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zzOz: zig zag across Australia
There's a plan. A simple, but good plan. Even an excellent plan.
Ambitious, certainly. Guaranteed to keep those pedals whirring vigorously for many a month.
Part One: Make my way to the south-west corner of the Australian continent — I'm down that way in Perth anyway.
Part Two: Proceed to the north-east point — sounds easy enough, although looking at the map it’s a fair diagonal slash through the heart of the continent.
Part the Third: Drop down via the back roads to the southernmost extremity. From there it's just a quick roll into Melbourne.
Perth. Cape Leeuwin. Cape York. Wilsons Prom. Melbourne. That's a plan, indeed, The Plan.
Actually, thinking about it, now it's written down, it's not much of a plan. But it will do for now.
There is a vast simplicity to The Plan. It does have certain issues however. That direct route avoids major roads and even minor towns. It ventures through deserts and a whole continent of not much at all. But it's more of a plan than when I headed west two years ago as recounted in my Heading West ebook, tales from 15 months riding the obverse, Melbourne to Perth.
The same vague "rules" as that initial westward leg of my Little Adventure apply:
avoid the highways;
it's about the journey, not the destination;
don't rush;
make a Moderate Effort.
That Moderate Effort bit might require additional explanation: there's little likelihood of any recapitulation of this trip, too many other ways to occupy your time in life, so the idea is to make an effort to experience as much of this continent as is reasonably possible. As they say, it's not just the length of your life, the width counts as well. I sense there may be more than just the average level of ME required, Part Two of the journey may prove to be the Little Adventure I'm looking for.
This is my story …
Ambitious, certainly. Guaranteed to keep those pedals whirring vigorously for many a month.
Part One: Make my way to the south-west corner of the Australian continent — I'm down that way in Perth anyway.
Part Two: Proceed to the north-east point — sounds easy enough, although looking at the map it’s a fair diagonal slash through the heart of the continent.
Part the Third: Drop down via the back roads to the southernmost extremity. From there it's just a quick roll into Melbourne.
Perth. Cape Leeuwin. Cape York. Wilsons Prom. Melbourne. That's a plan, indeed, The Plan.
Actually, thinking about it, now it's written down, it's not much of a plan. But it will do for now.
There is a vast simplicity to The Plan. It does have certain issues however. That direct route avoids major roads and even minor towns. It ventures through deserts and a whole continent of not much at all. But it's more of a plan than when I headed west two years ago as recounted in my Heading West ebook, tales from 15 months riding the obverse, Melbourne to Perth.
The same vague "rules" as that initial westward leg of my Little Adventure apply:
avoid the highways;
it's about the journey, not the destination;
don't rush;
make a Moderate Effort.
That Moderate Effort bit might require additional explanation: there's little likelihood of any recapitulation of this trip, too many other ways to occupy your time in life, so the idea is to make an effort to experience as much of this continent as is reasonably possible. As they say, it's not just the length of your life, the width counts as well. I sense there may be more than just the average level of ME required, Part Two of the journey may prove to be the Little Adventure I'm looking for.
This is my story …
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 6, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
March 20, 2021
Tension the bungi cord and get crackin
Excellent follow up to the Heading West vol. 1 of this cycling saga. It's a simple life lived on average at jogging pace and gives time and opportunity for observations of the natural and human kind. None of this is lost on our intrepid cyclist. No sponsors, lycra or carbon fibre, just simple cycling across a grab bag of strangeness. Strap on your stereo kaleidoscope and enjoy the ride.
Excellent follow up to the Heading West vol. 1 of this cycling saga. It's a simple life lived on average at jogging pace and gives time and opportunity for observations of the natural and human kind. None of this is lost on our intrepid cyclist. No sponsors, lycra or carbon fibre, just simple cycling across a grab bag of strangeness. Strap on your stereo kaleidoscope and enjoy the ride.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review