Posts about cycling, trips on the bike (both interesting local outings and multi-day touring trips), gear reviews, anything really related to two-wheelin’ fun…
One of the great benefits of my new job at the Starlight Children’s Foundation is the location of the Melbourne office: right on the Yarra River where Church Street becomes Chapel Street, in a commercial hub of the city known as Cremorne in Richmond.
My partner is a criminal barrister, and a few times a year she undertakes circuits, where she travels to a regional court and works there for 3–4 weeks. Sometimes she’ll come home on the weekends, sometimes not, depending on the distance from home. This year her Wodonga circuit has run for the past four weeks, and I’ve joined her for this last week to spend some time together riding around the area, both with her and on my own.
Finally got back on my bike today for the first time in 2021, after seven months recovering from spinal surgery. The shitty weather and blowing cold Ballarat wind couldn’t take away from my sheer joy in being back on the road, with the wind in my face, fighting back tears of relief.
With international borders closed (for Australians, anyway) until god-only-knows-when, and a nice local trip looking very attractive as an introduction to touring for my partner Danielle, we’ve been planning a Tasmanian East Coast cycling trip for a few months now. We’ve outlined a nice 15-leg route that will take us 13–14 days in total riding, across perhaps three weeks (given rests and sightseeing).
Victoria is currently in our fourth COVID-19 lockdown, and I find myself sitting inside, on a chill but sunny Sunday afternoon in late autumn, preparing for a European bike tour that might never eventuate, but even if it does, certainly won’t for quite a few years. So why bother planning it at all? Well, primarily the answer to that question at the moment is: I’m bored shitless. But I also need something to look forward to.
I had my first outpatient follow-up appointment with my neurosurgeon yesterday. Today marks five weeks since my surgery. I was hoping for a little more relaxing of restrictions than the surgeon ultimately allowed, but got more than I expected in other areas, so I’m altogether OK with that.
This morning I woke up to the nicest morning yet. A beautiful sunrise was shining through the trees and across the river, lighting up a wedge-tailed eagle in her nest in the tree directly above my tent. Compared to the wind of last night it was a beautiful tranquil scene.
I had a bit of rain today, but nothing too heavy and after the past few days, it was actually quite refreshing. I woke in Cohuna, had my coffee and breakfast and packed down my camp quite quickly. I didn’t have phone reception so was keen to get into a better area for it so I could let my partner know I was OK, etc. I was also low on water so decided to venture away from the Murray to detour through Cohuna township.
I slept in today, and had a nice campfire breakfast of fried eggs, muesli bars and espresso coffee, before packing my bag and exploring the Campbells Island State Forest on my way down to Barham and Koondrook.
I got up nice and early this morning — 0500 — to catch the Ballarat V/Line train to Melbourne at 0615. I packed the bike last night, making sure everything was lashed and ready to go. Then lo and behold, the skies opened up and rain started pouring! Not the most auspicious start to the trip…