Distance: 70.85 then 103.3 – TOTAL NOW = 1,784 k’s

Avg Spd: 18.2 then 16

Max Spd – 59.5 then 52.6

Saddle Time: 3:52 then 6:26 (TOTAL SADDLE TIME – 110 hr 32 Mins

Elevation: 357 then 550 mtrs

Quote:

Song of the Day: Dire Straits – Telegraph Road – This song builds up amazingly. My cousin got me onto this song and it’s stuck with me ever since. It’s about a road at the beginning of time starting with a family and settlement to what it is today and the ensuing decades of changes (not for the good perhaps). It’s a good metaphorical song. A 14 minute masterpiece if you ask me.

Album of the Day: Bob Marley – GOLD album – kicking along to this was pretty chilln today and was the most memorable

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Hey all…another couple days another couple memories. The ride from St Mary’s was amazing. It was a picture perfect day with good coffee, no rain, good weather and it ended brilliantly. If I was to picture a god day on the bike this would be it. it started with packing up my gear and heading off to find a coffee in one of two shops – i picked the right one – how can such an amazing place survive in the middle of nowhere – somehow it does – was a really nice organic place with yummy coffee

(Climbing out of St Mary’s was hard as it was an hour cimb with all the smoke as well) but anyway I cycled and sang the whole way to Bicheno is a lovely little town that has nice beach coves with white sand, penguins, parks and blow holes. There I stocked up, done my 30 min stretches and headed towards the blow hole (wink). On the way I saw three young cyclists traveling light and we had a good 30 minute yarn about bicycle touring. They were going for ten days and they were headed to where I just went so I warned them about the fires and they looked it up and now you can’t ride through that town so that added 50km’s to their short itinerary. I made my way down to the blowhole (it’s been a while since I seen one hahaha) and spent an hour there eating my lunch (wrap, banana, peanut butter, nutella) and more water and just enjoyed the view and soaked it up.

As it is peak tourist season the east coast is chocked with large capervans (mostly hired) and 4wd’s and I have no shoulder in which to cycle on which is really not nice. I din’t feel very safe here so anyone wanting to tour here by bicycle I would suggest not peak season. Hard to find campsites that aren’t over populated and east coast so far, for me, has not felt very safe. Part of the reason I have raced through here. I’ve sen some nice beaches and met some nice people but I think I want to spend more time West hoping that it’s a bit quieter and peaceful. not that i’m complaining – just a safety thing. Lots of signs saying ‘bicycle friendly’ here but no bicycle lane or shoulder at all…WTF man. That aside – Tassie has been beautiful so far and i’m looking forward to seeing the other side (and tackle dem hillz)

My mind has been in good spirits most of the time as my confidence is building also. Confidence in my legs, injuries and niggles (this is the hardest to combat for me), finding campsites, food and water. These things are the constant negotiations on the road. Every day there’s a new niggle plus the main ones and you really have to not only stretch but pick your days you want to do certain k’s depending on wind, hills and feeling plus the sites you want to see. The more I get into it, the more i’m easing into these thoughts and being ok with them. I’m trying to find wild campsites as I enjoy the alone time and not the sounds and lights of a caravan park which has been hard on the east coast on a bicycle but that’s ok – I have been spoiled with the few great spots i’ve found so far and am greatful for the showers and shaded bbq areas Of the park so it swings in roundabouts.

Speaking of the east coast, Coles bay is supposed to be lovely and is 120km’s out of my way but I wanted to see it – as I headed down the road, it was getting kind of late and the traffic was terrible. All day I thought, how good would it be to find a campsite that I can just flop into the ocean. As that thought came fresh into my mind I saw the sign ‘friendly beaches’ and the guess was – ‘i have no internet so can’t research….do I camp here and stuff coles bay as it’s so busy but what if friendly beaches is shit’. I decided on going with my gut and headed down the 5km dirt road track and as i rocked up to the beach there was a camp manager there and boy was he friendly. he said welcome mate……i’m the camp manager and my job is to manage that you get a good site and a good sleep and enjoy the area. I knew I picked the right spot here – I could see the ocean and the Manager said ‘right what can I help you with…your tent setup, baked beans, water????’ What a guy. I was all set for food and water though and just wanted to setup my tent and drop in the ocean. Althought the canpsite was busy, the ocean had not one person in it – I was already smiling at this point. Set up my tent and just ran into the ocean not 30 mtrs away and couldn’t help but laugh out loud and say ‘THIS IS WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT ADRIAN’. I sat there and watched the sunset And pondered on life and then had an empty brain which was nice for once. I met this lady who runs a tour company in the kimberly’s and I got all the info I could about the top end (as I seriously have no idea at this point) and it was good to get pointers about road conditions, trucks, towns and she offered to make contact when i’m there for a catchup which is really nice.

I was so hungry and it was 9pm but didn’t care – i smashed a few wraps, a banana, can of tuna and an egg and fell right to sleep. No reception, a full belly and a happy end to the day. BRILLIANT

On the next morning I had no plan but packed up and said goodBye to Bob (of course that’s his name as a park manager). I wanted to do 70km’s today (ish) but was unsure. Someone gave me a cold can of this coffee brew which was a godsend in the morning – went down so nicely. I cycled off the dirt road and 13km’s tp a shelter and made a coffee and some breakky. As I packed up and rode literally 50mtrs around the corner and in the middle of nowhere, there was a coffee shop hahaha. So after a coffee…it was time for another coffee. Three nice people here…1) this couple in a caravan started talking to me and was interested in my travels and gave them my speeel about what I’m doing and the Lady offered me toast and coffee hahaha – I had already purchased my second coffee and breakky for the day though haha. 2) Someone else started talking to me and they own a mango farm up north and another option to catch up as well – it’s soo good talking to these kind people in this world and lastly…..3) I walked into the coffee shop and without a word the owner said

him: Large
me: yup
him: double shot
me: yup
him: flat white
me: yup (then laughed) and said….’ohhh yr good’
him: I can pick em 🙂

Smashed the coffee and off I went. I wanted to do 70 km’s and attempted to mimic yesterday’s find re spot on the beach but every dirt road I tried (and i tried a few) were private properties (i don’t mind wild camping but not without permission on someone elses property) so I had no option to keep going – and going – and going until I hit over 100km’s and 6.5 hours. I did find an amazing caravan park though and thought – I need a rest day i’m buggered and I haven’t washed my clothes IN ONE MONTH hahahahahahahahaha plus my bike needs a tuneup, i need to shop and tomorrow is going to be hot so two days it is. Conversation went like this (ps as you cen tell I love all good and bad conversations – I find humour in the bad ones – nothing much phases me as I laugh at the randomness of things)

owner: yup
me: **says to self** ok that’s a weird hello but anyway – HI, may I have a site for two nights please
owner: ‘sighs’ **insert my inside laugh here** ‘no we only have one night – we are so busy at the moment’
me: ok – can I ask, is it a possibility that someone may be leaving tomorrow be it powered or unpowered that I can shift to?
owner: walks off without saying anything
me: shrugs to self…….hears owner talking to someone else via the whisper method
owner: yeeeeerp we can do that I spose but you have to move before 10
me: sure thank you that’s great thank you – i needed a day off so that helps (and thinks – you do this EVERYDAY as a living – isn’t it normal to try to move peeps around) but rolls with it anyway hahahahaha I love it

so then comes the best bit of the night…….I setup tent and googled some eats….saw a fish van where the Write ups were ‘best fish in tassie – right off the boat’ – and OMG was it ever…not only because I rode 6hrs but moreso it was the best fish i’ve tasted in my life……fresh, big portion and made me smile….great ending to the day – I did walk to a war memorial thingo and watched the sunset that was nice too but I was beat – it was super hot and I was done….after trying to watch netflix in my tent with a full belly – i fell asleep and woke up 8 hours later – lovely sleep.

Today is rest day – DAY 35 – I wanted to go to Maria Island as I heard it was beautiful but there’s so much smoke everywhere and you almost can’t see anything so there’s no point so washing, clean bike, shopping, blogging and just a short walk is on the agenda…….ooh ooh and the fish van – makes me smile just thinking about it now. I did go to the op shop as I have nothing that doesn’t stink hahaha so literally everything went into the wash so I had to Op Shop it and for $6 I bought a pretty cool pair of shorts and a shirt and i’m pretty happy with the purchase if I say so myself. See you tomorrow peeps – two more days and i’m in Hobart – half way around Tassie already.

Vanderpants OUT!

Distance: 31 Dec (54.98kms) 1 Jan (126km’s) – TOTAL – 1608 Km’s

Avg Spd: 31st (18.7) 1st (19.8)

Max Spd – 31st (50.1). 1st (53.9)

Saddle Time: 31 (2:55). 1 (6:23) TOTAL SADDLE TIME (100hrs 14 mins)

Elevation: 31st (93 mtrs). 1st (571mtrs)

Quote: Today – Forget your past, forgive yourself and begin again. The only way to change is to keep trying, failing and keep trying and not worry about mistakes – easier said than done huh. Anything else leads to (insert star wars quote) the dark side. I heard a Macklemore song today and he said artists aren’t good at painting from birth (ok some are hahaha) the greats are great because they paint a lot i.e mistake after mistake – all learning – just like life right.

Song of the Day: Def Macklemore – Neon Cathedral – Great lyrics in this one about how alcohol can take a hold of your life so easily.

Album of the Day: Macklemore – The Heist

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Well – what a couple days it’s been – it went from type 2 to type 1 and back to type 2 then now it’s type 1 again – let me explain in dot points what the memorable events were and then i’ll elaborate

• Woke up in a pool of water at 3:30am – literally swimming
• Had a bloody amazing New years Eve in Launceston and met some great people and hung with them all night
• Rode through two bushfires and had to ride much further than expected
• Found an awesome campsite – cooked a delicious meal – all snuggly now

(TYPE 2) Right there it is….here goes. At 3:30 am i rolled over and was all wet and let me tell you that was not fun at all. My jacket was soaked, sleeping bag, and some of my pannier contents as they were open and lying on the ground. it rained all night and I knew my tent was old but thought it would last until winter – boy was I wrong. I was quite proud of myself though – I took it all in my stride and went into action mode. I picked up everything and brought it to an undercover area with a table. I couldn’t wear my jacket and I was freezing – lucky I had a long sleeve jersey so on (representing Adelaide with it see pics) then went…..right – think Adrian what next. Find out what’s wet and what isn’t and separate (and stay calm). After that was done I made a coffee to think…….The thought process was this – Launceston is next – what camping shops are there…….**drinks coffee** – done some research hoping that my favourite tent I been looking at for the last few years was there and it was and in stock. I took a chance and went ‘this one’s going in the bin’. And that it did. Packed my gear and sorted the wet stuff and rode off (two hours later). After i packed everything up I saw a coffee shop open – honestly….All is well in life when I have a hot coffee in my hand and I am thinking about the journey ahead. Today i thought that I am honestly happy when I am cycling to an unknown destination cruising along, singing, smelling all the smells, taking the scenic route when I can, looking at all the beautiful buildings and animals and then just …..PEDAL. I rode away into the sunrise and thought – how lucky am I.

Speaking of animals – There’s so much dead wildlife here – wallabies, kangas, tassie devils, turkeys (yup turkey’s) and so much more – all over the road – more than the mainland. And I’ve said it before but the sun is so hot here – it was 25 today and it felt like 32.

I purchased a guitarlele as well and really wanted to play it but that was drenched and was sitting in water all night – that was DONE and was def going to warp – that went into the bin also **sad**.

I chose to go east coast first as less hills to start with, im still sick as a dog and it’s nice there anyway sooooo that way I went. It was a cruisy day with not much to write about apart from farmland and some piccies. Rocked up in Launceston – straight into paddy palins camping shop and said – ‘That tent please’ – the guy was super friendly and interested in my trip and we put it together in the store so I knew what to do later and it was super easy. I’m pumped about this Tent – it’s an MSR Hubba Hubba hehehe. it’s lighter and bigger than my old one and the bells and whistles on it really make a difference. They put a lot of thought into this tent. For example, you can put the fly (rain cover) up first if it’s raining and then get under it, and clip the tent into it as to not get as wet. Dual entry, great vents – I feel like im in a hotel – ok well not really ut a kid in a candy shop with this…should be for NINE HUNDRED DOLLARS hahaha. It is my accommodation though for a year.

I’m still pretty ill so I found a park, put the headphones in and fell asleep for an hour under this

I was staying in the backpackers hostel that night and straight away I met Jonathon – we hit it off and said we’ll meet at the beer festival. I went shopping for the next few days food and cooked a nice meal then off I went to the festival.
There’s so many one way streets in launceston – my mind boggled and and I had to keep looking both ways just to make sure – it was confusing to. Me hahaha.

(TYPE 1) I didn’t need directions – I could hear it – live music, comedy shows, BEEEER, food and friends – can it get any better. We found the best seat in the house sitting on top of these concrete slabs and just talked, drank and ogled the night away and I remember the saying that Hunter said ‘This is what travelling is all about’ and yes he was right. Launceston – You kicked ass – thank you

After midnight it was like sheep getting ushered out of a gate and it was all over. Night night – I was tipsy and nodded off straight away.

6am ding ding Adrian – it was time…..I said goodbye to Jonathon (thanks for the chats mate – you got my number – keep in touch with your journey)……and hunter was nowhere to be found hehe.

Off I went to what I thought was my campsite for the night – somewhere in the wild apprx 90km’s away………that’s what I thought – read on…….

(TYPE 2) About 60k’s into my ride I thought what’s that smoke……it was a far way away and my mind was going into action mode….i didn’t hear about it on the news…..no cars are stopping me……I knew I was up wind so thought i’d get closer to really see. As I got closer to the 90km mark the place I wanted to camp was on fire….i rode to the CFS and knocked on their door. I chatted to them about where I was going to make sure I wasn’t being an idiot and they told me that I shouldn’t stay in town as resident are advised to either fight or leave…..EFF THAT – I was outta there……The town was a hive of activity and everyone was doing something – They told me the safest town and I asked if they thought it was ok that i’m on the bike and they said yes……So after 5 and a bit hours of cycling I needed to go ANOTHER hour….I needed to eat as I knew if I didn’t I would bonk – so I smashed lots of food at the CFS and headed off full of energy. There were two fires less than 1km away from, 5 helicopters and lots of emerg services. So in between them I went (it sounds way worse than it was) as there were plenty of cars driving through and no road closures etc but on a bike you really need to be careful. Karina and I had a plan that i’d message her every 30 mins and my spot tracking device would be the ‘ok button’ if I lost reception. I got through totally fine and ended up at a pub and smashed an amazing pint and boy it tasted good…my eyes were red and throat sore and that was amazing and then went hmmmm now where do i sleep hah.

asked around and someone said there’s a masive park down the road for free and with showers……holy shit I said hahaha. I pictured me setting up my new tent nd eating my meal that serves three and that I did. They forgot to mention that the shower needs a $2 coin for hot water which I only noticed after I took everything off hahah. So a cold shower it was….I didn’t care – it’s good for the muscles anyway…I cooked my ‘serves 3 meal’ and now i’m in my tent looking at the fires from a safe distance with a fully belly in my new tent and I have no idea what’s happening tomorrow and that’s awesome – I do know that i’ll be heading down the east coast and have a few spots in mind…….until then

Vanderpants OUT!

Distance: 58 km’s (Total – 1,426km’s)

Avg Spd: 16.8

Max Spd – 55.2

Saddle Time: 3:26 (Total Saddle Time – 90 Hrs 58 minutes)

Elevation: 500 mtrs

Quote: Everyone is gifted, just open your package…….Well this can be taken a few ways can’t it hahahahah BUT in all seriousness JUST GO FOR IT – trust your gut – I have to keep telling myself that one too

Song of the Day: Coldplay – Fix You – That moment where he runs on stage and throws that light bulb – EPIC!!! – This is one of my all times for sure

Album of the Day: Basically had Coldplay on allllll day and it was like cycling in a dream world.

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• Evening everyone welcome to my blog again. Last night was spent in an air bnb what I would call ‘the back two rooms of a house’. It was fine for $60 though – it got me sorted and I could arrange my stuff after the mad rush that was to the ferry. It had everything I needed. Slept well although I am definitely sick as a dog which made it super hard to get up in the morning. The morning and evenings are the worst. Anyway – the day was pretty smooth sailing and just farmland the whole way – i’m not in any scenic part yet but that will come I have no doubt
• I must admit it will take a few days to get into it again – being away from the mainland, being sick and it being hot today made it pretty hard and the thoughts can wander but you don’t let them – you know it will pass (hopefully quickly) and you just get on with it. There was a lot of coughing and green stuff flying everywhere today. PS – 31 here felt like 36 back home – it’s true – it does feel hotter here than the actual temp. Funny thing is it’s going to bucket down tonight and stop just before I wake I think which is nice and a cool 21 here tomorrow. one good thought I had today was the things you don’t normally REALLY enjoy Back home become super awesome when you’re touring. becuase you’re out in the elements, sweating, hunting for shadey spots, cooking, hunting for camping spots, navigating etc etc little things like an apple or a can or rice cream become the best thing you’ve ever tasted. Today’s whole can of rice cream tasted like Michelin Star restaurant food hahaha you find yourself going ‘mmmmmmmmmm’ and close yr eyes like an idiot then look around to make sure noone heard hahaha
• I stopped a couple times along the way and had some ice cream from a dairy and a coffee which was awesome – the little things I tell ya
• As I was eating this can of joy, someone walked up to me and said ‘nice crocs’ then laughed – I said ‘I feel the manliness oooze away from the holes in them every time I wear them but they are so damn light and handy’. – we both chuckled (I think she was chuckling at me but i went with it hahaha.
• I hope that everyone back in Radelaide is ok in the heat and I hope the wind stays down and the heat dies especially for those damn bushfires.
• The day ended kind of short but I was thankful – it was hot, i’m sick but I found a nice camp spot in Deloraine. The weather is getting better. I setup tent and walked to the nearest bbq shelter to write this blog where a lady was cooking some food on the barbie I was literally almost finished where she turns around and says (without introduction) ‘excuse me your majesty…..would you like a glass of red and a piece of salmon’. Now you remember me telling you about the can of rice cream right…….well imagine a glass of red and some salmon – HOLLLLllllllySHIT. So we ended up talking for an hour and she said that if I wanted more it’s in her caravan………**thinks what this actually means**. Justjoking – she was as genuine as they come – plus her muscly husband was there – I think he was wondering where his dinner was hahahahahaha.

This is my campsite tonight how good is this

Good night all – Vanderpants OUT!

Random photos of the day

Km’s – only rode here and there so not worth mentioning but I will quote though. As i don’t have my cards on me (locked away in the ferry carpark i’ll quote something I remember from Alicia Keys)

Quote: And the day came when the risk it took to remain tightly closed in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to bloom – this is the element of freedom.

To me this says ‘love unconditionally without fear’. So easy in words isn’t it?

Hi all,

I’m BAaaaaack – and now more regularly – i’m on the road again. Albeit a bit sick and I think it’s from smashing the last few days and then totally resting and not doing much riding. Yes you read the title correctly – ‘Adelaide’ – Read on. Well what a week and a bit it has been. I want to start off by saying two things – A) this may be a long one so either get back to cleaning your fridge magnets or read on and B) I’m going to start this post by talking about the main reason I’m doing this trip – I say ‘main’ as there are a many reasons but really, if it boils down to it – this is it.

As you know, the last few days before I went on hiatus, I got a call from a friend saying that another long time friend was in a coma. I was setting up my tent at the time behind a backpackers hostel getting bitten by mossies, hungry and tired but as soon as I got this call, i sat down, forgot about food and hunger and didn’t know what to say. I went into troubleshooting and fact fact finding mode and just wanted to get all the info. You know that moment when bad news hits you and your mind freezes and tries to go into ‘ok what to do next’ mode? After the facts were given I called his mum and got more facts and as still in action mode and said ‘i’ll be there as soon as I can’ – didn’t even think about it – just knew I had to get to Melbourne and I was 350 km’s away AND it was 43 degrees tomorrow. My mate was in a coma (pneumonia) and fortunately/unfortunately it timed well as they were going to attempt to wake him up by the time i got there. I was fine until I called Karina and I said ‘hello……..’ that was it – you know that frog in the throat and sand in the eyes thing that happens – yeah – that happened – for quite a while to be honest,. I’ll make a long story short – I booked my flight, smashed almost 17 hours in three days, arrived at my friends house in Melbourne (as you know bloody hot and bothered hehe) at 6pm and flew out early the next morning. Now I won’t go into details as he is home now and recovering but what I want to say is this. This highlights the reason why I am doing this trip. I want to know that if something like this happens to me, that I am happy with the choices I make in life and have experiences and not say ‘geee I’m glad I got that project done’ or ‘i’ll do it tomorrow’ or ‘how did I get here’. We get one shot at this life …. ONE…… now i’m not being all high and mighty saying i’m awesome because what I am doing (I’m just a redhead pushing some pedals and cooking meals) but what I am saying is…gee how lucky am I?…..I am going to appreciate every single moment and practice that as often and as hard as I can. The times I can’t be, be kind to myself and pick myself up and go again but always have that go get em attitude Adrian, look after yourself (mentally and physically) and think about the things positively with an ‘i’m learning’ approach. My mate had to be revived on the operating table and that really hit home for me. I am just so glad that he is ok and i’m back in Melbourne now after a couple days back in Radelaide. Apart from spending a couple days with him just hanging and talking crap, I saw a few good friends (pics below). Tried to catch up with a couple more but didn’t work out, coffees, catchups and hangouts and then flew straight back to Melbourne to my other friends house to spend xmas with his family and prep my bike.

Ok – I got that out the way it’s time to now A) Summarise the last week and a bit without boring you and B) show you what’s in one of my panniers (prying into my life).

A) I think i’ll do some dot points (consider yourself to be lucky it’s not a documented procedure with accompanying powerpoint and spreadsheet for referencing) hahah

• I love love loved Melbourne. Amazing bike paths to assist you getting in and out of Melb/Geelong without a care in the world. lots bike paths in the middle of busy streets just for bikes only, couteous cars as they know it’s a transport state i think and expect there to be a lot of bikes (sorry Adelaide….Melbourne wins on this one), Lots of green lights for cyclists, I adit my beard isn’t as Melbournian as I think but it’s getting there – i’m not hip enough yet. I’ve never explored Melbourne like this before as normally i’m in a car on main highways and i’m in and out but this was awesome. I rode around, walked a lot, saw friends, yoga, park run, cathedrals, coffee shops (you don’t need google reviews to find good coffee here)…just walk out your accomm and the next corner will have amazing coffee, signage is awesome, lots of beautiful parks and artistic places to sit and watch the world go by which I did a lot.
• Hanging out with a couple tourers I met a couple weeks back as they were in Melbourne also. We got along so well (shit Nige even ate my potato rosti the bugger haha, got manscaped, brunched then lunched and spent a day walking around town then parted ways and exchanged numbers – we will be in touch and thanks for a great time Nige and Martina – these guys are serious travellers – i learned a lot from them
  

• Walked 20km’s all around Melb
• Yoga was bloody hot. I did Bikram which is pretty much yoga for the military hahaha. I definitely was dehydrated from my last few days of riding and walking around the city that the last two minutes I was getting woozy and I shit you not, I saw the instructor turn the heat up to 50 degrees. I was about to walk out and the teacher stood in front of the door and said ‘Adrian don’t leave and sit back down, you can do it’. I tried to summons my manly voice and say ‘no thanks’ in my best sean connery voice and slide past her but in the end I said in a little boys voice…… ‘OK’ hahahahahaha. I ended up finishing the class but i needed an hour after including a cold shower to really get back to this planet. Loved it though – I needed the stretch
• Went to a ParkRun – whoever hasn’t done a Saturday parkrun anywhere in the world you need to – it’s a free 5km timed and volunteered even all around the world – lots of fun and makes you feel part of wherever you are
• Went to a comedy show – the acts were good but due to happy hour, there were a few drunk youngens that ruined it a little i.e went up to front stage and dropped his dacks – welcome to melbourne Adrian hahah apart from that it was pretty awesome.
• I hung out with my Mate and his fam for xmas and had a blast. Lots of talking around the table, catchin up on old time (yes the old school year books came out) and just absolutely loved how welcomed they made me feel. Thank you for letting me share it with you and your amazing kids – such a great time bushwalking and playing games, having a few and seeing your life. I must say I have two highlights
  • The bushwalk and park with you and your kids
  • Picking grandma up in your bloody so called HOT ROD hahahaha that was hillarious ..check it out

• Also met Con – he rode up to me in the park and said ‘Mate…i’m curious…what are you doing and what is all that gear’ hahaha. We talked all things from bike gear to solving the worlds problems. Con is going overseas to hopefully sort out some family stuff and Con, mate – you’re courageous and have a zest for life which I totally dig. Keep the rubberside down and good luck on your quest mate.
  

Well all – thanks for reading once again and until tomorrow hopefully – first day on the Tassie road this is Vanderpants signing OUT!

WHAT’S IN MY REAR RIGHT PANNIER – Breakdown 1

1) 10ltr water bag for when towns are more than a day away plus my MSR water purifier (can drink straight from a stream or water source or pump into a bottle – i’ve needed this when camping and questionable water source is only thing available and water is required due to distance to next town)

2) Tubes and spare tyre

3) Hard copy full contact list of my phone contacts just in case i smash my phone (im thinking of getting a spare phone maybe)

4) Clothesline cover with clothesline inside

5) Charging cables for all my devices plus batteries for various things plus iphone usb’s

6) Winter jacket (kathmandu softshell windbreaker)

7) First aid kit including snake bandage, saline, eye drops, burn gel, various bandages, sling, elastoplast, prescription for antibiotics, pain relief, spare ventolin, chain lube, mossie repellant, thermometer, space blanky, splinter remover, gloves. All of this is not only for me but if i see anyone needing help also.

8) Spare parts and tools – tent patches, chain, cassette remover tools, string, hose clamps, spare bolts, pannier parts, tube bits (use these all the time for so many things such as to stop things bibrating on bike wearing it out), velcro, spanner for my bike racks, gear and brake cables, two sets of brakes and the parts, spare front light batt,spare spokes

9) Bathroom stuff, microfibre towell, spare bags for rubbish and food storage, spoke adjuster, tire boot(to put inside tire if i blow it out and need to limp along), self adhesive patches, chain links, dyno hub parts, spare electrolyte tabs for hot days, 5m extension cord(dont laugh tourers this thing is weighty but so damn good – if im in a caravan park i top up all elec devices over night in my tent), socket to remove bolts from front wheel (stupid bolts and not a quick release)

See you tomorrow peeps