Vanderpants Oz Tour

Distance: 90 km’s on the nose – TOTAL k’s – 2,739 km’s

Avg Spd: 15.7 kmph

Max Spd – 38.9

Saddle Time: 5:35 – Total Saddle Time – 180 hrs 54 minutes

Elevation: 600 mtrs today

Quote: Little things make big days……I really like this one because in all the tough times during these travels and the amazing snippets you see in those videos….they are the little things on sometimes really tough days and you need the right glasses on to see and appreciate them which I try to consciously do (Which is like life in general isn’t it). Part of the reason I try to blog about it is to appreciate what i’m doing and re live it with you guys. The amazing animals And their habits I watch, The people and connections, nice campspots (albeit mossies/wind/hot sun), the sunsets, the wind on my back, the fact that i’m actually able to do this etc etc etc – all of these could be missed if I was not looking for them. They are small but there is a LOT

Song of the Day: Bon Iver – Beth/Rest – rolling through the valley’s was amazing with this playing my ears – listen to this song and picture it

Album of the Day: Damien Rice – O (this guy can sing, play piano, guitar and a few others and boy is he good)

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today was one of those great adventure days. it’s one where if you were to script it for a bicycle tour this would be it. The last two days were a bit down a grind and today is a full high. Ya take the crooked with the straights right…. so anyway as i hit the bakery in Yea in the morning before i left i was reading everything on the wall as I do and saw there was an old railway track that went allllll the way to where I was going (90km’s) so i asked the lady in the shop and she showed me the start of it. It did not dissapoint. I felt like I had about 25 highlights today and I couldn’t get the smile off my face. This trail is called the Great Victorian Rail Trail and it was AH-MAYZING. A scenic journey through rolling hills, farmland, old tunnels and lakes and all with some history along the way of the old rail existence and a feeling of ‘what was’. Hugging the steep walls and curving through the valley’s looking at all the different types of nature and popping out a few towns along the way for a bakery or coffee stop.

It was built in 1883 and closed in 1978. Some of my highlights were

• The wildlife – riding alongside 30 kangasfor 500 mtrs or so, large eagles Hunting, snakes (i’ll elaborate in a minute), cows, A turtle, all types of birds – not a car in sight and I didn’t have to look in my rear vision mirror all day which was nice
• The Long Drop – here’s a share for you – have you ever used a new long drop that has no umm how you say ‘matter’ in it…..the sound of the echo will scare you and yes – this was a highlight
• Bakery stops – OMG fresh produce coming out the oven as I rocked up and smashed a lot of it today – you know you’re in a rural town when there’s a sign saying water is for glasses only and not bottles as the whole town does not have mains
• Bonnie Doon – Yup – I rode there – saw it – took photo’s of it – will remember it forever hahaha loved it….best find of my journey so far LOL
• So many beautiful views of the rolling hills, gumtrees and eucalyptus trees, old train stations and bridges, tunnels etc etc it was awesome
• A brown snake….yup my first live one . The gum trees cast scattered shadows on the ground and all of their branches/sticks all look like snakes and as I unknowingly approached this one, he did not move at all until that critical no stop zone moment where you can’t brake and you just gotta keep going. I swear I was looking into his eyes as he slithered past me and I rode over his body and I crapped myself and said ‘OH FUCK’ really loud hahaha. I pictured where my snake bandage was in a split second Which was weird as i looked into his eyes as I rolled over tis big sucker. I thought for sure he will bite me As I raised my legs in which I thought I looked like this
  
  

But really I was probably like this

• I saved a turtles life too – well at least I think I did – He was so far from the river and it was stinking hot and he wasn’t moving fast – His shell was super hot. I looked at my map – the lake was a couple k’s away so we Jack and I (that’s his name) went for a ride together and we found a river and I had to jump a few fences and walk through long grass which I hate but we did it…..Meet Jack……

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So after I rescued Jack I was only a few km’s from Mansfield and feeling good after 90km’s on the track and 600 Elevation Gain. The sun was bitey today but it was just too nice to care. I smashed some food and now about to hit the hay a happy man – the next week can be shitty and i’m ok with that – today was worth it……night all…….Vanderpants OUT!!