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Follow me on my rediscovery through Australia
The Man From Snowy River
I had mentioned a reading of the poem in a previous blog. I now wanted you to hear what made the hairs on my arm stand up.
Sydney Last Day
Sydney Last Day I made the most of my last day in Sydney before flying back to the states. I figured since my underwater experience in the shark cage was less than appealing, I would check out the SeaLife Aquarium which was a 10-minute walk from the hotel I chose. I am glad I went.…
Back to Sydney
Back to Sydney After leaving the bike in great hands, a fantastic meal, and chocka block of chin waggin’ it was time for me to get to Texas. I had made plans to get to Sydney for a day and a half of time for some R&R, tourist stuff, and souvenir buying for my friends…
The last two days on the bike
The last two days on the bike The last few days have been difficult. My body needed a break, and a dead day wasn’t in my schedule. I have to get back to the states, for a little while anyway. Woke up in Windsor to a sore back and bum but I had two days…
Mountain Twisties to Sydney
Yesterday was amazing! I got off the highway and started through the mountains making my way south towards Sydney. I was on the road by 7am getting the kinks worked out of my shoulders and heading somewhere, anywhere for brekkie. The topography had changed once again to the green and lush mountain roads as you…
On the road again…
On the road again… I woke up, had a great brekkie, and said goodbye to my new friends Ken and Carol. I had a great two days with them and as I said before, they are a wealth of information. The chin waggin’ was at an all-time high. As I planned my route, with Carol’s…
What the Flying Fox???
What the Flying Fox??? Today is my final day in Coolum Beach. Today is beach and browsing day. Carol was an excellent tour guide as we walked to the beach she named the different flora around the area. We walked to the beach and what was once an overcast morning turned into a beautiful sunshining…
I look up and what do I see???
I look up and what do I see??? After three days of riding in virtually a straight line of flat bush I glance in the distance and couldn’t believe it. MORE MOUNTAINS! I was hot, pretty sweaty, but I instantly got revied when I saw the hills ahead of me! I had to snap a…
Lightening Ridge
Lightening Ridge-Black Opals Many people and followers know that I am a wheeler and dealer of rocks, gems, and minerals. Being in Australia, home of the desirable black opal, was a no brainer. There are other gems and minerals here as well, but the opals beauty is second to almost none. I booked a tour…
The 900-kilometer day and emu attack
The 900-kilometer day and emu attack As previously mentioned, no coffee and no fuel started this day of riding. Fortunately, the kilometers passed quickly even though it was still and 11-hour ride. I stopped at every petrol station to fill up because in the outback, it could be few and far between. The power outage…
So there was this thing…
So there was this thing… My goal for today was to do a quick walking tour and head to a museum 20kms away and head to Cobar which is kinda a halfway point between Broken Hill and Lightning Ridge. What was supposed to be at 2 hour walking tour turned into a 3.5-hour walking tour.…
Broken Hill and Beyond
Broken Hill Left Flinders Ranges early this morning with a smile on my face. I slept well, saw a huntsman, and heard a mob (herd) of cockatoos screeching. What a beautiful country. I snapped a few pictures from the road today. Let’s face it. I was left turn dominate in the states. I can pull…
Bye Liz, Bye Port Lincoln, Hello Flinders Ranges
Bye Liz, Bye Port Lincoln, Hello Flinders Ranges The Next day we slept in. No alarms needed. Liz was heading back to Texas and I was having an official Dead Day. For those of you unfamiliar with this term, it is a day of nothing, a day of sloth-like behavior, a day of all around…
Great White Day
Great White Day So, guess what woke me up yesterday morning. Wind. A lot of wind. It was about 230 in the morning and the wind was blowing off the water ferociously! This wind continued to blow for the rest of the day. Liz and I get dressed for the swimming with the sharks. Meet…
Adelaide Day 2 to Walleroo/Kadina to Port Lincoln
Adelaide Day 2 to Walleroo/Kadina to Port Lincoln After a decent night’s sleep, it was on to the next stop on the mission to find the sharks. I was still feeling shortchanged about such a short time in Adelaide I insisted we go to the mall and the Adelaide Arcade. Pardon the geek out here,…
Let’s talk about wine
Let’s talk about wine, the Barossa Valley, and the Dirty Angel On Tuesday morning…our days usually start around 7 or so and it isn’t till after nine when we hit the road on most days. Liz patiently waits for me to get all my gear on and help me take my stuff to the motorbike.…
The Great Ocean Road Upon leaving Torquay, despite the rain and wind, we headed east towards the Great Ocean Road with the ending in Warrnambool. Again, the warnings were, don’t ride it on the weekend and make sure you stay on the left side of the road. I have previously mentioned that I didn’t pack…
Motorcycles and Torquay
Motorcycles and Torquay After leaving the zoo, there were some choices that had to be made. The weather has been sketchy and trying to stay ahead or wait behind has been a choice to be made throughout this leg of the journey. We stayed the night not far from the zoo then hit the road…
A Few Days Late
Sorry folks, the previous hotel’s wifi was down so I was unable to provide updates to the progress of this journey. Trust me, Wyndem knows my displeasure. So upon leaving Mansfield the route was picked and off to Healesville Sanctuary we went. Now for the most part, I am not a fan of zoos. In…
Mansfield
Mt Stirling, Mt Buller, and Paps Walk Today was an easy day. I had emailed a bunk a biker host a few days ago and unfortunately wasn’t available to host at this time. We decided to stay an extra day in Mansfield and take an unrushed tour of the mountain along with laundry. Upon checking…
A trip through the mountains
I swear I heard banjos… So yesterday’s adventure had me riding through a mountain. Switchback city! I was so excited! Liz however, was not thrilled. She has now been deemed a Flatlander. We started in Lakes Entrance, VIC then to Omeo, Milawa, the Kelly Tree Walk, and on to Mansfield for the night. Total trip…
For Mom and Dad
For Mom and Dad Today started early again. Today is the day we part ways with Graeme and Katrina and start plotting our own route with a lot of helpful suggestions. Today was the day I rode the Snowy River National Park road. I am blessed to have parents that guided me into many different…
Lochiel 1 and 2
We left Canberra in a cool slightly rainy morning, and it was on to Graeme and Katrina’s, my friends and our next host. Down the Princes Hwy we went. Made a few stops searching for the perfect hat, that I have yet to find, and arrived at our next destination in Lochiel. We were greeted…
Canberra Day 1 and 2
Left Sydney on the way to get the motorcycle and stay with my first bunk a biker of Australia. It was rainy and cold but otherwise an uneventful drive to the bunker house. In Canberra, I had the pleasure of staying with Terry. He was very helpful and chatty and answered more than his fair…
Sydney Day 3 Delayed
Guys, jet lag finally hit. Day three in Sydney was wet and chilly but I didn’t let rain slow me down. To start the day I finally got my international phone. From the phone it was on to Hyde park where I finally saw a busker playing the guitar. (He wasn’t that great, so no…
Sydney Day 2
Welcome to Bondi beach. The site was amazing even if it was overcast. The weather predictors are shouting for a whole 33 millimeters of rain! An inch…lol. Started the day off with a tour of the Queen Victoria Building. It was designed by her and is now a fancy 5 story mall. I saw my…
Welcome to Sydney
After a long, long, long airplane ride, I arrived in Sydney at 7am Monday morning. I am now speaking to you all from the future. The plane ride was fine but I should have bought two seats so I could stretch out just a bit. It was cramped but there was plenty of time to…
T MINUS 6 HOURS TILL LIFT OFF
I have spent the morning, hobbling around to get the last few chores done. Bags packed…check. Deodorant applied…check. Passport accounted for…check. Sanity? Anyone seen my sanity? And we have a runner!!!
Crunch time/Down time
I don’t know if anyone else suffers from r.a. (rheumatoid arthritis) but let me explain. Take a joint, today it is the hip, and imagine every time you move said joint there is glass in between the bones. That pain is what I experience every time I have a flare up. It is extremely painful…
What to take:
Many thanks to an experienced female world traveler, Katrina, to give me a hint of what is in her saddlebag. Shirts, socks and the like. Unfortunately, I made the choice to pack a taller windshield for the new-to-me motorcycle in my checked luggage. I didn’t realize the size of the windscreen, so I had to…
Am I ready?
My many thanks go out to Graeme and Katrina, my former bunk-a-biker guests. I had the pleasure of meeting them both on Memorial Day Weekend of 2022. Through the conversations we had, my interest in visiting Australia was renewed. I spent hours talking to them about the time to visit, key places to go, things…
What to bring
I have fought overpacking for the past 6 months. I have new cameras, a new to me bike, a taller windscreen on its way. Aside from my backpack, helmet, and bag of tools, what’s left? Do you have suggestions? How would you spend the 20 hour plane ride? My friend and his wife gifted me…
Hello world!
Brand new to the blog lifestyle. It reminds me of a diary when I was a child. Dear Diary…today I almost kissed the boy of my dreams…OMG gag! The reason I chose to create a website is because I wanted a non-social media place to describe my adventures. Facebook is mostly fake, Insta is a…