Three weeks to go and now we have a weblog (blog). Wasn’t going to but as Thomas bought the domain name and a bunch of people asked, here we go. Pretty empty at the moment but watch this space….
One large map, copy of lonely planet Australia, wwoof book, touratech catalogue, and the new lids!
Flights are already booked:
Depart WELLINGTON WED 02 JUN 2010 6:45AM
Arrive SYDNEY WED 02 JUN 2010 8:25AM
… and there is a shiny new Australian visa in each of our passports!
A very fun part of trip prep; Pro Rider (www.prorider.co.nz) bike training day at Manfield race track. Not that we were racing (much)!!
Thomas - Manfield Track
Deb - Manfield Track
As they are going by boat they get a head start. We spent the weekend cleaning and crating them, and this morning they were collected by Mainfreight (with a really big crane!). The bikes will travel on a Carnet de Passages en Douane, an expensive semi written in French document which allows us to temporarily import and drive the bikes in Australia.
Bikes in a box
Bikes on a truck
Last day in the office today, thanks to everyone who turned up to the pub at lunchtime. Staying in Foxton tonight before heading down to Wellington (by bus!) tomorrow. The bikes carnets (including export stamp) arrived back on Friday so they left NZ at least ok and in fact should already be in Sydney by now. Fingers crossed!
Had a great evening in Wellington yesterday. Have to thank the friends that got up way too early to drive us to the airport for 5:15am to catch our flight! Getting here was pretty simple, with only one minor hickup - Thomas’s tourist visa didn’t match up with his passport. Wasn’t even the usual confusion over 0s and Os, simply a typo missing an “N”. Didn’t think to check that in advance!
Currently staying at a backpackers in Newtown - Billabong Gardens. Bikes have also arrived and tomorrow we plan to do all the customs clearance stuff - brace for major paperwork impact!
What’s for dinner…… Kangaroo steaks, but we cheated and bought them from a local shop!
Customs on one side of town, the bikes on the other, and AQIS (Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) at the end of the middle of nowhere meant we spent the whole day zooming around. Result however, with the help of a very nice customs officer, and several random payments for who knows what, bikes are now parked in the backpackers secure parking and we are off for a curry.
Planning to head north out of Sydney tomorrow. Newtown summary - very trendy, very gay, lots of places to eat. Oh and it’s raining!!!!!!
Pouring rain in and around Sydney (not to mention a cyclone to the north!) resulted in a change of plans and direction this morning. We decided to head west to cross the Blue Mountains to escape the weather. More risk of drowning today than dehydration!
Spotted our first caution kangaroos road sign this morning…. spent the next 30min looking for one but I guess they can’t swim! 220km later very wet and very cold we are in Bathhurst. Lessons learnt today; austalians don’t care about the speed limit, the blue mountains are more gray than blue, and the trucks are really big!
First australian camp tonight in Gulgong. Using the new tent for the first time. It’s way smaller than our old one, but takes a tenth of the time to pitch and packs way smaller on the bike.
Avoiding the main highway, and the big trucks, we took 200kms of back road today, which were really good to ride. Country also starts to look a little more like expected, except it’s not that warm.
Seen our first kangaroo today - squished at the side of the road. Lesson of the day: beef is the meat to eat… sirlon steak $6.99/kg!!
Should have checked with the Lonely Planet first - Walgett is not in there, and for good reason! Hiding out in a motel which is surrounded by a big fence topped of with rolled barbed wire. We were advised after eating in the local (200m round the corner) to take a taxi home. Which we didn’t in the end but talk about being nervous! Apart from that a good days ride (380km), some of it on the main highway with the road trucks, takes real nerves to pass them. Landscape flat, lots of gum trees, but still no live kangaroos. Today’s lesson: RTFM !!!