Blogs from Victoria, Australia, Oceania - page 11

Today is a big day. 100kms from Shepp to Wang. The weather forecast is for a max of 18 and has favourable westerly winds up to 30km/h blowing all day which is the best possible conditions we could hope for. What could have been a slog just became a whole lot easier. There was also a prediction of up to 2mm of rain but we're hoping we can outrun it. We had planned for an early start and were up at 6am and left shortly after 7am. From the hotel we had a short distance to travel north and then turned east and the effects of the wind were felt immediately. This was going to be fun. Our fisrt stop for the day was Dookie, 30kms from Shepparton. We pulled in to the sleepy town and ... read more

Sunday December 6, 2020 A post ISO postscript We did it folks. Unlike almost every other jurisdiction in the world that has been battered by a second wave of Covid-19, Melbourne has emerged victorious. No cases now for several weeks. An extraordinary effort by every single one of us here, and for some, involving much hardship. We feel rightly proud. Now it’s December. State borders are open again and we are all thinking of the upcoming Christmas period with family and friends. That seemed such a distant thought in the middle of a Winter lockdown here in Victoria. It sure has been a year like no other. I do think the whole lockdown thing exposed some odd inequities in this country. Like, why was in OK for QLD to roll out the red carpet to footballers ... read more

Out of bed at 6:15am, bike packed from the night before. I need to get to Southern Cross Station for the 8:25am train to Seymour. In Yea, Jeff is sleeping soundly. Out the door at 7am. I want to make sure I'm not rushed getting the train. In Yea, Jeff is sleeping soundly. I ride to Southern Cross and find my way to the platform with rediculous easy, it's 7:45am and I'm wondering why I got up so early. In Yea, Jeff rouses from bed at about 8am, time for a pod coffee (luxury) The V/Line service is excellent. A place to tie up the bike and a comfy seat for me, much better than riding all the way to Seymour. I get off the train at Tallarook at 9:53am. The plan is to ride the ... read more

Day 1 - There and Back Again. The big day had finally arrived. After postponing our ride numerous times due to the pandemic we were finally ready to depart. A late change of plan had us leaving around lunchtime from Fairfield rather than 8am from Docklands and I was feeling excited about starting the journey on my bike from my front door, no flying or driving anywhere, straight into it. I remember stating on one of our previous rides with unambiguous certainty that I'd never do touring where I had to carry my gear on the bike. Then after doing that last year the concession was that we spent each night in a hotel, but I'd never camp. So it was with some irony that I set out on my touring bike with panniers, front and ... read more

She is the grand dame of Australia. She is the cultural heart of the country, with the NGV, the International Comedy Festival, Jazz, film and queer festivals, and so many local multicultural festivals too. She gave us the likes of Howard Florey, Macfarlane Burnett, Helen Garner, Dame Nellie , Dame Edna, Tina Arena, Nick Cave, Kate Cebrano, Graham Kennedy, Kate Blanchett, Steve Irwin, Micheal Leunig, Crowded House (the group per se) and, of course, Kylie. She is renowned for her coffee culture, modern-day liberalism and intellectualism She is also the sporting capital of the nation – think the tennis, cricket, footy, that horse race and that car race. She is curiously European, with her fickle weather, trams, wide tree-lined boulevards, and Victorian era architecture. She has excellent pubs and restaurants and a legendary music scene – ... read more