Brian raised funds for WaterAid through his bicycle ride across Australia - Aug/Sept 2008

Introduction, Fundraising & Daily Diary with Photos
The Route
Equipment

Brian was in training since January 2008 on the hills of Exmoor, having cycled very little since his early 20's (he was 54 at the time of the ride!). His brother, Colin, is a seasoned long distance cyclist, having cycled round the world - except for Australia, which he achieved on this ride! (see www.greenbicycle.com)

Fundraising for WaterAid: Thank you to everyone who supported Brian's efforts to raise funds for WaterAid. He raised about £3,500.

If you have any queries or comments please contact me by Email: brian@riscombe.co.uk

Brian & Colin's Progress:

AUGUST
8th: Brian flew out of London Heathrow airport. British Airways excellent about the boxed bike (no charge as a piece of sporting equipment). No problems at all. Good flight to Singapore, then change planes to Qantas flight to Perth.

Bicycle boxed up and ready to go. Panniers in separate check in bag. Bar bag is carry on luggage.

10th: Arrived in Perth at half past midnight and checked into Miss Maud's Swedish Hotel (!!!). Jo Sassoon (a friend of Leo's from uni. days, who lives in Perth) had booked this and Leo was suspicious that it sounded like somewhere I would be offered temptations and delights untold! Sadly, it seemed like a reasonably normal hotel - but anyway I was too tired to do anything but sleep!

At about 10.30am I was picked up by Jo and her husband, Mark, to stay with them until the start of the tour. Great to see friendly faces! Checked bike was undamaged (just a minor front mudguard crumple), then went for a swim with Mark in one of the heated outdoor international pools at the Challenge Centre. An excellent way to start getting over jet lag! Beautiful city and beautiful weather - clear blue skies and about 20 deg C. Return home to fully unpack and rebuild bike. A quick check and all seemed well. A nice walk with Jo and Mark in the evening.

My hosts in Perth, Mark & Joanna, with the bike just out of the box

11th: Rather tired after a poor nights sleep. Did various shopping errands to get some items for the ride. Good advice from Matt their friendly local pharmacist about what medicines, supplies and supplements to take, and what to do in the event of snake bites etc. Mark & I then have a lovely evenings cycle ride around Kings Park and back along the river to the University area.

12th: After another poor nights sleep, rode from Perth to Fremantle and back to Perth (55 km) with Mark. Perth has the best cycle paths I've ever seen. The whole circular route from Perth to Fremantle was on cycle paths. Weather perfect, 20 deg. Mark took photos of me with bike by the ocean as I wanted to ensure that I started with my bike at the Indian Ocean, and cross Australia to end at the Pacific Ocean. Only another 3,945 km to go!

The backrop of the beautiful city of Perth	Brian, bike and the Indian Ocean at Leighton Beach, near Fremantle

13th: Mark and I cycled to a nearby cycle shop to check on a few things and then went on to get some provisions for the main ride. Again lovely weather -- BUT since I have been here the wind has been in the WRONG direction! It's from the east and I need it to be behind me, from the west! Laid out everything to be carried on the bike and then packed the panniers. I tried to be logical in what went in each pannier. I had one pannier as a 'workshop' (tools, spares etc.), one as the kitchen, one as a wardrobe, one as 'bathroom' plus items of clothing I would need to put on or take off depending on weather. Everything for camping was in my 'rack pack' bag which sat across the two rear panniers. All of my valuables were in the bar bag. Jo was a great help in suggestions as to what should go where.

Everything to be packed on the bike ... food not included

14th: Day 1 - Perth to Northam (107km): Up at 7am after another poor nights sleep (jet lag plus anticipation). Left Jo & Marks house at 8.30am with Mark who accompanied me for 30km to show me the cycle path route to get to the edge of the city area, halfway up Greenmount Hill, then on own. The city quickly gave way to lovely countryside. Within a few hundred meters of the first kangaroo warning signing I saw my first (dead) kangaroo (the first of what must have been 1,000 or more dead kangaroos during the trip ... but I did see quite a few living ones as well!). A good day, tired, but due to lack of sleep rather than the cycling, inspite of an easterly head wind all day.

Saying farewell to Mark at the junction of the Old York Road and Greenmount Hill	Heading off by myself up Greenmount Hill and leaving Perth behind

15th: Day 2 - Northam to Kellerberrin (106km):
Woke up to shake the ICE off the tent! A freezing night with poor sleep. Also, to find three other small tents near me, and these belong to three cyclists who are going from Perth to Inverloch in Victoria (where they live). They are doing the ride in aid of a cancer charity. Now here's the big coincidence: one of them is called Brian Martin, the same as me, and set off from Perth on the same day AND we both know someone who lives near me! Wow, that's spooky! The other two are Michael and Mark. I would encounter them many times on the journey up to the half way point across Australia when we would go our separate ways. They proved great company, and we are still in contact.

Brian Martin and Brian Martin !!

I set off into headwinds after a meager breakfast, and soon found that having no real evening meal and no real breakfast is NOT a good idea if you intend to pedal all day. I had no energy at all. Managed to get to Mekering and devour a lot of food. Felt better, and had more food at Cunderin and again at Tammin! Rode on to the camping area at Carrabin showground. Just a patch of hard dirt, but at least there was a shower. Went to pub for a meal, and met up with Brian, Michael & Mark again.

16th: Day 3- Kellerberrin to Carrabin (103km):
Up at 7am. A better nights sleep. Picked up some food supplies before heading off a little later than planned at 9.30am. Gentle, mostly uphill slopes. Headwinds again, so slow progress. The 560km freshwater pipeline follows the road all the way to Kalgoorlie. Saw a section of Western Australia's first rabbit fence, the longest fence in the world, started in 1901 to stop rabbits spreading from the east. It was over 1,100 miles long. A few aches and pains developing - my left knee is swollen slightly and there's a pain in my lower left shin. Also, the back of my right shoulder has sharp pains occasionally. Pitched my tent behind the Carrabin Roadhouse.

Hard to believe that this road can flood. Beside the road is the freshwater pipeline to Kalgoorlie	The sign commemorating the rabbit-proof fence

17th: Day 4 - Carrabin to bush camp 36km east of Yellowdine (140km):
A reasonable nights sleep again ... but again wake up to find ICE on the tent! Got up at 6.30am and away by 8am. Good weather again, but still headwinds. I now have to cycle further in one day than I have ever done, and do the same tomorrow! That's so I can meet up on time with my brother, Colin, in Kalgoorlie, where he is travelling (by plane and train) to start his journey. Saw my first emu ... rather funny and raised my spirits - whilst peddling along I looked to my left and saw a very large emu very close to me. It then looked up and was startled and ran off, and then I noticed about five emu chicks running all over the place trying to follow dad ! [it was probably a male because apparently it is the father who looks after the chicks]. Managed to cycle from Carrabin to Southern Cross in one go. Starving, so had a lot of food, but not good quality. Then stopped briefly for a cup of tea at Yellowdine and on to a bush camp layby a further 36km beyond. Met Brian, Michael & Mark there, who had a camp fire lit.

18th: Day 5 - Bush camp to Kalgoorlie (158km):
Kalgoorlie or bust! Today was the day I needed to get to Kalgoorlie to meet up with my brother, Colin. Colin lives in Queensland, and had travelled to Kalgoorlie to ride to Sydney, a journey which, when completed, would mean that he will have cycled around the whole world. This was my longest day so far with 11 hours cycling over 100 miles and light head winds all the way. First major stop was the Bullabulling pub, which is in the middle of nowhere. No house or building before it and then suddenly there it is! I was exhausted when I arrived at the pub for a late lunch, only to be told that he didn't have anything to offer! However, he managed to make me toasted sandwich! I thought the weather was warm, but when I entered the pub, a heat wave hit me as an old lady was sitting about three feet from a very hot wood burning stove!

The Bullabulling pub appears out of nowhere after a long distance without seeing anything	A flock of galahs

Then headed for Coolgardie, a town that was once a busy gold town before more was found further east at Kalgoorlie. Now a bit of a ghost town. Had puncture 20 miles from Kalgoorlie. Contacted Colin who was in a hotel in Kalgoorlie. Fixed my puncture, and continued on my way. Was very glad to see Colin's bicycle headlight coming to meet me and accompany me to Kalgoorlie - a very welcome sight. He brought me a celebration can of rum and coke! Very happy to have successfully completed the first leg on time, if not a little weary! Stayed in the Star & Garter Motel. Shower and real bed most welcome. We had a meal at a Chinese restaurant, where we caught up with each others news and our plans for the challenge ahead ... and the waitress said 'You talk a lot, don't you?!'

Coolgardie - a gold town that has seen better times	The first road junction I've seen for 350 miles

19th: Day 6 - Rest day In Kalgoorlie!
Had a reasonable nights sleep in a real bed. However, for some reason my eyes had seriously puffed up - I looked like I had been in a boxing match! Did a little touring round Kalgoorlie seeing the vast open cast gold mine called the Super Pit, and I took photos of Colin outside the cafe where his bicycle was stolen in 1971 when he was attempting to cycle around the world. [Which is why he is starting from Kalgoorlie now to complete his journey]. The Kalgoorlie Miner newspaper ran a front page article on Colin's journey, and his reason for recommencing his journey in Kalgoorlie [click here to see this article].

My brother, Colin, in Kalgoorlie	Colin, outside the cafe where his bicycle was stolen in 1971
The 'Super Pit' Kalgoorlie gold mine. It's huge ... see those tiny yellow dots on the far side - they are the trucks shown in the photo on the right	These are enormous trucks ... compare to the size of the small white utility vehicle on the front edge
Just a tyre for a truck!	A digger's bucket shovel

20th: Day 7 - Kalgoorlie to bush camp near Widgiemooltha (100km):
A strong, cold SE wind from the Antarctic in our faces with driving rain - sounds like Exmoor! Unable to complete more than half the target distance, even having to pedal DOWNHILL against the wind. Made only 43km in the first 4 hours! Very draining. Rain stopped after a couple of hours. We had planned to get to Norseman, but had to stop just over half way when we ran out of daylight. Camped by a dam near Widgiemooltha.

A rainbow on our first and only wet morning out of Kalgoorlie	Camping in woodland near Widgiemooltha

21st: Day 8 - Bush camp to Norseman (91km):
Strong winds and rain during the night. Neither of us slept well. Colin was particularly cold as he is used to high temperatures in Queensland. A long, draining day making slow progress into the headwind. Scenery improved towards Norseman, with some attractive woodland and some huge ephemeral 'lakes' ... no water to be seen. Booked into the Railway Hotel, which the tourist information centre had advised us is "not to everyone's taste"! Nevertheless, we booked a cabin and it was fine. It's rather a strange run down art deco style, and there were certainly some odd characters around. The town of Norseman was founded on gold, but is now very dilapidated, with most shops boarded up.

A typical long, straight undulating road	Carrying 5.5 litres of water
The ever-present salt bush beneath the eucalyptus trees	Dry lake bed either side of the road

22nd: Day 9 - Norseman to Fraser Range Station (107km):
Headed off into a headwind again. The wind has swung from the south to the east, just exactly in time to be in our faces again! After about 3 hours of slow progress I was getting very dispirited. I've now had headwinds on every day. This was also a cold wind. Colin helped me battle on by stopping and cooking up some pot noodles! Didn't really stop for a proper lunch (not a building en route), just kept battling on and snacking on nuts, chocolate, dried banana etc. At about 5pm we reached the Fraser Range Station. What a breath of fresh air! Very nice people and great facilities on the working farm. We pitched our tents and had a lovely shower and then used their wonderful field kitchen which had a wood burning stove keeping it nice and warm. This was the first sheep station settled in the Nullarbor in 1872. However, they are now struggling to keep it going due to the high cost of diesel, used to generate electricity. Met two very nice bird watchers from California, in Australia for 6 months.

Sign warning of lack of water between Norseman and Ceduna (760 miles)	A long way to Adelaide from Norseman!

23rd: Day10 - Fraser Range Station to Bush camp ca. 23km east of Balladonia (113km):
Up at 6am. Blustery night, but a lot calmer now. Greeted by a flock of noisy galahs above my tent. Then saw 5 emus wandering past. I felt refreshed and in a much better state of mind. Reached about 23 km east of Balladonia and camped in the Nullarbor bush, under brilliant Southern Hemisphere stars. Beautiful desert night. The wind has abated and today managed 113km, and hope to manage 160 tomorrow and make Caiguna only two days behind schedule. The trip from Kalgoorlie was not pleasant, feeling very depressed with the slow progress, and tired. But what a difference a good day makes! Feeling much more optimistic today.

Now the long, empty stretches across the Nullarbor lie ahead.

See how far the road extends into the distance!	We came across this smashed caravan - an accident which had happened only a couple of hours earlier. Everything was still there including food, clothes, pots, pans etc. The owners were okay and recovering in the next roadhouse. It had been caught in the backdraft of a road train.

24th: Day11 - Bush camp to Caiguna (162km):
Up at 6am, and soon off into the headwind. Within a short distance we were on the '90 mile straight' (146.6km). This is the longest absolutely straight section of tarmac road in Australia. Not a single bend. The novelty soon wore off as headwinds continued to slow our progress, and the dead straight road became a bit tedious! There was nothing at all to pass or see until the roadhouse at Caiguna, which is on the first bend at the end of the 90 mile straight. However, the sun set at 5.30pm and we ended up cycling the last third of the straight in complete darkness. Very spooky. In the middle of absolutely nowhere, with very few vehicles passing us (sometimes nothing at all for half an hour). We were getting very tired and cold, as the temperatures drops rapidly when the sun sets. Eventually we came to the Caiguna Roadhouse and we booked a motel room for a real bed and shower! We grabbed some food before they closed the restaurant.

Camp fire	The beginning of the '90 mile straight'

25th: Day 12 - Caiguna to Madura (159km):
Set off at 9am. No real headwind this morning (no tail wind either, but at least no headwind!). Made good progress to the roadhouse at Cocklebiddy. Had lunch, then came out to find we had a headwind again! Curse those head winds. My spirits dropped again ... I was still tired from yesterday's exertions. We finished the day cycling in darkness again. Not to be recommended. You have to be careful not to hit dead kangaroos on the road. You could easily buckle a wheel. Managing 100 miles per day for two days, finishing in the dark, hungry and very tired. Whose idea was this?

Some Wide Loads:

Agricultural machinery being delivered	Half of a house(?) on the move
Two huge trucks en route to a mine	Colin getting off the road to make way

26th: Day 13 - Madura to Mundrabilla (117km):
Unlucky for some - still windy; still a headwind! 12 hours in the saddle, often no more than 15kph into the persistant headwind, is taking its toll, but now only one day behind schedule and taking refuge in a Mundrabilla roadhouse motel room as arriving after nightfall makes setting up camp uninviting! A decent meal at least. Some trees along the way were decorated by passers by - a couple with brassieres hung over them, one with gloves, one with hats, one with bottles and one on the theme of a cafe (pots and pans, kettle, toaster and even an electric fan and a sign saying 'Road kill specials!').

Have seen lots of wildlife, but most of it in the form of road kill: hundreds of kangaroos, emus and chicks, foxes, rabbits, eagles.

Colin and bikes on the road between Madura and Mundrabilla	Sign warning that the road ahead is used as a Royal Flying Doctor Service airstrip ... not really a problem as there is very little traffic!
A tree decorated on the theme of a cafe	A tree decorated with bottles (at night)
A hat tree!	A glove tree!
A bra tree!	Car crash monument

27th: Day 14 - Mundrabilla to Border Village (79km):
Not a good day at all! No let up from the wind, and every push of the pedals seemed tough. Sometimes as slow as 10kph. However, managed to get to Border village only one day behind schedule. Can see the ocean now, and hope to see whales as they gather in these waters with their newborn calves. The road bends close to The Great Austrlian Bight. A wonderful sight. It then climbs an escarpment up to Eucla, then onto Border Village. Tomorrow will see 1,000 miles !

At the top of the hill rising from the plain up through the escarpment to Eucla. Also, our first view of the southern ocean on the horizon	Eucla ... it's a long way from anywhere!

28th: Day 15 - Border Village to Bush camp in Nullarbor National Park (109km):
Goodbye Western Australia - hello South Australia. Crossed the border ... but no obvious sign - did we miss it? No winds initially, so good progress, but only for about 30 minutes until a head/side wind sets in! Then it became a grind again like yesterday. We wouldn't make the Nullarbor Roadhouse in one day. Feeling very down today. Headwinds everyday so far but for half a day. Only one rest day since I left Perth. Slow progress. Colin, the experienced cyclist, being very supportive to keep me going. Set up camp in the bush between the road and the ocean. Lit a fire and had a meagre meal of noodles and cake! Must leave some provisions and water for tomorrow in case progress is slow again. The Nullarbor Roadhouse is the only place we will encounter for the next 200+ km.

Camels, wombats and kangaroos	Our first view of the spectacular cliffs of the Great Australian Bight

29th: Day 16 - Bush camp to Nullarbor Roadhouse (80km):
South Australia - just as bloody windy as WA! Some light rain during the night, and not a very good nights sleep. Very windy, and it's a strong headwind again, but occasionally turning to be side wind. Arrive at the Nullarbor Roadhouse at about 3pm, which will give us time to do our laundry and some bike maintenance. Two long days facing us as we cross the Nullabor National Park and hope to make Ceduna by Sunday evening. Very tired but still coping: good to have Colin to keep morale up!

Treated ourselves to a whale sight-seeing air safari, and saw loads of Southern Right whales and their calves feeding in the waters of the Great Australian Bight. A truly fabulous sight, and a welcome respite from cycling. The Cessna aircraft was parked by the petrol pumps of the roadhouse. It taxied past the pumps and then took off on a dirt runway behind the roadhouse. Great! The very young looking pilot, Andrew from NZ, later turned up being waiter at our table in the evening! Dined with cyclists Brian, Michael and Mark again, and were joined by Michael's sister, Mary, and her husband, Bob, who are touring Australia with their caravan. Lovely people.

Long, long road through the Nullarbor plain	Nullarbor Roadhouse from the air
Southern Right whales and calves (including an albino) close to the coast	With friends at the Nullarbor Roadhouse. From left to right: Me, Colin, Michael, Bob, Mary, Mark and the other Brian Martin!

30th: Day 17 - Nullarbor Roadhouse to Nundroo (145km):
Didn't sleep well and feel rather dehydrated. Get thee behind me, wind! At last (after 17 days and 1,100 miles!) a day with a TAIL WIND - joy of joys. Great cycling - easy and smooth with the wind behind us, and finally no roar of the wind in our ears! However, after about 12km Colin got a puncture. He repaired that and then his chain broke! We quickly got into our stride again. Very strange that we've seen very little wildlife since we crossed into South Australia (alive or dead). Passed the Yatala aborigine reserve, with signs stating very clearly to 'Keep Out'. The Yatala roadhouse closed in February this year, so we pressed on to Nundroo. We slowly leave the barren, flat Nullarbor landscape and enter a rolling area with more trees, and eventually some agricultural land and the first farm buildings we've seen since Norseman (680 miles)! Made the Nundroo roadhouse. One more section left of the Nullarbor desert. Both feeling well and fit, if not a little tired.

Road Trains:

31st: Day 18 - Nundroo to Ceduna (155km):
Away reasonably early. Landscape now arable, but poor quality, and then back to 'Nullarbor' look. Stopped at Penong for lunch, and greeted by a group of rowdy youths outside the town pub/hotel - apparently their Aussie rules footy team had just won a cup! Wind behind us again - good cycling! Passed three dead wombats, and stopped to photograph a wombat hole - a huge excavation! Goodbye Nullarbor! Finally the Nullarbor is behind us. Made Ceduna - a wonderful change to be in a seaside port/town. Ceduna is famous for its oysters. The huge grain silo on one side of the inlet shows that we are now in wheat country. Stayed in a cabin at the Big4 caravan site, and had a good meal at the community hotel on the seafront, again with Brian, Michael and Mark, and Michael's sister, Mary, and her husband, Bob. Prices for everything now so much lower than anywhere on the Nullarbor crossing. Everything still holding up! Managed to do some laundry for the first time since leaving Kalgoorlie.

Some animals we saw:

A galah	Corellas courting near Fremantle
An emu at Fraser Range	A shingleback skink on the roadside
A possum outside our hotel at Renmark	Kangaroos studying us carefully. Between Madura and Mundrabilla
Eagle eating roadkill near Caiguna	15 million year old fossil shells from the Nullarbor

SEPTEMBER
1st: Day 19 - Ceduna to Poochera (142km):
Again, wind behind us for much of the day, with the occasional cross wind. Good riding, and making good progress, although we didn't leave Ceduna until after 10am because we visited the bakery for breakfast and then went to the Visitor Information centre. We heard about a Japanese cyclist killed near Ceduna by a road train in 2005 after he had nearly finsished the Nullarbor crossing. We've certainly had some near misses, and have learnt to quickly get off the road if road trains are likely to pass each other beside us. Had a cup of tea at Wirulla, a hamlet dominated by huge grain silos (as are most of the places from here on). Arrived in Poochera in darkness. Ate a rather unappetising meal in the pub, and stayed in a caravan with Brian, Michael & Mark, the three cycists we kept meeting along on the way (a very crowded caravan!). Somewhere on today's ride we passed the halfway point of our ride!

Colin and Brian at Ceduna	The Ceduna waterfront
Can this be true? I think not!	Grain silos at Wirulla

2nd: Day 20 - Poochera to Lock (141km):
On the road before 8am. Slight headwinds. Whilst standing by the road at one point, Colin caught his bike as it slipped away from him and broke a weld on his rear gear change lever. Try as we might, we couldn't fix it. So I cycled off and found a mechanic in a small place called Minnipa who came out to collect Colin and his bike and fixed the problem with a bolt and then dropped him off beside me further up the road where I had continued cycling (not bad for for A$35). We were due to meet up with Colin's wife Marie and family at Kyancutta later in the day and had changed our planned route so that we would turn off Highway 1 at Kyancutta and go via Lock to get the ferry across the Spencer Gulf to Wallaroo. We eventually arrived to be greeted by Marie, their daughters Molly and Bonnie, and Marie's mother, Lyn. They were in Lyn's VW campervan named 'Patricia'! They gave us a late lunch and then they went to Lock, and we set off after them, and arrived in darkness (headwind plus delays).

3rd: Day 21 - Lock to Wallaroo, via ferry from Lucky Bay (140km cycling):
Time to walk on water. Up early (6am), left by 7.15am. There was headwind again, and very cold. Of all days, we didn't need this today as we already had a very tight schedule to reach the ferry terminal by 3.30pm. Progress was slow. Marie, Lyn and the girls caught up with us after about 30km, and we decided that if we were to make the ferry we would need to use the VW campervan as a pacer car! So we tucked in behind and averaged 30km/hr or more to Lock. After a picnic lunch near a reservoir 5km east of Lock, we pressed on to Cowell. Then on to the ferry terminal at Lucky Bay. We did it! A total of 140km. We arrived 30 minutes before the ferry was due to leave at 4pm. We would not have made it without the pace car! We had ridden through some of the most attractive scenery so far - rolling granite hills and lush fields. It was so relaxing to sit in comfortable seats in the lounge on the ferry - no pedalling! After a 2 hour 20 minute crossing we docked in darkness at Wallaroo and met up with Marie's sister, Sheryl and her three boys, and followed her to the accommodation she had booked on the sea shore at North Beach Tourist Park.

A REST DAY TOMORROW!! First one since leaving Kalgoorlie some 15 days of non-stop cycling over 1,125 miles. Total miles now covered is over 1,500. Just 1,000 left!

Marie and Colin on the road to Lock	Brian travelling light
Marie, Bonnie, Colin, Molly and Brian	The ferry from Lucky Bay to Wallaroo

4th: Day 22 - Rest Day in Wallaroo. Taking it easy.
A restless night on a squeaky sofa bed in a sleeping bag! But no cycling today! Went for a walk on the beach - a beautiful day, clear blue sky and calm sea. After breakfast we did our laundry and then headed off the Moonta Mines Museum. This is the site of a former huge copper mine from the mid-1800s until post-WW1. The old school house held 1,100 pupils in the late 1800s, which indicates the scale of the settlement. A very strong connection with Cornwall in England, from where so many of the mine workers were attracted to SA on a free passage.

Joined by Michael Kater in the afternoon. Michael is a friend of Colins, who also rides a Moulton bicycle and Colin invited him to join us for a few days on our ride.

Wallaroo Post Office	Sisters, Marie and Sheryl

5th: Day 23 - Wallaroo to Port Wakefield (66km):
Taking it easy. A deliberately short day to maximise time spent with Marie, Sheryl, Lyn and the children. A nice half day ride - a relatively easy one to Port Wakefield on a pleasant sunny day. Hired a couple of units at the Caravan Park and had a picnic on the waterfront. I have a signal for my mobile phone, so it allows me to call the UK for the first time since Kalgoorlie! [I had used an expensive satellite phone on other occasions]. The BBC in England called me for live radio interview. Excellent evening meal in the Rising Sun pub .. and the landlady, Suzie Andrew, generously gave A$50 to my fundraising for WaterAid.

6th: Day 24 - Port Wakfield to Eudunda (107km):
Set off early and cycled (headwind) through lovely countryside. Met up with Marie, Sheryl, Lyn and the children at Balaklava for tea/coffee and then said our goodbyes as they left us to go home. It was great to have a few days with them, and they were marvellous at producing food and drink at every opportunity! We headed to Auburn, a very pleasant old town (some buildings dated 1840s) with a touristy 'alternative' feel to it. Rode through Saddlesworth and then Marrabel, where there is a special statue commemorating a rodeo horse called 'Curio'. Then on to a town called Eudunda where the welcome committee was some delightful Aussie-rules footie fans who gave us a rowdy "welcome". Lycra has that effect on some people. Staying in a very down-and-out 'hotel'; trust this is not Psycho-ville!

Colin and me leaving Port Wakefield	Group photo before we part ways: Colin, Molly, Marie, Bonnie, Lyn, Sheryl, James, Michael, Hayden and Brian
Fields of canola (rape seed) make an attractive backdrop	Old cart in field

7th: Day 25 - Eudunda to Waikerie (108km):
Made breakfast in our room, and left at 8.10am. Overcast day, but with a tail wind! The first 10km or more were the easiest ever - almost free-wheeling down a slight gradient at 25-30kph! A great morning's cycling. Covered 60km before 11am. Reached Morgan for lunch - this was a great landmark on our journey because it it means we have met the Murray River, one of the most important rivers in Australia. Attractive countryside, with rolling hills, orange groves, vineyards. Saw my first sulphur-crested cockatoos of the trip. After leaving Morgan, turned off to go through Cadell (via a free ferry) down to Waikerie. A very pretty route. Passed the Wolf Blass and Oxford Landing vineyards. Headwinds in the afternoon slow us down significantly, so we decide to stay the night at Waikerie (the Waikerie Hotel).

The small, free ferry on the road to Cadell	We're not sure why this sign is here! Vineyards in background.
A Wolf Blass vineyard ... I've drunk a fair amount of their Cabernet Sauvignon!	Orange grove near Cadell

8th: Day 26 - Waikerie to Renmark (85km):
Left hotel at 7.40am. Slight headwinds. Attractive countryside. Passed many huge vineyards (including Banrock Station) and even huge wine 'silos'. Also abundant fruit growing, with more orange groves, mandarines, butternut squashes, etc. Crossed the Murray River again, this time on a long causeway. Lots of pelicans! Had brunch in Barmera, then on to Berri, where we visited the only bicycle shop we had come across since the beginning of the trip. It was up for sale as Woolworths had opened up a Big W store nearby which sold cheap bicycles and had taken most of the trade from this shop. The owner (now 70) used to race penny farthings in his younger days! Arrive in Renmark in the early afternoon after another short day but hard work with headwinds. Total milage now over 1,700 miles, so 2/3rds completed, and still alive! Treated ourselves to the Renmark Hotel. In the evening dark we encounter friendly possums in the trees by the riverfront.

The Murray River at Renmark	A paddle steamer at Renmark

9th: Day 27 - Renmark to Mildura (142km):
A good cycling day. A lot poorer quality landscape, suffering from the prolonged drought. Today, and on a few previous days, I got swooped on by magpies protecting their nests. The whoosh as they swoop towards my head is unnerving, and some snap their beaks with a 'clack' as they come close, or knock my cycling helmet with their claws. Back to the dry lands. After 27km we enter the state of Victoria (our third state). On a roadside stop we encountered a bearded, well-weathered man walking. He was collecting cans and bottles to reclaim some recycling money. He was heading for Mildura, some 70km away! There was very little water around on this route, but he carried some water in an old wine box bag. He ate what he found on the verge. We wished him well. We make Mildura in darkness and book into a cheap motel. Today I passed 3,000km (1,860 miles) and am 3/4 the way through the journey! Sydney is only just over 1,000km away.

Koala sign in Mildura	Real koala ... but taken at the end of the journey at Sydney Wildlife World!

10th: Day 28 - Mildura to Balranald (161km):
Another big 100 mile day ending up at Balranald in New South Wales, our fourth state, having started in Western Australia, cycled across South Australia, a little bit of Victoria when going through Mildura, and now in the final state of NSW with nearly 2,000 miles completed. Some distance out of Mildura a car slowed alongside us and the driver called out "Colin?". He was Joe Pasquale (no, not the British comedian/singer!), the photographer with the Mildura Weekly. They were running an article on Colin, and he wanted photos. After a few poses, we moved on! Tired after a long day, but still in good shape and beginning to see a tiny glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel - or is it a train??

11th: Day 29 - Balranald to Hay (134km):
Made Hay whilst the sun shone? No. A day of headwinds and punctures, caused by the notorious 'bindi eyes', which are tiny seed pods with very sharp spikes. Stopped at a rest lay-by to watch the sunset and make a cup of tea. Then rode on in the darkness towards Hay. We saw several emus today, and one of them was on the 'wrong' (roadside) side of the fence and ran at high speed along it beside Colin until it could finally get through. Found a good value flat behind the Crown Hotel in Hay. We decide to take the following day off to catch up with laundry, cycle maintenance and rest. Colin and I saw an amazing large, green, flaring, meteorite come low over Hay - a wonderful sight.

The Hay Plains - some of the bleakest land we saw	Sheep on the Hay Plains - what are they eating?

12th: Day 30 - Rest day in Hay.
The bikes needed a rest! Quite a warm day with a gusting wind, but we weren't cycling! Did our laundry, I had my hair and beard trimmed by a nice lady in a hair salon. She hasn't really travelled beyond Hay, but has great plans to do so. She warned me that flies will start to appear soon (luckily, we've hardly seen any on our travels so far), and to watch out for snakes as they begin to stir at this time of year.

A bicycle mower !! - in Hay

13th: Day 31 - Hay to Goolgowi (110km):
Remind me why I'm doing this again? Warm, but howling headwinds. Very slow going, often only 10-13kph. VERY desolate countryside - in fact, even more so than the Nullarbor. There have been 10 years of drought in the Hay Plains, resulting in a dusty, desolate landscape. Dust storms were all around us on the horizon. There was even tumbleweed blowing past! As I was warned yesterday, flies had appeared. At each stop we would be greeted by clouds of them. There were a few disconsolate sheep and cattle on this land - goodness knows what they eat. Possibly the worst day yet. We had just enough water to get us to Goolgowi, which we reached just before full darkness. We booked into the new Goolgowi Motel and had a meal at the nearby Royal Mail Hotel.

Mini on a pole!	Colin finds something to lean his bike against on the bleak Hay Plains

14th: Day 32 - Goolgowi to West Wyalong (148km):
What a difference a day makes.... Goolgowi to Wyalong was 92 miles of cycling heaven; tailwinds, a warm day and beautiful scenery. Such a contrast to yesterday. Rolling hills gradually increasing in size as we go eastwards. A lot more chatting between us on these good days. We stop briefly for refreshments at Rankins Springs and Weethale, and arrive at West Wyalong at 5.30pm. Stay at the Acacia Golden Way Motel, and have a reasonable meal in The Hut restaurant. Over 2,100 miles now.

15th: Day 33 - West Wyalong to Grenfell (105km):
Keep battling on. A day dominated by very strong side winds, occasionally slightly behind us. Moderate going through attractive countryside. Our guide book said we could get some tea and refreshment at Caragabal - but nothing on offer. The Post Office no longer serves tea/coffee and the pub doesn't open until 3pm! We had been looking forward to a cuppa after 60km of riding, but no luck. So on to Grenfell, arriving at 3.20pm, where we decided to stop for the day because the locals said we were heading into rain, and we could see dust storms to the south, and soon we can feel dust in our eyes. Grenfell is a nice little town, seemingly full of very friendly people. It's the birth place of Henry Lawson, one of Australia's best known poet and fiction writers ... often called "Australia's greatest short story writer". We stay at a motel in the centre if town, and the receptionist/owner was a friendly old man who used the f-word frequently and who was in poor health, taking a long time to get his words out and we wondered whether he might expire before we were checked in! He showed us photos of the heavily overloaded trucks he used to drive pre-WW2, and told us about a serious fall he had from the top of sheep truck when he was 17. On his 21st birthday he had to single-handedly load a truck stacked high with bags of wheat, which he has never forgotten.

Scene near Grenfell	Henry Lawson memorial at Grenfell

16th: Day 34 - Grenfell to Blayney (126km). Starting climbing.
Relatively early start at 7.30am. A clear but cold day - with a tail wind! Lovely hilly scenery. Made good progress and were in Cowra by 10.15am. The last 20km were downhill or flat - very enjoyable! Cowra has a cycle shop and Harry, the owner, fixed a front derailleur cable whilst we went for pie, cake and coffee. Good, but cold, ride in the afternoon, with the biggest hills we had encountered so far. Stopped in Mandurama, which has seen better days ... some of the shops are no more and are overgrown with creeper [see below]. Stayed at a motel in the centre of Blayney. Had a good chat with a travelling businessman in the pub where we ate in the evening. He's Mike Hall and he owns a big company that supplies teflon coated conveyor belt systems to the food industry. Very nice, well travelled, interesting guy - and he would like a copy of Colin's book when it gets published.

Overgrown shop fronts at Mandurama	Wind power near Carcoar

17th: Day 35 - Blayney to Lithgow (106km):
Left early - headwinds initially. This is the hilliest section so far. Long, gradual rises to over 1,000m, then down again. Nice scenery. Pine and eucaliptus forests on the foothills to the Blue Mountains. Had brunch in Bathurst. Colin remarked that in the bigger towns people walk faster and are more conscious of time ... he's right. Lots of dead wildlife on the road shoulder - kangaroos, wombats, a turtle, fox and a possum. Some hilltops had numerous wind turbines, which looked quite attractive. I had a slow puncture, but kept pumping it up, hoping to get to Lithgow (which I did). I was pretty tired when we reached Lithgow, and then we cycled around for about 45 minutes trying to find some accommodation that wasn't fully booked. Stayed in a budget motel run by a Japanese couple. Just fine - and good Japanese food on offer in the restaurant, which they opened just for us. We had excellent teriyaki chicken. Saw some spectacular parrots today ... crimson bodies and blue wings ... most probably King parrots.

Giant gold panner - at Bathurst	At last - the final part of the map to show Sydney!

18th: Day 36 - Lithgow to Katoomba (40km):
As it was to be a short day, we had a lie-in! We had breakfast, packed and were on the road at 9am. A lovely day, with a slight tail wind. Wonderful Blue Mountains scenery. Traffic heavy for the first time in many days. The big climb after about 19km was Mount Victoria (1,043m), a steep, winding ascent, with no hard shoulder on a couple of sections. It wasn't too bad after my training on the hills of Exmoor! Had a nice cup of coffee in the service station at the top. Then on through undulating hills to Katoomba, arriving at about half past midday. We found a motel that includes an 'all you can eat' cooked breakfast - excellent! We dropped a couple of things in the room and then headed off to the view point overlooking the Three Sisters in the spectacular panorama of the eucaliptus-clad gorge. Lots of tourists of all nationalities. A Japanese group even applauded and shrieked as they saw the spectacular views! Back for a shower and then lunch in a wonderful cafe called Common Ground, which brought a smile to our faces as we entered because it was like opening the door to another little peaceful, alternative world! Had a great blueberry smoothie with our sandwich. In the evening we met up with cyclist Michael Kater again (we had gone our different ways on September 13th), and had a Thai meal together.

The Three Sisters rocks at Katoomba	Magnificent scenery at Katoomba
Colin at Katoomba	Brian at Katoomba

19th: Day 37 - Katoomba to Sydney (110km):
We felt that we didn't have to get up too early for the last day of our journey. Left shortly after 9am. A VERY busy road (the Mid Western Highway turns into the Great Western Highway). Downhill for much of the first 30km, but a lot of concentration on the traffic and the condition of the hard shoulder (and sometimes there isn't one!). And looking out for any debris to avoid cycling over. So, a fast, noisy, risky journey! We find our way into Sydney. Tricky riding and navigation. Then across the ANZAC Bridge and onto Harris Street where we are met by Colin's friend, Ken Foster, who greets us with two refreshing drinks! We navigate on to his house, as they have kindly offered to put us up for a few nights and are warmly greeted by his wife Kassie and their son, Will. They look after us very well for the next three days.

Tedaaaah!!!! (sound of fanfare, obviously!). We did it! And it was THAT easy! Some 60 miles of bike-unfriendly traffic and rough roadsides made for an intense day of staying alive, and the culture shock of cycling in fast urban traffic; oh for the peace of the Nullarbor! In reaching Sydney, Colin has now completed his round the world journey on a Moulton bicycle, and is writing a book about his adventures.

Our first proper view of Sydney city centre	Crossing the ANZAC Bridge into the city centre

20th: The Sea, The Sea, The End. The final chapter was to cycle from the city to Bondi Beach and paddle in the Pacific Ocean (well, we didn't intend to paddle, but a wave came in whilst we were posing for a photograph!). Fremantle, and the Indian Ocean, seems a long time ago. Also cycled around Sydney to see the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. It's a very hilly city!

At Bondi Beach, Sydney. The Pacific Ocean marks the end of the epic journey.	Colin and me with Bruce, a Bondi Lifesaver and one of the stars of the reality TV programme 'Bondi Rescue'
Sydney Opera House, of course	Sydney Harbour Bridge

20th -25th: Relaxing in Sydney. Colin returned home to Queensland on the 22nd. I stayed on in Sydney to relax and do some sight-seeing - but in fact I was ill with some bug, so I didn't have as much energy as I would have liked. I flew home Thursday 25th, very kindly taken to the airport by Kassie. She and Ken have looked after us so well. I arrive in London on the 26th. A long flight via Bangkok. Again British Airways great with the bike. No fuss. No problems.

26th: Home again, home again.
Leo meets me at Heathrow at 7am, bicycle intact, sun shining, all in one piece. Now a 4 hour drive home. Leo has arranged a surprise in the evening as my two boys, Sam and Tom come home to greet me, and, as Alice is still at home, this is a rare time when all three of our children are together.

Can't quite believe that I've done this amazing journey, especially as I hadn't cycled for the past 35 years. Settling back into a 'normal' life is going to be strange after that!

I'd welcome any feedback, so please contact me by Email: brian@riscombe.co.uk

The Route
Equipment