i love a sunburnt country !

I thought i would share a few pics from my 2 month epic solo bicycle ride and camping trip that i did from DARWIN ----MELBOURNE in winter last year . When leaving Tasmaina it was snowing on arival in Darwin it was a v warm 33 deg !

I chose the EXPLORERS WAY which took me down the centre via Alice Springs to the remote South Australian Desert
Cobber Peddy / Womera . Adelaide and Melbourne via the Great Ocean R oad . i covered 4000 klm ; on completing the journey had 1 very sore knee and 1 flat tire only !

i felt so privileged to experience the most amazzing scenery /constellations/sunrise /sunsets/flora /fauna and meet interesting friendly folk along the ways.

The hardest part tof my trip was between Cobber Peddy --- Womera in which i experienced 270 klm of complete isolation and faced unrelenting gale force head winds: this broke my spirit over many days as i could only cycle at 9 klm ph. so dug deep as i needed to draw on all my resources and be 100 % onto it mentally and physcially to meet this challenge !!.which i did

on reflection when arrivng in melbourne and checking out that huge OZZE map on the YHA wall i kinda felt a sense of achievement that i had acomplished this journey solo .
i feel anyone could do the same, all one needs is some fitness a sense of adventure and inner strength .

Thinking! ----- Stuart H'way N.T. and def not flat !!

Newcastle Waters Rest Area --Northern Territory
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Dingo

Edith Falls and camping area ---- Nitmiluk National Park- Katherine . Northern Territory

DEVILS MARBLES

See many interesting shaped termite mounds this reminds me of Homer from the Simpsons !

many nights spent camped at one of these rest areas or hidden in the bush

Cycling into alice springs after 3 weeks on the road completing 1500 klm with mcdonald ranges in the distance

Breakaways- Coober Peddy -Mad Max was filmed here

Lake Hartz Saltwater Lake --South Australia

12 Apostles Great Ocean Road --Victoria

St Kilda Beach ----- Melbourne

4000 klm ---finished

:O that must have been an awesome adventure!! i really can't imagine goin that distnce on a bike, spesh by myself, but those pix are awesome

thanx for that vawn ----- yep was def an adventure ...
i think you would do ok once you found your swing .. the stars and water falls were soooooo beautiful
I love the solitude ,so for me it was all good ... i also dive alot alone too NICE ;;; not the norm thing to do though and the buddy system is strongly advised .. the pic taking is getting there.. the best opportunities were usually when i was on my bike so often missed that awesome candid shot ! i had these masssive eagles that would soar above me !!! and keep me company along the ways was so very spiritual they did this for weeks . i do have a vid of them around my camp once i learn how to post i will .... at first i thought they were waitng for me to perish in the heat lol lol then i thought maybe they were interested in my stuffed mascot dog thinking it was a rabbit or somthing .. i have nooo idea . The song Somewhere Over The Rainbow played in my head over and over .. I am heading off again in june this year to cycle solo across the Kimberleys i will be kayaking in the gorge for 2 days in Katherine too . i am hopefuly going to see a fresh water croc while snorkelling then will head off from Katherine for the GIBB RIVER ROAD which is completely off road 1500+ cycling only for this trip ...so that will be interesting I have a land / underwater vid camera now so will be doing a wee movie and see where it goes from there.. i am also hoping to see the whale birthing area in the north west . From this trip i have made many new friends who extended their warmth to me on the road ..and a few have visited me in Tassie this summer so i shouted them to a meal --yummy Seafood Platter as a thank you. for their kindness i will be catching up with them again on the Gold Coast next month they dive and tour cycle too

Very nice pics Shaz.

Those are valued additions to the forum for sure; nothing gets peoples attention or imaginations soaring on forums better than a good pic or two, well done.

Thank you seafan. . -- it was an amazing journey N i love checking out all the posts / pics on this forum -- -excellent ..
Now that i have an ok U/W camera i also look forward to adding some dive content soon. from Lady Musgrave Island ... and especially if i see a freshie Crocodile snorkelling the gorges in the N.T. will be very cool .
I show my guests this forum often and they are sooo impressed on what we have on offer here in OZ and hands on with our marine life !
The pic taker ( ME ) is useless usually lol !.. I am lucky the landscape is generous

Great photos, shows how vast the distances are in Australia.
And you didn't have to show your passport at the borders.

I have been asked some funny questions by friends overseas, like
"Do you need a visa for the different States?"
"What currency do they use in the other States?"

I tell them that all the states on the mainland are the same, but they need a different visa for Tassie, because it is overseas.

Thanx for that Ian .. i actually have a bril vid of the hot springs in Mataranka and some windmills too, must put that up at some stage ! . Somedays being in your saddle for 10 + hrs per day you def learn about distances in a hurry !! lol To be honest , i never looked more than 5 days ahead in any one time as the distances are so huge and the landscape was very harsh in places . My biggest fear was wild camels!! oh your right there about the visa/passports ,, heard that many times N some travellers are very funny with their understanding of OZ ! when i have asked my guests where their next destination is after leaving tassie , their come back was " --AUSTRALIA !!! cute... If you and your partner are ever thinking of heading south be sure to look me up stay a night FOC ..there is some amazing diving down this way .I have been asked twice this summer to hit the water at Maria Island unfortunatley too busy for me .this time of the year . i think you would be impressed by the pics that i have seen of the quality diving there . I employ a person to look after this place while i take 3 mths out each year to have some "ME time --- i have not had a day off since August last year so hanging to kick back. from May---16th August anytime after that i am about.