Udeni arrived in Ceduna this afternoon, thus officially completing the Nullabor Plain leg of his journey. It has been almost exactly one month since he started and to date Udeni has ridden over 2000km, in both extreme heat and cold, strong head winds and dust storms.
“The first 40km of today’s ride has been the toughest so far because of the strong East-West winds- I was almost blown off my bike! Luckily after that I changed directions around the Great Australian Bight and got a tailwind for the rest of the way, but the dust was pretty bad for visibility”.
Udeni’s arrival in Ceduna saw him receive a certificate for crossing in the Plain, and after two days of bush camps in the final stretch of the Nullabor, Udeni is looking forward to a good meal and an early rest tonight!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
DONATIONS – Save a Heart & Save A Child Fund
We have now opened a new bank account under the name of ‘Bike Across Oz’ to receive donations for Save a Heart and Save a Child Fund.This is for the convenience of managing funds and to send acknowledgments promptly.
Please forward all your donations to the following account.
INTERNET BANKING:
Australia & Overseas:
· BSB Number: 066163
· Account Number: 10494013
· Account Name: Bike Across Oz
· Bank: Commonwealth Bank
Please indicate your full name in the ‘Reference’ space to identify your payment
CHEQUE:
Address cheque to: Bike Across Oz
Mail to: 45 Parkside Ave, Mt Pleasant, Western Australia 6153
SRI LANKA (in SL Rupees)
· Account Name: Save a Heart and Save a Child Trust Fund
· Account no: 320-2001-0000-0749
· Peoples Bank: Borella Branch
When you make a donation please complete and email/post the Donation Form to bikeacrossoz@gmail.com
Please forward all your donations to the following account.
INTERNET BANKING:
Australia & Overseas:
· BSB Number: 066163
· Account Number: 10494013
· Account Name: Bike Across Oz
· Bank: Commonwealth Bank
Please indicate your full name in the ‘Reference’ space to identify your payment
CHEQUE:
Address cheque to: Bike Across Oz
Mail to: 45 Parkside Ave, Mt Pleasant, Western Australia 6153
SRI LANKA (in SL Rupees)
· Account Name: Save a Heart and Save a Child Trust Fund
· Account no: 320-2001-0000-0749
· Peoples Bank: Borella Branch
When you make a donation please complete and email/post the Donation Form to bikeacrossoz@gmail.com
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Goodbye WA...
Today has been a good day for Udeni. He travelled 115km, and enjoyed his first bit of tail wind for the trip- making life just a little easier! He has now cycled a total of 1375km, with the next stop tomorrow being the small town of Eucla, which consists of a road house, a caravan park- and not much else. Eucla is just 12km from the South Australian border.
He says that his leg cramps are much better over the last few days thanks to some Advil and Deep Heat, however he is still not 100%. His muscle cramps mean that he needs to stop ever 20km to stretch, slowing him down further. Nevertheless, Udeni is happy and positive in spite of it all!
"Tomorrow I will have to climb a big scarp to the South Australia border and back up to the Nullabor plain. I've bumped into a small number of travellers along the way during the last couple of days- mainly truck drivers while I'm having my meal. Been getting good meals when I get to towns, I've been pigging out totally otherwise I'll lose too much weight! I've usually been having a big breakfast and big dinner, but not much during the day. You don't get hungry when you have greasy bacon and eggs for breakfast.
I'm in Mundrabilla right now. The place here is pretty basic- but at gold plated prices. It's very cold... all day long. The wind chill is the worst. Today I needed to wear four layers- cycle pants, thermals, skins and then leg warmers. Even though you're exercisng the wind makes it hard to shed the layers.
I haven't been able to find a washing machine since Caiguna so haven't been able to clean my clothes. But deoderant does the trick for now."
Lucky he's riding alone! When asked if he's having fun Udeni says that he's enjoying himself and that he's loving the challenge.
He says that his leg cramps are much better over the last few days thanks to some Advil and Deep Heat, however he is still not 100%. His muscle cramps mean that he needs to stop ever 20km to stretch, slowing him down further. Nevertheless, Udeni is happy and positive in spite of it all!
"Tomorrow I will have to climb a big scarp to the South Australia border and back up to the Nullabor plain. I've bumped into a small number of travellers along the way during the last couple of days- mainly truck drivers while I'm having my meal. Been getting good meals when I get to towns, I've been pigging out totally otherwise I'll lose too much weight! I've usually been having a big breakfast and big dinner, but not much during the day. You don't get hungry when you have greasy bacon and eggs for breakfast.
I'm in Mundrabilla right now. The place here is pretty basic- but at gold plated prices. It's very cold... all day long. The wind chill is the worst. Today I needed to wear four layers- cycle pants, thermals, skins and then leg warmers. Even though you're exercisng the wind makes it hard to shed the layers.
I haven't been able to find a washing machine since Caiguna so haven't been able to clean my clothes. But deoderant does the trick for now."
Lucky he's riding alone! When asked if he's having fun Udeni says that he's enjoying himself and that he's loving the challenge.
Monday, May 11, 2009
"Pack Mule": someone who is forced to carry heavy objects for no pay or gratitude...
Cycling across Australia with a support vehicle carrying your gear is no mean feat. But cycling across Australia having to tow along all your supplies is an even greater challenge! By riding solo and completely unsupported, Udeni is carrying over 50kilos on his trailer including: - The trailer itself plus his Bob Bag which holds a sleeping bag, sleeping mat, tent, Trangia, food, medication, minimal clothing, bike repair kit and utensils = 25kg
- Water 16litres = 16kg
- Pannier bags [8kg each] =16kg
- Back pack containing water and other essentials = 6kg
The weight of this load is most strenuous when having to ride against the strong head winds of the Nullabor Plain (which is like riding up a seemingly never ending hill!). Udeni has had bad luck on this front and has been praying for a tailwind!
Satellite and public phone access is extremely limited across the Plain, but luckily Udeni is a very prepared man as well as an experienced cyclist. Throughout his entire trip, Udeni has and will be wearing both a heart monitor and a device called a ‘Spot’. When Udeni presses the ‘OK’ button on the ‘Spot’ an email and a Google map of his precise location is sent to specified friends and family. You too can follow his progress on the Blog map. There is also a 000 emergency button on the ‘Spot’ which we all hope he will not have to use!
- Water 16litres = 16kg
- Pannier bags [8kg each] =16kg
- Back pack containing water and other essentials = 6kg
The weight of this load is most strenuous when having to ride against the strong head winds of the Nullabor Plain (which is like riding up a seemingly never ending hill!). Udeni has had bad luck on this front and has been praying for a tailwind!
Satellite and public phone access is extremely limited across the Plain, but luckily Udeni is a very prepared man as well as an experienced cyclist. Throughout his entire trip, Udeni has and will be wearing both a heart monitor and a device called a ‘Spot’. When Udeni presses the ‘OK’ button on the ‘Spot’ an email and a Google map of his precise location is sent to specified friends and family. You too can follow his progress on the Blog map. There is also a 000 emergency button on the ‘Spot’ which we all hope he will not have to use!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The beginning of the loooong stretch: the Nullabor Plain
The second week of cycling has brought a sense of rhythm and routine as Udeni completes over 700km across Oz to date. Today Udeni reached Norsman, his first stop before the long, dry stretch of the Nullabor Plain. Udeni spent the day in Coolgardie/Kalgoorlie on Monday to rest, recuperate and eat his last steak and vegetable dinner for some time. Here Udeni had the chance to see some familiar faces, service his bike and plan for the next challenging leg.
‘I spoke to some people in Kalgoorlie who informed me about accessing water across the Nullabor Plain, which will be a main concern for this stretch. I will have to carry at least 10 liters with me, as well as enough food to allow me to camp in the bush for up to 3 days at a time before I reach any other form of accommodation. I have had to conserve water by rinsing my dishes with water and drinking it afterwards!’
Udeni has encountered a number of interesting people on his ride, including a like-minded man cycling to Darwin, and one walking across the Plain (Udeni’s wife Dammika is hoping he won’t get any more ideas!). The walking man was lucky to bump into Udeni, especially since he was out of water!
‘I will be out of contact over the next few days and am going to start the next stretch a little later in the day tomorrow to double check my supplies. Things have being going well, I am feeling good and any pain I may have is easily fixed with some Voltaran cream! I am well rested and am going to keep plodding along at my own pace…’
‘I spoke to some people in Kalgoorlie who informed me about accessing water across the Nullabor Plain, which will be a main concern for this stretch. I will have to carry at least 10 liters with me, as well as enough food to allow me to camp in the bush for up to 3 days at a time before I reach any other form of accommodation. I have had to conserve water by rinsing my dishes with water and drinking it afterwards!’
Udeni has encountered a number of interesting people on his ride, including a like-minded man cycling to Darwin, and one walking across the Plain (Udeni’s wife Dammika is hoping he won’t get any more ideas!). The walking man was lucky to bump into Udeni, especially since he was out of water!
‘I will be out of contact over the next few days and am going to start the next stretch a little later in the day tomorrow to double check my supplies. Things have being going well, I am feeling good and any pain I may have is easily fixed with some Voltaran cream! I am well rested and am going to keep plodding along at my own pace…’
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Week One
Udeni started his journey on Wednesday and at dusk on Friday evening he had arrived at Kelleberrin. He has travelled 259 kilometers (161 miles) to date.
"Today I had to start the day at 10AM and rode until 4PM. Tonight I should be able to find a backpackers' to stay in. No major obstacles today. When you see trucks coming the tricky part is that there's no room for two trucks parallel on the road. When this happens, you need to get off the road quick smart! It's a good thing I brought a rearview mirror.."
"As for the last couple of days, things have been going relatively smoothly, although I've been pretty sore! The hottest temperature so far has been 29 degrees. Yesterday the Kelleberrin Road House gave me a cheap stay and a complementary glass of house wine when they found out about what I've been doing. On Day One there were some issues with my rear tyre, which started leaking. This made it really difficult to get up the hill to Northam, with a huge amount of resistance on the wheel. Got this fixed though and now everything seems to be working well...
I'm looking forward to getting into a routine. The trailer on the back is slowing the riding down significantly, but it's still ok. At this point I'm carrying about 25 kilos on the trailer. Some sections across the Nullabor I'll have to carry far more water."
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Tracking Udeni
Udeni is using a "spot" satellite messenger to let us know how he is during his journey. Simply by clicking the 'OK' button on his 'spot' device he lets us know his location and that is doing ok.
We will be regularly adding the updates to the blog to let you know his location. Simply click on the 'click to track udeni' link to track him with Google maps.
We will be regularly adding the updates to the blog to let you know his location. Simply click on the 'click to track udeni' link to track him with Google maps.
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