So it begins...

Contrary to popular belief, this blog is not a record of my conquests of school children. I've always considered blogs pretty narcissistic at best, but have recently been won over by a few good reads and figure I may as well share my limited wisdom/experience with the world, if even only to help a few friends through boring computer monotony (I'd like to think I can contribute to that), and more to the point, to give me an anonymous venting means. Nothing like good communication skills to get you through 6 weeks in a micro community on a bike, right?

So, not sure how this whole thing's gonna go, or if I'll even update it once we're on the road, but I'll give it a shot and if I realise engaging with the real world is actually more rewarding, well…beer and a comfy couch in a few months? Your shout? I won't have been working...

So, I actually want to be quick as a first edition. I got about 2 hours sleep the night before last after helping cook a feast for friends as part of my send off into the world of bicycle touring, so I'm pretty nackered – as is my custom. And tomorrow's a 6.30 start, in prep for even earlier starts on the tour (eep). Caffeine free, I also managed to be an hour and a half late for the very first meeting point, so go me…well at least I'm not giving any false first impressions..?

The trip across the nullabor was good for my head. After a few weeks of trying to catch up with everyone in Perth and feeling pretty laiden with goodbyes and a bit of uncertainty about what I was doing and where I was going (on my first completely independent and indefinite-ish travels) it gave me a good long stretch of things to stare at blankly. Bitter sweetly it also made me really think about all the amazing people I was leaving behind in Perth and what a special year 2008 was for unexpectedly getting to know an array of amazing people better. (nyaw)

I forget how apt the desert is for that travelling transition. You jump in a car after shite loads of build up, all simultaneously adrenalin filled and knackered, then all you can do is sit and stare out the window for hours. The more I travel overland (rather than fly) the more I'm reminded what an important part that plays. The scenery changes drastically, but slowly, and then you see a sunrise, sunset, eagle or the endless (out to sea shepherd and antarctica) ocean view from the bite and remember how beautiful it is. And it's not all about the destination, go figure. So..ahuh...all symbolic like, eh eh. Which is convenient given I'll be stuck on a very long journey from Wednesday, with the same destination as the start.

So, the epic drive...The vessel; a Black commodore. The crew; a strange and usually unusual combination of peculiars I know n love. The music: a more peculiar mix of heavy metal, psy-trance, JJJ Hottest 100s and Kimya Dawson. Our best crew/band name; Jesse's Bogan Chariot and the Hardcore Night Drives (cheers dave). The best photo-->

The best stop over point: Caiguna, where I reminisced about my diesel/unleaded mix up on the way to Climate Camp in Newie July last year. I don't think Jesse would've been as forgiving for me for doing that to his car...

We left Monday 5th Jan 10am, arrived 8am Thursday in Smelbs after deciding in Adelaide that we may as well slog it through the night and arrive sooner. I slept most of the night then woke 3am, took a no-doze and did the last stint into town, which I'm actually really greatful for because I got a very beautiful dawn and my first witnessed Victorian sunrise, with a windfarm in the morning mist to boot. It's pretty inexplicable, and the photos do it no justice, but yes, pretty - even when I felt like I was going to crash the chariot because I couldn't see through the dead bug/glare concoction on the windscreen...

This is the salt lake you drive along going to the camping spot we stayed at on our second night across, Cactus (at Point Sinclair). It was a crazy pink colour and I dug this photo. Blogs are strange. But yeah, i kinda just wanna show this one off :)

And enter a "pumpkin face" photo of me (a la facebook for anyone whose seen that photo) in front of a wind farm. I bet $20 Ania would have the same photo when she passed the same point (in SA going into VIC i think), and yup...Unfortunately no-one took me up on the bet. But I can feel smug.

Ok, so onto bike stuff. In reality, the tour starts Wednesday. We all met each other yesterday (Sunday) and will be on tour until March, so luckily I'm feeling like it's a pretty awesome crew of 14. I'm actually the baby of the group (as the 9 year old and parnetals dropped out), which isn't an issue but sounds like a nice excuse for potentially being the slowest?! And a good position from which to disown the word "youth", urgh. It's been funny how quickly the usual personal barriers stuff hass broken down in the last few days - when you know you're going to be stuck with people for 6 weeks in a tight little roaming community, people let down the facades pretty quickly. There's already been the tears, farts, sex jokes, nakedness and underwear swimming I knew would unrole but didn't expect so soon. And not even all from me. I'll keep you up to date on the first tears day :)

So, enter my amazing bike:

!! She's called Saskia, in hommage to it being an awesome name, and my ex-car was called Saskia and has since been substituted by bike commuting, so seems apt. She's worth around $700, which is a bit nuts, but she was donated by a place over here called Human Powered, who supported what we're doing and decided after I'd come in to chat bikes and see what they had on offer that I could just have it for the tour, no strings attached. I'm still a bit in shock. They're a spunky place too, set up by someone passionate about recycling old bikes, and the giuy who runs it used to primarily just do them up in a backyard workshop (from what I understand) for refugees living in Melbourne and now they've grown to have a proper shop and workshop in Thornbury. There's a lot of funky little bike places in Smelbs like that, not to mention Ceres, etc etc. So, having the bike donated has meant money people have given me to help me out has gone towards a proper decent set of panniers. So technically I'm feeling bikily prepared... (p.s thanks n thanks n thanks)


On the eve of our first ride though, thoughts are...

• eek I'm still farken unfit!
• eek, my knees are starting to ache, and I don't think it's from increased riding. I'm really hoping they don't get aggravated by the tour...
• Looking forward to getting out of the Smelbs city, I think the air in this place actually makes me a little sick - have had a headache a few days
• Hope I whinge less to the bike crew than to you kids on this blog :D
• I hope the kids watching the play aren't as cyncial and harsh as I would've been/am!
• I hope the bike crew melds well (i think it will)
• My bed for 6 weeks is a centimetre thin. Please explain.
• I'm gonna miss Perth and Smelbs kids about the 2nd week in when the novelty wears off
• I should go to bed!

Yeah. I really should. Gnight and yup..if you didn't find that one entertaining..at least it's good procrastination from whatever you should be doing right now. Like sleeping...