Vanderpants Oz Tour

17th – Warrnambool to Port Campbell

Distance: 69.73

Avg Spd: 15.1

Max Spd: 46.8

Saddle Time: 4hrs:37Mins

Elevation: 160 mtrs

Quote: Practice One Thing At a Time – I’m terrible at this – I want to be good at everything but am master of none – i need to take this advice big time – I can’t focus long enough on one particular thing – ooh what’s that – something shiny 🙂

Song of the Day: Pearl Jam – Present Tense – it builds up so awesomely

Album of the Day: Alterbridge – AB III

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Hey All,

Well the hotel was an amazing cloud and heaven sent to be honest. I walked around the city all day. I purchased a solar panel and finally succumbed to not caring about the weight – now with my wheel hub and this plus my battery packs – I can pretty much not care about electricity at all for my ipad, iphone, bike lights and headphones – SO GOOOD. I pondered around the city and went back to the hotel for a counter meal and watched an open mic night. You CANNOT I repeat – CANNOT get any more Australian then someone singing ‘I’m an Australian Man’ in a pub, beanie on, in Warrnambool in Australia hahahah was pretty cool to have a glass of red (and some beers) and sit back and relax.

I filled up water, packed up and headed off. Weather was spesh, roads were ok, music was pumping and things were ticking along nicely. About half way through I bumped into a fellow bicycle tourer. Team….Meet Regis

Regis is Brazilian and it was his first couple days touring and he got that bike for free, purchased some cheap ass panniers and just took off – all on the same day. It just shows you that you don’t need to plan too much – you can work it out on the road as you go. If you want to do something – JUST DO IT. Regis is 50 years old and has travelled 6 months on and 6 months off for 25 years – that’s right – 25 years. he fund this by running healing workshops out of his mud hut in Brazil. We talked for about an hour and we agreed lets ride to the next town. We stopped along the way to take some photos of the beautiful coast – really amazing actually. He didn’t have any wifi so I let him download his maps tethering my phone as you really need to know the elevation you’re about to encounter so you can plan food, water and distances. We rode for about an hour to Peterborough and I shouted him lunch as he was on a shoooooooeestring budget and pulled out some green looking thing that I couldn’t bear see him to eat hahaha.

Regis had had enough but I wanted to get to Port Campbell at least and we parted ways after solving the worlds problems. You know i’ve already met so many people and had conversations that i’d never be able to have back home and that’s due to the nature of what i’m doing and that’s part of the whole adventure which i’m loving. I ended up cycling past some local dairy farm and asked the lady at the front counter “which cheese do you recommend that’s the hardest with less water content” – I got a quick strange look but she saw my bike and went – yup I got exactly what you need. See…cheese, eggs and coffee is important on this trip – it’s like GOLD to me during and at the end of the day. It’s little pieces of heaven when you’re living out of a pannier haha. So got my cheese and off I went

I made it to Port Campbell and straight away found a cheapo campsite $10 (Winning). I was going to look for a wild camp ut when you see a campground with showers, cooking facilities and a nice piece of grass I will always welcome that over a caravan park for $40 each day no thanks. Straight away a few people welcomed me and started talking and I was hot and bothered but they were curious so parked the mothership and got into conversation and they wanted to know all the ins and outs. All I wanted was a shower hahah but we got to talking and ended up all cooking together and we shared the cheese and a bottle of red i bought just before the campsite (another bit of gold on the road (liquid gold) and talked until 9pm enjoying each others stories of tough times on the road. We parted ways and I was done…shower, teeth, bed, watch the stars until I fell asleep, HAPPY.

18th – Port Campbell to Johanna Campground

Distance: 67.04 (Total 1033) YAY – over the 1k mark

Avg Spd: 14.6

Max Spd: 64 – WEEeeeee

Saddle Time: 4hrs:34Mins (total saddle time – 72:15)

Elevation: 704 mtrs

Quote: No quote today – don’t want to waste them

Song of the Day: Wolfmother – Joker and the Thief – OMG this pumped as I was climbing my first hill – it really kicks ass

Album of the Day: Just random songs all day

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The day started with a pretty funny joke – well at least i thought it was…I packed up my tent – said goodbye to everyone and went to the supermarket to get some potatoes and other things. I really don’t know why but the lady at the counter said ‘is that a potato in your pocket’ to which my response was ‘nah i’m just happy to see you’. now – there’s a time where a joke whips out your mouth like you’re a bloody well practiced comedian and this was the time but all i got was duck eggs. Without a word she turned around, weighed the potatoes, came back to me, rolled her eyes and told me the price. The tumbleweed and I left promptly hahahahaha

I knew it was going to be hot today and considered staying in camp for the day but a thought came across my mind. I need to harden up a little if i want to do Tassie, NT, Nullabor etc etc so decided in the 38 degree heat to tackle some climbs and heat. You know, if you have enough water, sunscreen (yes im a red head shutup), and you cover yourself up (neck, sunnies, hat, arm protectors), food – it’s just heat isn’t it – drink more, take it easier and you’ll be fine……..SO I THOUGHT or tried to convince myself anyway. It was freeeekn hot today and I had to dig deep after about half way through the day. It was steep rolling hills all day pretty much. I don’t mind if it’s a few large climbs but this was about 50 mini bloody steep everests. The first 25 were fine (one was an hour of climbing) but the last 25 were testing me. Hamstrings were fine which was a bloody relief so no excuse – just me, the hill and the elements. Fatigue started to creep in about 20 km’s to go and I had to walk my bike up a couple steep ones and even that was bloody hard enough – all I kept saying to myself was ‘im done’. I think I said it like 50 times hahaha. But then you get back on your bike and you bloody keep pedalling and you just get there. When you think Great Ocean Road what do you think…..beautiful coast, 12 apostles (or however many is left), lovely coastal drive……WRONG BLOODY WRONG. When you’re on the bike and it’s loaded, 3/4 of my day was in the middle of a hot muggy rainforest and I saw the 12 apostles and that’s it) it was a muggy muggy rainforest with no breeze to speak of and nothing but them hillz. The beach views of which I did get was pretty speccy though

I ended up finally at the top of the climbs and the shop was about to close – he saw the look on my face and said come on in mate – I got a toasted focaccia, can of coke, mars bar and a gatorade hahaha – i smashed it all the went for a ginger beer (i was absolutely DONE) to which the man said ‘on the house buddy you need it’ – another nice person – so good – better than Mrs Potato right? Hahaha

I went into the shade and then and there and slept for an hour and when I awoke this cramp came upon me like never before – I couldn’t even stand up hahaha – i had plenty of salt and water today but there’s no way I could get enough in – consider today as Vanderpants a tad more hardened. After I stretched my unoiled limbs I took off with a decent of 500mtrs into the campsite for tonight which is literally on the beach – i setup camp, ran off into the ocean and iced my sore legs. I don’t know how i’m going to do tomorrow but with a cooler day i’m sure i’ll survive. You know, there’s something in the suffering of what i’m doing and i’m not quite sure what it is yet but I get into this sick rhythm and espesh on hot days too and there’s something uncomplicated about just a little bit of suffering to test myself and clear the mind at the same time. I’m still working on that one. Night folks…..

Vanderpants OUT!