A day of bicycle riding. After pedaling through Waganingen, then along the Rhine River, we found ourselves in the town of Rhenen. This town was once the home of the king’s palace. The church here has been destroyed so many times by fire or bombings that after rebuilding it a number of times the local decided it must be bad luck to complete the building works, so they have left one brick out of the building so it is technically not completed (seems to have broken the run of bad luck so far). The museum in Rhenen was also very interesting [View Full Entry]

---

---

We toured the Kroller-Muller Museum in the Hoges Voleuw National Park. It has an amazing collection of Van Gough and Picasso paintings, plus some incredible sculptures displayed around its very large grounds. From there we visited the Openlucht Museum, which housed displays of Dutch country life throughout the ages. Then we went driving through the Posbank National Park just on sunset. Again it was mostly reclaimed land that has been converted to heath land. It had a soft, pinkish look to the landscape as the sunset. [View Full Entry]

---

---

22nd August 2004 - So, after 10 minutes on the A2, I got a bit more relaxed about the driving (it was much easier on a divided road with all the traffic heading in the same direction). The A2 lead us toward Utrecht and then Breda, and on toward Tilburg. Our friend Michel met us at a petrol stop and led us into Tilburg, to the home he shares with Lorenza's cousin Liesbeth. Michel took us on a scenic route to their place (no way could I find it again) via lush green fields, full of Friesian cows (you know the [View Full Entry]

---

---

19th to 22nd August 2004 - Amsterdam Our route took us from Sydney to Bangkok, then onto Heathrow and a bus to Gatwick, and finally a flight to Amsterdam. The reason for the round-a-bout journey was that the only flights we could get from Heathrow to Amsterdam meant we would be waiting at Heathrow for five hours (something we did not want to do). So, we opted for the bus transfer to Gatwick instead, which at least kept us moving. Waiting for the Gatwick bus we got talking to some Kenyans who were on their way home to continue their studies. [View Full Entry]

---

---

We made it to Mount Field with just enough day light to set up our tent. We then took a brisk walk through the forest. Lots of old swamp gums which were obviously growing well before any of us white folks discovered Tasmania. Next morning we were up early and walking again. We spotted lots of potteroos and wallabies. Lorenza seemed to be loving our Tassie tour so far and I was so happy she shared my opinion of this place being so special. The padymelons were hanging around our campsite, in the nearby river hundreds if fish (about 6 to [View Full Entry]

---

---

The hostel at Lune River is small, full of hikers, bicycle riders and is a stop off point for more active travellers looking to embark on the southwest walking tracks. The trip there via the Huon Valley is breath taking, big sweeping corners, up and down the mountains, it was amazing. On the mechanical front, the two bikes are running fine, still push starting the Morini most times (but that's normal). The warden at the hostel, Andrew, lives in a bus out back. He was very interested in our bikes. We had to sleep in the dorms because the family room [View Full Entry]

---

---

We awoke to a lovely clear, cool morning. We were packed and on the road at 9am. At Port Arthur we again got the "married room" at the YHA. The hostel is in a great location and has better views than the motel which charges 10 times the price ($10 for two in a double room with a view - what a bargain). We walked our feet off exploring the ruins of the convict settlement and jail. Despite the fact that the area looks so idyllic and parklike these days, it must have been a much starker place that greeted those [View Full Entry]

---

---

Our ride from Gladstone to Bicheno was a lot of fun. Forget the bit getting out of Stumpy's Bay, because it was as bad as the trip to get there. But by now we were feeling relaxed enough that it did not bother us much at all. Just something that had to be done to move on. Todays ride, winding through myrtle forests, past huge tree ferns was bliss. Be warned there are no speed warning signs on any corners so it pays to not think you are Mick Doohan. When we arrived in Bicheno, our long time friend, Mandy, met [View Full Entry]

---

---

After swapping contact details with the bunch at Georgetown we set off bound for Mount William National Park, via Bridport and Gladstone. We struck road works and gravel road for 15k's coming to Gladstone. Big road going motorcycles don't love loose gravel so much so it can be interesting to feel 220kg of motorcycle, plus gear etc. sliding around underneath you as you round each corner. Comes in handy to have done some off-road bike riding when younger so that this slipping and sliding does not upset you too much. From Gladstone to our campsite at Stumpy's Bay was a dreadful [View Full Entry]

---

---

(Photos to come) We departed Cann River after fixing a leaking oil line on the Guzzi. The wind had picked up again and promised to buffet us again all day. The countryside made for an interesting ride, open farming and grazing land, interspersed with thick forest country, then back to the farmland again, then some scrubby coastal land. 6 Tonne Tree Root We made a stop at a small town called Nowa when we saw a "wood carving display" sign. It turned out to be really interesting. The main items were polished tree roots of amazingly twisted shapes and an incredible [View Full Entry]

---

---