Sydney, NSW

It's hard for us to believe that we are in Sydney.  In a way it's a little surreal that we started in Perth because you really feel like you just came from the last place you slept the night before.  But our appetites and toned (and tanned!) legs tell us differently.

The cycling didn't end as we had planned but somethings happen for a reason.  After leaving Goulburn we still tried to stay on country roads and avoid the traffic as much as possible.  We did have to bike 25km on the Hume Highway (a major artery into Sydney) but it actually felt safer than some of the smaller roads because we had such a huge shoulder.  The constant roar of trucks and cars past your ears is what really gets to you.  Getting off that was a major relief.  We made our way through the countryside on much quieter roads and quaint towns.  Our last night was in Robertson - the last town before the big drop to the coast.  We treated ourselves to a tandoori chicken pizza that was absolutely loaded with chunks of really chicken.  The best pizza we've had here.  The big drop to the coast was a beautiful ride through dense forest and cliff faces.  Looking back from the bottom it reminded us a little of the N. Rim.  A heavily wooded plateau with red rock pocking through. 

The plan for the day was to get to Bundeena - a little town on the coast that's at the edge of a national park.  Our maps weren't very good but we thought we could skirt Wollongong (a huge city S of Sydney) and get back on a smaller coast road with presumably less traffic.  Well you can't skirt Wollongong because it's surrounded by suburbs that are worse riding through than a city.  We made our way N of the city to connect to a bike path we knew about from our LP guide.  The bike path went for about 12km and then ended back on a busy, narrow coastal road in Thirroul.  We were hot and frustrated and decided to call it a day.  We found the public library for internet access.  While I was inside battling with EBay (a long story) a bloke came up to Tim and was asking him about our trip.  Turns out he and his wife have done touring on a tandem with a trailer.  They invited us to stay at their townhouse for the night.  So as I said life sometimes works out better than what you planned.  It was a fitting way to end the trip - sharing touring stories with like minded folks.

The next morning we walked a block to the train station and went into the city.  We actually biked through the heart of Sydney to get to the harbor.  That was exciting and seemed safer than being on coastal highways where people don't like to stop.  We took the harbor ferry to Manly - the start of the N Beaches area.  We were picked up by Michelle and taken to Collaroy.  We met Michelle and Greg briefly in Robe and they had invited us to stay when we got to the city.  They have a beautiful home up on a hillside with a view of the ocean.  Their guest room happens to have the best view in the house.  Another stunning example of Aussie hospitality...

Even though I was whinging on about traffic and busier roads in the second half of the trip, there still have been plenty of randon acts of kindness that make it all worth while.  We were given a couple cans of tuna along the Great Ocean Rd, Shane and Jane gave us a bottle of wine to have with our dinner in Buchan.  And then we have people like John and Ann that took us in in Thirroul and now Greg and Michelle in Collaroy.  It certainly has made our trip special and makes us want to pass that generosity and hospitality to others.

Amazingly enough bicycle touring is an addicting way to travel.  Life is at a slower pace and you definitely absorb more of your surrounds.  It's nice having exercise be your day instead of something you fit in whenever you can.  It's a great way to vacation - eat what you want and don't worry about gaining weight.  We enjoyed our days off the bike but by the 2nd or 3rd day we were ready to hit the road again.  It surprised me how quickly we fell into it and it felt like a normal part of our day.  I guess that's why I didn't write about it much at first because it didn't seem out of the ordinary.  People are much more interested in what you are doing because it's not ordinary which leads to amazing interactions and a better understanding of the culture.  We highly recommend it!

We have made a half hearted attempt to sell the bikes and trailers.  We just never felt like investing the time on the computer when we could be out doing so many more interesting things.  Ebay turned out to be more of a hassle than it's worth.  We posted an ad on a local cycling site and on Craigs List.  We've grown attached to them and would be just as happy to bring them home even though it gives the airlines another crack at beating them up.

So it's a lovely day in Collaroy and we may be getting a surfing lesson from Greg this afternoon.  Should be some good entertainment for them.  We'll be home on Tues - once we see the snow it will probably feel more like Christmas time than it does here.  It's weird to be wearing shorts and a t-shirt and hearing Christmas music in the stores.  Once home we'll be posting more pictures for those of you who won't be in AK to see them anytime soon.

It's been a great ride and we are already thinking about the next one!