike friendly Melbourne was as a city. A huge network of cycle paths, so it was super easy to find our way. We used the GPS and google maps, which then led us via bike paths all the way to Coburg. We had a little time pressure as we should reach the campsite before dark. We made it just in time, now it was just exciting if there was space for us..
Phew, we were lucky to get the very last spot, it turned out that there was White Night Festival and a huge campervan engagements in the city and therefore everything was more or less sold out. We had to put up the tent in the dark. As dinner, we had bought toast and cream cheese in a small kiosk just down the street from the campsite.
After toast dining we went straight to bed and were pleased to meet with Penny next morning.
We had only just cycled from the campsite when we met Penny, who came cycling towards us, on her fine red  and white bike. Really strange to think finally we saw each other, the last time was at the airport in Denmark and now we were in the midst of great Melbourne on our bikes.
Penny took the lead and led us safely through traffic to a cozy little cafe. Here we spent 1 1/2 hours, where the talk was of difference loge stories about what she was doing and what we had experienced. Penny had a plan to stay in Australia for one year and right now she worked double, one place was at Melbourne's biggest hostel and the other was for Circ de Soleil. She would save a lot of money in a short time and then travel around and experience Australia.
She suggested us that we had to ride past the district Fitzroy before we had to take the train to Geelong. Fitzroy is known for its alternative shops and lots of cafes and there are painted various motifs on the walls of the houses. So when we had eaten breakfast and enjoy talking, it was unfortunately time to say goodbye to Penny. She had to go to work and we would like to get to Geelong. But we were glad that we had met.
We cycled to Fitzroy and walked around for an hour. Then it was for lunch tiem and we found a cozy Cafe ', the only thing Marianne did not realized was that the coffee shop was vegan and therefore no meat.
As little unfortunate, when I tried to hear if they had sandwiches with chicken ....... Heidi got me headed on the right track again.
After the visit to Fitzroy, we put the GPS to find Southern Cross Station. Along the way there we passed a velodrome track, where there was a little competition for children, here we set out to take a look and to sit in shelter from the rain as it was beginning to rain. As we sat there, there were two who asked about our trip. one man could speak a little Swedish when he and his wife had lived in Sweden once. The second man had been in Denmark, but only at Legoland in Billund he said. We could tell that the place we knew very well, as it was where we worked. He could actually tell that the inspiration for the cycle paths in Melbourne had come from Copenhagen. When we got to Southern Cross got we bought tickets for the train at 15:10. It had been the plan all the time that we would take a train there, since there was not anything special to look at between Melbourne and Geelong. As we sat and waited for the train, we caught sight of the father and son from the ferry, so those we just got a little chat with. The world is not as big as we think.
The train took 1 hour and then we rode out to the Showgrounds, which is an area where there normally is horse racing and other kinds of races, but one can also camp there.
When we had set up the tent, we cycled to shop for supper and also bought a trimmer, so we could even cut our hair. We had not been at the hairdresser since Alexandra in New Zealand (05 December 2016), so we really neededa haircut
We made our own hairdressing salon on the toilet, where we put our tarp on the floor and then set about cutting. The result was quite nice, since it was the first time we had done it.

 


Last days in Tasmania

16. feb. 2017 - 17. Feb. 2017                                         (Update 29. mar. 2017)

Ulverstone - Penguin  15 km
Penguin - Devonport  38 km

Vi havde en kort dag foran os. Vi var ved at have nået vejs ende på Tasmanien, så vi havde bestemt os for at cykle til byen Penguin. Byen har navnet eftersom, der hvert år er penguiner at se der. Det skulle være muligt mellem September og March, man bestanden er blevet mindre med tiden og der var ingen at se da vi var der.
Men byen var et skægt indslag. I hele byne var der skraldespande dekoreret med penguiner og midt i byen stod en figur af en kæmpe penguin.
På vej til byen cyklede vi forbi Goat Island, som ligger lige ud for kysten og når der er lavvandet, kan man gå ud på den lille bitte ø.
Vi var så heldige at det var lavvandet om morgenen, så vi parkerede cyklerne og gik ud på øen for at se os omkring.
Lidt penguin fik vi at se på Goat Island, der lå et kranie og en lille vinge fra en død penguin. Så de er der altså af og til.
Penguin har omkring 4000 indbyggere, en lille hyggelig by. Vi fandt overnatning på den lille campingplads i byen og gik så en tur rundt i byen.
Om aftenen fik vi en skæg oplevelse. Da vi havde spist aftensmad, var der en dame som henvente sig til os.
Hun sagde: Jeg har set jer før!!! Vi kunne ikke lige kenkende hende, men så sagde hun at om morgnen efter nytårs aften havde hun camperet på campingpladsen i Ballina og der var hun gået ind i camping køkknet sammen med hendes søster og her sad vi, hvorefter de havde udspurgt os om vores rejse.
Nu kunne vi huske hende og hendes søster. Så vi endte med at blive inviteret på kaffe og et stykke kage om aftenen og alt imens vi sad og hyggede sammen med damen og hendes mand, ringede hun til hendes søster for at prale med at hun sad sammen med os. Marianne skulle endda lige snakke med søsteren.
Damen sagde at vi skulle komme forbi næste morgen til en kop morgenkaffe inden vi cyklede afsted. Det sagde vi ja tak til og fandt tilbage til vores telt for natten.
Så næste morgen efter vi havde spist morgenmad og pakket teltet sammen, smuttede vi fordi ved dem til en kop kaffe. Her sad vi i en times tid og snakkede. Da klokken var lidt over 10 cyklede vi afted på den sidste cykeldag i Tasmanien.
Vi skulle cykle noget af vejen vi havde cyklet dagen før. Så vi kom igennem Forth igen, det var måske en lille omvej for at komme til Devonport, men der var mindre trafik den vej.
Vi cyklede direkte ind til centrum af Devonport og derfra over broen til Øst Devonport, hvor vi fandt en campingplads som lå 1 kilometer fra færgen. Byen er placeret på den nordlige del af Tasmanien ved udmundingen af Mersey River og det var herfra vi skulle sejle tilbage til Melbourne og fastlandet med færgen Spirit of Tasmania.
Devonport er hovedstaden på den nordlige del af Tasmanien og et knudepunkt for fragt skibe.
Vi tog en lille båd der sejlede over udmånding af Mersey river, for at kigge lidt på byen og derefter gik vi tilbage over broen igen. 
Aftensmad skulle være et fest måltid, så som afslutning på vores Tasnamia tur købte vi Fish and Chips. det var første gang vi havde prøvet det, så vi bestilte bare efter hvad vi troede var normalt. tror vi kunne have fodret en hel familie, så meget var der. Vi fik spist alt fisk, men måtte give fortabt på pommes fritterne, da der var alt for mange.
Nu kunne vi se tilbage på 25 dejlige dage i selskab med flot natur og dejligt vejr og en masse søde mennesker. Vi var spændte på hvordan vejert ville være når vi gik i land i Melbourne. Vi håbede på et temperaturen var faldet, så vi kunne holde til at cykle på fastlandet igen.


English

Feb. 16th. 2017 - 17th Feb. 2017                                      (29. Update March 2017)

Ulverstone - Penguin 15 km
Penguin - Devonport 38 km

We had a short day ahead of us. We were about to have reached the end of Tasmania, so we had decided to cycle to the town of Penguin. The city has the name because every year there are penguins to see there. It should be possible between September and March, but population has diminished with time and there was no one to see when we were there.
But the city was a fun feature. Throughout the town there were garbage cans decorated with penguins and in the middle of the town stood a figure of a giant penguin.
On the way to the town we cycled past Goat Island, located just off the coast and when the water is shallow, you can walk out on the tiny island.
We were lucky that it was shallow in the morning, so we parked the bikes and went out on the island to look around.
We got to see a Little bit of penguin at Goat Island, there was a skull and a small wing of a dead penguin. So they are there sometimes.
Penguin has about 4000 inhabitants, a nice little town. We found accommodation on the small campsite in town and then went for a walk around town.
In the evening we got a fun experience. When we had eaten dinner, there was a lady who came up to us.
She said: I've seen you before !!! We could not just recgonize her, but then she said that in the morning after New Year's Eve, she had camped at the campground in Ballina and that she had gone into the camp kitchen along with her sister and here we sat, after which they had questioned us on our journey .
Now we could remember her and her sister. So we ended up being invited for coffee and cake in the evening and all the while we sat and enjoyed together with the lady and her husband, she called her sister to boast that she sat with us. Marianne had even a small talk to the sister.
The lady said that we should come over the next morning for a cup of morning coffee before we biked off. We said yes and went back to our tent for the night.
So the next morning after we had eaten breakfast and packed the tent, we went by their campervan for a cup of coffee. Here we sat for an hour and talked. When it was after 10 o´clock we cycled off on the last Cycling Day in Tasmania.
We had to ride part of the way we had cycled the day before. So we came through Forth again, it was perhaps a little detour to get to Devonport, but there was less traffic on that road.
We cycled directly into the center of Devonport and then across the bridge to East Devonport, where we found a campsite which was located 1 kilometer from the ferry. The city is located in the north of Tasmania at the mouth of the Mersey River and it was here we had to sail back to Melbourne and the mainland by the ferry Spirit of Tasmania.
Devonport is the capital of the north of Tasmania and a hub for cargo ships.
We took a small boat that sailed over the river Mersey, to look at the city and then we went back over the bridge again.
Dinner should be a feast, so at the end of our Tasnamia trip we bought Fish and Chips. it was the first time we had tried it, so we ordered just after what we thought was normal. I think we could have fed an entire family, so much was there. We ate all the fish, but had to give up on pommes frits, as there was too much.
Now we could look back on 25 wonderful days in the company of beautiful scenery and nice weather and a lot of nice people. We were excited about how the weather would be when we landed in Melbourne. We hoped that the temperature had dropped so we could cycle on the mainland again without to much heat.


25 lovely days on Tasmania

13. feb. 2017 -  15. feb. 2017                                                                                   (Update 27. mar. 2017)

Cradle Mountain walk
Mt. Roland walk
Goerie Park - Ulverstone 57 km

Vi skulle med bussen fra visitor centeret klokken 12. 
Vi sad og små snakkede med Andrea den italienske fyr, på vej ned til Gowrie Park. Da vi stod af bussen, kunne vi med det samme mærke en stor forskel på temperaturen og solen var også ved at komme frem.
Vi fik hurtigt sat det våde telt op og spiste noget frokost. Vi ville gerne vandre op på Mt. Roland, men vi kunne godt se at det nok ikke blev muligt, da klokken nærmede sig 14:00 og vi skulle bruge et sted mellem 5 - 6 timer for at nå helt til toppen og ned igen.
Så vi tog os en lur og senere gik vi noget af trailet op mod bjerget. Det nagede os noget, at vi ikke kunne nå at gå til toppen og ned igen. Men sådan er det bare nogen gange. Vi kan ikke nå alt.
Da vi kome tilbage, var der en hel kinesisk "koloni" der havde sat deres telte op lige foran vores telt og deres biler var parkeret på kryds og tværs, så det var svært at komme omkring. Meget mærkeligt tænkte vi, da der var masse af plads andre steder på pladsen. 
På campingpladsen, faldt vi i snak med en mand der var kommet her igennem mange år. Han var rigtig hyggelig at snakke med. Han havde vandret de fleste turen der var i området, men kunne ikke vandre lange ture mere, da han havde problemer med hans hofte, men så tog han hans bil og kørte på udflugt fra Gowrie Park.
Om aftenen sagde vi farvel og tak for de hyggelige snakke til ham.
Vi vågnede til en skyfri himmel og ærgede os over at vi skulle cykle videre. Vi havde både fået morgenmad og pakket lejren, da vi kiggede på hinanden og sagde: helt ærligt har vi ikke tid nok til at blive en dag mere og så kunne vi vandre turen op på Mt. Roland og endda i lækkert vejr.
Det tog ikke lang tid at tage den beslutning. Vi blive en dag mere!!!!
Så teltet blev sat op igen og hurtigt fik vi lavet en madpakke og så gik vi afsted mod Mt. Roland. Teltet satte vi op et helt andet sted, langt væk fra den kinesiske lejr. I håb om at vi kunne få en rolig nat.
Turen op tl Mt. Roland, blev en smuk og oplevelsesrig tur. Først gik vi igennem frodig skov at en bred sti. På et tidspunkt, fik vi os en god forskrækkelse, da der pludselig var en green snake, der snoede sig over stien lige foran Heidi. Heidi hoppede og dansede, da jeg prøvede på at advare hende, men jeg kunne ikke sige slange. Mere noget i retningen af: pas blablabla uhs påååå fik jeg sagt. Så efter at slangen var væk, kunne vi godt grine af oplevelsen.
Længere oppe, blev ruten mere stejl og krævende og helt til sidst var landskabet bart, med store sten og små buske. Vi mødte kun 4 andre hold der enten var på vej op eller ned. Lige inden vi nåede det sidste stykke op mod toppen, mødte vi en mand, som vandrede med 30 kilo på ryggen. Han fortalte han var politibetjent og var ved at træne til et eller andet og havde ikke vandret i lang tid. Ja, hvorfor så ikke lige starte med 30 kilo på ryggen og vandre i 5 - 6 timer.
De sidste 60 meter op til toppen, blev vi sat å en prøve. Her skulle vi klatre over nogle store kampe sten, hvor der var store mellemrum imellem, så vi skulle klatre fra en stor sten til den anden.
Vi var ikke sikre på vi turde det. Så vi sad lidt og overvejede situationen. Så kom politimanden og vi kunne se hvordan han klatrede op, så den rute fulgte vi også.
Vi fik den smukkeste udsigt fra toppen (1231 m). Vi kunne kigge op mod Cradle Mountain. Mt. Bluff, Mole Creek og helt til Shefflied og ud til kysten ca 40 kilometer derfra og hvor vi skulle cykle ud til næste dag. Vi brugte godt 10 minutter hvor vi bare nød udsigten og fik taget billeder og filmet.
Vi var virkelig glade for at vi var blevet den ekstra dag og havde fået denne oplevelse med også. Nu ventede os en hård tur ned af. En ting er altid at klatre turen op, men nedad er tit mange gange hårde ved ben og knæ.
Vi holdt et par pauser på vejen ned, men ikke lange, da der var mange bier, som godt nok ikke stak, men summede lige omkring os.
Efter 6 timers vandring og 21 kilometer vandret ankom vi trætte og glade til campingpladsen igen. Her mødte vi manden vi havde snakket med og han udbrød: Hva´ er i her endnu??? Han blev helt glad på vores vegne, da han hørte vi havde vandret Mt. Roland turen.
Vi købte mad til at lave aftensmad af i camping kiosken. Så menuen blev 6 æg, 2 dåser baked beans og toastbrød.
Nu var det tid til at sætte os i sadlen igen og cykle de sidste dage på Tasmanien.
Vi havde været heldige med vejret dagen før, for nu hang skyerne ned over bjergene og det smukke var gemt af vejen. Hvor havde vi været heldige med vejret dagen før og at vi fik det udnyttet.
Turen til Sheffield fra Gowrie park var ikke slem. Vi kunne rulle stille og roligt nedaf indtil 2 kilometer før byen, hvor der var en stigning på 1,5 km længde.
Sheffield var et must for os, da den er kendt for 28 store malerier, der er malet på husene rundt omkring i byen og de fortæller historien omkring Sheffield. Utroligt flot. Ikke nok med det, så var der også en park, hvor der hvert år afholdes en maler konkurrence og dem der har malet der, får deres kunstværk til at hænge et år af gangen. Pånær dem der har vundet, de hænger der i længere tid. Altsammen var så flotte og meget farverige.
Vi gik rundt i lang tid og kiggede både i parken og rundt omkrg i byen.
Der var også en masse små hyggelige cafeér og en af dem hed The old Scones. Den faldt vi for og her fik vi en lækker dadel scone og en god kop kaffe. Mums det smagte godt.
Fra Shefflield cyklede vi videre med kurs mod kysten. Vi fulgte først B14 vejen, men på et tidspunkt drejer vi fra og cykler mod landsbyen Melrose. Ned til landsbyen får vi en vild nedkørsel, men vi kunne nok regne ud at så skulle vi nok tilsvarende opad igen. Ganske Rigtigt, så kom der nogle lange seje bakker vi skulle bekæmpe. Men da vi når byen Forth som kun lå 6 kilometer fra kysten, blev vejen flad og resten af vejen til Ulverstone var let.


English                                                                              (Update 27th mar. 2017)

Cradle Mountain walk
Mt. Roland walk
Goerie Park - Ulverstone 57 km

We were on the bus from the visitor center at 12 noon.
We sat and talked a little with Andrea, the Italian guy as we drove down to Gowrie Park. When we got off the bus, we could immediately notice a big difference in the temperature and the sun was about to come out as well.
We quickly put up the wet tent and ate some lunch. We wanted to hike up Mt. Roland, but we could see that it probably was not possible as the clock nearly was 2PM and we needed somewhere between 5-6 hours to reach the very top and down again.
So we took us a nap and later we went on a walk on some of The trail up the mountain. It nagged us a bit that we do not have time to go to the top and down again. But that is how it is sometimes. We can not achieve everything.
When we came back, there was a big Chinese "colony" who had set up their tents right in front of our tent and their cars were parked in all directions, so it was hard to get around. Very strange we thought, as there was lot of space elsewhere on the site.
At the campsite, we had a conversation with a man who had come here for many years. He was really nice to talk to. He had walked most of the trips that was in the area but could not walk long walks any more as he had problems with his hip, but then he took his car and drove on excursions from Gowrie Park instead.
In the evening we said goodbye and thanks for the nice talk to him.
We awoke to a cloudless sky and agian it nagged us that we had to ride on. We had both had breakfast and packed camp when we looked at each other and said, quite frankly, we have enough time to stay one more day and then we could hike up Mt. Roland and even in nice weather.
It did not take long to make that decision. We stayed another day !!!!
So the tent was put up again and soon we made a lunch and then we went off to Mt. Roland. The tent we set up somewhere else, far away from the Chinese Colony. Hoping that we could have a quiet night.
The trip up tl Mt. Roland was a beautiful and eventful trip. First we went through lush forest on a wide path. At one point, we got us a good schock, when suddenly there was a green snake, snaking across the path right in front of Heidi. Heidi jumped and danced when I tried to warn her, but I could not say snake. More something like: Watch blablabla uhs påååå I said. A little scary but After the snake was gone, we laughed about the experience.
Further up, the route was more steep and demanding and eventually the landscape was bare, with large rocks and small shrubs. We only met four other teams that were either going up or down. Just before we reached the last stretch towards the top, we met a man who walked with 30 kilograms on his back. He said he was a police officer and was training for something and had not walked for a long time. Yes, why not just start with 30 kilograms on your back and walk in 5-6 hours then ;-).
The last 60 meters up to the top, we got tested well. Here we had to climb over some big stone, where there were big gaps between so we had to climb from one large stone to another.
We were not sure if we dared. So we just sat and pondered the situation. Then came the policeman and we could see how he climbed up, so the route we followed too.
We got the most beautiful view from the top (1231 m). We could look up at Cradle Mountain. Mt. Bluff, Mole Creek and down to Shefflied and the coast about 40 km away, where we had to ride out the next day. We spent good 10 minutes where we just enjoyed the view and took pictures and filmed.
We were really glad that we had the extra day and had this experience too. Now awaited us a hard trip down. One thing is always the climb up, but down is often many times harder on the legs and knees.
We made a few breaks on the way down, but not long, as there were many bees that buzzed right around us.
After 6 hours of walking and 21 km walk we where back at the campesite and we were tired and happy about doing the tour. Here we met the man we had talked to and he exclaimed, Hey you are still here ??? He was quite happy on our behalf when he heard we had walked Mt. Roland trip.
We bought food for dinner in the camp kiosk. So the menu was 6 eggs, 2 cans of baked beans and toast.
Now it was time to sit in the saddle again and cycle the last days in Tasmania.
We had been lucky with the weather the day before, now the clouds was hanging over the mountains and the beautiful were hidden away. We had been so lucky with the weather the day before.
The trip to Sheffield from Gowrie park was not bad. We could roll quietly down the valley until 2 km before the town, where there was an increase of 1.5 km in length.
Sheffield was a must for us as it is known for 28 large paintings that are painted on the houses around the city and they tell the story of Sheffield. Incredibly beautiful. Not only that, there was also a park where every year a painting competition is held and those who have painted there, get their piece of art to hang a year at a time. Except those who have won, they stuck there for longer.  All was so beautiful and very colorful.
We walked around for a long time and looked both in the park and around the city.
There was also a lot of small cozy cafés and one of them was called The old scones. That one we chose and here we got a delicious date scone and a cup of coffee. Mums it tasted good.
From Shefflield we cycled further, heading for the coast. We followed the B14 road first, but at some point we turn off and cycle towards the village of Melrose. Down to the village, we get a wild descent, but we could probably figure out that so we should probably similar upward again. Quite True, there came some long steep hills we had to fight. But when we reach the town of Forth which was only 6 kilometers from the coast, the road was flat and the rest of the way to Ulverstone was easy.

11. feb. 2017 - 12. feb. 2017                                                              (Update 26. mar. 2017)

Cradle Mountain Small Walks
Cradle Mountains Dove Lake
 

Vores møde med Cradle Mountain blev en våd, blæsende og kold fornøjelse.
Efter 45 minutters bustur op af nogle meget stejle stigninger, ankom vi til Cradle Mountain Visitor Center.
På vejen derop kunne vi godt blive enige om af vores beslutning om at tage bussen, havde været den rigtige.
Stigningerne var lange og utrolig stejle, så selv bussen måtte kæmpe sig afsted i de lave gear.
De sidste kilometer op til info centeret, kørte vi igennem et område med en masse døde træer, som lignede store skeletter der stod øde i landskabet. Et meget specielt syn.
Med det samme vi kom ud af bussen, kunne vi mærke en betydelig temperatur forskel. Der var ikke meget mere end 12 grader og det regnede af og til plus at det blæste betydeligt.
Discovery Camp lå lige overfor visitor centeret, så det var vores første mål. Efter vi havde checket in og betalt den nætte sum af 2 x 42 AUD for at campere i to nætter, fandt vi vores plads og satte teltet op.
Herefter kiggede vi lidt på faciliteterne på pladsen. Det var så hyggeligt at i midten af pladsen, var lavet en stor hytte af kæmpe sten, hvor toilet, køkken og opholdsrum med to pejse var. Det var en god ting, nu hvor temperaturen var faldet drastisk, for så havde vi et sted og sidde.
Efter vi havde fundet os tilrette, tog vi shuttle bussen op til The Interpretation Centre. Vi vile tage alle de små vandre ture til en start.
Vi endte med at gå Enchanted Walk, King Billy Walk, Rainforest Walk, Pencil Pine falls og Knyvet Falls.
Alt sammen utroligt flot, med forskellige grønne mosfarver og træer der snørkler sig imellem hinanden.
Eventyrligt og hobbit agtigt. Utroligt flot anlagt.
Da vi er færdige med at se de små ture, valgte vi at gå tilbage til campingpladsen. Her lavede vi kaffe og fik lidt snacks til. Nu var det faktisk kun 10 grader.
Om aftenen sidder vi i det store opholdsrum og nyder varmen fra pejsen og får helt ondt af os selv, da vi skal ud i regnvejret og kulden for at gå over til vores telt.
Det havde været koldt om natten og Heidi havde faktisk frosset, men jeg havde klaret mig. Udenfor var der regn og blæst, så vi havde ikke den store lyst til at stå op. Men op kom vi og fik en god gang morgenmad.
Herefter tog vi shuttle bussen op til Dove Lake, det var en tur på 8 kilometer. 
Igen på vejen derop, kørte vi igennem et meget smukt landskab, som havde en helt specielt grønt skær fra træerne, planterne og mos der gror heroppe.
Da vi kom op til Dove Lake, skulle vi skrive os ind i Ranger bogen, noget ALLE skal inden de vandre afsted på en tur, ligeledes skal man huske at skrive sig ud igen, når turen er slut.
Nu kunne vi gå afsted på strækningen omkring Dove Lake. Vi håbede på at regnen ville holde lidt igen. Det skete bare ikke, vi havde kun vandret i 15 minutter og så var vi totelt gennemblødte af regn og slud. Ja, faktisk fik vi lidt sne og temperaturen var helt nede på 4 grader. Tænk sig en forskel, for 6 dage siden havde vi svømmet i det dejlige vand på østkysten i 25-28 grader og nu det. Vi skulle virkelig holde os igang for at holde varmen.
Stierne vi gik på blev omdannet til små bække, fyldt med vand. Men der var også stier lavet på små gangbroer, et utroligt stykke arbejde det må havde været at lave alt det. Det var nok ikke det vi havde håbet på, da vi bestemte os for at tage herop. Men vi var blevet advaret om at vejret heroppe kan skifte fra at være høj sol den ene dag og så sne næste. Desværre fik vi to dage med grum vejr. Men stadig fik vi set noget og det vi så var et landskab vi ikke har set magen til andre steder i verden. Cradle Mountain er noget helt specielt.
Efter 2 timers vandring omkring søen, tog vi shuttle bussen tilbage til Visitor centret. Her gik vi på cafe og købte noget varmt at drikke og en store portion Patato Vedge, som var sweet patato fries. Uhm de smagte godt.
Fra cafe´en gik vi tilbage til opholdsrummet, for at tørre foran pejsen. Her endte vi med at stå sammen med en italiensk fyr, Andrea. Han havde også været ude at vandre lidt og var blevet ligeså våde som os.
Ham endte vi med at snakke med resten af dagen og da vi skulle med bussen næste dag ned til Gowrie Park, var det kun os og ham der var med i bussen til 50 personer.
Natten havde været med vild storm og regn, så vi havde ikke fået meget søvn, nu glædede vi os tl at komme ned til forhåbentlig bedre vejr.


English

February 11th. 2017 - 12th February 2017 (Update March 26th. 2017)

Cradle Mountain Small Walks
Cradle Mountains Dove Lake

Our meeting with Cradle Mountain was a wet, windy and cold pleasure.
After a 45-minute bus ride up some very steep climbs, we arrived at Cradle Mountain Visitor Center.
On the way up, we could agree on our decision to take the bus, had been the right one.
The increases were long and extremely steep, so even the bus had to struggle in low gear.
The last kilometers up the info center, we drove through an area with a lot of dead trees that looked like big skeletons standing in desolate landscape. A very special sight.
Right away we got off the bus, we could notice a significant difference in the temperature. There was not much more than 12 degrees and it rained from time to time plus the wind blew considerably.
Discovery Camp was just opposite the visitor center, so it was our first goal. After we had checked in and paid
 2 x 42 AUD for camping for two nights, we found our spot and set up the tent.
Then we looked at the facilities at the site. It was so nice, as at the center of the campground, was made a great cabin of giant stones where toilet, kitchen and dinning room with two fireplaces was. It was a good thing, now that the temperature had dropped drastically, so we had a place to sit.
After we had found ourselves organized, we took the shuttle bus up to The Interpretation Centre. We wanted to take all the small walks as a start.
We ended up walking the Enchanted Walk, King Billy Walk, Rainforest Walk, Pencil Pine Falls and Knyvet Falls.
All of this incredibly beautiful, with various green coulors and trees that flourishes themselves from each other.
Adventurous and hobbit-like. Incredibly beautiful landscaped.
When we had finished the small trips, we chose to go back to the campsite. There we made coffee and got some snacks. Now it was actually only 10 degrees.
In the evening, we sat in the large stone hut and enjoying the warmth of the fireplace and get totally sorry for ourselves when we had to go out in the rain and cold, to go over to our tent.
It had been cold at night and Heidi had actually frozen, but I had been OK. Outside there was rain and wind, so we had no great desire to get up. But up we came and had a good breakfast.
Then we took the shuttle bus up to Dove Lake, it was a trip of 8 kilometer.
Again on the way up there, we drove through a very beautiful landscape, which had a very special green glow from the trees, plants and moss growing up here.
When we got up to Dove Lake, we should write ourselves into the Ranger book, something ALL must before they wander off on a trip, you also have to be sure to sign out again when the trip is over.
Now we could go off on the stretch around Dove Lake. We hoped that the rain would hold back. It did not happen though, we had only walked for 15 minutes and then we were totally soaked with rain and sleet. Yes, we actually got a bit of snow and the temperature was as low as 4 degrees. Imagine a difference 6 days ago we had swum in the wonderful water on the east coast and have had 25-28 degrees, and now this. We should really keep walking to keep warm.
The trails we went on were transformed into small streams filled with water. But there were also paths made of small walkways, an incredible job it must have been to do everything. It was probably not what we hoped for when we decided to come up here. But we had been warned that the weather here can change from being a hot sunny day one day and then snow the next. Unfortunately we got two days of ferocious weather. But still we saw something and what we saw was a landscape we have not seen anywhere else in the world. Cradle Mountain is something very special.
After 2 hours of walking around the lake, we took the shuttle bus back to the Visitor Center. We went direct to the cafe and bought a hot drink and a large portion Patato vedge which was sweet patato fries. Uhm they tasted good.
From the cafe we ​​went back to the dinning room, to dry in front of the fireplace. Here we ended up standing beside an Italian guy, Andrea. He had also been out to wander a bit and was just as wet as us.
Him we ended up talking to the rest of the day and when we were on the bus the next day down to Gowrie Park, it was just us and him who was in the bus for 50 people.
The night had been a wild stormy and rainy one, so we had not gotten much sleep, now we hoped to get down to better weather at Gowrie Park.

08. feb. 2017 - 10. feb. 2017                                                                       (Update 26. marts 2017)

Launceston - Deloraine 53 km
Pausedag i Deloraine
Deloraine - Gowrie Park 56 km

Dag 109 på vores rejse, blev en lille cykeltur fra Launceston til byen Deloraine. Vi fulgte vej B54 og cyklede igennem flere små byer. Først Hadspen, Hadley, Westbury og Exton.
Deloraine var en hyggelig by, med masser af tilbud. Så efter vi havde fundet campingpladsen, som faktisk også var parken i byen, gik vi på Cafe´, det var ved at være længe siden vi sidst havde været på cafe.....en uge. Så det måtte vi gøre noget ved.
Fra Deloraine kunne vi se bjerge, som måtte være starten af Cradle Mountains, dem som vi ville op og se nærmere på om et par dage.
Glemte lige at fortælle, at på vej til Deloraine, mødte vi den sødeste myresluger. Den kom gående lige imod os over en bro. Det var somom den ikke så så godt, for den fortsatte hen imod os. Så vi fik et godt billede af den og fik den flimet.
Nu ville vi både have en myresluger med os hjem og en Wombat, for begge dyr er så søde.
Vi mødte to andre tourcyklister på campingpladsen. Den ene var en mand fra Melbourne, som havde været på en 3 ugers ur rundt på Tasmaninen. Den anden var en pige/dame fra Alaska, som havde cyklet mange forskellige steder i verden.
Det var egentlig meningen vi ville cykle vidre op imod Cradle Mountains næste dag, men vi vågnde til en meget regnfuld dag og blev hurtig enige om at blive en ekstra dag i Deloraine.
Dagen gik med total afslapning og hygge i teltet. Senere handlede vi ind til 3 dage, da der ikke skulle være stor mulighed for at handle i Cradle Mountains.
Næste dag er vores mål at cykle til Gowrie Park (Udtales Gary Park). Her ligger en campingplads og derfra er der 32 kilometer op til Cradle mountain. På de 32 kilometer er der 1300 højdemeter der skal bekæmpes. Så det er derfor vi bestemte os for at cykle til Gowrie Park først og så tage den hårde stigning dagen efter.
Vi cyklede først til Sheffield og herfra skulle vi så cykle op igennem dalen til Gowrie Park. Det var ikke nogen voldsom stigning, men stille og roligt bevægede vi os op af.
Vi kunne se bjergene ved vores side og nød udsigten. Samtidig var vi også spændte på, hvordan næste dag ville gå med de stejle stigninger der ventede os.
Nå. men det vi havde regnet med skulle blive en hård cykeldag opad, blev aldrig til noget.
Da vi kom til Gowrie Park, kom vi på en ny ide´. Der måtte være en bus som kørte op til Cradle Mountain, så vi spurgte på campingpladsen. Det var der og det passede så fint, at den kørte til Cradle næste dag og så tilbage to dage senere. Vi kunne efterlade cyklerne i Gowrie Park og så ville vi komme tilbage og hente dem når vi havde været oppe og vandre lidt rundt i Cradle.
Vores næste problem var så om vi havde nok mad, men der var vi heldige igen. For Campingpladsen havde en lille ration af diverse madvare man kunne købe. Så som æg og brød og baked beans. Så vi ville ikke komme til at dø af sult.
Busbilletterne blev bestil med hjælp fra damen på campingpladsen og så havde  vi en plan for de næste to dage.


English

08. feb. 2017 - 10. feb 2017                                                                 (Update 26. feb 2017)

Launceston - Deloraine 53 km
Restday in Deloraine
Deloraine - Gowrie Park 56 km

Day 109 of our journey, was a small bike ride from Launceston to the town of Deloraine. We followed the road B54 and cycled through several small towns. First Hadspen then Hadley, Westbury and Exton.
Deloraine was a nice town, with lots to offer. So after we had found the campsite, which actually also was the park in the town, we went to a Cafe ', it had been a while since we had last been at a cafe ..... one week. So we had to do something about that.
From Deloraine we could see mountains, which was the beginning of Cradle Mountains, the ones we wanted to get up to and look at a few days later.
Just forgot to mention that on the way to Deloraine, we met the cutest anteater. It was coming right at us over a bridge. It was as if it did not see that well, because it continued towards us. So we got a good picture of it and also filmed it.
Now we both wanted to have an anteater with us home and a Wombat, for both animals are so cute.
We met two other Tour riders at the campsite. One was a man from Melbourne who had been on a 3 weeks tour around Tasmaninen. The other was a girl / lady from Alaska who had cycled many different places in the world.
It was really meant we'd ride towards Cradle Mountains the next day, but we woke up to a very rainy and wet day, so we quickly agreed to stay an extra day in Deloraine.
The day passed with total relaxation and comfort in the tent. Later we shopped food for the next 3 days, as there would be no opportunity to shop food in Cradle Mountains.
The next day our goal was to cycle to Gowrie Park (pronounced Gary Park). Here was a campsite and from there there was 32 kilometers up to Cradle Mountain. On the 32 kilometers there was 1300 altitude meters to be climbed. So that's why we decided to cycle to Gowrie Park first and then take the tough climb the next day.
We cycled first to Sheffield and from here we cycled up the valley to Gowrie Park. It was not a huge increase, but quietly we moved on up the valley.
We could see the mountains at our side and enjoyed the view. At the same time we were also anxious to see how the next day would go with the steep climbs that awaited us.
But what we expected would be a hard Cycling Day upwards, never came.
When we got to Gowrie Park, we came up with a new idea. There had to be a bus going up to Cradle Mountain, so we asked at the campsite. Yes there was and it fitted so well that it drove to Cradle next day and then back two days later. We could leave the bikes in Gowrie Park and then we would come back and pick them up when we had been up and walking around in the mountains.
Our next problem was if we had enough food. We were lucky again. The campsite had a small ration of various food item you could buy. So as eggs and bread and baked beans. So we would not get to die of hunger.
Bus ticket were booked with help from the lady at the campground and so we had a plan for the next two days.

 

 


Bill and a beautifull love story

25 days on lovely Tassie

05. feb. 2017 -  07. feb. 2017                                                                                       (Update 24. marts 2017)

Derby - Scottsdale 37 km
Scottsdale - Launceston 67 km
Pausedag i Launceston

Verdens smukkeste kærligheds historie.

Fra Derby cyklede vi til Scottsdale. En kort tur, der egentlig ikke bød på vildt meget, andet end at vi cyklede på Tasmaniens eneste rail trail fra Tonganah og ind til Scottsdale.
I Scottsdale kunne vi camper gratis på noget der mindede om en campingplads, men var en park hvor Lions club fra Scottsdale havde sponseret en toiletbygning med toilet og bad.
Næste dag blev vi vidner til en smuk kærligheds historie.
Vi cyklede afsted fra Scottsdale og på vej ud af byen mødte vi en dame og en lille dreng, som kom kørende i en hestevogn. Vi kiggede noget, da de mindede om Armish folk. Gad vide om der var et område med dem i nærheden - tænkte vi.
Vi fik svaret nogle kilometer senere, da vi cyklede forbi en lille gård, som solgte grøntsager og hjemmebag. Der stod på et skilt, at de solgte muffins. Sådan nogen ville vi da gerne købe nogen af, så vi standsede og gik op til boden. Først var der ikke nogen at se, men så dukkede en mand og en dreng op. De var også klædt som Armish folk. Vi spurgte om de havde nogle muffins. Nej, desværre er vi løbet tør for honning og min kone er lige kørt ind til byen for at købe noget mere - sagde manden. Nu kunne vi lægge to og to sammen.
Det var åbentbart hans kone og anden søn vi havde set i hestevognen og de havde som familie bestemt sig for at leve på denne måde.
Inden vi cyklede videre, sagde manden at der kom en god bakke vi skulle op over.
Ganske rigtigt, vi kom til en god stigning, hvor vi skulle cykle op i 630 meters højde. Det hele delt ud på 5 - 6 kilometer. Da vi kom op til toppen af passet, var der lavet et pick nick sted, hvor vi fik en smuk udsigt ned igennem dalen vi netop var cyklet op igennem.
Klokken var 12, så det passede med at vi kunne holde frokostpause deroppe. Vi satte os ved nogle bænke og borde, som var overdækket. Imens vi sad og spiste lagde jeg mærke til en ældre mand, som sad og nød udsigten og hans medbragte mad og kaffe ved et andet bord. Af og til henvendte han sig til de mennesker, der holdt et stop for at se udsigten.
På en eller anden måde havde jeg lyst til at henvende mig til ham, men jeg kom aldrig så vidt, for inden jeg havde set mig om havde han henvendt sig til os og ville vide hvor vi kom fra.
Dette blev starten på en dejlig time i selskab med Bill, som manden hed. Vi satte os ved bordet han sad ved og så begyndte han ellers at fortælle. Han var lige fyldt 80 år, faktisk dagen før min fødselsdag. Han boede nede i dalen overfor den lille gård, hvor vi havde forsøgt at købe muffins. Mindst en gang om ugen kom han op til udkigspunktet, for som han sagde: det var et af de smukke steder i verden og han nød udsigten.
Han havde værert smed og havde lært faget af hans far, som han havde set meget op til, da han var en meget klog mand.
På bordet lå en slange, som var lavet af jern, det var hans ven sagde han og han havde selv lavet den. Han havde den altid med sig. Han fortalte at han ikke havde mobil ej heller kreditkort eller computer. Han havde fastnet telefon og ville nogen ham noget, måtte de ringe sidst på dagen, for at der ville være en chance for at han var indenfor og i nærheden af telefonen.
Han kunne stadig lide at smede noget jern og køre ud i skoven og fælde et træ, som skulle bruges til brænde.
Det er sundt for krop og sjæl at holde sig igang - sagde han.
Han fortalte også at han havde haft en depression nogle år tilbage og så fortalte han at han havde mistet sin kone for 14 år siden og da han ikke var besynderlig kristen, havde han bedt to han kendte om at være til stede da han skulle tage afsked med konen.
Kisten stod hjemme i huset og inden den skulle bæres ud, havde han bedt om at få låget taget af kisten. Hvorfor det ??- havde hans bekendte spurgt ham. Ham havde svaret: så jeg kan tage ordentlig afsked med min kone.
De tog låget af, så jeg kunne tage hende i hånden og fortælle hende en sidste gang at jeg elskede hende - Sagde Bill og hun var smukkere end nogensinde. Han savnede hende virkelig.
Det var virkelig en rørende, men smuk fortælling og vi sad begge med tåre i øjnene. En hel utrolig oplevelse og mødet med ham vil vi huske for altid. Ja, dette var en virkelig kærligheds historie!!!!
Efter en time tog vi afsked med Bill og fik lov til at tage et billed af ham. Vi har tit tænkt på ham sidenhen.
Fra toppen af passet og ind til Launceston gik det svagt nedaf det meste af vejen. Det var først da vi skulle finde ud til BIG4 campinpladsen, at vi fik sved på panden. Vi skulle op af en vej som hed Highstreet og det navn passede perfekt, den var lige så stejl som Kiddesvej i Vejle, så vi måtte af cyklerne og skubbe op.
Vi blev i Launceston to nætter, da vi have en aftale om interview til Check-in bladet og havde brug for WIFI adgang. 


English

The world's most beautiful love story.                                         (Update 24. march 2017)

Scottsdale - Launceston 67 km
Rest day in Launceston

From Derby we cycled to Scottsdale. A short trip that really not had much to offer, other than we rode on Tasmania's only rail trail from Tonganah into Scottsdale.
In Scottsdale, we could camp for free of something resembling a campsite, but it was a park where the Lions Club of Scottsdale had sponsored a lavatory building with toilets and showers.
Next day we were witnesses to a beautiful love story.
We biked away from Scottsdale and on the way out of town we met a lady and a little boy who was driving in a horse-drawn carriage. We where a bit surprised as they looked like Armish people. We wondered if there was an area with those nearby??.
We got the answer some kilometers later when we cycled past a small farm that sold vegetables and home baking. There was a sign saying that they sold muffins. We would like to buy some of that, so we stopped. First there was not anyone to see, but then came a man and a boy. They were also dressed as Armish people. We asked if they had some muffins. No, unfortunately we ran out of honey and my wife has just run into town to buy some more - the man said. Now we could put two and two together.
It was his wife and other son we had seen on the carriage and they were a family that decided to live this way.
Before we cycled on, the man said that there was a good hill comming up.
Sure enough, we came to a good increase, where we had to cycle up to 630 meters. The climb was 5 - 6 kilometer long. When we got up to the top of the pass (Sideling), there was made a picnic area where we got a beautiful view down the valley we just cycled up through.
It was noon, so we stopped for lunch up there. We sat on some benches and tables, which were covered. While we were eating I noticed an elderly man who sat and enjoyed the view and his own food and coffee at another table. Now and then he addressed the people who stopped to see the view.
In some way, I wanted to turn to him, but I never got as far as that before he approached us and wanted to know where we came from.
This was the beginning of a wonderful time in the company of Bill, that was his name. We sat at the table he sat at, and then he began to talk. He had just turned 80 years old, actually the day before my birthday. He lived in the valley opposite the small farm where we had tried to buy muffins. At least once a week he came up to the lookout point, because as he said, it was one of the most beautiful places in the world and he enjoyed the view.
He had been a blacksmith and had learned it from his father, whom he had looked up to as he was a very wise man.
On the table was a snake, which was made of iron, it was his friend he said he had even made it himself. He was always with him. He told that he had no mobile phone nor credit cards or computer. He had landline phone and if anyone had to contact him, they had to call  at the end of the day, that there would be a chance that he was inside and near the phone.
He still liked to work with iron and go to the forest and cut down a tree that would be used for firewood.
It is healthy for body and soul - he said.
He also said that he had had a depression a few years back and then he told that he had lost his wife 14 years ago and when he was not peculiar Christian, he had asked two friends known to be present when he had to say goodbye to his wife.
The coffin was home in the house and before it had to be carried out, he had asked them take off the lid of the coffin. Why ?? - had his acquaintances asked him. Ham had answered, so I can say proper goodbye to my wife.
They took the lid off, so I could take her hand and tell her one last time that I loved her - Said Bill and she was more beautiful than ever. He really missed her.
It was really a touching but beautiful story and we both sat with tears in his eyes. A whole incredible experience meeting him, we will remember forever. Yes, this was a real love story !!!!
After an hour we said goodbye to Bill and were allowed to take a picture of him. We have often thought about him since then.
From the top of the pass and into Launceston it went more or less downwards. It was only when we had to find the BIG4 campground that we got to sweat. We were going up a road named High Street and the name fit perfectly, it was just as steep as Kiddesvej in Vejle, so we had to push the bikes up to the top.
We were in Launceston for two nights when we had an interview appointment for the Check-in magazine and needed WIFI access.

02. feb. 2017 - 04. feb. 2017                                                                               (Update 23. marts 2017)

Vi forlod Coles Bay og cyklede mod Bicheno. I Bicheno ville vi kigge nærmere på nogle Blowholes. Vi fandt dem og fik taget nogle gode billeder derfra. Faktisk var Heidi ved at gå lidt for tæt på, da en bølge ramte plet ind i lufthullet under klipperne og vandet sprøjtede op igennem et af hullerne. Da vi havde brugt lidt tid der cyklede vi hen til et lille udkigspunkt, her var en bænk hvor kunne sidde og spise vores frokost.
Vi havde sendt lidt sms´er frem og tilbage med Nina og Joe og det viste sig at de var på vej til noget der hed Douglas Bay, som lå 12 lilometer fra Bicheno. De skulle campere et sted der egentlig kun var for Australier, men havde inviteret os til at komme med dem og kunne derved mødes med dem igen.
Aftalen var, at vi skulle handle ind i Bicheno og så cykle til broen ved Douglas River. Her skulle vi mødes med Nina og Joe omkring klokken to.
Vi fik handlet ind og cyklede ud til broen. Her sad vi og ventede 30 minutter inden Nina og Joe kom. Imens vi sad der ude i ingenting, snakkede vi om hvor den campingplads var henne vi skulle sove på.
Der var ikke andet at se end farmhouses og indhegninger.
Nå men, vi blev meget klogere da Nina og Joe kom. De kørte op til et hus for at betale og vi skulle bare cykle ned af en markvej. For enden af vejen var der en stor jernlåge med en hængelås. Den havde nina og Joe fået en nøgle til og kunne nu lukke os ind på en stor mark. Her var stadig ingenting at se?????
Vi fulgte efter dem over mod nogle træer. Da vi kom over til træerne, kunne vi med et´ se en masse campervans og telte. Som en stor festival lejr.
Nina fortalte at de var kommet her igennem mange år, specielt da deres børn var små. Så udfra det vidste de lige hvor vi skulle ligge.
Vi fik hurtigt sat lejr og så ellers i badetøjet. Så var det ned til vandet og ud i det dejlig kølige vand.
Nina have et lille bodyboard med og vi fik kyndig vejledning i hvordan vi skulle bruge det.
Efter badeturen, gik vi en lang tur langs med stranden og igen var vi så heldige at Nina og Joe kunne fortælle os hvad vi skulle kigge efter og fortalte os om de dejlige minder de have fra dette smukke sted.
Stranden var helt speciel. Vandet havde formet sandstenene i de mest utrolige former og nigen steder hang der grønne planter ned. De var lavvandet og der havde dannet sig forskellige små pytter rundt omkring, hvor solen nu spejlede sig ned i.
Vi nød virkelig Nina og Joe´s selskab og følte os så heldige at vi havde mødt disse søde mennesker.
Inden aftensmad lavde Nina lige et par mini toast med lækker skinke og pesto. 
Aftensmaden lavede vi hver især, men sad og spiste sammen alt imens at snakken gik lystigt.
Da mørket fald på kom myggene ud og det gav anledning til at kravle i soveposerne. Vi var helt naturlig trætte efter en dejlig dag. Vi måtte da lige op en gang, for at flytte på vores affald, som vi havde hængt op på en tørresnor, så possums ikke skulle kunne nå det. Men det var ikke hængt langt nok væk, så vi måtte tage det ned og have det med ind i teltet.
Næste morgen blev vi fulgt godt på vej at Nina og Joe. De havde bestemt sig for at cykle med os på deres mountainbikes, de føste 10 kilometer, hvorefter de ville cykle op på Mount Elephant til et sted som lavede dejlige pandekager.
Vi fik vores morgen workout, da Nina satte tempoet og vi cyklede nok noget hutrtigere end hvis vi selv var cyklet afsted. Men så sødt af dem at de ville følge os på vej.
Da vi kom til stedet hvor de skulle dreje fra, fik vi taget afsked med et ordentlig kram og forhåbentlig får vi dem at se igen.
Vi havde en aftale med en warmshower host Pip og Alex i St. Helens, så det var målet denne dag.
Undervejs dertil cyklede vi skiftevis langs den smukke kyst og andre gange ind i skov og op af nogle gode stigninger.
Vi cyklede helt ind til St. Helens, da vi havde fået en beskrivelse om hvordan vi skulle finde hvor de boede. Men jeg havde læst den omvendt, så vi var faktiek cyklet forbi lige hvor de boede. Men det gav så anledning til at besøg på en dejlig cafe´ hvor vi fik en god kop kaffe og et dejligt stykke kage. Herfter måtte vi så cykle 3 kilometer tilbage og op af en stejl vej så vi kunne hilse på Pip og Alex.
Vi fandt huset og på døren sad en seddel, hvorpå de stod de ville være hjemme inden længe og  at vi bare skulle sætte vores telt op hvor vi ville.
Vi var kun lige gået igang med at sætte taltet på, da der kom en anden cyklist op til huset. Det var Jason, han var fra Syd Korea og skulle også sove der. Super hyggeligt. Altid godt at snakke med andre cyklister.
Pip og Alex var meget intersseret i slægtsforskning og meget af deres tid gik med det.  De kunne også godt lide at tage på lange ture med deres campervan. Vi fik et bad og vasket noget tøj og så sad vi og hyggesnakkede over aftensmaden.
Til dessert fik vi Pavlova, som er en form for marengs i blød form. Noget vi godt kunne lide.
Pip mente vi kunne nå at køre ud til Perron Dunes og se Solnedgangen, hvis vi var hurtige. Så vi sprang alle ud i bilen og kørte afsted.
Perron Dunes, var er kæmpe område med store sand klitter og herfra kunne vi se langt ned langs kysten vi havde cyklet langs de sidste mange dage. Et utroligt flot syn med solen der var ved at gå ned.
Pip sagde at vi alle tre, os og Jason kunne gå langs med stranden hen til et punkt hun udpegede til os, så ville hun køre derhen med bilen og hente os.
Det blev en perfekt afslutning på østkysten for os, da vi næste dag skulle til at cykle ind i landet, mod byen Derby. Jason havde cyklet mange dage i streg og ville blive ved Pip og Alex en dag mere for at holde pause.
Dagen til Derby vidste vi skulle blive en at de hårde. De første 33 kilometer gik helt OK, men så kom der en stigning på 9 kilometer, hvor vi skulle cykle op i 600 m højde og ikke nok med det, så var der høj solskin og omkring 30 grader varmt.
De 3 første kilometer var de hårdeste, men stadig ikke en let sag med en fuldt lastet cykel.
Nina havde dagen før givet os en hjemmelavet powerbar, som hun havde sagt vi skulle spise lige inden vi skulle cykle op over passet. For så ville vi have energi nok. 
Den blev spist sammen med en cola.....så vi blev flyvende......sådan da ;-).
Da vi nåede Derby, kunne vi se at dette havde været den hårdeste dag til nu hvad klaterede højdemeter angår.....ialt 1358 højdemeter fordelt over 72 kilometer.
Vi var godt brugte da vi kom til Derby.
Jeg skal lige huske at nævne, at vi fik den fedete belønning da vi først skulle ned oppe fra passet. Vi kørte konstant nedaf i 20 minutter. En anden ting, som ikke var så fedt, var at vi så to store sorte slanger undervejs.
Helidigvis er de mere bage for den end vi er for dem, så ligeså hurtug t som vi så dem, var de væk igen.
Derby er kendt for at være et af Australiens bedste mountainbike områder. ( www.ridebluederby.com.au ) 
Her er massevis af trail lavet i regnskoven og der bliver også afholdt professionelle masterskaber.
Byen er ganske lille med maks 50 huse, men på grund af der kommer så mange der vil mountainbike, er der en fed cafe´ og endda en cykelbutik. Så vores aftensmad blev en lækker burger med sweetpotato chips til.
Udover det kan man tage bad og overnatte gratis i en park, hvor alle der kommer her mere eller mindre campere.
Det var virkelig et mountainbike mekka.


English

02. feb. 2017 - 04. feb. 2017    
                                                                          (Update 23. march 2017)
We left Coles Bay and cycled towards Bicheno. In Bicheno we would look at the Blow Holes. We found them and took some nice pictures. In fact, Heidi got a little too close when a wave hit the spot into the air pocket under the rocks and the water splashed up through one of the holes. After spending some time there we cycled to a small lookout point, here there was a bench where we could sit and eat our lunch.
We had sent some text messages to Nina and Joe and it turned out that they were going to something called Douglas River, which was 12 kilometer from Bicheno. They were going to camp somewhere that was really only for Australians but had invited us to come with them and so we could meet with them again.
The agreement was that we would shop some stuff for our dinner in Bicheno and then cycle to the bridge at Douglas River. Here we had to meet with Nina and Joe around two o'clock.
We shopped and then cycled to the bridge. Here we sat and waited 30 minutes before Nina and Joe came. While we sat there out in nowhere, we talked about where it was we had to camp.
There was nothing more to see than farm houses and fences.
Anyway, we got much smarter when Nina and Joe came. They drove up to a house to pay and we just had to cycle down a country lane. At the end of the lane there was a large iron gate with a padlock.  Nina and Joe had a key and could now let us in on a big field. There was still nothing to see ?????
We followed them towards some trees. As we came around the trees, we could at once see a lot of campervans and tents. As a big festival camp.
Nina told that they had come here for many years, particularly when their children were small. So based on what they knew they found the right spot for all of us.
We quickly set camp and jumped into our swimwear. Then down to the water and into the nice cool waves.
Nina have a small bodyboard and we got expert guidance in how to use it.
After bathing, we went for a long walk along the beach and again we were fortunate enough that Nina and Joe could tell us what we should look for and told us about the wonderful memories they have from this beautiful place.
The beach was very special. The water had shaped sandstones of the most incredible shapes and at some places green plants hung down. It was low tide and  and water from the sea had formed various small puddles where the sun now reflected into.
We really enjoyed Nina and Joe's company and felt so lucky that we had met these nice people.
Before dinner Nina made a few mini toast with delicious ham and pesto.
Dinner we made each of us, but sat and ate together while the talk went merrily.
When darkness came mosquitoes came out and due to that it was time to crawl into our sleeping bags. We were completely tired after a great day. We just had to get up one more time to move our waste as we had hung it on a clothesline, so the possums should not be able to reach it. But it was not hung far enough away so we had to take it down and take it into the tent.
The next morning we where followed on our way by Nina and Joe. They had decided to ride with us on their mountain bikes for 10 km, after which they would ride up on Mount Elephant to a place that did lovely pancakes.
We got our morning workout as Nina sat the pace and we biked probably a little faster than if we had cycled ourselves. But so sweet of them that they would follow us along the way.
When we got to the place where they were to exit, we said goodbye with a proper hug and hopefully we will see them again.
We had an appointment with a warm shower host Pip and Alex in St. Helens, so that was the goal today.
Along the way there we cycled alternately along the beautiful coast and other times into the forest and up some good hills.
We cycled all the way to St. Helens, as we had been given a description of how we would find where they lived. But I had read the message in reverse, so we actually cycled past right where they lived. But it gave the opportunity to visit a nice Cafe 'where we had a good cup of coffee and a lovely piece of cake. After the coffee we had so cycling three kilometers back and up a steep road so we could greet Pip and Alex.
We found the house and at the door was a note saying that they would be home soon and that we just had to put our tent where we liked.
We were only just getting started with putting up the tent, as another cyclist came up to the house. It was Jason, he was from South Korea and would also sleep there. Super cozy. Always good to talk with other cyclists.
Pip and Alex were very interested in genealogy and much of their time went with it. They also liked to go on long trips with their campervan. We got a bath and washed some clothes and after that we sat and enjoy talking over dinner.
For dessert we had Pavlova, which is a form of meringue in soft form. Something we liked.
Pip thought we had time to drive out to Perron Dunes and watch the sunset if we were quick. So we jumped all out in the car and drove off.
Perron Dunes, was a huge area with large sand dunes and from here we could see far down the coast we had cycled along the past several days. An incredibly beautiful sight with the sun going down.
Pip said that all three of us could walk along the beach to a point she appointed to us, she would drive there with the car and pick us up.
It was a perfect end to the East Coast for us as we was going to ride inland the next day, towards the town of Derby. Jason had cycled many days in a row and would stay another day at Pip and Alex to get some rest.
The Day to Derby we knew were going to be hard. The first 33 kilometers were quite OK, but then came a climb of 9 km, where we had to cycle up to 600 m hieght and not only that, there was bright sunshine and about 30 degrees.
The first 3 kilometers were the hardest, but still not a straightforward case with a fully loaded bike.
Nina had the day before given us a homemade powerbar, as she had said we should eat it  just before we were to ride over the pass. Then we would have enough energy.
It was eaten with a coke ..... so we were flying ...... such as ;-).
When we reached Derby, we could see that this had been the hardest day until now. We climbed a ..... total of 1,358 vertical meters distributed over 72 kilometers.
We were so tired when we arrived in Derby.
I must remember to mention that we got a big reward when we first had crossed the pass. We had a constanly downhill for 20 minutes. Another thing that was not so great was that we saw two large black snakes along the way.
Fortunatly they were more afraid of us than we are of them, so as fast as we saw them, they were gone again.
Derby is known for being one of Australia's best mountain biking areas. (Www.ridebluederby.com.au)
Here are dozens of trail made in the rainforest and there are also organized professional master cups.
The city is quite small with a maximum of 50 houses, but because of so many visit to mountain bike, it has a great Cafe ', and even a bicycle shop. So our dinner was a delicious burger with sweetpotato chips from this cafe´.
Besides that you can take a bath and stay free in a park where everyone who comes here more or less camp.
It was really a mountain bike mecca.

 

30. jan. 2017 - 01. feb. 2017                                                                                (Update 19. marts 2017)

Happy Bitrthday and meeting Luna

Vi sagde farvel til Maria Island og sejlede til fastlandet for at cykle til Swansea. Dagen bød på smuk cykling langs det smukke hav.
Vi bestemte os for at cykle til Coles Bay og så holde en dags pause, da Marianne lige havde en 50 års fødselsdag der skulle fejres.
Coles Bay lå lidt afsides fra den vej vi egentlig skulle cykle, vi skulle cykle 27 km ned langs en halvø for at komme dertil, det skulle vi så cykle tilbage, når vi skulle mod Douglas River.
Undervejs kom vi forbi 3 små vin gårde og vi blev grebet af den hyggelige stemning, der var ved Gala Winery. Så inden vi havde set os om var vi gået ind og havde spurgt efter en flaske Pinot Gris. Vi fik en smagsprøve og den var jo dejlig frisk i smagen så sådan en flaske kunne vi da godt købe.
Tror bare lige vi havde glemt, at det ikke var 30,- kroner men 30,- Australske dollar sådan en flaske kostede.
Det var først da vi cyklede videre, jeg fik omregnet prisen og råbte til Heidi at vi faktisk lige havde købt en flaske vin til 150,- danske kroner. Hvilket vi nok aldrig havde gjort, hvis vi var hjemme i DK.
Inden vi kom til afkørslen til Coles Bay, skulle vi over et højdedrag og fik et smuk syn ud over vinmarker og Coles Bay inden vi sysede ned på den anden side.
Da vi kom til Coles Bay, cyklede vi til Turist informationen. Vi håbede på at der var plads ved Honeymoon Bay, da vi havde fået at vide af nogle andre cyklister, at det var et fedt sted og man havde næsten en privat strand.
Igen var alt udsolgt. Så vi cyklede tilbage til Coles Bay og købte to nætter på campingpladsen der.
Vi fik en god plads, godt nok et stykke fra toiletbygningen, men vi havde vores eget lille indhak og da vi var nogen af de første der satte lejr, kunne vi "stjæle" et stor bord med bænk fra en af den andre pladser.
Vi skulle jo havde noget for pengene.
Næste morgen var det d. 01. feb. og min fødselsdag. Heidi beorderde mig til at blive inde i teltet, indtil hun sagde jeg måtte komme ud. Imens jeg lå og ventede tjekkede jeg min mail og her havde jeg fået nogle dejlige hilsner fra mor og far plus familie. Må sige at på sådan en dag, kommer man til at savne sine forældre og nærmeste. Specielt når man befinder sig på den anden side af jorden og læser alle de søde hilsner der var blevet sendt.
Nå, men nu måtte jeg komme ud. Heidi havde pyntet op med en giulande hvorpå der stod "Happy Birthday" og lys som var formet som et femtal og et nul. Morgenmaden stod klar. Dejlig müsli med kold mælk og kaffe.
Vi sad i lang tid og hyggede over morgenmaden. Jeg havde ønsket at vi skulle tage til Wineglass Bay og tage en dukkert og så ellers se hvad dagen ville byde på.
Så klokken var godt 10 da vi cyklede afsted mod Wineglass Bay. Fra Coles Bay var der cirka 4 kilometer ud til P-pladsen hvorfra man vandre af anlagte stier, først op til udsigt punktet ned over Wineglass Bay og derefter kan man gå helt ned til stranden.
Ligesom vi kom ud på vejen, kunne vi se en ung pige komme cyklende med fuld oppakning. I første omgang cyklede vi et godt stykke foran hende. Men da vi standsede for at tage billeder cyklede hun forbi os.
Jeg tænkte at hun lignede en dansker, men det blev kun ved tanken.
Da vi kom op til P-pladsen, så vi hende lidt længere fremme og ville gå hen og spørge hvorfra hun kom, men inden vi nåede det, var hun som forsvundet fra jordens overflade.
Vi begav os på vej. Op til udsigtspunktet, sammen med massevis af andre turister. Sådan er det nu engang når et sted er eftertragtet. Vi fik taget en masse billeder deroppe fra, hvor vi kunne se ned over hele bugten.
Vi havde en skyfri himmel og det flotte vand, med de grønne træer hele vejen rundt var et smuk syn.
Hele bugten er formet som et vinglas og derfor har den fået navnet.
Herefter gik ved ned til stranden i bugten og fandt et sted vi kunne sætte os. Hurtigt fik vi badetøj på og så ud i bølgerne. Men vi skulle virkelig passe på, da strømningerne var utrolig stærke. Vandet var dejlig køligt og som helse for vores ømme ben. Efter turen i vandet, sad vi på stranden og spiste vores medbragte påskeboller. Det er boller med rosiner og kanel. Noget der bliver spist meget af hernede.
Efter 1 1/ 2 time på stranden. gik turen tilbage til P-pladsen og vores cykler. Her fik vi os en hyggelig overraskelse. Pigen på cyklen var dansk og hed Luna og kom fra Esbjerg. Hun havde set vores danske flag på cyklerne og havde skrevet en lille seddel, hvorpå der stod hendes telefon nummer og at hun ville blive i Coles Bay om eftermiddagen, hvis vi havde lyst til at mødes.
Det ville vi da gerne, så med det samme sendte vi en sms og fandt ud af hvor hun var henne. Faktisk sad hun i parken lige overfor campingpladsen, så vi cyklede direkte derhen.
Vi fik hilst på hinanden og så indviterede vi hende på kaffe og lækker kage.
Resten af eftermiddagen sad vi udenfor cafe´en og snakkede. Det var så hyggeligt.
Efter et par timer tog vi afsked med Luna, hun skulle finde et sted at slå lejr og vi havde bestemt os for at spise på The Tavern. I dag måtte vi godt bruge lidt flere penge end vores budget, det er jo ikke hver dag men fylder 50 år.
Vi fik lækker laks og en dejlig stor kold øl. Senere sad vi i teltet og hygge snakkede samtidig med vi spiste chips. Jeg fik også tjekket alle de hilsner der var kommet på Facebook. Helt overvældende.


English

Happy Birtheday and meeting Luna


We said goodbye to Maria Island and sailed to the mainland and cycled to Swansea. The day included beautiful cycling along the beautiful sea.
We decided to cycle to Coles Bay and then take a day's break, as Marianne had her 50th birthday to be celebrated.
Coles Bay was somewhat remote from the path we should actually cycling, we had to cycle 27 km down along a peninsula to get there, we should cycle back the same way when we were going towards Douglas River after two day in Coles Bay.
Along the way we passed 3 small wine farms and we were gripped by the cozy atmosphere that was at Gala Winery. So before we we knew we had gone in and had asked for a bottle of Pinot Gris. We got a taste and it was the lovely fresh taste so we got us such a bottle.
I think we had forgotten that it was not 30, - danish kroner but 30 - Australian dollar Such a bottle cost.
It was only when we cycled on, I converted the price and shouted to Heidi that we actually had just bought a bottle of wine for 150, - Danish kroner. Which we probably never had done if we were at home in Denmark.
Before we came to the exit to Coles Bay, we had to get over a hill and got a beautiful view out over the vineyards and Coles Bay before we went down on the other side.
When we came to Coles Bay, we cycled to the Tourist information. We hoped that there was space at Honeymoon Bay, as we had been told by some other cyclists that it was a great place and we had almost a private beach.
Again, everything was sold out. So we cycled back to Coles Bay and bought two nights at the campground there.
We got a good space, we had our own little notch and when we were one of the first to set camp, we were able to "steal" a large table with a bench from one of the other seats.
We wanted walue for the money we had payed for staying at the campground.
Next morning it was d. 01 Feb. and my birthday. Heidi told me to stay in the tent, until she said I could get out. While I was waiting, I checked my mail and here I had gotten some lovely greetings from mom and dad plus family. Must say that on such a day you're missing your parents and relatives. Especially when you are on the other side of the world and read all the sweet greetings that were sent.
Well, now I had to get out. Heidi had set up the table with a birtheday decoration saying "Happy Birthday" and light which was shaped like a number five and a zero. Breakfast was ready. Lovely muesli with cold milk and coffee.
We sat for a long time and enjoyed the breakfast. I had wanted us to go to Wineglass Bay and take a dip and then just see what the day would bring.
So the time was just after 10 when we cycled away towards Wineglass Bay. From Coles Bay, there were about four kilometers to the parking area where you can hike the trails, first up to the lookout over Wineglass Bay and then you can walk down to the beach.
Just as we came out on the road, we could see a young girl cycling fully packed. Initially we cycled well ahead of her. But when we stopped to take pictures she passed us.
I thought she looked like a Dane, but it was only a thought.
When we came up to the parking area, we could see her a little further away and went in that direction so we could ask where she was from, but before we reached her, she disappeared from the face of the earth.
We ventured on the road. Up to the point, along with dozens of other tourists. That's the way it is when a place is coveted. We took a lot of pictures from there where we could look down across the bay.
We had a cloudless sky and the beautiful water with green trees all around was a beautiful sight.
The entire bay is shaped like a wine glass and therefore has been named wineglass bay.
Then walked down to the beach in the bay and found a place we could sit. We quickly got swimsuits on and jumped in the waves. But we really should be careful as the currents were extremely strong. The water was nice cool and healthy for our aching legs. After the dip in the water, we sat on the beach and ate our packed Easter buns. It is buns with raisins and cinnamon. Something that is eaten a lot of here in Australia.
After 1 1/2 hours at the beach. We went back to the parking area and our bikes. Here we got us a pleasant surprise. The girl on the bike was Danish and called Luna and came from Esbjerg. She had seen our Danish flag on the bikes and had written a note that said: her phone number and she would be in Coles Bay this afternoon if we wanted to meet.
That sounded great so immediately we sent a text message and found out where she was. In fact, she was sitting in the park just across the campsite, so we biked there directly.
We greeted each other and then we invited her for coffee and delicious cake.
The rest of the afternoon we sat outside the cafe and talked. It was so cozy.
After a few hours we said goodbye to Luna, she had to find a place to camp and we had decided to eat at The Tavern. Today we had to use a little more money than our budget, it's not every day one turns 50.
We got delicious salmon and a nice big cold beer. Later we sat in the tent tallking while we ate chips. I also checked all the greetings that had been written on Facebook. Absolutely overwhelming.

 

28. jan. 2017 - 29. jan. 2017                                                                                 (Update 17. march 2017)

Maria Island

Maria Island blev en af de helt store opleveler.
Efter en nat i Orford, skulle vi kun cykle 6 kilometer for at nå til den lille havn i Thiabunna, herfra skulle vi sejle med en lille båd til Øen.
Det var ikke bare lige sådan at få en plads på den båd. Det var fordi australierne havde lang weekend, så den første båd var udsolgt.
Selvom at turist informationen lå lige på havnen og det ville være meget nærliggende at det var dem der solgte billetterne, så var det ikke sådan.
Vi skulle ringe til kaptajnens kone og lave en booking, som så ringede til kaptajnen, som vi faktisk kunne se tage telefonen, alt imens vi var på hold og gav to grønt lys for at sælge de to billetter til os.
Vi fik plads på båden klokken 13.00.
Turen over til øen tog kun 40 minutter. Da vi skulle fra borde, var det et stort kaos af mennesker der skulle med tilbage og så os plus to familier der skulle i land. Der var cykler og bagage over alt på molen og ingen system overhovedet.
Nå, men af båden kom vi og et hurtigt besøg forbi ranger kontoret i Darlington. Den eneste “by” på øen. Her skal forståes at der er ingen biler og indkøb er heller ikke muligt. Man skal have alt med fra fastlandet og alt affald skal du også selv tage med tilbage.
Vi bestemte os for at cykle 11 kilometer ad en anlagt grussti til det der hed The French Farm og så sove i telt der den første nat.
Allerede på vejen dertil blev vi forkælet med smuk natur og utrolig smukke strande. Vi var virkelig glade for at vi havde besluttet os for at blive i to nætter.
Efter en time på cyklen nåede vi til The French Farm. Her var en lille gammel hytte og et gammelt skur, hvor får er blevet klippet for flere år siden. Alt sammen meget rustikt.
Vi var kun os, en australsk kvinde og 3 tyske piger. 
Vand kunne vi få fra en regnvands tank og vi bestemte selv hvor vi ville slå lejr.
Vi havde ikke andet end lige sat teltet op, da jeg bemærkede noget gråt der lignede en stor sten.
Hvad var det…stenen bevægede sig……hvad????? Det var en wombat, som helt uforstyrret sad ved siden af den australske kvindes telt og gnaskede løs af græsset.
I kan tro at jeg fik fat i foto udstyr og så ellers afsted for at filme. Det var jo nok den eneste vi fik at se.
Alt imens jeg filmede, kom den australske kvinde. Jeg måtte lige meddele hende at det var en wombat. Kvinden smilede bare og sagde: Bare vent om en halv time vil du næste falde over dem, så mange kommer der frem.
Ganske rigtigt, der kom mange og den ene mere sød end den anden. De var ikke de eneste dyr der kom frem. Vi så massevis af wallabies, store kænguruer, papegøjer og andre flotte fugle. 
Sener på aftenen efter vi havde spist, gik vi over på en stor mark og gik rundt i 45 minutter, bare for at se endnu flere wombatter og kænguruer.
Da vi lagde os til ro, kunne vi af og til høre….dump dump dump, når en kænguru hoppede forbi teltet eller en smadsken fra en wombat.   

Næste morgen tog vi os god tid. Vi lavede lækre pandekager med banan og ahorn sirup til morgenmad.
Da teltet var pakket sammen, gik turen tilbage mod Wellington. Vi tog en masse billeder og filmede. Da vi kom til "The painted cliffs" holdt vi et længere stop, for at se nærmere på de smukke sandsten, der stod helt klare med deres gule og brune farver i middags solen. Forunderligt hvad naturen kan præstere.
I Wellington skulle vi betale for at overnatte, så vi skulle forbi ranger kontoret for at betale.
Herefter fandt vi et passende sted til teltet og gik på opdagelse på fosil ruten. Det var utroligt den forskel der var fra øst siden af øen i forhold til vest siden. 
Her var kæmpe klipper som forsvandt lodret ned i havet, nok 100 m høje, hvis ikke mere. Vi kunne gå helt hen til kanten og kigge ned på det oprørte hav. Vi skulle ikke for tæt på, da der blæste en kraftig vind.
Vi havde lavet kaffe og havde det med i vores termokrus, så vi kunne sidde og nyde udsigten, samtidig med en god kop kaffe. Det var lige noget der passede de to piger.
Efter en god vandretur, hvor vi også nåede at se Fossil stranden. Kom vi tilbage lejren. Det var ved at være sidst på eftermiddagen og nu kom wombatterne frem sammen med de små wallabies.
Faktisk var der en wombat som, sad lige ved siden af vores bord og gumlede alt iens vi sad og spiste vores aftensmad. Vi må sige, det var lige før at en wombat kom med ien af vores tasker. For de er bare så søde.


English

Maria Island 
28th jan. 2017 - 29th jan. 2017                                                                                       (Update 17. march 2017)

Maria Island became one of the great experiences.
After a night in Orford, we only had to cycle 6 km to reach the small port of Thiabunna, from here we should sail with a small boat to the island.
It was not an easy thing to get a seat on the boat. It was because Australians had a long weekend because of Australia day, so the first boat was sold out.
Although the tourist information office was right on the harbor and it would be very obvious that it was they who sold the tickets, it was not so.
We had to call the captain's wife and make a booking and she then called the captain. Which we could actually see pick up the phone, all the while we were on hold in the tourist information and  he gave green light to sell two tickets to us.
We got tickets for the boat at 13:00.
The trip over to the island took only 40 minutes. When we had to disembarked, it was a big chaos of people who were going back. There were bikes and luggage all over the pier and no system at all.
Well, of the boat we came and we went for a visit at the ranger office in Darlington. The only "city" on the island. It should be understood that there are no cars and shopping for food is not possible. You had to have everything with us from the mainland and all waste should you even take back yourselfs.
We decided to cycle 11 kilometers along a gravel path brought to be called The French Farm and then camp there the first night.
Already on the way there we were spoiled with beautiful scenery and incredibly beautiful beaches. We were really pleased that we had decided to stay for two nights.
After an hour on the bike, we reached The French Farm. Here was a little old cottage and an old shed where sheep have been cut several years ago. All very rustic.
We were only us, an Australian woman and three German girls.
Water we could get from a rainwater tank and we decided where we would set up camp.
We had nothing but just put up the tent when I noticed something gray that looked like a large rock.
What was it ... the stone moved ...... what ????? It was a wombat as undisturbed sat next to the Australian woman's tent and munched away at the grass.
I got hold of photo equipment and walked over to take pictures and film. It was probably the only one we got to see.
All the while I was filming, came the Australian woman. I just had to inform her that it was a wombat. The woman just smiled and said: Just wait about half an hour. Then you will fall on them, so many will come out.
Sure enough, there came many and one more sweet than the other. They were not the only animals that came. We saw lots of wallabies, big kangaroos, parrots and other beautiful birds.
Later in the evening after we had eaten, we went over to a large field and walked around for 45 minutes, just to see even more wombats and kangaroos.
When we put ourselves down, we could sometimes hear ... .dump dump dump when a kangaroo hopped past the tent or munching from a wombat.

Next morning we took our time. We made delicious pancakes with banana and maple syrup for breakfast.
When the tent was packed up, we went back to Wellington. We took a lot of pictures and filmed. When we came to "The painted cliffs" we held a long stop for a closer look at the beautiful sandstone that was very clear with their yellow and brown colors in the afternoon sun. Strange what nature can do.
In Wellington we had to pay for the camping, so we went past the ranger office to pay.
Then we found a suitable site for the tent and went exploring on the fosil route. It was unbelievable the difference there was from the east side of the island compared to the west side.
Here was huge rocks which disappeared vertically into the sea, probably 100 meters high, if not more. We could walk right up to the edge and look down on the rough sea. We did not go too close, as there was a strong wind.
We had made coffee and had it in our thermos so we could sit and enjoy the view, while we drank a good cup of coffee. It was just something that suited these two girls.
After a good hike, where we also managed to see Fossil beach. We came back to the camp. It was getting late in the afternoon and then out came the wombats and the small wallabies.
In fact, there was a wombat who was sitting right next to our table and munching everything while we sat and ate our dinner. We must say: it nearly happend that one of the wombats came with us in one of our bags. As they are just so cute.
 

                                                                                                                                          (Update 01. marts 2017)

(23. jan. - 27. jan. 2017)    
                                                                                               
Lige nu hvor jeg sidder og skriver på bloggen, kan vi se tilbage på 25 dejlige dage på Tasmanien.
Vi er ikke et minut i tvivl om at beslutningen om at flyve dertil, var det hele værd.
Efter en ret sørgelig morgen, hvor vi sagde farvel til Melissa og Daniel, havde vi en dejlig flyvetur på to timer til Hobart. Allerede på vej ind over øen kunne vi se, de mest utrolige farver og store bjerge. Vi var meget spændte på, hvad der lå foran os de næste 25 dage.
Første oplevelese var den lille hyggelige Hobart lufthavn. Her var kun et bagage bånd og der gik ikke længe inden vi stod med alt vores bagage.
Nu skulle cyklerne pakkes ud og samles. Det tog ikke mere end 1 1/2 time, så var vi klar. Næsten da, for ligesom vi skulle til at cykle afsted, bemærkede jeg at mit baghjul var fladt. Jeg havde måttet pumpe det et par gange undervejs fra Brisbane og hver gang havde hjulet holdt luft.
Så vi sat en ny slange i og det tog yderlig 15 minutter. Synderen var et fint stykke ståltråd der var gået igennem dækket.
Fra Lufthavnen skulle vi cykle til bydelen Howrah, hvor vi havde en aftale med Warmshower host Nina og Joe. Det var en lille opvarmningstur på 17 kilometer.
Vi fandt direkte hen til huset og fik en varm velkomst. Vi blev vist tilrette i huset, med en dejlig havudsigt fra det værelse vi skulle bo i de næste to dage. Faktisk kunne vi se over på den bydel hvor Prinsesse Mary var vokset op.
Nina og Joe var lige gået på pension og glædede sig over den tid de gik imøde. Med masse af udeliv og fuld fart over deres aktive liv. De kunne give os en masse nyttige oplysninger om øen, da vi jo faktisk var fuldstændig uviden om hvor vi skulle cykle hen.
Første aften lavede Nina og Joe en dejlig barbecue, hvor vi sad på terassen og snakkede, samtidig med at vi så delfiner springe omkring i vandet lige ud for hvor vi sad. En af deres gode venner kom forbi med hendes datter. Så snakken gik lystigt. Nina og Joe gav os så mange gode oplysninger omkring øen og Nina sagde: I har mit nummer og skulle i komme i om i skal dreje til højre eller til venstre, så kan i bare sende en sms og vi vil fortælle jer hvad vej det er værd at tage.
Næste dag cyklede vi ind til Hobart for at se lidt på byen og for at købet et kort over øen. Undervejs derind cyklede vi forbi en cykelbutik Nina og Joe havde foreslået os. Heidi havde lidt bøvl med hendes forskifter.
Det blev fikset på stedet og et nyt gear kabel blev monteret i løbet af 30 minutter.
Inde i Hobart stilte vi cyklerne ved Turistkontoret og gik derfra på opdagelse på Salamanca market og det gamle kvarter der ligger bagved. Vi ville gerne havde været på MONA (Museum of old and new art), men det var desværre lukket om tirsdagen. MONA er et must, når man er i Hobart. Det blev grundlagt af rigmanden David Walsh og skulle efter sigende være noget helt specielt.
Hobart er den næstældste hovedstad i Australien efter Sydney.
En hyggelig by, som var let af finde rundt i.
Vi havde fået nøglen til huset, da Nina og Joe skulle ud og spise og derefter i biografen for at se Lions. Faktisk kendte de drengen fra filem, som havde boet lidt længere ned af gaden. De kunne også fortælle at noget af filmen var blevet filmet på selv og samme sted.
Så da vi kom tilbage fra sightseeing i Hobart, var vi alene hjemme. Vi hyggede med dejlige pies og grøn salat og slappede ellers bare af med udsigten over Derwent Rivers udmunding.
Vi besluttede os for at cykle mod østkysten først. Så næste morgen efter morgenmaden og de sidste informationer fra Nina og Joe, cyklede vi afsted mod Eaglehawk Neck. En smuk tur på 80 kilometer og samtidig den tur, hvor vi kom til at klatre de fleste højdemeter intil nu på vores tur (1146 m), men så var vi ligesom igang med Tasmanien.
Vi kunne campere ved divecenteret og bestemte os for at blive to nætter.
Området havde så meget at byde på. Der var The devil´s kicthen, Tasman Arch som er en kæmpe sandstenshule som er kolapset og har derved dannet en naturlig bro, hvor havvandet bruse ind igennem, Tessellated fortov er et stor område med stenformationer, som ligner et kæmpe fortov og the blow hole, hvor havvandet bliver presset ind igennem og danner en form for geyser. Altsammen noget natuern havde formet. For ikke at snakke om hele den impornerende kyst linie, der var skåret ud i kæmpe klipper lodret ned i havet. Så flot og impornerende.
Halv øen Tasman Peninsula har været brugt som fange ø tilbage i 1800 tallet og der hvor Eaglehawk Neck er smallest var der engang det som hed "The dog line".
De fanger der var på øen, blev fortalt at der var hajer i farvandet omkring øen, så de ikke ville forsøge at undslippe øen ved at svømme derfra og fordi at Eaglehawk Neck var et meget smalt sted, 100 meter bredt. Kunne det bevogtes af bidske hunde bundet til en lang line.
Så her fik vi også en del tid til at gå, da man også kunne se officer bygningen tilbage fra 1832.
Faktisk krysede vi 4000 kilometer mærket denne dag. Det blev fejret med et par billeder lige ved Pirat Bay.
Næste dags misson var at cykle til Orford. Vi havde spurgt Nina og Joe tilråds om et "shortcut", der ville spare os for mange kilometer, men det ville så blive 38 kilometer på grusvej af forskellig beskaffenhed. Vejen hed Wielangata Road. 
Det blev en hård dag, men også en utrolig flot dag. Efter de første 5 kilometer kom vi op til et udsigtspunkt med udsigt over Marion Bay. Her var der faktisk en mand i en bil med lad, der standsede og tilbød at køre os 10 kilometer længere frem, hvis vi mente vi havde undervurderet vejen. Måske vi så tvivlende ud, men vi takkede nej. Han var ikke den eneste der tilbød os transport, senere kom en dame forbi med en hestetrailer der var tom. Hun kunne også sagtens have os med, atter takkede vi nej. Men hvilken en hjælpsomhed ude i midten af ingenting.
Landskabet var så smuk og vi standsede af og til for at tage billeder, et par gange var vi også nødt til at skubbe op ad bakke, da underlaget var meget løs og bakkerne var utrolig stejle.
Cirka 15 kilometer fra Orford, mødte vi en familie i en bil som var punkteret, vi spurgte om vi kunne hjælpe dem på nogen måde. De var OK og der var hjælp på vej. Manden var så sød at guide os på rette vej, vi skulle tage vejen som gik nærmest vandet, da det ville spare os for en rigtig dårlig vej og en helt urimelig stigning.
Vi fandt vejen og cyklede nu igennem det smukkeste landskab med køer, som forsøgte at finde skygge for solen under flotte træer og længere fremme kunne vi se det turkisblå hav med Maria Island i baggrunden, hvor skyerne dannede en dyne over toppen af Mt. Maria. Et impornerende syn.
Maria Island var vores næste destination og nu vi kunne se øen, blev vi endnu mere spændte på hvad den havde at byde på.
Da vi ankom til Orford, tog vi kontakt til Nina via sms. Vi ville se om vi kunne bo hos hendes veninde, som også var warmshower host. Men det betød vi skulle cykle 4 kilometer tilbage af den vi vi lige var kommet og op at en meget stejl vej, så beslutningen blev campingpladsen, som lå 1 kilometer længere fremme af flad vej.


English                                                                                                                         (Updated 01st. march 2017)

(January 23rd  to January 27th 2017)

Right now as I am writing on the blog, we can look back on 25 great days in Tasmania.
We are not a minute in doubt that the decision to fly there, was all worth it.
After a rather sad morning when we said goodbye to Melissa and Daniel, we had a lovely flight of two hours to Hobart. Already on the way flying over the island, we could see the most incredible colors and big mountains. We were very excited about what layed ahead of us the next 25 days.
First expirence was the small cozy Hobart Airport. It was only one baggage conveyor belt and it was not long before we got all our luggage.
Now, the bikes was unpacked and assembled. It took no more than 1 1/2 hours then we were ready. Just about then, for just as we were about to ride off, I noticed that my rear wheel was flat. I had to pump it a few times along the way from Brisbane and each time had the wheel kept air.
So we put a new tube in and it took a further 15 minutes. The culprit was a fine piece of wire that had gone through the tyre.
From the airport we had to commute to the district of Howrah, where we had an apointment t with Warm Shower host Nina and Joe. It was a small warm up trip of 17 km.
We found directly to the house and got a warm welcome. We were shown around the house and got at nice room with a lovely sea view and we were to stay for the next two days. In fact, we could see over to the townpart og Hobart where Princess Mary had grown up.
Nina and Joe had just retired and where looking forward for the upcomming time, were they would be able to do what ever they liked to do. They where bouth very energetic. They could give us a lot of useful information about the island, because we actually did not know anything about Tasmania.
Nina and Joe made a nice barbecue the first night, where we sat on the terrace and chatted while we saw dolphins jumping around in the water right next to where we sat. One of their good friends came by with her daughter. So the talk went merrily. Nina and Joe gave us so much great information about the island and Nina said: You have my number and if you have to decide to go right or left,  just send an SMS and we will tell you what road is worth taking.
Next day we cycled into Hobart to see a bit of the city and to purchase a map of the island. On the way in there we cycled past a bike shop Nina and Joe had suggested to us. Heidi had a little trouble with her front derailleur.
It was rigged on site, and a new shifting cable was installed after 30 minutes of waiting.
We put the bikes at the tourist office in Hobart and went of to explore the Salamanca market and the old quarter behind that. We would have liked to go to MONA (Museum of old and new art), but unfortunately it was closed on Tuesdays. MONA is a must when you are in Hobart. It was founded by the wealthy David Walsh and was said to be something special.
Hobart is the second oldest capital city in Australia after Sydney.
A nice town which was easy to find around.
We had been given the key to the house as Nina and Joe went out for dinner and then to the cinema to see Lions. In fact they knew the boy from the movie, who had lived a little further down the street. They could also tell that some of the movie was filmed at the same place.
So when we came back from sightseeing in Hobart, we were home alone. We enjoyed some lovely pies and green salad and relaxed with the views of the Derwent River estuary.
We decided to cycle to the east coast first. So the next morning after breakfast and the last information from Nina and Joe, we cycled away towards Eaglehawk Neck. A beautiful tour of 80 kilometers, while the tour where we got to climb the most vertical meters intil now on our trip (1146 m), a good way to start Tasmania.
We could camp at the dive centre and decided to stay two nights.
The area had so much to offer. There was The Devil kicthen, Tasman Arch is a giant sandstone cave which had colapsed and has thus formed a natural bridge where the seawater ru


Sydney, Springfarm and Reunion

15. jan. - 23. jan. 2017                                                                                                      (Update 24. feb. 2017)

Da vi forlod Jim og Judy, vidste vi at det blev en let dag på cyklen.
Først skulle vi cykle 8 kilometer indtil Morrisette station og herfra tog vi toget indtil Sydney Central og derfra et andet tog til Campeltown. Det var lørdag og vi kunne køre til halv takst. Hvilket var super billiget set med danske øjne.
Da vi stod af toget i Campeltown skulle vi cykle 14 kilometer, inden vi nåede til Melissa og Daniel. Melissa er Heidi´s niece. Vi brugte goggle maps som GPS og blev sendt på en lille detour, fordi at Springfarm er et helt nyt område og ikke opdateret på kort.
Det var virkeligt varmt stadigvæk, men det var til at holde til når vi nu vidste at vi kunne komme i skygge inden alt for længe.
Vi var virkelig spændte og glædede os til at se dem igen. Det var mere end et år siden vi såes sidst og mange ting var sket siden da.
Det var en mærkelig følelse at tænke på at vi var cyklet dertil. Vi bankede på døren og ud kom Melissa og gav os et kæmpe kram og Daniel ligeså.
Nu skulle vi bare hygge de næste 9 dage. Vi blev vist rundt i deres flotte nye hus og fik lækker tapas til aftensmad.
Desværre skulle de arbejde i løbet af ugen, men så nød de godt af gratis hushjælp i at have os på besøg. Imens de var på arbejde, ordnede vi forskellige ting i huset. Vi nød faktisk at lave "normale" huslige ting, efter godt 3 måneder på cyklen.
En af gøre målene vi hjalp med var at sætte deres kæmpe nye smart TV op på væggen. Her kan vi nævne at det blev sat og taget op til 5 gange og det kan vi takke Daniel for. Han går ikke på kompromi med noget overhovedet. Vi har sidenhen set det færdig resultat og det var blev flot.
Tre gange nåede vi ind til Sydney, blandt andet for at opleve Sydney Festival og for at mødes med en ven fra den tid Marianne boede i Wien. Det var 32 år siden vi sidst havde set hinanden.
Nick tog os med bag ved kulisserne i Opera huset, da det er der han synger opera. Vel og mærke gratis adgang og tak for det Nick. Han tog os også med i Botanisk have. Et virkeligt dejligt gensyn.
Vi nåede også at se den berømte strand, Bondi Beach og var for første gang på vegansk resturant.
Blue Mountains fik vi også set, da Melissa og Daniel tog os med på en dagstur dertil, her mødte vi også Daniels søster og kæreste.
Blue Mountains var en utrolig smuk natur oplevelse, med dybe kløfter, et blåt skær og kæmpe vandfald og det var dejligt at se noget af Daniels familie.
Imens vi var ved Melissa og Daniel, begyndte vi at snakke om at lave om på den oprindelig rejse rute. Varmen så ud til at blive ved og at cykle i hedebølge ville vi helt ikke igen. En morgen så vi en video om Tasmanien og derefter tog vi beslutningen: Vi ville til Tasmanien!!!!
Vi købte flybilletter til Hobart til d. 23. jan 2017 og så købte vi færgebilletter fra Devonport til Melbourne til d. 18. feb. 2017. Det gav os 25 dage til at nyde Tasmanien og så ville vi fortsætte som planlagt på Great Ocean Road når vi kom på hoved øen igen.
Efter 9 dage med hygge, masse af grin og afslapning skulle vi sige på gensyn. Det var ikke sjovt overhovedet.
Tak for 9 fantastiske dage, Melissa og Daniel.


English                                                                                                             Update 24th feb 2017

15th jan. - 23rd jan. 2017

When we left Jim and Judy, we knew that it was an easy day on the bike.
First we had to cycle 8 km until Morrisette station and from there we took the train in to Sydney Central and then another train to Campeltown. It was Saturday and we could take the train at half the rate. Which was pretty cheap compared to Danish train rides.
When we got off the train in Campeltown we had to commute 14 kilometers before we reached Melissa and Daniel. Melissa is Heidi´s niece. We used Goggle maps as GPS and aired on a small detour because Spring Farm is a whole new area and not updated on the map.
It was really hot still, but it was OK for us as we knew that we would be out of the sun soon.
We were really excited and looked forward to seeing them again. It was more than a year since we last saw each other and many things had happened since then.
It was a strange feeling to think that we had cycled there. We knocked on the door and out came Melissa and gave us a big hug and Daniel likewise.
Now we should just enjoy the next 9 days. We were shown around their beautiful new house and had delicious tapas for dinner.
Unfortunately, they had to work during the week, but then they had the benefit of free housekeepers as we where there ;-). While they were at work, we fixed various things in the house. We actually enjoyed making "normal" household things after 3 months on the bike.
One of the objectives we helped was to put their giant new smart TV on the wall. Here we can mention that it was put up and taken down up to 5 times and we can thank Daniel for that. He does not compromise on anything at all. We have since seen the finished result and it was nice.
We went into Sydney three times, among other things, to experience the Sydney Festival and to meet up with a friend from the time Marianne lived in Vienna. It was 32 years since we last saw each other.
Nick took us behind the scenes of the Opera house, as it is there he sings opera. All free of charge and an great way to see it - thank you Nick. He also took us to the botanical garden. A truly wonderful reunion.
We also got to see the famous beach, Bondi Beach and was for the first time at a vegan resturant.
Blue Mountains we also saw as Melissa and Daniel took us on a day trip there, here we also met Daniel's sister and boyriend.
Blue Mountains was an incredibly beautiful experience of nature, with deep gorges, a blue tinge and giant waterfall and it was great to see some of Daniel's family.
While we were at Melissa and Daniel, we began to talk about changing the original cycle route. The heat seemed to go on and cycling in the heat wave was not funny at all. One morning we saw a video about Tasmania and then we took the decision: We wanted to go cycling in Tasmania !!!!
We bought flight tickets for Hobart for January 23, 2017 and tehn we bought ferry tickets from Devonport to Melbourne for Feb 18. 2017. It gave us 25 days to enjoy Tasmania and then we would go ahead as planned on the Great Ocean Road when we came on the main island again.
After 9 days of fun, hygge and relaxation we had say: see you later. It was not fun at all.
Thank you for 9 fantastic days, Melissa and Daniel.


Mosquitos, heatwave and Brightwaters

Christmas Cove - Wallamba River Memorial 96 km
Wallamba River - Bulahdelah 64 km
Bulahdelah - Karuah 49 km
Karuah - Brightwaters 91 km

Den dag vi cyklede fra Christmas Cove, skete der ikke meget. Atter en utrolig varm dag. Undervejs holdt vi pause på en stor rasteplads og havde håbet på at vi kunne campere der som ved Halfway Creek, men stedet var helt nyt og ingen steder med skygge eller græs, så vi måtte cykle videre i en ulidelig varme.
Vi havde forsøgt at skrive til en Warm Shower Host i Tuncurry - Foster, men havde ikke hørt noget fra vedkommende, så efter et indkøbsbesøg i Wollies, besluttede vi os for at cykle til Dolphin Caravan Park, men de ville have 55 AUD (280 dkr) for et lille telt. Det ville vi ikke betale, så nu gik jagten ind på et sted vi kunne wild campe. Først havde vi udset os et sted ved en sportsplads, men kom så i tanke om at vi havde set det perfekte sted, som godt nok var en Memorial Park for et eller andet, da vi cyklede ind til byen.
Så der cyklede vi hen til. Her var borde, bænke, toilet og det var lige ned til floden. Hvis vi trak cyklerne godt ned af en lille sti kunne vi ligge helt gemt. Det eneste der ikke var perfekt var alle myggene der var. VI skulle hurtigt skifte tøj og spraye os med autan ellers blev vi ædt levende.
Der var en vandhane, hvor vi kunne vaske noget af sveden af kroppen efter en varm dag.
Næste morgen blev det atter en kamp med myggene. Vi gjorde alt hvad vi kunne for at pakke lejr sammen hurtigst muligt. Der efter trak vi cyklerne op til pic nic bordene og satte os for at spise morgenmad. Alt imens vi sad der kom de første lystfiskere, som ville se om de kunne være heldige og fange en fisk eller to. Ude på floden var der også god aktivitet med små speedbåde og folk der stod på vandski.
Da vi kom på cyklerne kunne vi godt mærke at vi havde cyklet mange kilometer de sidste dage. Vi cyklede afsted som 2 zombier. Efter 10 kilometer kom vi tilbage til M1 - motorvejen. Tilkørslen til motorvejen var et helt almindeligt kryds. Ret vildt når man tænker på at dem der køre på motorvej kommer susende med 110 km i timen.
Da vi havde cyklet de først 19 kilometer kom vi til en lille by, hvor motorvejen mere eller mindre gik lige igennem. Her lå en lille cafe´ så jeg ville friste Heidi og sagde kaffe kaffe. Det tog ikke lang tid at overbevise hende. Så vi bestilte to Ice coffee, hvor vi troede det var kold kaffe, men nej det var ligesom en stor is dessert. Nå hvad tænkte vi, sådan en kan man vel også spise ved 10 tiden.
Efter pausen kom der flere bakker og hver gang vi skulle over en af den svedte vi helt vildt. Igen kom temperaturen over 40 grader. Men vi nåede til Bulahdelah, som igen var en af de små hyggelige byer, Her var en lille købmand, et gammelt hotel og et par små butikker. Ingen campingplads, men vi kunne slå vores telt op ved Bowling klubben til den nette sum af 10 AUD. Der var bad og toilet som var helt up to date.
Om aftenen gad vi ikke lave mad, så vi spiste i restauranten i Bowlingklubben, her bestilte vi kyllingburger og worksburger og sodavand til 30 AUD for det hele.
Næste morgen er vi oppe klokken 6, vi vil gerne afsted tideligt for at undgå den værste varme.
Morgenmaden indtog vi på en bænk foran den lille købmand. Vi købte mælk, så den var dejlig kold og sad så med vores små skåle og spiste müsli.
Allerede fra start kan vi mærke, at dette bliver en varm dag. Det er lige før vi kunne se temperaturen stige stødt, når vi kiggede på termometeret. Vores vand bliver varmere og varmere, så vi næsten kan lave te af det.
Da vi havde cyklet 45 kilometer, kom vi til en afkørsel til byen Karuah. Nu var temperaturen oppe på 44 grader og vi valgte at dreje fra ind til Karuah. Byen lå lige ned til en stor flod og her var en dejlig lille park med en lille pavilion, hvor vi kunne sidde i skygge og holde pause. Der var også et inddæmmede bassin, hvor vi tog os en afkølende dukkert.
Byen bestod af en camping plads, en købmand, et motel og et par enkelte huse. Lige ved siden af parken var der et sted de solgte Østers (Cole Bros Oysters) og et par fiskerhuse.
Nu ville vi holde pause i 3 timer og så se om temperaturen var faldte lidt.
Det blev ikke bedre, istedet blev det bare varmere - 48 grader- ikke til at holde til. Vi drak og drak, men blev ved med at være tørstige.
Imens vi sad og svedte, blev vi underholdt af en del delfiner, der svømmede helt tæt på land.
Ved halv fire tiden blev vi enige om at prøve om vi kunne cykle videre. Vanddunkene blev fyldt med vand og så cyklede vi stille og roligt afsted. Det blev kun til 1 kilometer, så var vandet allerede kogende og vinden der blæste var som og stå bag en jetmotor fra en flyvemaskine. Vi var nødt til at blive i Karuah ellers ville det blive livsfarligt med den varme.
Så nu cyklede vi tilbage til parken og fandt ind i skyggen igen under pavilionen. Ved købmanden købte vi is og kolde drikke samt lidt aftensmad. Først noget senere satte vi teltet op. Det var ulideligt at tænke på, hvordan vi skulle kunne sove i den varme. 
Vi mødte også et par fra Danmark, som vi snakkede lidt med. Det var deres første nat, hvor de skulle sove i telt.
Så vi kunne ikke lade være med at sige: Good luck!!! De virkede meget optemistiske på at få en god søvn.
Inden vi lagde os til at sove, begyndte himmlen at blive meget mørk og vi var helt sikker på at der snart ville komme et kæmpe uvejr. Men det kom aldrig. Det eneste vi fik var vild blæst og temperaturen faldt til 25 grader.
Vi vågnede efter en urolig nat. Men glædede os til at skulle møde Jim og Judy senere på dagen. Jim og Judy var et par vi havde kontaktet via Warmshowers og de havde sagt vi kunne komme og bo ved dem en dag eller to. Så målet var at nå Brightwarters hvor de boede og som lå 120 km nord for Sydney.
Vi cyklede via motorvejen og holdt kun få pauser, da vi vidste at det blev en lang dag i sadlen. da vi nåede byen Hexam, drejede vi fra og cyklede igennen et område med wetlands. Her var der floder og sumpområder og mange skilte, hvorpå der stod: Area subject for floodings (Mulig oversvømmelser).
Vi cyklede igennem Wallsend, Toronto, Dora Creek og til Brightwarters.
Undervejs fik vi en ubehagelig oplevelse. I Toronto skulle vi igennem en stor rundkørsel. Marianne cyklede først ind i den og heldigvis fik Heidi lidt problemer med hendes gear og kommer senere ind i rundkørselsen.
Imellem mig og Heidi er der en bus og helt ind imod midten kommer der en kæmpe lastbil. På ladet af lastbilen lå der en kæmpe træpæl og den rev sig løs idet at lastbilen er på vej rundt i rundkørselsen. Jeg høre et kæmpe bump lige bag ved mig og da jeg kigger over skulderen, kan jeg se at pælen lige nøjagtigt har ramt mellem mig og bussen. Pyha det var godt nok tæt på!! Lastbilen holdte og jeg cyklede op på siden af den og fik øjenkontakt med chauføren. Det eneste han gør er at stikke tommeltotten i vejret. Jeg rystede på hovedet af ham, at han ikke engang kan stå ud af bilen og spørge om man er OK.
Lidt før vi kom frem til Judy og Jim, cyklerde vi forbi nogle store kulminer og kulværfter. Vildt at det stadig er en af hoved energi kilderne i den tid vi lever i. Australien skulle nok sadle om til sol og vindenergi, men der er nok for meget politik blandet ind i den sag!!
Da vi var tæt på hvor Judy og Jim boede, satte vi GPS´en til på telefonen og den guidede os direkte til deres dør. Her fik vi en varm velkomst af Jim, som tog imod os med kindkys og en varm omfavnelse. Judy var på arbejde og kom først hjem lidt senere.
Jim viste os tilrette og vi fik hvert vores væresle med en dejlig seng. Det var lige hvad vi trængte til!!
Så fik vi kaffe og shortcakes. 
Herfra gik snakken i et væk og vi følte os så godt tilpas i Jim og Judy´s selskab. De var begge pensioneret. Judy arbejdede stadigvæk lidt freelance, men ellers nød de et aktivt liv, med masse af udliv og camping. De havde også cyklet store dele af Australien. Så der blev fortalt historier og vi fik gode råd.
Vi endte med at bliver to nætter. Jim havde lagt mærke til at vores tasker var lappet med tape og tilbød at reparerer dem for os og da han så at Heidi´s styrtaske hang lidt, fik den også en tur. Hvilket vi var meget taknemlig for.
Vi fik også en rundvisning i Brightwaters og Jim lavede lækker mad til os begge dage. Gæstfrihed uden grænser.
Nu var vi kun 120 kilometer fra Sydney og vi skulle finde ud af hvordan vi ville komme videre fra Brightwaters.
Jim gav os nogle gode råd, men da vi så vejr udsigten for næste dag og det ville blive noget kryptisk at komme ind til Sydney. Blev vi eninge om at tage toget fra Morrisette og ind til Sydney. Skifte tog på Central station og køre til Campeltown. Herfra skulle vi så cykle 14 kilometer ud til Spring Farm, hvor vi skulle tilbringe den næste tid sammen med Heidi´s niece og kæreste.


English

Christmas Cove - Wallamba River Memorial 96 km
Wallamba River - Bulahdelah 64 km
Bulahdelah - Karuah 49 km
Karuah - Brightwaters 91 km

The day we cycled from Christmas Cove, nothing much happened. Again an incredibly hot day. En route we pause at a large picnic area and had hoped that we could camp there like at Halfway Creek, but the place was brand new and no sites with shade or grass, so we had to keep riding in a excruciating heat.
We had tried to write to a Warm Shower Host in Tuncurry - Foster, but had not heard anything from them, so after a visit to Wollies, we decided to cycle to Dolphin Caravan Park, but they wanted 55 AUD (280 DKR ) for a small tent. Wich we would not pay, so now we would wild campe. First we had chosen us a place at a sports field, but then realized that we had seen the perfect place that was a Memorial Park when we cycled into town.
So there we cycled to. Here were tables, benches, toilet and it was just down to the river. If we pulled the bikes well off a small path we could be completely hidden. The only thing that was not perfect was all the mosquitoes that were there. We had to quickly change clothes and spray us with autan otherwise we were eaten alive.
There was a tap where we could wash some of the sweat from the body after a hot day.
Next morning was another battle with the mosquitoes. We did everything we could to pack camp together as quick as possible. There after we pulled the bikes up to the pic nic tables and sat down to eat breakfast. All the while we were sitting there came the first anglers who wanted to see if they might be lucky and catch a fish or two. Out on the river, there was also good activity with small speed boats and people who was waterskiing.
When we got on the bikes, we felt that we had cycled many kilometers the last days. We cycled like two zombies. After 10 kilometers we came back to M1 - highway. Access to the highway was an ordinary crossing. Pretty wild when you consider that those who drive on the highway comes rushing at 110 km per hour.
As we had cycled the first 19 kilometers we came to a small town where the highway more or less went straight through. Here was a small Cafe´ so I tempted Heidi and said coffee. It did not take long to convince her. So we ordered two Ice coffee, where we thought it was cold coffee, but no it was like a big ice cream dessert. Well what we thought, such one might also taste good at 10 o'clock in the morning.
After the break, there were more hills and each time we had to beat one we sweated wildly.  The temperature got over 40 degrees. We reached Bulahdelah which again was one of the small quaint towns, Here was a small grocery store, an old hotel and a few small shops. No campsites, but we could put up our tent at the Bowling Club for 10 AUD and here was shower and toilet which was completely up to date.
We where lazy In the evening and did not want to cookdinner, so we ate in the restaurant in the Bowling Club, here we ordered chicken burger and work burger and soda - 30 AUD in all.
The next morning we where up at 6 o'clock, we would like to leave early to avoid the worst heat.
The breakfast we ate on a bench in front of the small grocery store. We bought milk, so it was nice cold, and sat with our small bowls and ate muesli.
Right from the start we felt that this would be a hot day. It felt like we could see the temperature rise every time we looked at the thermometer. Our water was getting warmer and warmer, so we almost could make tea of ​​it.
As we had cycled 45 kilometers, we came to an junction to the town of Karuah. Now, the temperature had reached 44 degrees and we chose to exit into Karuah. The town was just down to a large river and there was a nice little park with a small pavilion, where we could sit in the shade and pause. There was also a dammed pool, where we took us a cooling dip.
The town consisted of a caravan park, a grocery store, a motel and a few houses. Right next to the park there was a place they sold oysters (Cole Bros Oysters) and a few fishermen's cottages.
Now we pause for 3 hours and then we would see if the temperature had fallen a little.
It was not better, instead it was just warmer - 48 grader - TO HOT. We drank and drank, but continued to be thirsty.
As we sat and sweated, we were entertained by some dolphins that swam up close to land.
At half past four, we agreed to try whether we could ride on. Our bottles were filled with water and then we cycled quietly away. It was only 1 kilometer, then the water was already boiling and the wind that blew was like standing behind a jet engine from an airplane. We had to stay put in Karuah otherwise it would be fatal because of the heat.
So now we cycled back to the park and sat in the shadows again under the pavilion. At the grocery store, we bought ice cream and cold drinks and some dinner. Only somewhat later, we set up the tent. It was unbearable to think about how we would sleep in the heat.
We also met a couple from Denmark that we talked to. It was their first night where they had to sleep in a tent.
So we could not insist saying: Good luck !!! They seemed very optemistic to get a good nights sleep.
The sky turned very dark before we layed down to sleep and we were quite sure that there would soon be a huge storm. But it never came. The only thing we got was crazy winds and the temperature dropped to 25 degree . We woke up after a restless night. But looked forward to meeting Jim and Judy later in the day. Jim and Judy were a couple we had contacted via Warmshowers and they said we could come and stay with them a day or two. So the goal was to reach Brightwarters where they lived and which was 120 km north of Sydney. We cycled through the highway and kept only a few breaks as we knew it was a long day in the saddle. When we reached the town Hexam, we turned off and cycled though an area of ​​wetlands. Here there were rivers and swamp areas and many signs that said: Area subject to floodings (Possible flooding) .We cycled through Wallsend, Toronto, Dora Creek and Brightwarters. On our way we got an unpleasant experience. In Toronto we passed through a large roundabout. Marianne rode first into it and luckily Heidi got a little trouble with her gear and came later into the roundabout. Between me and Heidi there was a bus and into the mid came a giant truck. On the back of the truck was a huge wooden pole and that pole broke loose as the truck was moving around in the roundabout. I hear a huge bump right behind me and when I looked over my shoulder, I saw that the pole exactly had hit between me and the bus. Phew that was close !! The Truck held and I cycled up the side of it and made eye contact with The driver. The only thing he did was to stick his thumb in the air. I shook my head of him that he not even got out of the car and ask whether you are OK. Just before we came to Judy and Jim, we passed some large coal mines and coal factories. Imagen that Coal is still one of the main energy sources in the age we live in. Australia should probably change its spurs for solar and wind energy, but there is probably too much politics and money inwolved !! When we were close to where Judy and Jim lived, we used the GPS on the phone and was guided directly to their door. Here we got a warm welcome by Jim, who received us with kisses and a warm embrace. Judy was at work and came home a little later. Jim showed us around the house and we got each our room with a lovely bed. It was just what we needed !! Then we got coffee and shortcakes. From then on the talk wwnt on and on and we felt so comfortable in Jim and Judy's company. They were both retired. Judy worked still a little freelance, but otherwise they enjoyed an active life, with lot of outdoor living and camping. They also had cycled many parts of Australia. So stories was told and we got good advises. Wi ended up staying two nights.
Jim had noticed that our bags were patched with tape and offered to repair them for us and when he saw that Heidi's handlebar bag hung a little, he also fixed that. Which we were very grateful for.
We also got a tour of Brightwaters and Jim made delicious food for us both days. Hospitality at it´s best. We were only 120 kilometers from Sydney and we had to figure out how we would move forward from Brightwaters. Jim gave us some good advice, but when we saw the weather forecast for the next day and it would be somewhat cryptic to find our way into Sydney. We decided to take the train from Morrisette into Sydney. Change trains at Central station and drive to Campeltown. From there we cycle 14 kilometers out to Spring Farm, where we would spend the next week or so with Heidi's niece and boyfriend.

 

 


Cracks and Crazy kilometers

Halfway Creek - Coffs Harbour 69 km
Coffs Harbour - Kempsey 128 km
Kempsey - Christmas Cove 95 km

Heidi var frisk til at cykle igen, så vi gjorde klar til at cykle. Alt imens vi var ved at pakke teltet sammen var der en af telt stængerne der knækkede og lavede et hul i teltet. Ikke så godt, men vi var opsat på at vi selv kunne lave begge dele igen. Men valgte at vente til vi kom til Coffs Harbour.
Vi cyklede af bagvejen, som vi havde fået fortalt af manden (Tom) dagen før. Et godt valg, for med det samme vi drejede fra hovedvejen var der næsten ingen trafik og vi fik endda en hel del kænguruer at se.
Selvom det regnede en smule, nød vi at cykle på den mindre trafikerede vej og nu kunne vi også nyde naturen bedre. Vejen går op og ned igennem skov med masse af lyde fra papegøjer og chikader og vi cykler igennem flere små byer med små cafe´er.
I Nana Glen holder vi en lille pause på en lille cafe. Det var her af film stjernen Russell Crowe skulle bo. Så vi vælger at spørge på cafe´en om det er rigtigt at han bor der et sted. Ganske rigtigt og de kan endda fortælle at han af og til kom forbi cafe´en. Men ak vi så ham ikke. Vi prøvede ellers at råbe Russel alt imens vi cyklede i håb om at han ville høre os og så give frokost ;-).
Frokost blev peanutbutter banan sandwich i vejkanten istedetfor.
Vi nåede Coffs Harbour lidt før klokken 3 og fik handlet ind. Campingpladsen vi ville sove på lå faktisk lige i Centrum, så var let at finde.
Jeg må igang med at reparere teltstangen og Heidi må sy teltet inden vi kan sætte teltet på. Det lykkedes for os. Så vi var glade.
Så ville vi vaske lidt tøj, men havde brug for at veksle penge så vi havde 1 dollars mønter. Manden vi spørger, ender med at komme med 4 dollar, som han giver til os. han vil ikke tage imod 5 dollar for 4. 
Vi er målløse. 
Vi mødte også to danske piger, som havde været på rejse i 5 måneder og havde 1 måned tilbage i Australien inden de skulle tilbage til DK. Hyggeligt at snakke med danskere. Det er ikke mange vi har mødt undervejs.

Næste morgen vågnede vi til silende regn. Heidi havde været oppe på WC i løbet af natten og havde bemærket at teltstangen var knækket igen. Teltet var plask vådt og blev pakket sammen. Vi ville cykle afsted og så reparere telt stangen når vi kom frem.
Men den plan holdt ikke, alt imens vi sad og spiste morgenmad, tog regnen til og det så ikke ud til at blive bedre. Så efter nummer to kop kaffe, valgte vi at gå op i receptionen og spørge om vi kunne leje en hytte for en nat mere og så finde en løsning på vores telt problem.
Hytten kostede 110 AUD…. noget mere end vores dags budget, men det blev vores beslutning. Vi kunne endda checke ind med det samme.
I receptionen kunne de fortælle os at der lå en kæmpe campingbutik 200 m nede af vejen og de havde måske en ny teltstang til os.
Så efter vi havde checket in og hængt teltet til tørre. Gik vi hen til camping butikken. Hold nu op hvor en butik. De havde alt og vi mere alt, hvad man kan tænke sig til camping. Vi kunne virkelig se hvor stor camping kulturen er i Australien. Vi fandt en ny teltstang som passede til teltet. Så perfekt. Vi havde troet vi skulle ud og have et helt nyt telt.
Resten af dagen slappede vi af og jeg købte en Hawaii skjorte, som var dejlig tynd og lige perfekt til at cykle i, når temperaturen blev for meget.
Efter en nat i luksus i vores camping hytte, kunne vi cykle afsted i tørvejr og med at telt der var i top igen.
Vi startede med at cykle ad turistrute 18. Hele vejen ned langs kysten er der flere forskellige turistruter. Alle er afmærket med numre og inden man cykler ind på dem, står der hvor lange de er.
De skulle også være flottere og mere interessant at cykle på end motorvejen.
Da vi når Boambee Head får vi en flot udsigt ud over havet og det turkisblå vand. Så kom vi igennem Sawtell, Toormina og Bonville.
Efter Bonville mødte vi to cykelryttere, som til vores held kan fortælle os at ved næste rundkørsel, skal vi dreje af og cykel ad motorvejen, da vej 18 er lukket længere fremme. Så dejligt at vi slap for de ekstra kilometer. Så nu gik det med lynets hast. Motorvejen er helt ny og mest flad, så vi skyder en god fart.
Ved byen Nambucca køre vi af motorvejen, for at holde pause og finder et lille picnic område med borde og bænke.
Efter frokost cyklede vi på motorvejen igen, men desværre går der ikke lang tid inden vejen bliver dårlig. Nu har vi ikke det brede stykke ved siden af vejen at cykle på og vej kvaliteten er så som så.
Da vi krydser broen i Macksville, møder vi en engelsk cyklist, som vi udveksler et par ord med. Han virkede mystisk, men det kan heller ikke være alle man har noget til fælles med.
Efter en pause ved WoolWorth, hvor vi købte ice coffe drik og vand, besluttede vi os for at fortsætte til Kempsey. Der er en del vejarbejde, hvor vejene er ved at blive udbedret, så det første stykke efter Macksville er igen på dårlig vej. Men så kommer der 40 kilometer med ny motorvej igen og så køre det for os.
På et tidspunkt finder vi en pung, som lå på motorvejen. Indtil nu havde fundet og set mange mystiske ting på vores vej. Pungen samler vi op og der er flere forskellige kort i og endda et kørekort. Vi ville aflevere den på næste politistation.
Da vi havde cyklet 6 1/2 time nåede vi af kørselen til Kempsey og nu var der kun 8 kilometer mere inden dagens mål.
Vi nåede til Kempsey Showgrounds og betalte 10 AUD for at campere. Fik sen aftensmad efter 7 timer i sadlen og 128 km tilbagelagt.

Cykeldag 51 af slagsen. Vi forlod Kempsey, men inden skulle vi lige forbi politistationen med den pung jeg havde fundet dagen før. Det tog kun 5 minutter. Så var det ud af Kempsey og direkte på M1 igen. Kilometerne tikkede ind på kontoen, på under 2 timer havde vi cyklet 32 kilometer.
Efter en lille kaffepause på en tankstation blev vi enige om at cykle til Port Maqurie og så holde frokost pause der. Vi havde begge regnet med at byen var en mindre fiskerby, men blev noget skuffet da det var en større by og lidt besværlig at komme igennem.
Vi holdt frokost pause i en park der lå helt ud til vandet. Turen ud af Maqurie blev af nogle virkelig stejle stigninger. En 5 - 6 stykker skulle vi over inden vejen fladede ud. Undervejs fik vi nogle flotte syn udover havet, hvor der var godt gang i bølgerne, som slog ind imod de store klipper der var ude i vandet.
Så gik turen igennem Bunny Hills, North Haven og en anden Haven. I North Haven var der en smuk bugt med bjerge i baggrunden og hvor store pelikaner svømmede og fløj rundt.
Vi endte dagen på Christmas Cove caravan park. Hvorfor dette navn ved vi ikke????


English

Halfway Creek - Coffs Harbour 69 km
Coffs Harbour - Kempsey 128 km
Kempsey - Christmas Cove 95 km

Heidi was fresh to cycle again, so we got ready to ride. All the while we were packing the tent one of the tent poles broke and made a hole in the tent. Not so good, but we were keen that we could repair both again. But chose to wait until we got to Coffs Harbour.
We cycled the back road, which we had been told by the man (Tom) the day before. A good choice for immediately we turned off the main road, there was almost no traffic and we even got to see a few kangaroos.
Although it rained a bit, we enjoyed cycling on the less congested road and now we could also enjoy the scenery better. The road went up and down through the forest with lot of sounds of parrots and chikader and we cycle through several small towns with small café's.
In Nana Glen, we keep a little break at a small cafe. It was here that the film star Russell Crowe would live. So we choose to ask in the cafe it is was true that he lived somewhere there. Sure enough, they could even tell that he sometimes came by the cafe. But  we did not see him. We tried to shout Russel while we biked in hope that he would hear us and provide some lunch for us ;-).
Lunch was peanut butter banana sandwich on the roadside instead.
We reached Coffs Harbour little before 3 o'clock. The campsite we would sleep at was actually right in the center and easy to find.
I started to repair the tent pole and Heidi sew the tent before we could put the tent up. It succeeded. So we were happy.
Then we wanted to wash some clothes, but needed to change money so we had $ 1 coins. The man we asked, ending up giving us $ 4, because he would not accept $ 5 for $ 4.
We were speechless.
We also met two Danish girls who had been traveling for 5 months and had 1 month left in Australia before going back to DK. Nice to talk to Danes. Not many we have met along the way.

The next morning we woke up to pouring rain. Heidi had been up during the night to go to the toilet and had noticed that the tent pole was broken again. The tent was dripping wet when packed together. We would ride off and then repair the tent pole when we arrived somewhere in the afternoon.
But the plan did not happen, while we sat and ate breakfast, the rain keept getting stronger and it did not seem to improve. So after the second cup of coffee, we chose to walk up to the front desk and ask if we could rent a cabin for one night and then find a solution to our tent problem.
The cottage cost 110 AUD .... more than our current budget, but it was our decision. We could even check in immediately.
At the reception they could tell us that there was a huge camping shop 200 meters down the road and they had maybe a new tent pole for us.
So after we had checked in and hung the tent to dry. We went to the camp store. WHAT a store.!!! They had everything and with everything imaginable for camping. We could really see how big the camping culture in Australia was. We found a new tent pole that fitted to the tent. So perfect. We had thought thtat we were going to bye a brand new tent.
The rest of the day we relaxed and I bought a Hawaiian shirt, which was lovely thin and just perfect for cycling when the temperature became too much.
After a night in luxury in our camping cabin, we could ride off in no rain and with the tent all OK again.
We started to ride along the tourist route 18. All the way down the coast there are several tourist routes. All are marked with numbers and before you ride on them, says how long they are.
They should also be more attractive and interesting to ride than the highway.
As we reached Boambee Head we got a nice view of the sea and the turquoise water. Then we came through Sawtell, Toormina and Bonville.
After Bonville we met two cyclists who to our luck told us that we should turn off at the next roundabout and bike along the highway as the road 18 was closed ahead. So nice of them telling us. So now we went with lightning speed. The highway was brand new and all most flat.
At the city Nambucca we drove of the motorway, to pause and take a small break at a picnic area with tables and benches.
After lunch we cycled on the highway again, but unfortunately it did not take long before the road became poor. Now we did not have the wide piece at the side of the road for cycling and road quality was bad.
When we crossed the bridge in Macksville, we meet an English cyclist, we exchange a few words. He seemed mysterious, but it can not be all one has something in common with.
After a break at Woolworth's, where we bought ice coffe drink and water, we decided to cycle all the way to Kempsey. There was some road works where roads were being repaired, so the first piece after Macksville was again on bad road. But then there was 40 kilometers of new highway again and that worked for us.
At one point we found a purse that was lying on the highway. Until then we had found and seen many strange things on our way. We picked up the purse and there were several different cards and even a driver's license inside. We would drop it off at the next police station.
As we had cycled 6 1/2 hour we reached the turn off Kempsey and now there were only 8 km more before this day's goal.
We reached Kempsey Showgrounds and paid 10 AUD for camping. Got late supper after 7 hours in the saddle and 128 km traveled.

Cycling Day 51. We left Kempsey, but before we did we went past the police station with the purse I had found the day before. It took only 5 minutes. Then out of Kempsey and directly on the M1 again. The miles ticked into the account, in less than 2 hours we had cycled 32 km.
After a coffee break at a gas station, we agreed to ride to Port Maqurie and then stop for lunch there. We both had assumed that the town was a small fishing village, but was somewhat disappointed as it was a major city and a little difficult to get through.
We had our lunch break in a park that was right on the water. The trip out of Maqurie were some really steep climbs. 5-6 climbs before the road leveled off. Along the way, we got some great views over the sea, where the waves was breaking toward the big rocks that were out in the water.
Then we went through Bunny Hills, North Haven and another Haven something. In North Haven was a beautiful bay with mountains in the background and where big pelicans swam and flew around.
We ended the day at Christmas Cove caravan park. Why this name we do not know ????

 


Rat and Halfway Creek Rest Stop

Ballina - Beekeepers Rest 70 km
Beekeepers Rest - Grafton 74 km
Grafton - Halfway Creek 38 km

Da vi stod op næste morgen, var der ikke meget liv på camping pladsen. Faktisk lignede det mere eller mindre et kæmpe lazaret, men tomme flasker og diverse fest artikler rundt om på bordene i de forskellige telte og vans.
Vi var hurtig klar og cyklede afsted klokken 8. Først forbi Woolwerth for at handle ind så vi havde mad til dagen og vejen. Så forbi Bunnings, da vi skulle have noget petroleum til vores brænder.
Så satte vi ellers afsted på highway 1. Vejen var helt ny og flad så vi kørte med en god hastighed.
Først lidt ind i landet, hvor vi først kom til Wadell og derefter Woodburn. 
I Woodburn holdt vi pause i godt 2 timer. Hovedgaden lå lige ned til floden og her var en lille park med palmer, som kunne give os skygge.
Imens vi lå og slappede af, kunne vi se en leguan og flotte papegøjer, som sad i træerne over os.
Det kan godt være de var flotte, men ikke søde, da de valgte at sende to fugleklatter efter os!!!!
Igen idag var det utroligt varmt, selv vinden var varm og da vi cyklede videre satte vi varme rekord på 44 grader. Vi havde fyldt vand i vores vandblære, da vi ville vild campe.
Vi ville cykle til New Italy Rest, som lå 11 kilometer længere fremme. Stedet var et museum, der var drevet på frivillig basis og omhandlede historien om de første italienere der havde bosat sig i det område.
Vi fik endda gratis isvand og småkager. Hvilket var tiltrængt i den varme. Vi havde allerede drukket 4 liter vand hver.
Vi fortsatte fra New Italy Rest vi havde 11 kilometer mere inden vi ville nå Beekeepers Rest og nu begyndte det at trække op til uvejr. I første omgang fik vi ikke vand, men det vilde var at temperaturen faldt fra 44 grader ned til 36 grader indenfor en halv time.
Vi nåede til Beekeepers rest, som var en lille P-Plads med toilet. Den lå lige ud til highway, så ikke noget paradis. Vi fandt et lille spot med græs, hvor vi satte teltet op. Så tog vi en god gang trucker vask og skiftede tøj.
Aftensmad blev et lille pizza stykke og sandwich med kylling tomat og kylling mayo smørepålæg.
Selvom at temperaturen var faldet, var der ikke let at falde i søvn. Vi svedet bravt så søvnen blev on and off. Udover det havde vi besøg af en “lille rotte”, som drev os til vandvid. Den kunne lugte en banan i Heidi´s ene taske og gnavede løs for at komme ind til den. Vi prøvede flere gange at jage den væk, men den kom hele tiden tilbage.
Resultatet kunne vi se næste morgen. Et kæmpe hul havde den gnavet i Heidi´s ene fortaske og et mindre hul i en af mine. 
Så inden vi cyklede afsted fra Beekeepers Rest, skulle vi lige have gang i vores gaffa tape og lappe hullerne. Morgenmad bestod af to dåser risbudding.
Varmen var stadig at mærke, men det gik lidt bedere da vi cyklede afsted. Vi cyklede langs store sukkerrørs marker, floder og til tider skulle vi også krydse dem.
Dagen enden i Grafton. En større by. Inden vi kommer ind til centrum, skulle vi krydse en bro og her mister vi kontakten til hinanden. Jeg cyklede forest og havde set der var en cykelsti, som førte neden under broen. Men det så Heidi ikke, så hun fortsætte over broen, hvor jeg så cyklede nedenunder.
Det gav lidt panik for os begge, da der gik lidt tid inden vi fandt frem til hinanden igen.
Nu cyklede vi direkte hen til et stort indkøbscenter, hvor vi fandt en Woolies. Her handlede vi ind til aftensmad og 1 liter is. Isen spiste vi med det samme i en lille park bag ved butikken. Det var lige hvad vi havde brug for i heden.
Vi havde set på Campermate app´en at vi kunne campere ved Grafton Greyhound Showgrounds, så der cyklede vi hen.
Her kunne vi campere til 12 AUD og her var bad, toiletter og vaskemulighed. Da vi betalte, fik vi at vide at der skulle være væddeløb med Greyhounds om aftenen. Fedt tænkte vi, så kunne vi også opleve det. Så efter vi havde vasket tøj, fået et bad og spist aftensmad, gik vi over for at se løbene.
Vildt fasinerende så hurtige de kunne løbe. Hundene havde forskellige størrelser og løb forskellige distancer.
Vejrguderne sendte os en god gang regn og torden, så luften kunne blive renset. Det var virkelig tiltrængt.

Nu var det d. 3. januar og vi satte afsted fra Grafton. Vi havde en ide´ om at nå til Coffs Harbour, som ville blve en tur på omkring 80 kilometer.
Men lige med det samme kunne vi mærke der var ingen energi…..overhovedet!!! Heidi havde både kvalme og ondt i maven. Hvilket meget vel kunne være pga. varmen.
Så vi cyklede meget langsom. For hver femte kilometer holdt vi en pause. Vi kunne godt regne ud at Coffs Harbour ikke kunne blive vores mål, så vi blev enige om at fortsætte til en stor resteplads som hed Halfway Creek. Det var nok mest tænkt som et stoppested for lastbiler, men igennem årene er det blevet til en stor resteplads hvor alle mulige mennesker campere med telt, campervan osv.
Der var også en stor tankstation med restaurant og endda også bade faciliteter. Tankstationen solgte alt muligt, så vi havde alt vi havde brug for.
Vi slog lejr i skyggen af nogle træer og jeg var så heldig at der var nogen der havde efterladt en havestol. Den var en smule defekt, men perfekt til mig. Så lagde vi vores presenning ud på jorden og tog os en god lang lur. Vi ville se hvordan vi følte efter luren og så se om vi ville fortsætte.
Men vi føler os fuldstændig færdige, så vi finder den perfekte plads, hvor vi satte teltet op. Så hentede vi Ice coffe på tanken og sidder og nyder dyrelivet, som der er en masse af på pladsen. Flotte fugle som kommer helt tæt på og en stor leguan ser vi også.
Aftensmaden blev på restauranten på restepladsen, her bestilte vi kylling burger med hashbrowns. Heidi havde stadig ikke den store appetit.
Vi gik tidlig til køjs og heldigvis var der en behagelig temperatur, så vi kunne sove uden problemer.
Troede vi da. Vi sov godt nok, men kun indtil Heidi måtte løbe for livet for at nå toilettet, hun havde ondt i maven og havde fået tynd mave. Ialt to gange måtte hun løbe. Så satte Dr. Marianne Nielsen ind. Først 2 stk. imodium og 1 time senere skulle hun tage en mere og så gik det meget bedre. 
Næste morgen var der ingen tvivl. Vi blev nødt til at blive en dag mere her på Halfway Creek resteplads. Heidi sov det meste af dagen, hvor jeg fik ordnet nogle billeder, lagde et par syvkabaler…..de gik aldrig op og jeg tog flere billeder af dyrene på pladsen.
Senere på dagen, kom Heidi mere til live og hun begyndte at føle sult. Så nu var vi opsatte på at cykle videre næste dag.
Vi ville have cyklet af hovedvejen, men syntes faktisk at trafikken var for tung, men så var der en mand i en campervan, som fortalte os at hvis vi cyklede 2 kilometer tilbage af hovedvejen, så kunne vi cykle af en bagvej til Coffs Harbour og så ville vi også cykle igennem Nana Glenn, som er den by Russell Crowe bor i.
 


English

Ballina - Beekeepers Rest 70 km
Beekeepers Rest - Grafton 74 km
Grafton - Halfway Creek 38 km

When we got up the next morning, there was not much life on the campsite. In fact, it more or less looked like a lost battle field with empty bottles and assorted novelties around the tables in the various tents and vans.
We were soon ready and rode off at 8. First past Woolwerth to go shopping so we had food for the day, then past Bunnings where we bourght kerosene for our burner.
Then we sat off on highway 1. The road was brand new and flat so we drove at a good speed.
First, a little inland, where we first came to Wadell and then Woodburn.
In Woodburn we held a break for more than 2 hours. The main street was just down to the river and there was a small park with palm trees, which could give us shade.
While we layed and rested, we could see an iguana and beautiful parrots who sat in the trees above us.
It may well be they were nice, but not cute when they chose to send two bird droppings
at us !!!!
Again today it was incredibly hot, even the wind was hot and when we rode on we set heat record of 44 degrees. We had filled water in our water bladder so we had water if we chose to wildcamp.
We would commute to New Italy Rest, which was 11 kilometers further on. The place was a museum that was conducted on a voluntary basis and referred to the story of the first Italians who had settled in the area.
We even got free ice water and cookies. Which was needed in the heat. We had already been drinking 4 liters of water each.
We went on from New Italy Rest we had 11 km more before we would reach Beekeepers Rest and now it began to get cloudy and a storm was on it´s way. At first we did not get any rain, but the crazy thing was, the temperature dropped from 44 degrees down to 36 degrees within half an hour.
We reached Beekeepers rest that was a small parking area with a toilet. It was situated right next to the highway, so no paradise. We found a small spot of grass, where we set up the tent. Then we took a good trucker washing with our wet wipes and changed clothes.
Dinner was a small slice of pizza and sandwiches with chicken tomato and chicken mayo sandwich spreads.
Even though the temperature was decreased, there was not easy to fall asleep. We sweated mightily so sleep was on and off. Besides that, we had a visit from a "little rat," which drove us in sane. It could smell a banana in Heidi's one bag and it chewed loose to get into it. We tried several times to chase it away, but it came back all the time.
The result we could see the next morning. A huge hole in one of Heidi's front panniers and a small hole in one of mine.
So before we cycled away from the Beekeepers Rest next day, we had to repair bouth bags with our duct tape and patch the holes. Breakfast consisted of two cans of rice pudding.
The heat was still toooo hot, but it went a bit better when we started cycling. We cycled along large sugar cane fields, rivers and sometimes we also had to cross them.
The day ended in Grafton. A major city. Before we got into the center of the town, we had to cross a bridge and here we lost touch with each other. I cycled in front and had seen there was a bike path that led beneath the bridge. But Heidi did not see me turning, so she continue over the bridge, where I cycled underneath.
It gave a little panic for both of us, since it took some time before we found each other again.
Now we cycled straight to a large shopping center, where we found a Woolies. Here we brought food for dinner and 1 liter of ice. The ice we ate at once in a small park behind the store. It was just what we needed in the heat.
We had looked at Camper Mate App that we could camp at Grafton Greyhound Showgrounds, so we cycled there.
Here we could camp for 12 AUD and here was showers, toilets and washing facilities. When we paid, we were told that there was going to be racing with the Greyhounds in the evening. Great we thought, now we could also experience that. So after we had washed clothes, had a shower and supper, we went over to see the races.
Fascinating how fast they could run. The dogs had different sizes and run different distances.
The weather gods sent us a good shower of rain and thunder, so the air got cleared. It was really needed.

Now it was Jan. 3rd and we took off from Grafton. We hoped to reach Coffs Harbour which would be a trip of about 80 kilometers.
But right away we felt we had no energy ... at all !!! Heidi had both nausea and stomach ache. Which could very well be due to the Heat.
So we rode very slow. For every five kilometers we took a break. We could figure out that Coffs Harbour could not be our goal, so we agreed to proceed to a large rest stop called Halfway Creek. It was probably thought as a stop for trucks, but over the years it has become a large rest stop where all sorts of people where camping with a tent, campervan and so on.
There was also a large gas station with a restaurant and even shower facilities. The gas station sold everything possible so we had everything we needed.
We camped in the shade of some trees and I was fortunate that there was someone who had left a picnic chair. It was a bit faulty, but perfect for me. Then we put our tarp on the ground and took us a good long nap. We wanted to see how we felt after the nap and then see if we would continue.
But we feelt completely finished, so we found the perfect space where we set up the tent. Then we picked up Ice coffe at the gas station and sat and enjoyed the wildlife that there was a lot of. Beautiful birds who came very close and a large iguana, we also saw.
Dinner was at the restaurant on the rest stop, here we ordered chicken burger with hash browns. Heidi still had no great appetite.
We went early to bed and luckily there was a comfortable temperature so we could sleep without problems.
We slept well enough, but only until Heidi had to run for her live to reach the toilet in time, she had a bad stomach ache. She had to run twice. Then Dr. Marianne Nielsen got her act together. First 2 pcs. imodium and 1 hour later I gave her one more and then it went much better.
Next morning there was no doubt. We had to stay another day here at Halfway Creek rest stop. Heidi slept most of the day. I took some pictures, played a few cards and I took several pictures of the animals on site.
Later in the day, came Heidi more alive and she began to feel hunger. So now we were keen to ride on the next day.
We would have cycled the highway, but actually we thourght that traffic was too heavy, but then there was a man in a campervan, who told us that if we cycled two kilometers back on the main road there was a back road to Coffs Harbour and then we would also cycle through Nana Glenn, which is the town Russell Crowe lives in.

 

 


Happy New Year and still cycling

Pottsvilel - Ballina 84 km
Selvom det var nytårsaften dag cyklede vi afsted fra Pottsville kl. 8.
Først ad et fladt stykke som ligger lige ud til kysten. Her var næsten ingen trafik, det passede os fint.
Da vi kom ud til hovedvejen, kan vi pludselig se skilte til en musik festival. Et kæmpe område ud i midten af ingen ting er spærret af. Da vi holder ud for indgangen til pladsen er der en lang kø af biler. Marianne spørger nogle unge fyre i en af bilerne, hvad det er for en festival. Det er med flere forskellige kunstner Australske og måske også udenlandske, det fandt vi ikke helt ud af og det var gratis.
Vi overvejer et øjeblik om vi skulle blive, men beslutter os for at cykle videre. Selvom det var gratis kunne det godt gå hen og blive dyrt, vi nok skulle have haft en del drikkeligt, da temperaturen allerede lå på 36 grader. 
Så vi cyklede videre og ikke så langt fra festivelpladsen opdager Marianne 7 sommersby cider i vejkanten.
Vi kigger en ekstra gang. Den er god nok. De ligger somom nogen havde set os cykle i varmen og måske tænkte at vi godt kunne drikke lidt koldt.
Vi tjekker at de ikke er for gamle. Det er de ikke, desværre taber Marianne en af dåserne fordi hendes hænder er så svedige. Dåsen ekspoldere og vi blev smurt godt ind i cider.  Men pyt, så skulle vi ikke slåes om hvem der skulle havde 4 drinks og hvem 3.
Vi grinte og var i super humør da vi cyklede videre. Faktisk svare 6 dåser cider til en pris på 150,- dkr. Som jo ville være en stor del af vores dagsbudget hvis vi selv skulle have betalt for dem.
Da vi skal køre fra byen Brunswick Heads for vi et stræk på 14 kilometer, hvor vi faktisk cykler på motorvejen.
Det er fuldt lovligt i New South Wales. En vild følelse, bare at cykle ned af rampen til motorvejen, hvor der så står et skilt med beskeden om: Bicycle crossing ahead. Der er god plads til at cykle på. Det samme som nødsporet i Danmark og så var vejen helt ny og flad. Perfekte forhold for cyklister.
Vores frokostpause blev i Bayron Bay. En badeby fyldt med unge mennesker der kun kommer for en ting: At feste og blive fulde. Der var mennesker overalt, selvfølgelig fordi det var nytårs aften.
VI satte os i en park ned til vandet og fik gratis underholdning i form af nogle mennesker skulle lære at benytte en Trapez. Meget underholdende. Det var både børn og voksene. Vi blev helt revet med, da to af de voksne til sidst kunne skifte fra en trapez til en anden. Vel og mærke 5 - 8 meter oppe i luften og det kun efter 1 times undervisning.
Da vi cyklede afsted fra Byron Bay viste termometeret 41 grader og på et tidspunkt blev det for meget for Heidi, så hun måtte lade gassen gå af ballonen, hvilket var helt forståeligt. Det var utroligt varmt.
Vi skulle over nogle grumme stigninger, som førte os op til et sted hvor vi fik en smuk udsigt ud over vandet, inden vi nåede til byen Ballina. Her havde vi udset os en campingplads, som vi cyklede direkte hen til. Men igen var vi uheldinge...alt udsolgt.
Vi cyklede via en mole tilbage til byen, hvor vi pludselig fik øje på 4 delfiner der lejede i vandet. Vi var heldige at der var en plads på den anden campingplads. Igen den sidste plads, imellem kæmpe felttelte og campervans. Hvor dem der camperede der, havde været stamgæster år efter år. 
Vi tog hurtigt vores tasker af cyklerne, for at cykle til supermarkedet. Vi skulle jo have noget festligt at spise nu det var nytår.
Menuen blev en hel grill kylling med kartoffelsalat og chips til senere. På campinpladsen købte vi en stor pose is, så vores cider kunne blive dejlig kolde. Så gik vi ned til enden af pladsen, hvor der var et område med bænke og borde og en dejlig udsigt over havet. Musikken fik vi leveret af et live band der spillede på pubben lige ved siden af campingpladsen. De var super gode.
Rundt om på pladsen var der små fester igang i de forskellige campervans og telte. Vi holdt os vågne til klokken 24:00 og ønskede hinanden Godt Nytår og tænkte hvad mod det nye år vil bringe af nye oplevelser.
Så var det sengetid. Vi var trætte efter en god og varm dag. Fyrværkeri var der ikke noget af og faktisk var der fuldstændigt stille klokken 01:00.


English

Pottsvilel - Ballina 84 km
Although it was New Year's Eve day we cycled away from Pottsville at 8AM. 
First, at a flat piece which was just off the coast. There was almost no traffic, it suited us fine.
When we came out to the main road, we suddenly saw signs for a music festival. A huge area in the middle of nowhere with big fences around the aera. When we came up to the entrance to the site there was a long queue of cars. Marianne asked some young guys in one of the cars, what kind of a festival it was. It was with several artist - Australian and perhaps foreign, that we did not completely understand and it was free.
We where considering for a moment whether we should stay, but decide to ride on. Even though it was free, it could well turn out to be expensive, we probably should have had a good drink, since the temperature was already 36 degrees.
So we cycled on and not so far from the festival Marianne suddenly see 7 Sommersby cider by the roadside.
We look one more time. It was really 7 ciders. They lie as if someone had seen us ride in the heat and perhaps thought that we might well need a cold drink.
We check that they wwre not too old. They were not, unfortunately Marianne loses one of the cans because her hands were so sweaty. The can expoloded and we were sprayed with cider. But never mind, then we should not decide who should had 4 drinks and who only 3.
We laughed and were in a super mood as we biked on. Actually 6 cans of cider has a price of 150, - DKR. Which of course would be a big part of our daily budget if we had to pay for them.
When we cycled out of the city Brunswick Heads we got a stretch of 14 kilometers where we actually rode on the highway.
It is fully legal in New South Wales. A crazy feeling, just to bike down the ramp to the highway, where there is a sign with the message: Bicycle crossing ahead. There is plenty of room to ride on. The same as the emergency lane in Denmark and the road was brand new and flat. Perfect conditions for cyclists.
Our lunch break was in Bayron Bay. A seaside town filled with young people who only come for one thing: Partying and getting drunk. There were people everywhere, of course, because it was New Year's Eve.
We sat in a park down to the water and got free entertainment in the form of some people having to learn to use a trapeze. Very entertaining. It was both children and grown ups learning. We were completely carried away, as two of the adult could eventually switch from a trapezoid to another. Well to notice at 5-8 meters in the air and only after 1 hour of teaching.
As we rode away from Byron Bay the thermometer showed 41 degrees and at one point it was too much for Heidi, so she had to let the gas go of the balloon(A danish saying), which was quite understandable. It was incredibly hot.
We were going over some grim increases that brought us up to a place where we had a beautiful view out over the sea before we reached the town of Ballina. We had chosen us a campsite and cycled straight there. But again ... all sold out.!!!
We cycled over a pier back to the city where we suddenly saw 4 dolphins who played in the water. We were lucky that there was a free spot at the second campsite. Again, the last place among gigantic field tents and campervans. Where those hwo camped there had been regular guests year after year.
We quickly took our bags of the bikes and cycled to the supermarket. As we needed something festive to eat now it was New Year.
The menu was a whole fried chicken with potato salad and chips for later. We bought a big bag of ice at the campesite, so our cider could get cold. Then we went down to the end of the campesie, where there was an area with benches and tables and a lovely view of the sea. The music were provided by a live band that played at the pub right beside the campsite. They played very well.
Around us there were small celebrations started in the various campervans and tents. We kept awake tuntil 24:00 and wished each other Happy New Year and we thought what the up comming year wuold bring of new experiences.
Then it was bedtime. We were tired after a good, hot day.  No Fireworks like in Denark and in fact everyting was complete quiet at 01:00.
 


Hot cycling in Aussie land

Mt. Crosby (Brisbane) - Beenligh 67 km
Beenligh - Burleigh Beach (Gold Coast) 78 km
Burleigh Beach (Gold Coast) - Pottsville 50 km

Vi startede ud fra Martin og Zoe´ klokken 9, efter vi havde sagt farvel til dem og Tara.
Det var bestem ikke sjovt at sige farvel, det er aldrig noget vi kommer til at vende os til. Men vi vidste, at vi skulle se Martin og Zoe´ senere på turen, når de kom til Adelaide for at få os sendt godt afsted til Asien i midten af marts. Værre var det med Tara, som vi ikke har nogen anelse om hvornår vi ser igen. 
Tara blev kørt ind til Brisbane af Martin og Zoe´. Her skulle hun tilbringe en nat mere, inden hun fløj til New Zealand for at cykle rundt der i godt en måned.
Vi må sige at vi fik en bradt opvågning, nu hvor vi skulle cykle i et nyt land. New Zealand havde serveret alt for os, men cykel trails og alt havde været rigtig godt afmærket og starten i Australien blev lidt en downer for os.
Vi havde lagt en rute ind på vores GPS, som vi ville følge den første dag, men da vi skal bruge den viser den ikke alle detaljerne. Alt går godt de første 30 kilometer, men så cykler vi forkert og ender i et paracelhus kvarter.
Heldigvis er der en ung fyr som hurtigt kan tegne et kort på et stykke papir, så vi kommer på rette spor igen.
Varmen er til at holde til, da den ligger omkring de 32 grader og første dag bliver bare det vi kalder en transportdag, da vi skal finde ud af Brisbane (Mt. Crosby) og der er egentlig ikke det vilde at se på den dag.
Overnatning blev i Hugh Muntz Park i byen Beenligh, hvor man kunne campere gratis.
Aftensmad blev vanilje youghurt med banan og fersken. Forret blev en dåse risbudding. Lidt ligesom Ris a la mande.
Vi døbte vores polyester hjem om til den grønne pizzaovn, da der var ulideligt varmt inde i teltet også selvom vi havde åbnet alt hvad åbnes kunne.
Næste dag er målet at nå til The Gold Coast, men at finde rigtigt ud af Beenligh kommer til at tage 1 times tid. Der skulle være en mindre vej at cykle på, men vi ender ved tilkørselen til motorvejen. Så tilbage igen og endelig finder vi den rigtige vej.
Vi cykler forbi kæmpe forlystelses parker (Dream World, Movie World, Wet ´n´Wild). Her er alt til dem der har pengene.
Inden vi når helt til kysten, kommer vi på et par detours, da vi på et tidspunkt er lige ved at enden på motorvejen igen. Endelig ved 16 tiden cykler vi ind i Broadbeach og befinder os med et´ midt i et mecca af højhuse og kæmpe hoteller og masse af mennesker der vi ses og vi sætter os i en lille park og spiser chips og drikker sportsdrik. Sikken en kontrast i forhold til det vi havde oplevet indtil nu. Folk kiggede på os og vi bliver enige om at det må være fordi de er missundelige på os wink.
Efter en god pause cyklede vi til første campingplads.....men der var udsolgt. Vi prøver en anden.......udsolgt.
Nu er vi ved at tabe modet, kan det virkelig passe at der ikke engang er plads til et lille telt.
Trejde gang lykkens gang, i bydelen Burliegh Beach får vi en plads.....til 64 AUD som er det samme som 330,- danske kroner......det var total op spind, men det var højsæson og det var The Gold Coast.
Næste dag cyklede vi afsted allerede klokken 8. Vi ville cykle forbi en turist information, for at få lidt informationer omkring cykelruten, det skulle gå hele vejen fra Brisbane til Sydney.
Informationen lå i lufthavnen, men de var ikke til meget hjælp. De havde kun info om ture nordpå. Så vi skulle cykle til en anden info 5 kilometer længere syd på.
De havde noget vi kunne bruge. Et helt bald der omhandlede ruten, med små kort over hver strækning og info omkring de forskellige byer. Nu var vi mere positive stemt efter en dum start på Australien.
Vi ville holde en lang pause ved noget der hed Tweed´s Head. Det lå lige ud til vandet og i skyggen af nogle træer. Da vi havde spist vores peanut sandwich, vil jeg lige tjekke klokken og bliver noget overrasket.
Lige med et er tiden en time længere fremme....UPS vi havde lige glem t at vi cyklede ind i en ny stat idag....New South Wales og de har en anden tidszone. Så pausen blev kun 1 time og 15 minutter.
Inden vi nåede til Pottsville, som var dagen mål. Cyklede vi igennem et helt nyt område med sommer boliger i det der hed Salt. Kæmpe huse der helt sikkert ikke har været billige at bygge. 
Senere fik vi fortalt at for 5 år siden var her ingenting.
På pladsen i Pottsville er vi heldige at få den sidste plads (60 AUD)....pladsen var 3 x 3 meter og lige klemt ind imellem to kæmpe mobilehomes med fortelt og hvad dertil høre. Den australske camping kultur er i en liga for sig selv, men meget underholdende at blive en del af, med vores lille to personers telt.
Det er somom at folk kigger på os med frygt eller også tænker de at de to piger er total sindsyge.


English

Mt. Crosby (Brisbane) - Beenligh 67 km
Beenligh - Burleigh Beach (Gold Coast) 78 km
Burleigh Beach (Gold Coast) - Pottsville 50 km

We started out from Martin and Zoe' 9 o'clock, after we had said goodbye to them and Tara.
It was absolutely not funny to say goodbye, it's never something we're going to like at all. But we knew we had to see Martin and Zoe' later on the trip, when they come to Adelaide to get us sent well off to Asia in mid-March. It was worse with Tara, as we have no idea when we would meet again.
Tara was driven to Brisbane by Martin and Zoe'. Here she had to spend one more night before she flew to New Zealand to go bike touring for a mounth.
We must say that starting to cycle in Australia was something else. New Zealand had been easy peasy with bike trails and everything had been really well signposted and the start in Australia was somewhat a downer for us.
We had  put a route into our GPS, wich we would follow the first day, but when we started cycling it did not show all the details. All went well for the first 30 kilometers but then we took a wrong turn  and ended up in a nice neighborhood.
Fortunately, there was a young guy who quickly draw a map on a piece of paper, so we got back on track.
The heat was ok to cobe with as it was around 32 degrees and the first day is just what we call a transport day as we needed to find our way out ofBrisbane (Mt. Crosby) and there was not really tanything to see along the way.
We ended up in Hugh Muntz Park in the city Beenligh where you could camp for free.
Dinner was vanilla yoghurt with banana and peach. First course was a tin of rice pudding.
We renamed our polyester home into : The green pizza oven, as it was unbearably hot inside the tent.
The next day, the goal was to reach The Gold Coast, but findingthe right way out of Beenligh took an hour. There had to be a minor road wich was good for cycling, but we ended up at the access road to the Motorway. So back again and finally we ffound the right path.
We cycle past the giant amusement parks (Dreamworld, Movie World, Wet'n'Wild). Here is everything for those who have money and in need of a adrenalin rush.
Before we got all the way to the coast, we had a few detours, Finally, at 4PM we cycle into Broadbeach and find ourselves in a mecca of high-rise buildings and giant hotels and mass of people who want to be seen. We sat down in a small park and eat chips and drank sports drink. What a contrast compared to what we had experienced until now. People looked at us and we said that it must be because they where jealous of us.
After a good break we cycled to the first campsite ..... but they were sold out. We tryed another ....... sold out.
Now we where about to lose courage, could it really be true that there was no room for a small tent.
Third time lucky, in the district Burliegh Beach we got a spot..... for 64 AUD which is the same as 330, - Danish kroner ...... it was totaly out of the leauge, but it was peak season and it was The Gold Coast.
Next day we started cycling already at 8. We would ride past a tourist information, to get some information about the bike route, that should go all the way from Brisbane to Sydney.
The information was in the airport, but they were not much help. They only had info on trips north. So we had to commute to another information 5 kilometers further south.
They had something we could use. A completely magazine which dealt routes with small maps of each part and info about the different cities. Now we were more positive after a stupid start in Australia.
We would take a long break at something called Tweed's Head. It was right next to the water and in the shade of some trees. When we had eaten our peanut sandwich, I'll just checked the time and got somewhat surprised.
Sudenly we where one hour ahead .... oops we'd  forgot we cycled into a new state today .... New South Wales and they have a different time zone. So our break was only 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Before we reached Pottsville, the goal for this day. We cycled through a whole new area of ​​summer homes in what was called Salt. Huge houses that certainly has not been cheap to build.
Later we were told that 5 years ago here was nothing.At the campsite in Pottsville we are lucky to get the last spot(60 AUD) .... the space was 3 x 3 meters and just pressed between two giant mobile homes with awning and lots of other stuff. The Australian camp culture is in a league of its own, but very entertaining to be a part of, with our little two person tent.
It's like people are looking at us with fear or else they think that the two girls are total insane.

 


Christmas in Brisbane

(21. december - 27. december 2016)
Nu var det blevet d. 21. december og vi havde brugt de sidste dage i Christcurch på at rengøre alt vores udstyr og pakke, så det var klar til indrejsen i Australien. Vi regnede med at kontrollen, ville være mindst lige så skrap som den var ved indrejsen til New Zealand. Så vi tog ingen chancer. Cyklerne og teltet blev vasket fuldstændig rene, så alt så helt nyt ud.
Den næste uge skulle vi tilbringe i Brisbane med famile og venner og herefter starte vores cykeltur i Australien.
Vi skulle flyve med Air Newzeland og skulle flyve klokken 2 om eftermiddagen.
Der var en gratis shuttlebus fra campingpladsen, som kørte klokken 10. Så den tog vi. Både for at spare penge men også for at være i lufthavnen i god tid.
Vi var spændte på om vores bagage vejede mere end de tilladte 23 kg pr. stykke. Så det vejede vi som det første da vi var i lufthavnen. Alt passede, bagagen med tøj og udstyr vejede hver især 21 og 22 kilo og cyklerne lå lige under 23 kg hver.
Vi have lov til at checke 23 kg ind hver, så vi vidste godt at der skulle batales for to extra stykker. Det kom til at koste den nette sum af 260 NZD som er omkring 1300,- danske kroner.
Første del af flyveturen blev med lidt turbulens, men det var kun indtil vi nåede den optimale flyvehøjde. Herfra var det en stille og rolig tur til Brisbane
Turen tog næsten 4 timer. De gik med at se lidt film og lytte til musik.
Ved ankomsten til Brisbane, kunne vi se at skyerne hang tungt ned over byen og det kunne se ud somom der kunne komme regn og torden.
Fra vi gik ud af flyet og til vi stod ude i ankomsthallen, gik der ikke mere end 20 minutter, så ingen problemer med udstyr og imigrationen. Selv Zoe som var kommet for at hente os, blev overrasket. Hun var lige kommet og ville til at sætte sig til rette og da hun kiggede op stod vi der med det samme. 
Kæmpe gensyns glæde, det var et år siden vi sidst havde set hinanden, så snakken gik lystingt med det samme. Zoe´s far kom lidt senre med hans bil og en trailer. Ellers kunne vi ikke have alt vores bagage.
Så gik turen fra lufthavnen til Mt. Crosby, som ligger 30 minutters kørsel fra Brisbane Centrum.
Martin er Heidi´s svigerindes bror og de har kendt hindanden siden de var børn, hvor de legede sammen.
I 2013 var vi med til deres vidunderlige bryllup. Det var første gang vi besøgte Australien.
Vi var spændte på at se Martin og Zoe´s hus, da de havde købt huset siden vi havde været der.
De næste par dage, slappede vi af og hyggede sammen med Martin og Zoe. Vi hjalp lidt med at handle ind til juleaften.
Så blev det d. 24. december og vores gode veninde; Tara skulle komme. Hun havde lige sluttet en cykeltur sammen med hendes kæreste; Dan. Hvor de havde cyklet fra Perth og tværs over Australien.
Dan skulle holde jul sammen med nogle venner i Sydney og Tara ville så gerne holde jul sammen med os i Brisbane. 
Tara er lige så tosset med at cykel, som vi er og det var også den måde vi mødtes første gang. Det var i 2011, hvor vi cyklede Friendship Highway. Her var vi ialt 4 som cyklede sammen. Tara fra Canada, Gigi fra Italien og så Heidi og mig.
Lige siden da har vi holdt kontakten og vi har mødtes flere forskellige steder i verden, for at cykle sammen og Tara har endda været på besøg i Danmark. Hun er som en lillesøster til os.
Tara havde taget et tog fra Sydney til Brisbane, hvilket betød hun var underves i 14 timer og ankom midt om natten. Så vi var meget tidlig oppe og så var Martin så sød at køre os ind for at hente hende.
Igen kæmpe gensyns glæde og snakken gik. Så var det hjem i seng igen, for at vi kunne være friske til dansk juleaften, som bliver holdt d. 24. december.
Det blev en virklelig hyggelig jule eftermiddag og juleaften vi var med til. 
Zoe´s forældre og Zoe´s bror og børn var også med til at fejre julen og vi spillede spil og hyggede hele eftermiddagen.
Martin og Zoe havde gjort alt for at lave en dansk jul. Så de havde lavet and, flæskesteg med flæskesvær, brune kartofller, kartofler, brun sovs, chips, rødkål og vi fik endda ris a la mande med mandelgave.
Senere spillede vi pakkeleg og det var lige så hyggeligt og skægt som når vi var i Danmark. Alle gik op i det med liv og sjæl.
Vejret var også perfekt. Ikke for varmt, men stadig så vi sad i shorts og t-shirt. Det var den førte jul vi har fejret i bare fødder.
Vi holdt ud til midnat. Så var alle mætte og trætte. Vi skulle op næste dag for at fejre Australsk jul.
Så skulle vi fejre Australsk jul. Det foregik med åbning af julegaver fra klokklen 10 og et par timer frem.
Derefter blev der anrettet en LÆKKER buffet med stor juleskinke, friske kæmpe rejser, diverse salater, kager osv....nej der manglede ikke noget overhovedet. Så spiste vi os stop mætte og resten af eftermiddagen, blev brugt på spil i haven, en lille lur og så mere spisning. Alt var bare så hyggeligt og afslappet.
Det eneste vi manglede var Heidi´s niece og kæreste (Melissa og Daniel). Det havde været meningen af de skulle komme og fejre jul også, men Melissa havde været så heldig at få et nyt arbejde og kunne ikke få fri.
Heldigvis skulle vi se dem senere på turen, når vi nåede til Sydney. Så skaden var ikke så stor.
Resten af tiden vi var med Martin og Zoe, gik med ren og skær afslapning. Vi nød at sove i en rigtig seng og tage en tur i poolen. Hyggede med ders hunde, Bobby, Boris og Balder. Vi nød deres og Tara selskab.
Men vi skulle jo også på cyklerne igen. Det var vi meget spændte på, da vi nu havde en meget høj luftfugtighed og varme at skulle vende os til.
Vores plan blev at vi ville cykle afsted senest mellem 8 - 9 og så cykle indtil middag. Så holde en lange pause i skyggen på 2 - 3 timer og derefter cykle igen hvis altså tempetrauren tillod det og vi kunne holde til det.

 


Englsih 

(December 2st1 to December 27th 2016)
Now it had become December 21st and we had spent the last days in Christcurch cleannig our equipment and packing, so it was ready for entry into Australia. We figured that imigration would be at least as tough as it was on entry to New Zealand. So we took no chances. The bikes and the tent was washed completely clean, so everything looked brand new.
The next week we would spend in Brisbane with family and friends and then start our bike trip in Australia.
We had to fly with Air Newzeland and should fly at 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
There was a free shuttle from the campsite, which ran at 10. So on we went. Both to save money but also to be at the airport in good time.
We were excited about if our luggage weighed more than the permitted 23 kg per. piece. So we considered that as the first when we were at the airport. Everything was perfect the baggage with clothes and equipment weighed each 21 and 22 kilos and the bikes was just under 23 kg each.
We were allowed to check 23 kg in each, so we knew that we had to pay for two extra pieces. It would cost the "nice" sum of 260 NZD which is about 1300, - Danish kroner.
The first part of the flight was a little turbulent, but it was only until we reached the optimum altitude. From here it was a quiet trip to Brisbane
The trip took almost 4 hours so we watched some movies and listen to music.
Upon arrival at Brisbane, we could see the clouds hung heavily over the city and it looked like there could be rain and thunderstorms.
Off we went out of the plane and stood in the arrivals hall no more than 20 minutes later, so no problems with equipment and imigration. Even Zoe who had come to pick us up, was surprised. She had just arrived and wanted to sit back and when she looked up, we stood there immediately.
Huge reunion joy, it was a year since we last saw each other, so the talk just went on. Zoe's father came a little later with his car and a trailer. Otherwise we could not have all our luggage.
So we went from the airport to Mt. Crosby, a 30-minute drive from Brisbane city center.
Martin is Heidi's sister in laws brother and they've known each other since they were children when they were playing together.
In 2013 we were in Australia for their wonderful wedding. It was the first time we visited Australia.
We were excited to see Martin and Zoe's house as they bought the house since we had been there.
The next few days, we relaxed and had a good time with Martin and Zoe. We helped with the shopping for Christmas Eve.
Then came December 24th and our good friend; Tara was to come. She had just finished a bike ride with her boyfriend; Dan. Where they had cycled from Perth and across Australia.
Dan would spend Christmas together with some friends in Sydney and Tara really wanted to spend Christmas with us in Brisbane.
Tara is just as crazy about biking as we are and it was also the way we first met. It was in 2011 when we cycled Friendship Highway. Here we were a total of 4 who cycled together. Tara from Canada, Gigi from Italy and Heidi and me.
Ever since then, we have kept in touch and we've met several different places in the world to cycle together and Tara have even been visiting Denmark. She is like a sister to us.
Tara had taken a train from Sydney to Brisbane, which meant she was on her way for 14 hours and arrived in the middle of the night. So we were up early and so was Martin. He was so sweet to take us in to get her.
Again giant reunion joy and chatter went. Then it was home to bed, that we could be fresh for Danish Christmas Eve, which is being held on Dec. 24th.
It became a really cozy and pleasant Christmas Eve and afternoon.
Zoe's parents and Zoe's brother and children were also comming to celebrate Christmas and we played games and enjoyed all afternoon.
Martin and Zoe had done everything to make a Danish christmas So they had made duck, roast pork with crackling, brown potatoes, potatoes, brown gravy, chips, red cabbage and we even got rice pudding with almond.
Later we played package game and it was just as nice and fun as when we were in Denmark. Everyone went into it with heart and soul.
The weather was also perfect. Not too hot, but still so we sat in shorts and t-shirt. It was our first Christmas we have celebrated in bare feet.
We stayed up until midnight. Then all were stuffed and tired. We had to get up the next day to celebrate Australian Christmas.
So we celebrated Australian Christmas the next day. We opend Christmas presents from 10 o´clock and a few hours ahead.
Then a DELICIOUS buffet was served with a big Christmas ham, fresh prawns, various salads, pastries etc .... nothing was missing at all. So we ate until we were stuffed and the rest of the afternoon was spent on games in the garden, a little nap and then more eating. Everything was just so nice and relaxed.
The only thing we missed was Heidi's niece and boyfriend (Melissa and Daniel). It had been the intention of them to come and celebrate Christmas too, but Melissa had been lucky enough to get a new job and could not get time of.
Luckily we should see them later on the trip when we reached Sydney. So we managed.
The rest of the time we were with Martin and Zoe, went with sheer relaxation. We enjoyed sleeping in a real bed and take a dip in the pool. Enjoyed playing with their dogs, Bobby, Boris and Balder. We enjoyed their company and Tara´s.
But we had to get on the bikes again. Wich we were very excited about, because we had such a heat and humidity that we where not use to.
Our plan was that we would start riding between 8-9 and then cycling until noon. Then take a long break in the shade of 2 - 3 hours and then cycling again if the temperature allowed it and we could mannage the heat.