Just a short train ride south, Woodford is a world away from the life I lived in Bundaberg. In the country, surrounded by greenery, the suffocating packing shed is but a distant memory. Having found out about Woodford Folk Festival through a friend, I secured a volunteer position as part of the setup crew. Working …
Bye bye Bundaberg
A few days ago I left Bundaberg, looking toward new experiences that would hopefully improve the negative feelings I developed for Australia whilst there. The way backpackers are treated both by the hostels and the farms in that town leave so much to be desired. Things became less shocking and the accepted norm, as one …
Bundaberg
Bundaberg – like the ginger beer, except not at all… True, it is the place one of my favourite drinks is made, but this resulted in my mind creating visions of the city quite far from reality. In fact, the city seems nothing more than a functional settlement, its sole purpose to provide a base …
City by Night
I left the flat with the intention of heading to the local cinema, however as I walked in the pleasantly warm evening air, I found myself being drawn towards the river and the pedestrianised gardens along its border. It is a hub of activity for joggers, cyclists, cycle taxis, holiday makers, social gatherings… a place …
Big City Life
So what’s it like, this sunny, city life? Very different from anything I’ve experienced over the last year and a half that’s for sure. Safe to say when I first arrived I felt sufficiently overwhelmed. Exhaustion induced from lack of sleep, along a steep increase in temperature, did nothing to help my transition from rural …
Farewell New Zealand
And so after my four month sabbatical, I am once again here to grace you with my presence (/words). As I write this, I am two days into my new Australian adventure, but before I embellish, I’d like to recap on my final few months in New Zealand, my home for the last year and …
Coromandel Peninsula
And so the final leg of my cycling journey began. With it, the most unenjoyable day on the road. I couldn’t tell you much about the scenery I passed that day as my entire being was focused on getting to my destination and off the busy highway as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, in true New …
Along the Northern Shore
From Te Araroa I had the first, and what turned out to be the only, windy day of my journey. After an initial ocean view the road once again turned inland and the next few hours were dedicated to green landscapes and winding roads. My battle with the wind, alongside my tiredness, meant I really …
Let’s go round the East Cape
The East Cape, without a doubt, was the most exciting, eventful and emotional part of my journey. Although it added 184km to my route, deciding to avoid the gorge and the 700m climb had resulted in my brain falling into relaxation mode. ‘There’s an easy road ahead’ it told my body, as I made my …
Napier to Gisborne
After the way I felt in Napier I really had half a mind to finish my cycle trip there. What used to be my good knee was in no small amount of agony, my eyes burned from the dust and sun having had no protection for three days, my bad wrist was starting to hurt, …