My first cycle trip was nearly three years ago. I spent five days with a great group of friends cycling the stunning Icefield Parkway from Banff to Jasper. It wasn’t until a few months ago that I did my second cycle tour – two weeks in surprisingly diverse Sri Lanka. I loved exploring the culture and natural beauty of the country by bike and I got to meet some great people.
I’ve spent the last four weeks exploring Melbourne, getting to know it as an (admittedly, temporary) local. It’s a city with so much diversity that a few days just isn’t enough. Having friends show me around made all the difference – thanks Michael, Rob, and Jolanda! Soky and Anthony, who I met on the Sri Lanka trip, also gave lots of spot-on foodie recommendations.
While I loved my time in Melbourne, I’m really excited for my next adventure. I’ve just finished my first day cycling in the most different and wild of Australian states – Tasmania. This morning I picked up a rental bike from Manfred (who lives in the far northeast of the island) and started heading south with sweeping views of surf pounding into long white sandy beaches. I plan to complete a 1000+km loop around the island, visiting wineries and lavender farms in the east and cold, wet, wild forests and mountains in the west. This time I’m cycling solo but Sil is driving a rental car and carrying all my luggage. I know, it’s cheating. That just lets me cover more ground and see more of this almost mysterious place.
Let the adventure begin!
UPDATE – I’ve completed the Tasmanian Cycle Tour! One month and 1,500-km of cycling around Tasmania.
Eating Snow Around the World 