It has taken nearly one hour to load the video, and still no indication of success, or are 95% of the way there or to go. So must disconnect, and go. Will see what can be done to succeed next time.
Chris
Monday, December 6, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Wednesday 1st December: Woodfordia to Crystal Waters Permaculture Village
an hour free to sit in Bill Hauritz's kitchen, drink some of his coffee (thank you Bill) and pore over the questionnaire for civic groups prepared by the United Nations in advance of the 2012 Earth Summit. How am I going to get the work done for this, given everything else? Any offers?! or suggestions, dear readers and followers? It is kind of important that we get our views into the UN process now, as the agenda is revised and worked upon by Govt representatives. Even if they are coming to it from a paradigm that humans are separate from nature, nonetheless, we need to engage with them now.
By way of distraction, my eye wanders, and skirts to the colourful programme for the 25th Woodford Folk Festival here in southern Queensland, nestled against the high hills (that we have to climb up later). The colourful programme includes a dress code:
..sequins, top hat, silks, a VB singlet, satin knickerbockers, a Pocohantas costume, lycra, faux fur, face-paint, a Venetian mask, blue jeans, a poncho, a tuxedo, a tracksuit, thongs, a cocktail dress, gumboots, a sundress, sandals ... dress up, outrageously, fantastically, beautifully in character, or dress down and relax. We invited you to take advantage of being away from the daily grind to inhabit Woodfordia as the creature of your dreams - for one week, you can come as you are, or come as you'd like to be/ Festivillians are welcome to indulge their sartorial style in whatever way they please, from the casual to the costumed - there's no dress code here.
www.woodfordfolkfestival.com
By way of distraction, my eye wanders, and skirts to the colourful programme for the 25th Woodford Folk Festival here in southern Queensland, nestled against the high hills (that we have to climb up later). The colourful programme includes a dress code:
..sequins, top hat, silks, a VB singlet, satin knickerbockers, a Pocohantas costume, lycra, faux fur, face-paint, a Venetian mask, blue jeans, a poncho, a tuxedo, a tracksuit, thongs, a cocktail dress, gumboots, a sundress, sandals ... dress up, outrageously, fantastically, beautifully in character, or dress down and relax. We invited you to take advantage of being away from the daily grind to inhabit Woodfordia as the creature of your dreams - for one week, you can come as you are, or come as you'd like to be/ Festivillians are welcome to indulge their sartorial style in whatever way they please, from the casual to the costumed - there's no dress code here.
www.woodfordfolkfestival.com
Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 November
Monday 29 November 2010. Last full day in Brisbane
Seeing Gasland yesterday was an eye_opener. To imagine that two thirds of the USA could now be irretrievably polluted, and the oil/gas companies are now drilling in the same way in Australia/Queensland, frac-ing the ground with the same highly toxic chemicals, and set to do so in Europe and north Africa.
Ilawarra,New South Wales - http://www.otfordeco.com/GasLandMovie.html
War in AUSTRALIA - pitting angry locals against big gas companies. and behaviour more like the worst dictatorships ever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaWA_TDG56I
Was pleased that with my Bike the Earth hat on, I was able to bring together Fiona Sullivan (Be the Change Australia), John Price – www.grandkidzfuture.com and Bruce/Sally from St John’s Environment Centre in Ashgrove, Brisbane together after the film, to help galvanise collaboration and campaigning in Brisbane as to the effects on its water supply if affected by the pollution known to occur with the de-fracking. And the great farming the grand artesian wells I suggested that Six Degrees have one volunteer at ever film showing to take email addresses of exiting attendees, and help to broaden the campaign against oil and gas drilling onland in Australia.
Spent morning with Roland in central library poring over maps and rechecking our route to Maryborough and northwards to Cairns.
Tuesday 30 November 2010
Brisbane/Sandgate to Woodford
71km
hilly climb just near end with 10% incline
26 degrees at 0930. 21 degrees at 6pm. 33 degrees max in the day. HOT riding.
After being based in Brisbane, in West End for a week, and in Bardon for 3 weeks, (2 weeks in NZ where I had to go to renew my Oz visa) we are on the move again. A generous donation was received by Bike the Earth 24 hours before we left, enabling Roland to stay on the ride till about Cairns. And with coaching from Simon Richard to us both, phenomenal quantum stuff, Roland and I are beginning to work more powerfully as a team. We will be the best of friends of the worst of enemies by the end!
Thank you to so so many people who have offered us help, chilled with us, hosted and donated. Your generosity and support has been incredible.
Got the 7.18 train from Roma Street to Sandgate. Had the works (large breakfast) at Doug’s Café/ Local cyclists there. Always a good sign. Got talking to them. What a lovely place to live and cycle . Doug's do good fish and chips too.
Flat vista. Far and wide. Looking out to sea. Tidal. Olderhouses built for the floods. Newer not so well designed for when there is a high tide.
Arrived in Woodford at 5pm - hard work on this first day after so long. Muscles tired. Now staying in Woodfordia, courtesy of the Woodford Folk Festival team: http://www.woodfordfolkfestival.com/
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
In Auckland, New Zealand, waiting for renewal of Australian visa,
Shortly after this, Chris left Australia for New Zealand to reapply for another 3 month visa. He is waiting for this to be renewed, but taking the opportunity to work onthe accounts of the last few months, transpose people's business cards to a database, and think about how to deepen our engagement with people we meet on our journey, both to ask them for money, and to move ourselves forward: how do we create a sustainable world in FOUR YEARS?
Catching up on outstanding paperwork, I came across this gem from a book I read in Castlemaine:
God help me to live slowly,
to move simply,
to look softly,
to allow emptiness,
and to let my heart create for me.
Chris Le Breton
Auckland, NZ
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Bellingen - Dental, distraction & deviation
Bellingen - Dental, distraction & deviation
Bellingen is ace! A wonderful town perched on the high bank of the Bellingen river surrounded by a lush valley. Its spectacular now but it takes my breath away (& pains my heart) to imagine how phenomenally amazing it would have been filled with rain forest, red cedar, animals & plants before it was logged and cleared! :-(
Bellingen has gathered an amazing community of people from all walks of life, locally & around the world including the farming, logging, town/city, plateau/escarpment, coast, valley, sustainability, professional & transition communities. Its funny how even now with all the development & clearing and so called progress the community is still bound by the same sort of geographical connections that the indigenous people were. With all in the Bellingen Shire bound together by the river with Dorrigo up the escarpment on the plateau at the head waters of the river, Bellingen the valley / river community & Urunga the coastal river mouth community making up the shire and the real community that is Bellingen from my view. Its funny how it has been the river / valley community that has gathered the stronger sense of sustainability around it being much more tied to the rhythm and constraints of the river and its cycles and impact on the valley. Dorrigo almost a little aloof and removed caught in the clouds of farming and the immensely lush fertile conditions of the cold climate mountain position on rich volcanic soil and the great rainfall has produced. With much of the landscape cleared and turned over to farming as a result yet providing a huge contribution to the sustenance and economy of the valley & beyond. Urunga on the other hand open to the ocean with the highway passing through it, subject to the coastal climate & the flooding influence of the river, flatter and more open, exposed to the sun & moderated by the cooling sea, and shaped by the rhythm of the waves & the arterial nature of the pacific highway.
So here we stopped for a bit over 2 weeks while Chris continued his dental surgery inspection tour of Australia with some more emergency dental work. It was a welcome break for us from the physical aspects of the ride and a time for some of the stresses that we have been confronted with to surface and for us to see how we can clear, shift & communicate about this. I can't speak for Chris but suspect he agrees that the ride has been a huge undertaking. The physical nature of the ride is a challenge at times but remarkably easier that I would have expected, so much so that I think almost anyone could ride what we have done given the time. Especially as there have been plenty of towns along the way that would have given less fit people opportunities to take the ride at a pace that works for them. Yet is is the combination of the physical nature with the psychological & emotional aspects as well as the scale and breadth of what we have taken on that has been a challenge for us to manage in the 24 hours available each day.
Like many small business owners starting their business this is a 24/7 commitment on many levels. We are living this while on the road and constantly calling upon ourselves to see what more we can connect with. Our riding days are .5-1 hours meditation + .5-1 hour yoga / stretching + .5-1 hour for breakfast + often .5-1 hour admin & logistics for the day, & + .5-1 hour connecting with our hosts & or community people + 4-8 hours cycling + often with a .5-1 hour lunch + at times a .5-1 hour logistical / admin / email/ media connection session + .5 – 2 hour meet and connect with our new host /set up camp / or find & get into a pub or hostel, .5 hour to shower and get cleaned up + 1-2 hour dinner with our computers or our host + .5-2 hour time to check emails, contact future places we are connecting with & or staying, email media, plan interviews, update the blog & facebook & twitter. All up we rise about 6;30am and go to sleep usually 11+ pm and are working all that time between 6+ days a week over much of our journey. Looking over this I am struck that they stress of the personal financial implications of the ride, the close nature of the working / living situation Chris & I have created & the work we are trying to do & living on the road has stressed me greatly and definitely contributed to my perception of time and work done and what is needing doing. Mmmmmmm....
On the other hand for me Bellingen will always be a special place. Our host Olivia Bernardini is great! An awesome supporter and contributor to what Chris and I are doing. On modest means she opened her home to us, offered food, taught us yoga, showed us around and helped us to look at the ride in new ways & connect with others so that we could be more effective in what we are doing. It was also wonderful to connect with her on a personal level and to be able to inspire and support her in all she is doing and who she is being for her community in Bellingen in the small way we were able too.
A week in to our time in Bellingen we went off to Broadwater in NSW to run a small introduction / symposium for the community around the area organised by Tony Gleeson. We caught the train & bus up which was both a pleasure and a strange experience. A pleasure to be not riding an able to talk about what we planned to do and to enjoy the comfort & relaxation that powered transport provides. Strange as the bus went such a circuitous route which meant a 80km direct journey took almost 3 hours and the motion & claustrophobic environment of the bus was strange after the freedom cycling. I also found myself worried and nervous that at any moment their would be a cyclist on the road as there was no shoulder and in the dark, with no shoulder and narrow roads at high speeds almost no chance of the bus stopping in time. Reminded me clearly why riding after 4pm on Australian rural roads in the evenings is so dam terrifying!
The event went well with a small and committed group of local people clear that a shift in the local sustainability initiatives was important. The direct questions of one of the participants and the sound levels made for some challenges and in the end it was a great result with everyone very supportive and inspired by what we were doing with a young woman considering joining us as a cyclist! Not only is she a keen cyclist but had lots of experience working in sustainability roles in a number of countries and spoke a number of foreign languages including Arabic & Indonesian!
The return journey got off to a troubling start after a great morning seeing us at the bus stop by 7 am fed and ready before the bus arrived, said good by to our host and jumped on the bus, only to have Chris realise that he had left his wallet in our hosts jacket he had worn when we arrived and went in the rain to see if any whales were playing of the coast! A quick call to our host and a dash by him to the 2nd bus stop down the road had the wallet reunited with Chris!
Back in Bellingen (Bello) to the locals Chris and I spent some time unpacking the challenges we were facing and found a space to work from. It is frustrating for both of us when we bounce of each other and especially if this is not cleared fully each time as these things tend to fester. So it was great to get down in that murky territory and clean it out.
One of the great things we got to do was to go to a free adult indigenous language class held at the local school and funded by the local community so as to allow non-indigenous people to connect with and learn more about the local indigenous culture. This is held by a local indigenous man Michael Jarret who actually had to relearn the language as it was actively discouraged when he was younger. Aided by some of the late the local indigenous elders realising that they were the only traditional speakers left and so pooled their pensions & engaged a young interested & supportive Jesuit Priest to assist them to document with writing, & recordings of the language such that now the local language is one of the best preserved indigenous languages in Australia. Michael was fantastic and agreed to have us interview him for our video documentation. It was a great privilege for me to have this opportunity (it was on the day that Chris had 3 teeth drilled & filled!). The interview was plagued by dusk setting in and cleaners & other noises causing us to shift location 3 times and thus getting very dark by the end but the content of what Michael shared is awesome and we have now started in include an edited version of this in our symposiums and will have this online as soon as we understand how to do this.
We also created an opportunity to tell some more of the locals about what we doing through the transition film night by assisted by Olivia. We spent a long while preparing as we only had 15 min and really wanted to create something fun, interesting and compelling. A last minute change of venue to a park with the darkness and ambient noise proved challenging and a shortened time due to the late start found us from my view not achieving what we intended. I would even say a complete flop. Chris on the other hand took it more positively.
Roland
Bellingen is ace! A wonderful town perched on the high bank of the Bellingen river surrounded by a lush valley. Its spectacular now but it takes my breath away (& pains my heart) to imagine how phenomenally amazing it would have been filled with rain forest, red cedar, animals & plants before it was logged and cleared! :-(
Bellingen has gathered an amazing community of people from all walks of life, locally & around the world including the farming, logging, town/city, plateau/escarpment, coast, valley, sustainability, professional & transition communities. Its funny how even now with all the development & clearing and so called progress the community is still bound by the same sort of geographical connections that the indigenous people were. With all in the Bellingen Shire bound together by the river with Dorrigo up the escarpment on the plateau at the head waters of the river, Bellingen the valley / river community & Urunga the coastal river mouth community making up the shire and the real community that is Bellingen from my view. Its funny how it has been the river / valley community that has gathered the stronger sense of sustainability around it being much more tied to the rhythm and constraints of the river and its cycles and impact on the valley. Dorrigo almost a little aloof and removed caught in the clouds of farming and the immensely lush fertile conditions of the cold climate mountain position on rich volcanic soil and the great rainfall has produced. With much of the landscape cleared and turned over to farming as a result yet providing a huge contribution to the sustenance and economy of the valley & beyond. Urunga on the other hand open to the ocean with the highway passing through it, subject to the coastal climate & the flooding influence of the river, flatter and more open, exposed to the sun & moderated by the cooling sea, and shaped by the rhythm of the waves & the arterial nature of the pacific highway.
So here we stopped for a bit over 2 weeks while Chris continued his dental surgery inspection tour of Australia with some more emergency dental work. It was a welcome break for us from the physical aspects of the ride and a time for some of the stresses that we have been confronted with to surface and for us to see how we can clear, shift & communicate about this. I can't speak for Chris but suspect he agrees that the ride has been a huge undertaking. The physical nature of the ride is a challenge at times but remarkably easier that I would have expected, so much so that I think almost anyone could ride what we have done given the time. Especially as there have been plenty of towns along the way that would have given less fit people opportunities to take the ride at a pace that works for them. Yet is is the combination of the physical nature with the psychological & emotional aspects as well as the scale and breadth of what we have taken on that has been a challenge for us to manage in the 24 hours available each day.
Like many small business owners starting their business this is a 24/7 commitment on many levels. We are living this while on the road and constantly calling upon ourselves to see what more we can connect with. Our riding days are .5-1 hours meditation + .5-1 hour yoga / stretching + .5-1 hour for breakfast + often .5-1 hour admin & logistics for the day, & + .5-1 hour connecting with our hosts & or community people + 4-8 hours cycling + often with a .5-1 hour lunch + at times a .5-1 hour logistical / admin / email/ media connection session + .5 – 2 hour meet and connect with our new host /set up camp / or find & get into a pub or hostel, .5 hour to shower and get cleaned up + 1-2 hour dinner with our computers or our host + .5-2 hour time to check emails, contact future places we are connecting with & or staying, email media, plan interviews, update the blog & facebook & twitter. All up we rise about 6;30am and go to sleep usually 11+ pm and are working all that time between 6+ days a week over much of our journey. Looking over this I am struck that they stress of the personal financial implications of the ride, the close nature of the working / living situation Chris & I have created & the work we are trying to do & living on the road has stressed me greatly and definitely contributed to my perception of time and work done and what is needing doing. Mmmmmmm....
On the other hand for me Bellingen will always be a special place. Our host Olivia Bernardini is great! An awesome supporter and contributor to what Chris and I are doing. On modest means she opened her home to us, offered food, taught us yoga, showed us around and helped us to look at the ride in new ways & connect with others so that we could be more effective in what we are doing. It was also wonderful to connect with her on a personal level and to be able to inspire and support her in all she is doing and who she is being for her community in Bellingen in the small way we were able too.
A week in to our time in Bellingen we went off to Broadwater in NSW to run a small introduction / symposium for the community around the area organised by Tony Gleeson. We caught the train & bus up which was both a pleasure and a strange experience. A pleasure to be not riding an able to talk about what we planned to do and to enjoy the comfort & relaxation that powered transport provides. Strange as the bus went such a circuitous route which meant a 80km direct journey took almost 3 hours and the motion & claustrophobic environment of the bus was strange after the freedom cycling. I also found myself worried and nervous that at any moment their would be a cyclist on the road as there was no shoulder and in the dark, with no shoulder and narrow roads at high speeds almost no chance of the bus stopping in time. Reminded me clearly why riding after 4pm on Australian rural roads in the evenings is so dam terrifying!
The event went well with a small and committed group of local people clear that a shift in the local sustainability initiatives was important. The direct questions of one of the participants and the sound levels made for some challenges and in the end it was a great result with everyone very supportive and inspired by what we were doing with a young woman considering joining us as a cyclist! Not only is she a keen cyclist but had lots of experience working in sustainability roles in a number of countries and spoke a number of foreign languages including Arabic & Indonesian!
The return journey got off to a troubling start after a great morning seeing us at the bus stop by 7 am fed and ready before the bus arrived, said good by to our host and jumped on the bus, only to have Chris realise that he had left his wallet in our hosts jacket he had worn when we arrived and went in the rain to see if any whales were playing of the coast! A quick call to our host and a dash by him to the 2nd bus stop down the road had the wallet reunited with Chris!
Back in Bellingen (Bello) to the locals Chris and I spent some time unpacking the challenges we were facing and found a space to work from. It is frustrating for both of us when we bounce of each other and especially if this is not cleared fully each time as these things tend to fester. So it was great to get down in that murky territory and clean it out.
One of the great things we got to do was to go to a free adult indigenous language class held at the local school and funded by the local community so as to allow non-indigenous people to connect with and learn more about the local indigenous culture. This is held by a local indigenous man Michael Jarret who actually had to relearn the language as it was actively discouraged when he was younger. Aided by some of the late the local indigenous elders realising that they were the only traditional speakers left and so pooled their pensions & engaged a young interested & supportive Jesuit Priest to assist them to document with writing, & recordings of the language such that now the local language is one of the best preserved indigenous languages in Australia. Michael was fantastic and agreed to have us interview him for our video documentation. It was a great privilege for me to have this opportunity (it was on the day that Chris had 3 teeth drilled & filled!). The interview was plagued by dusk setting in and cleaners & other noises causing us to shift location 3 times and thus getting very dark by the end but the content of what Michael shared is awesome and we have now started in include an edited version of this in our symposiums and will have this online as soon as we understand how to do this.
We also created an opportunity to tell some more of the locals about what we doing through the transition film night by assisted by Olivia. We spent a long while preparing as we only had 15 min and really wanted to create something fun, interesting and compelling. A last minute change of venue to a park with the darkness and ambient noise proved challenging and a shortened time due to the late start found us from my view not achieving what we intended. I would even say a complete flop. Chris on the other hand took it more positively.
Roland
Bellingen to Half Way Creek
Bellingen to Halfway Creek
MONDAY 27 SEPTEMBER
First day on road –
Cycling day no.
Total day no:
Day XX
Distance
Weather: Hot Building to a storm later
Rode on freeway to Coffs Harbour. Made good progress given wide cycle path on most of verge. Had packed lunch at Russell Art Gallery – suffering because they cannot put up a sign on the main highway to attract visitors, whilst it Is littered with signs saying, Rest, Revive, Survive. Chris
Chris got off to an earlier start as I found myself dreading getting started after the big stop we had in Bellingen. I had connected so deeply with Olivia I found myself dragging my heels to pack and get ready to leave! It was a wonderful surprise to meet to have an immediate strong attraction to Olivia who is such a committed active, integral and passionate community oriented sustainability activist who welcomed both Chris and I into her home. Transition Bellingen & the community has a extraordinary valuable team member even if I am a bit bias! Added to this we hadn't been riding, or at least I hadn't (Chris had ridden up to Dorrigo & to Coffs harbour to check out the sites). I was content to chill (and thus started to pay for it when back on the bike) & to some extent stick my head in the sand with all that needed doing! Some how I seem to see a pattern here!
So it was quite hard for me to leave. Once on the road with a few tears and a heart full of emotion I slowly got up a rhythm. I caught up to Chris at a “rest stop” more like a “junk stop” for the petrol, caffeine, sugar & additive addictions of the contents of the sea of cars! I couldn't wait to get out of there and was so happy when we did. After a short visit to a bike shop we climbed out of Coffs and headed north. Dam it was hot. It is great to not be freezing but the warm weather is way more tiring.
Not long after catching up with Chris he said that he had another tooth that seemed to be playing up! I was immediately thinking, “What is going on... there must be something in this for Chris and I to connect with?” I said to him did he think that it needed more treatment and he said most likely as it was giving him a large amount of discomfort but that he said we should continue and asses it that night or the next day to see what we would need to do...
It was getting late and we needed a spot to stop for lunch and as I had a packed lunch we were on the look out for a good place. It is one of the pleasures of not racing along in a car that cyclists get to connect to the environment around them. I had stopped and said to Chris lets look out for a place to eat. The road looked very desolate so I was not so hopeful but only a few kilometers down the road looking to the left was lake or large dam through some trees with a sign saying art gallery & cafe. It was a wonderful oasis and a great place to share the packed lunch that Olivia had kindly pulled together and get a few coffees and a cake each! Roland
Old freeway alignment. Hillier. Less space for cyclists. Chris
Heading north had the road narrow and later it was up a reasonably steep hill. As it got later and closer to the 4pm witching hour of truck terror I started to get nervous.
Before now I knew that there are a lot of trucks on the road. When I have driven on the Pacific Hwy (1) I have seen lots of trucks but I have been travelling about the same speed as the trucks so the ones that we passed were only a fraction of those on the road! Now I really have a better idea of just how many.rom about 3:30 – 4pm onwards many times there have been trucks passing us every 30 -60 seconds! If you times that by the 100km per hour speed they are traveling and the 4000+km of roads on the busiest sections of the main roads in the eastern states of Queensland, New South Wales & Victoria you start to realise just how many trucks there are. We are talking anything up to 100,000 or even more trucks on the road every night! Most of these are double articulated (B-Double Semi Trailer Lorries). To get an idea of just how big these are, one carrying standard sedan cars can carry 14-16 cars with a standard city car length being about the same length as the back sets of wheels! These travel at 100km per hour often with sets of 3 or 4 getting as close together as possible to slip stream (travel in the wind shadow of the front truck) so as to save fuel! This means that they may not have time to avoid something if the front truck suddenly swerves either way. The biggest trucks are the freighters which are “two trailers and a total length of 25 or 26 metre - with permits from state authorities - (82 ft to 85 ft), 62.5 ton (137,788 lb) B-doubles are very common in all parts of Australia including state capitals and on major routes may outnumber single trailer configurations. ” and these are the other approximate dimensions from North American “102 inches (2.6 m) wide, 13.5 feet (4.1 m) feet in height” ! In other words DAM BIG! For more info here is another wiki link
So now imagine a box the length of 6-7 sedan cars & stacked at least 3 high and then imagine more than 100,000 of them full of stuff. Travelling every night 365 days a year and growing! A standard freight train is between 30-60 carriages – so this is about 2000 freight trains worth of trucks per night – so if this is so it does seem that investing in train lines may actually be way more viable considering how little trains impact the environment as compared to trucks. This investment in trains would have impacts on the houses and environments along their routes yet if we factor in the costs of roads and & the cost of the impacts (environmentally, socially e well being implications) then it makes a lot of sense in investing in rail. So standardizing gauges nation wide & investing in at least double tracks on all lines enabling them to be capable of handling freight services of at least every 30 min starts to make complete sense! And if we chose to have 4 sets of tracks on the main lines (Brisbane – Melbourne & Sydney - Adelaide + maybe Perth) this would allow the invest met in a high speed rail network of passenger trains connecting the highest density areas & 2 dedicated local rail travel & rail freight tracks on the busiest routes. Or if we really wanted to shift things, 2 dedicated freight lines and a system of 1-3 carriage light rail / tram networks on one lane on all the toll, free & motor ways / main arterial routes. I would suggest (with just a tad of bias) that each of these also have an extra section set aside for bikes too!
I just had a vision of a transport system. Say you want to travel to Brisbane from Melbourne. People either own their own electric vehicle, that if it was system compatible it would have positive cost implications (cheaper registration, travel – ie tolls etc, energy & maintenance), or were part of a service that provided them a range of vehicles such that these were parked every where in such numbers that they were freely available, with inter-deals between providers providing discounts for brand loyalty, that when you arrived at the car your personal communication device allowed you access to the car, personalised it to you & your tastes (colour, sounds, even smells & driving devices – mirrors + seat position etc) that you could then either drive manually or tell it where to go and it would take you by the route suggested or the one you choose. This could take you take you to the local train station then either actually joins the tram / light rail if it's your own vehicle or you leave the car share vehicle at the station and board the train which then takes you to a the local train hub where you connect to a medium distance train or the fast hig speed train which tales you all the way to Brisbane. When boarding the train your communication device allows you to pay for your ticket, check in, custom your seat position / comfort & your entertainment choices delivered to your personal headphones or directional zone speak system so that others dont need to listen to your audio with the screen for visual in the back of the chair in front, a retractable screen or screens built into our glasses / sunglasses. Once at the station you get out, connect with other smaller more local mass transport, chose another car-share vehicle or detach and continue your journey....
I am imagining more but maybe if someone wants to ask me to continue my vision of a possible future world then do so and I will? Roland
7km to the left from Half Way Creek is the Nature Philosophy Centre founded on the principles of Tom Brown on Montana Five students were being taught how live off the land, collecting fruits, skinning road kill, and using the brains to tan the hides, growing veg, chooks, and how to make fire with a bow, string, and other wood. http://www.naturephilosophy.com/About%20us.html
Stayed the night there. Camping in a forest clearing. No electricity. Lit fire for hot water under the bath, and a fire in front of where we had taken our chicken and chips bought from the petrol station 10km away.
Compost toilets. The best I have come across anywhere in the world. No smell at all, and no flies, unlike so often in Africa. B
Rain. Chris
Once off the main road it was a race as darkness fell to get to Nature Philosophy property before dark and before the approaching rain. Made it just in time and got to have, dinner by the fire, a cuppa under cover with one of the participants in the year long residential program who had previously ridden around Australia on a bicycle, fire bath after the rain passed with the stars peaking through before retiring to bed. Chris's teeth were still paining him and he said that he thought that we would need to see about going to a dentist asap. His immediate thought was to head back to Bellingen but this was a full days ride back the way we came! This was really challenging for me but hadn't thought about how else to manage this and moving forward to keep the event we had planned for Thursday in Lismore (100km north!). Left it hanging to see how things were in the morning. More rain later though & Chris has a troubled sleep with his teeth and his camping mat going down over night with a leak!
Nature philosophy takes sustainability to a new level. Besides the short courses that build on basic skills they also offer one year residential programs. Yes one year where you build your own shelter from natural materials, collect and grow your own food, create fire by hand without matchers, a lighter or flint and steel. Collect your own water supplemented by infrequent basics. This may seem as an extreme form or returning to a bygone time but as they are not suggesting every one do this and but open to and see the value of learning this level of personal reliance it seems to me that it is about individuals really getting in touch with what it really means to be sustainable and responsible for every thing in their lives. Food, clothes, shelter, fire, water, utensils, containers and more made & processed by hand from naturally occurring + some found urban materials and some from the impact of nature with urban infrastructure. It also is a way for these individuals to strip away the conditions, conditioning and understandings of our contemporary world and then replace this it with the personally learnt skills, knowledge & understanding of what it really takes to really survive / rely on ones self who for almost everything! Spending one year doing this may not be every ones “cup of tea” but definitely worth acknowledging and respecting for the commitment to personal integrity and responsibility.
I am inspired to do this when I return as I feel that maybe some time to be static, self contained and grounded literally as well as metaphorically would be good. But the shorter courses to learn the basics. Although I have been interested in this before the ride it could also be being coloured by a very pale tinge of “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence” at the moment
Roland
MONDAY 27 SEPTEMBER
First day on road –
Cycling day no.
Total day no:
Day XX
Distance
Weather: Hot Building to a storm later
Rode on freeway to Coffs Harbour. Made good progress given wide cycle path on most of verge. Had packed lunch at Russell Art Gallery – suffering because they cannot put up a sign on the main highway to attract visitors, whilst it Is littered with signs saying, Rest, Revive, Survive. Chris
Chris got off to an earlier start as I found myself dreading getting started after the big stop we had in Bellingen. I had connected so deeply with Olivia I found myself dragging my heels to pack and get ready to leave! It was a wonderful surprise to meet to have an immediate strong attraction to Olivia who is such a committed active, integral and passionate community oriented sustainability activist who welcomed both Chris and I into her home. Transition Bellingen & the community has a extraordinary valuable team member even if I am a bit bias! Added to this we hadn't been riding, or at least I hadn't (Chris had ridden up to Dorrigo & to Coffs harbour to check out the sites). I was content to chill (and thus started to pay for it when back on the bike) & to some extent stick my head in the sand with all that needed doing! Some how I seem to see a pattern here!
So it was quite hard for me to leave. Once on the road with a few tears and a heart full of emotion I slowly got up a rhythm. I caught up to Chris at a “rest stop” more like a “junk stop” for the petrol, caffeine, sugar & additive addictions of the contents of the sea of cars! I couldn't wait to get out of there and was so happy when we did. After a short visit to a bike shop we climbed out of Coffs and headed north. Dam it was hot. It is great to not be freezing but the warm weather is way more tiring.
Not long after catching up with Chris he said that he had another tooth that seemed to be playing up! I was immediately thinking, “What is going on... there must be something in this for Chris and I to connect with?” I said to him did he think that it needed more treatment and he said most likely as it was giving him a large amount of discomfort but that he said we should continue and asses it that night or the next day to see what we would need to do...
It was getting late and we needed a spot to stop for lunch and as I had a packed lunch we were on the look out for a good place. It is one of the pleasures of not racing along in a car that cyclists get to connect to the environment around them. I had stopped and said to Chris lets look out for a place to eat. The road looked very desolate so I was not so hopeful but only a few kilometers down the road looking to the left was lake or large dam through some trees with a sign saying art gallery & cafe. It was a wonderful oasis and a great place to share the packed lunch that Olivia had kindly pulled together and get a few coffees and a cake each! Roland
Old freeway alignment. Hillier. Less space for cyclists. Chris
Heading north had the road narrow and later it was up a reasonably steep hill. As it got later and closer to the 4pm witching hour of truck terror I started to get nervous.
Before now I knew that there are a lot of trucks on the road. When I have driven on the Pacific Hwy (1) I have seen lots of trucks but I have been travelling about the same speed as the trucks so the ones that we passed were only a fraction of those on the road! Now I really have a better idea of just how many.rom about 3:30 – 4pm onwards many times there have been trucks passing us every 30 -60 seconds! If you times that by the 100km per hour speed they are traveling and the 4000+km of roads on the busiest sections of the main roads in the eastern states of Queensland, New South Wales & Victoria you start to realise just how many trucks there are. We are talking anything up to 100,000 or even more trucks on the road every night! Most of these are double articulated (B-Double Semi Trailer Lorries). To get an idea of just how big these are, one carrying standard sedan cars can carry 14-16 cars with a standard city car length being about the same length as the back sets of wheels! These travel at 100km per hour often with sets of 3 or 4 getting as close together as possible to slip stream (travel in the wind shadow of the front truck) so as to save fuel! This means that they may not have time to avoid something if the front truck suddenly swerves either way. The biggest trucks are the freighters which are “two trailers and a total length of 25 or 26 metre - with permits from state authorities - (82 ft to 85 ft), 62.5 ton (137,788 lb) B-doubles are very common in all parts of Australia including state capitals and on major routes may outnumber single trailer configurations. ” and these are the other approximate dimensions from North American “102 inches (2.6 m) wide, 13.5 feet (4.1 m) feet in height” ! In other words DAM BIG! For more info here is another wiki link
So now imagine a box the length of 6-7 sedan cars & stacked at least 3 high and then imagine more than 100,000 of them full of stuff
I just had a vision of a transport system. Say you want to travel to Brisbane from Melbourne. People either own their own electric vehicle, that if it was system compatible it would have positive cost implications (cheaper registration, travel – ie tolls etc, energy & maintenance), or were part of a service that provided them a range of vehicles such that these were parked every where in such numbers that they were freely available, with inter-deals between providers providing discounts for brand loyalty, that when you arrived at the car your personal communication device allowed you access to the car, personalised it to you & your tastes (colour, sounds, even smells & driving devices – mirrors + seat position etc) that you could then either drive manually or tell it where to go and it would take you by the route suggested or the one you choose. This could take you take you to the local train station then either actually joins the tram / light rail if it's your own vehicle or you leave the car share vehicle at the station and board the train which then takes you to a the local train hub where you connect to a medium distance train or the fast hig speed train which tales you all the way to Brisbane. When boarding the train your communication device allows you to pay for your ticket, check in, custom your seat position / comfort & your entertainment choices delivered to your personal headphones or directional zone speak system so that others dont need to listen to your audio with the screen for visual in the back of the chair in front, a retractable screen or screens built into our glasses / sunglasses. Once at the station you get out, connect with other smaller more local mass transport, chose another car-share vehicle or detach and continue your journey....
I am imagining more but maybe if someone wants to ask me to continue my vision of a possible future world then do so and I will? Roland
7km to the left from Half Way Creek is the Nature Philosophy Centre founded on the principles of Tom Brown on Montana Five students were being taught how live off the land, collecting fruits, skinning road kill, and using the brains to tan the hides, growing veg, chooks, and how to make fire with a bow, string, and other wood. http://www.naturephilosophy.com/About%20us.html
Stayed the night there. Camping in a forest clearing. No electricity. Lit fire for hot water under the bath, and a fire in front of where we had taken our chicken and chips bought from the petrol station 10km away.
Compost toilets. The best I have come across anywhere in the world. No smell at all, and no flies, unlike so often in Africa. B
Rain. Chris
Once off the main road it was a race as darkness fell to get to Nature Philosophy property before dark and before the approaching rain. Made it just in time and got to have, dinner by the fire, a cuppa under cover with one of the participants in the year long residential program who had previously ridden around Australia on a bicycle, fire bath after the rain passed with the stars peaking through before retiring to bed. Chris's teeth were still paining him and he said that he thought that we would need to see about going to a dentist asap. His immediate thought was to head back to Bellingen but this was a full days ride back the way we came! This was really challenging for me but hadn't thought about how else to manage this and moving forward to keep the event we had planned for Thursday in Lismore (100km north!). Left it hanging to see how things were in the morning. More rain later though & Chris has a troubled sleep with his teeth and his camping mat going down over night with a leak!
Nature philosophy takes sustainability to a new level. Besides the short courses that build on basic skills they also offer one year residential programs. Yes one year where you build your own shelter from natural materials, collect and grow your own food, create fire by hand without matchers, a lighter or flint and steel. Collect your own water supplemented by infrequent basics. This may seem as an extreme form or returning to a bygone time but as they are not suggesting every one do this and but open to and see the value of learning this level of personal reliance it seems to me that it is about individuals really getting in touch with what it really means to be sustainable and responsible for every thing in their lives. Food, clothes, shelter, fire, water, utensils, containers and more made & processed by hand from naturally occurring + some found urban materials and some from the impact of nature with urban infrastructure. It also is a way for these individuals to strip away the conditions, conditioning and understandings of our contemporary world and then replace this it with the personally learnt skills, knowledge & understanding of what it really takes to really survive / rely on ones self who for almost everything! Spending one year doing this may not be every ones “cup of tea” but definitely worth acknowledging and respecting for the commitment to personal integrity and responsibility.
I am inspired to do this when I return as I feel that maybe some time to be static, self contained and grounded literally as well as metaphorically would be good. But the shorter courses to learn the basics. Although I have been interested in this before the ride it could also be being coloured by a very pale tinge of “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence” at the moment
Roland
Halfway Creek to Lismore - Make way! Dental & Train use emergency!
TUESDAY 28 SEPTEMBER
Teeth really paining me and spent morning ringing around for dentists as the heat built up in the forest!
Decided to cycle to Grafton and train it to Lismore to get there for a dental appointment the next day. 2.5 hour ride or so to Grafton on the freeway. Circa 36km.
At Grafton. Had to dismantle bicycles almost completely to get into a box to go on the train. Took wheels off trailer. Boarded train. On arrival in Casino, coaches were available to take passengers on futher. Choatic. No system. We and bikes just go there. Arrived to stay with Paul and Gemma at a house surrounded by trees with possums up there.
Chris
___
I was really challenged in the morning. Chris initially wanted to head back to Bellingen to the great dentist he had found there especially as he had given Chris his last treatment for free! I totally understood this but with that meaning a full days ride south back the way we had come and maybe no appointments available in time for us to get to Lismore I tried to suggest an alternative. With no appointments available in Bellingen this is what we needed to do. We had to look at options so Grafton being the closest city made sense. Chris got some suggestions but everyone in Grafton was booked up except on option around early afternoon on the Thursday, the evening we were due to hold a symposium in Lismore 80 km away! We booked this but this didn't seem so workable so we contacted our contacts in Lismore to get them to call all the dentist there and see what was available. While we decided to head to Grafton anyway and see what happened with the reasoning that we could cycle to Grafton then catch the train & bus to Lismore & if needed borrow a car to get Chris back to Grafton and back to Lismore for the event if needed. This also allowed Chris to also take up any appointments that become available in Lismore.
Riding off from Nature Philosophy late morning as it started to get hot and humid in the sun we decided there was no rush so got to have an amazing swim in the secluded water hole in the creek surrounded by lush forest with all the residents and teachers. Heading off from this we found ourselves racing the approaching rain again as we tried to get to the petrol station before it hit. Got caught a bit but missed most of it while we had lunch at the service station. Its funny how even riding back the 2 km from the turn off back to the service station was a mental challenge for me! Once we left the sun was hot and strong so the ride into Grafton really showed that we had moved away from the sea and had definitely moved into a more tropical / northern climate.
By the time we got to Grafton Tony had called us to say that someone had canceled an appointment at a dentist in Lismore the next morning so Chris was sorted! Thankfully we had decided to train and bus it on!
Trains in NSW suck! WT#! Why is it that to take a bicycle on a rural train in NSW (& to Melbourne or Brisbane from Sydney as the trains are NSW trains) passengers must disassembled their bikes (even if only one station).and put it into a box! This meant taking off both wheels, both pedals, one pannier rack & my saddle! Dam was I furious & I lost some spaces! Especially as we were only going 2 stops! It was sort of understandable seeing as the 2nd stop was by bus but still this has got to be one of the most anti bike rules we have come across and absolutely makes it less likely for people to catch trains as well as use bikes in rural NSW. That said the station people said that they go through at least 4 boxes per week with cyclist using the train. What it says to me is that there could be at least a doubling of the numbers of cyclist using the train from that station alone if they chose to find an alternative way to house and manage bikes in the future. As the trains are often not full it seems that they might well be advised to see how they can encourage people rather than discourage them! Roland
Teeth really paining me and spent morning ringing around for dentists as the heat built up in the forest!
Decided to cycle to Grafton and train it to Lismore to get there for a dental appointment the next day. 2.5 hour ride or so to Grafton on the freeway. Circa 36km.
At Grafton. Had to dismantle bicycles almost completely to get into a box to go on the train. Took wheels off trailer. Boarded train. On arrival in Casino, coaches were available to take passengers on futher. Choatic. No system. We and bikes just go there. Arrived to stay with Paul and Gemma at a house surrounded by trees with possums up there.
Chris
___
I was really challenged in the morning. Chris initially wanted to head back to Bellingen to the great dentist he had found there especially as he had given Chris his last treatment for free! I totally understood this but with that meaning a full days ride south back the way we had come and maybe no appointments available in time for us to get to Lismore I tried to suggest an alternative. With no appointments available in Bellingen this is what we needed to do. We had to look at options so Grafton being the closest city made sense. Chris got some suggestions but everyone in Grafton was booked up except on option around early afternoon on the Thursday, the evening we were due to hold a symposium in Lismore 80 km away! We booked this but this didn't seem so workable so we contacted our contacts in Lismore to get them to call all the dentist there and see what was available. While we decided to head to Grafton anyway and see what happened with the reasoning that we could cycle to Grafton then catch the train & bus to Lismore & if needed borrow a car to get Chris back to Grafton and back to Lismore for the event if needed. This also allowed Chris to also take up any appointments that become available in Lismore.
Riding off from Nature Philosophy late morning as it started to get hot and humid in the sun we decided there was no rush so got to have an amazing swim in the secluded water hole in the creek surrounded by lush forest with all the residents and teachers. Heading off from this we found ourselves racing the approaching rain again as we tried to get to the petrol station before it hit. Got caught a bit but missed most of it while we had lunch at the service station. Its funny how even riding back the 2 km from the turn off back to the service station was a mental challenge for me! Once we left the sun was hot and strong so the ride into Grafton really showed that we had moved away from the sea and had definitely moved into a more tropical / northern climate.
By the time we got to Grafton Tony had called us to say that someone had canceled an appointment at a dentist in Lismore the next morning so Chris was sorted! Thankfully we had decided to train and bus it on!
Trains in NSW suck! WT#! Why is it that to take a bicycle on a rural train in NSW (& to Melbourne or Brisbane from Sydney as the trains are NSW trains) passengers must disassembled their bikes (even if only one station).and put it into a box! This meant taking off both wheels, both pedals, one pannier rack & my saddle! Dam was I furious & I lost some spaces! Especially as we were only going 2 stops! It was sort of understandable seeing as the 2nd stop was by bus but still this has got to be one of the most anti bike rules we have come across and absolutely makes it less likely for people to catch trains as well as use bikes in rural NSW. That said the station people said that they go through at least 4 boxes per week with cyclist using the train. What it says to me is that there could be at least a doubling of the numbers of cyclist using the train from that station alone if they chose to find an alternative way to house and manage bikes in the future. As the trains are often not full it seems that they might well be advised to see how they can encourage people rather than discourage them! Roland
WEDNESDAY 29th SEPTEMBER – Lismore- Teeth Teeth, going once, going twice, going three times. Drilled for the tall english sounding man on the blue bike
Chilling out and preparing for the symposium on Thursday while Chris continued his dental assessment tour! Also looked into how we could shift things around Bike the Earth and the stress we are noticing is affecting us working together, especially around using our personal finances to fund the work we are doing. We had hoped to already have sponsors and supporters joining us and getting behind us & sharing the personal effort we are putting into Bike the Earth through more financial support.
We have realised that what we really wanted was a sense of community and being part of a larger movement. We realised to meet our budgeted costs what was needed, could be met by a smaller number of people, businesses or groups sponsoring us for a larger monthly amount, but what we now see will be more empowering for us and others and inline with our mission is a larger group / community contributing a smaller amount each per month. This compliments those for who it has been and those who will aid us along the way with accommodation, food, services, products, training & assistance.
We see this as metaphorical expresses of how each of “our actions do make a difference” (Desmond Tutu). Like our collective contribution to the problem it is our choice to each redirect at least some energy away from contributing to this to facilitating a new way fo relating to the planet that will really make something possible. It also for us provides us with the psychological, emotional and energetic support that we desire that will be the wind at our backs. It gives us the sense of belonging too, being supported and encouraged by a community! It also expresses what is needed to create the metaphoric world wide Mexican Wave we are creating in the lead up to the UN Earth Summit in Rio in Dec 2012. We know that although it will be us and others riding around the planet it will actually be the people, communities & initiative standing up to be counted and staying standing with resolve and commitment to hold our leaders to account and have them represent us with the question “What did you do once you knew?” Drew Dellinger
So we are now seeking people to join our team for 3000 people donating (less than ½ a coffee) $1 or more a month for 3 years. . If you are inspired to contribute more this would be ace. $1 will contribute to a coffee. $5 per month will buy us both a coffee, $10 will buy one of us a lunch, $20 will buy 2 of us our lunch, $50 will cover 1 of our daily expenses, $100 both of a day's expenses. For those that can contribute $100 per month you will be invited to join us in Brazil in December 2012 to stand with us and some key invited guests in person when we present ourselves to the policy makers.
Our host Gemma & a friend Tamsin have offered to be on our team remotely helping us to connect with media and to help create this as a relay style position with others being able to step in to the role at future times. As have Paul (Gemma's fiance) & Tony offered to be our video editing team! Now its just creating this within what their commitments are and what we need. Thanks heaps Gemma, Tamsin, Paul & Tony!
They are joining our growing team which includes Tathra our coach. If you feel inspired to be part of our team and can offer time & or a service remotely pro-bono in a similar way, especially if you see that there is something that you know how to do and can see that we would be assisted with it. Some areas we have identified that could really lift what we are capable of achieving are - website design & development, marketing & promotion, logistics & planning, some other riders (South East Asia, East Asia, Central Asia, Europe, America & South America), specific country coordinators & a translator(s) in non English speaking countries. Roland
We have realised that what we really wanted was a sense of community and being part of a larger movement. We realised to meet our budgeted costs what was needed, could be met by a smaller number of people, businesses or groups sponsoring us for a larger monthly amount, but what we now see will be more empowering for us and others and inline with our mission is a larger group / community contributing a smaller amount each per month. This compliments those for who it has been and those who will aid us along the way with accommodation, food, services, products, training & assistance.
We see this as metaphorical expresses of how each of “our actions do make a difference” (Desmond Tutu). Like our collective contribution to the problem it is our choice to each redirect at least some energy away from contributing to this to facilitating a new way fo relating to the planet that will really make something possible. It also for us provides us with the psychological, emotional and energetic support that we desire that will be the wind at our backs. It gives us the sense of belonging too, being supported and encouraged by a community! It also expresses what is needed to create the metaphoric world wide Mexican Wave we are creating in the lead up to the UN Earth Summit in Rio in Dec 2012. We know that although it will be us and others riding around the planet it will actually be the people, communities & initiative standing up to be counted and staying standing with resolve and commitment to hold our leaders to account and have them represent us with the question “What did you do once you knew?” Drew Dellinger
So we are now seeking people to join our team for 3000 people donating (less than ½ a coffee) $1 or more a month for 3 years. . If you are inspired to contribute more this would be ace. $1 will contribute to a coffee. $5 per month will buy us both a coffee, $10 will buy one of us a lunch, $20 will buy 2 of us our lunch, $50 will cover 1 of our daily expenses, $100 both of a day's expenses. For those that can contribute $100 per month you will be invited to join us in Brazil in December 2012 to stand with us and some key invited guests in person when we present ourselves to the policy makers.
Our host Gemma & a friend Tamsin have offered to be on our team remotely helping us to connect with media and to help create this as a relay style position with others being able to step in to the role at future times. As have Paul (Gemma's fiance) & Tony offered to be our video editing team! Now its just creating this within what their commitments are and what we need. Thanks heaps Gemma, Tamsin, Paul & Tony!
They are joining our growing team which includes Tathra our coach. If you feel inspired to be part of our team and can offer time & or a service remotely pro-bono in a similar way, especially if you see that there is something that you know how to do and can see that we would be assisted with it. Some areas we have identified that could really lift what we are capable of achieving are - website design & development, marketing & promotion, logistics & planning, some other riders (South East Asia, East Asia, Central Asia, Europe, America & South America), specific country coordinators & a translator(s) in non English speaking countries. Roland
Friday, October 15, 2010
Friday 16th October. Brisbane. Green Drinks
Green Drinks, Brisbane, Friday 15th October.
Met Anya van Goor who runs Flowers of the World, 178 Grey Street, Brisbane. She described how she has always been a florist, but began to suffer allergies and then got cancer. Her doctor remarked “ something is poisoning you” and she realised it was the chemicals incl Roundup and herbicides present in the cut flowers she was selling. So now everything she sells is organic. Her daughter was born with digestive probs, probably as a result of her mother’s endocrine disruption - see Theo Colborn’s book for WWF but was healed over time by a natural doctor.
Her daughter is now part of the Queensland environmental youth council. We shall want to make contact with von Lippe Bistefelt the Sister of the Dutch Queen, who created Nature College to expose Politicians to the need to understand the role of nature in our lives.
Tony Hall - The life and death of the Australian Backyard - showing how Australians work the most whitecollar hours of most OECD countries, compared to the happy go lucky atmosphere prevaliing in the 1980s. Australia has adopted the American model of living, taking on air conditioned cars and houses, and not living in accordance with its natural environment, such that now it has become hugely energy intensive
Tim Davies has been working for Cundall engineers for the University of Queensland, discovering that for 83% of the year, buildings in Queensland can survive without air conditioning or heating just with a bit of airflow.
CSIRO - the Australian National Scientific Research Office has done some work on how Australia can adapt to climate change, rather than mitigate it.
Chris
Met Anya van Goor who runs Flowers of the World, 178 Grey Street, Brisbane. She described how she has always been a florist, but began to suffer allergies and then got cancer. Her doctor remarked “ something is poisoning you” and she realised it was the chemicals incl Roundup and herbicides present in the cut flowers she was selling. So now everything she sells is organic. Her daughter was born with digestive probs, probably as a result of her mother’s endocrine disruption - see Theo Colborn’s book for WWF but was healed over time by a natural doctor.
Her daughter is now part of the Queensland environmental youth council. We shall want to make contact with von Lippe Bistefelt the Sister of the Dutch Queen, who created Nature College to expose Politicians to the need to understand the role of nature in our lives.
Tony Hall - The life and death of the Australian Backyard - showing how Australians work the most whitecollar hours of most OECD countries, compared to the happy go lucky atmosphere prevaliing in the 1980s. Australia has adopted the American model of living, taking on air conditioned cars and houses, and not living in accordance with its natural environment, such that now it has become hugely energy intensive
Tim Davies has been working for Cundall engineers for the University of Queensland, discovering that for 83% of the year, buildings in Queensland can survive without air conditioning or heating just with a bit of airflow.
CSIRO - the Australian National Scientific Research Office has done some work on how Australia can adapt to climate change, rather than mitigate it.
Chris
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Tuesday 12 October - Tweed Heads, the most northerly city in New South Wales
Tuesday 12 October: Jasper Hall to Cabarita Beach via Mullumbimby
Cycle Day no:
Total Day Tally:
Weather: a tiny bit of rain in the morning. Then cooler.
Terrain: Very very steep hill country at start, moderate hills in middle, and a12.5% hill at the end. Some of the toughest hills I have done with the trailer and bike.
Distance: 50km
The river level went down - 2km from Minyon Falls - after 5 days rain & we got away from Jasper Hall to Mullumbimby, linking up Rainforest Rescue u with Jasper Hall.
Learnt about the Australian Association for Bush Regeneration - AABR who have practical knowhow in rainforest resuscitation - an important skill since most red cedar forest was cut down under orders from Australian colonial governments. "You can have that land if you clear it" was the adage of the day. We hope to make links between them and Brazil and Sri Lanka.
Cycled back to Mullumbimby, to visit Mullum Mac to get a new backup hard drive for the computer, and then left via scenic old road to Cabarita beach, meandering through stunning verdant countryside and mixed forest, where wattle trees had been planted and cared for, leading to more variety in the forest, compared to so much of forest populated by Camphor Laurels. After settlers had felled all the red cedar and cleared the land, the birds spread the seed of the camphor laurel so widely that it has become a major shade tree, but also a major nuisance too.
Headed past abandoned railway route, and and over to Pottsvile and Cabarita beach where already Australia's unsustainable urban sprawl from Gold Coast can be seen, inexorably heading south, swallowing up pristine land in concrete. 1970s campsite set up in the 1970s by a Ken Hanson, big developer in the areas, later this year to be demolished for 3 storey apartment blocks. A shame. Camping next to a national park and the dunes, going to sleep to the sound of surf, and the small park very well tied, mowed and looked after by Brenda, who emigrated from Stockport, Manchester in 1966 and still has a strong Mancunian accent.
Cycle path northwards obstructed by more building works, building more houses jammed cheek by jowl, with little or no garden for growing edible plants. More tarmac, only a few singular bushes planted for effect rather than much thought about shade or nature.
Chris
Cycle Day no:
Total Day Tally:
Weather: a tiny bit of rain in the morning. Then cooler.
Terrain: Very very steep hill country at start, moderate hills in middle, and a12.5% hill at the end. Some of the toughest hills I have done with the trailer and bike.
Distance: 50km
The river level went down - 2km from Minyon Falls - after 5 days rain & we got away from Jasper Hall to Mullumbimby, linking up Rainforest Rescue u with Jasper Hall.
Learnt about the Australian Association for Bush Regeneration - AABR who have practical knowhow in rainforest resuscitation - an important skill since most red cedar forest was cut down under orders from Australian colonial governments. "You can have that land if you clear it" was the adage of the day. We hope to make links between them and Brazil and Sri Lanka.
Cycled back to Mullumbimby, to visit Mullum Mac to get a new backup hard drive for the computer, and then left via scenic old road to Cabarita beach, meandering through stunning verdant countryside and mixed forest, where wattle trees had been planted and cared for, leading to more variety in the forest, compared to so much of forest populated by Camphor Laurels. After settlers had felled all the red cedar and cleared the land, the birds spread the seed of the camphor laurel so widely that it has become a major shade tree, but also a major nuisance too.
Headed past abandoned railway route, and and over to Pottsvile and Cabarita beach where already Australia's unsustainable urban sprawl from Gold Coast can be seen, inexorably heading south, swallowing up pristine land in concrete. 1970s campsite set up in the 1970s by a Ken Hanson, big developer in the areas, later this year to be demolished for 3 storey apartment blocks. A shame. Camping next to a national park and the dunes, going to sleep to the sound of surf, and the small park very well tied, mowed and looked after by Brenda, who emigrated from Stockport, Manchester in 1966 and still has a strong Mancunian accent.
Cycle path northwards obstructed by more building works, building more houses jammed cheek by jowl, with little or no garden for growing edible plants. More tarmac, only a few singular bushes planted for effect rather than much thought about shade or nature.
Chris
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Friday 8-12 October, Wet Wet Wet - at Jasper Hall, near Lismore
Stayed at the permaculture community set up by Andi Islinger, and got marooned by the swollen rivers during 5 days continuous rain.
Three websites:
1- ">Jasper Hall book
2- Studying at different ecovillages.
3 - more on Jasper Hall here.
Three websites:
1- ">Jasper Hall book
2- Studying at different ecovillages.
3 - more on Jasper Hall here.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday 29th September - Saturday 2nd October - Lismore
At Lismore's Goanna cafe, having tried their vegan gluten free pancakes with blueberries and agave syrup, and met up with Alex and Natalie from Coffs Harbour, advertising a music festival end of October and let them know about the Sustainable Living Festival in 2 weeks time too -
Chris
Chris
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
30 September - Lismore
Preparing for our event tonight, mindful that the Dalai Lama has been to a symposium too. The Goanna bakery is giving us student discounts as we base ourselves to work through our slides and videos, and upload one of the recent interviews we had with an indigenous Australian representative last week in Bellingen.
The power of computers is incredible really. To film an interview on a video camera, then spending an hour or so editing it in imovie, and then exporting it in a format to be read by Keynote. Click the computer to a projector, and hey presto... (hopefully)!... :-)
Chris
PS. Thanks to Harris Cycles in Lismore for helping us to re-assemble our bikes and adapt/ adjust, after they had to be dismantled into a box to get onto Australian railways.
The power of computers is incredible really. To film an interview on a video camera, then spending an hour or so editing it in imovie, and then exporting it in a format to be read by Keynote. Click the computer to a projector, and hey presto... (hopefully)!... :-)
Chris
PS. Thanks to Harris Cycles in Lismore for helping us to re-assemble our bikes and adapt/ adjust, after they had to be dismantled into a box to get onto Australian railways.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
29 September - Lismore
Visited the dentist today for another root canal treatment, having had a tooth out and filling in Bellingen over the last 2 weeks. I joked that Bike the Earth was a journey around the world visiting dentists, and connecting them, inspiring them to new business!
Sitting in the Goanna cafe on Keen Street in Lismore which offers organic healthy food and drinks, as well as spelt and gluten-free alternatives for the coeliacs amongst us.
Noticed a small sign drawing attention to the palm oil shortening used in their baking, sourced from organic farmers in Colombia.
/
Chris
Sitting in the Goanna cafe on Keen Street in Lismore which offers organic healthy food and drinks, as well as spelt and gluten-free alternatives for the coeliacs amongst us.
Noticed a small sign drawing attention to the palm oil shortening used in their baking, sourced from organic farmers in Colombia.
/
Chris
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Wednesday 22nd October - Day off. Cycled up to Dorrigo. Another world!
Cycled 30km up the Gt Dividing Range, climbing up 9km thru the Gondwana rainforest (first preserved in 1901) to the top – 762m hith - to Dorrigo. If it weren’t for the red/brown soils, I would think I had arrived in England or lowland Scotland. It resembles a cross between Tenterden, England and Kitale Kenya.
Dorrigo has an as yet, unopened railway museum with more blacked steam engines stationed one behind each other than I have ever seen in my life – and ALL of them different in design. There must have been atleast 16 of them. Plus lots of old, rather dilapidated carriages and cargo trucks. Dorrigo railway which used to feed into Grafton, carrying livestock and timber, closed in 1972, but the tracks appear to still be there. An opportunity to convert to a cycle route and attract tourism to the area, and attract younger people to stay/come.
Standard town centre: Dorrigo hotel. statue to King and Empire in middle of crossroads in centre of town. Winner of most beautiful town New South Wales 2008. And it was stunning. Just nothing very Australian about it. Very few examples of indigenous Australia there, lots of English and European ornamental plants and trees, and lawns instead.
Cycled 3km to the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre, and walked out over the Glade walk over the forest canopy. As I bent down, in my cycle shorts, to take my camera out of my bag, a party of 70 something OAPs walked across the wooden bridge towards the lookout. Their leader – a 79 year old woman called Valery, pointed to me, and said “ very interesting shorts, and bottom. Hmm… Untouched World” (the name of our clothing sponsor), emblazoned on the rear side of our cycling shorts, she said as everybody looked out over the rainforest vista and then at me. “ I must touch that” she said. I explained that I was cycling around the world. She went on” I am looking for a wealthy husband.” I wanted to reply: “ so am I” but decided to respond “ contact me later, darling”.
Cycled down the scarp, and back to Bellingen via a smaller rougher road which passed via Glennifer and Never Never land. So beautiful, reminding me of other stunning places in the world I have been to, in Kenya, and on the Georgian/Chechen border.
Chris
Dorrigo has an as yet, unopened railway museum with more blacked steam engines stationed one behind each other than I have ever seen in my life – and ALL of them different in design. There must have been atleast 16 of them. Plus lots of old, rather dilapidated carriages and cargo trucks. Dorrigo railway which used to feed into Grafton, carrying livestock and timber, closed in 1972, but the tracks appear to still be there. An opportunity to convert to a cycle route and attract tourism to the area, and attract younger people to stay/come.
Standard town centre: Dorrigo hotel. statue to King and Empire in middle of crossroads in centre of town. Winner of most beautiful town New South Wales 2008. And it was stunning. Just nothing very Australian about it. Very few examples of indigenous Australia there, lots of English and European ornamental plants and trees, and lawns instead.
Cycled 3km to the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre, and walked out over the Glade walk over the forest canopy. As I bent down, in my cycle shorts, to take my camera out of my bag, a party of 70 something OAPs walked across the wooden bridge towards the lookout. Their leader – a 79 year old woman called Valery, pointed to me, and said “ very interesting shorts, and bottom. Hmm… Untouched World” (the name of our clothing sponsor), emblazoned on the rear side of our cycling shorts, she said as everybody looked out over the rainforest vista and then at me. “ I must touch that” she said. I explained that I was cycling around the world. She went on” I am looking for a wealthy husband.” I wanted to reply: “ so am I” but decided to respond “ contact me later, darling”.
Cycled down the scarp, and back to Bellingen via a smaller rougher road which passed via Glennifer and Never Never land. So beautiful, reminding me of other stunning places in the world I have been to, in Kenya, and on the Georgian/Chechen border.
Chris
Monday, September 20, 2010
Day 65 - Broadwater/Lismore
Day 65 - Broadwater/Lismore
Had lunch and worked through the afternoon at Sweet Pea Café, 13 Woodlark Street, Lismore. Great vegetable/fruit juices, gluten-free pies, and a cosy, friendly atmosphere. Both Roland and I were stunned by the wifi being the fastest speed we have ever come across in a shop. Anywhere in the world. And very, very friendly service. Wow -a world first for Lismore!
- Chance meeting with Christopher Ryan at the Sweet Pea café. A local guy from Lismore, he is about to do a One Planet MBA in Exeter, UK: -
- Also learned about an Australian invention for Solar paint – to replace tradional solar panels: see—m
- Interviewed by local ABC news, ZZZ and 2LM radio stations today about Bike the Earth. Am trying to get a podcast to post on the blog/website later.
Disappointing to hear Dr Cameron Hepburn from Oxford University on ABC TV here in Australia parrotting out the argument in favour of CCS - carbon capture and storage. Too late, and not proven. Should be ignored completely, and instead action should focus on 100% reductions as the Lismore Climate ACtion Group and the Ballarat Renewable Energy Action Group are working towards.
9000 dollars here to install a 1.5kw installation on their house. And the Govt gives a subsidy of 6000 dollars. YES. This is not a typo/mistake!
On 1.5kw installation, you will get 1500 dollars of power via the feed-in tariff, and get your money back in 2 years. meaning you get a
48% return. 32% after including investmen. And you can set costs against tax too.
North facing aspect needed in Oz. Up to 10kw poss.
Most generous system in Australiaia
Back to Bellingen tomorrow by train/bus, and then leaving by bicycle to continue our epic. Due back in Lismore on Wednesday 29th – Friday 1st October to give a symposium at Southern Cross University (tbc - please contact us), and to visit Thursday Plantation which produces organic tea tree oil so appreciated by consumers in the UK/EU and in the US.
Rod Quantock’s new play: “Bugger the Polar Bears” now showing in Melbourne. Also.
How many is a brazilian? said George Bush, having heard that there were zillions of dollars available for something, and then hearing that there was a brazilian next door.
Raining cats and dogs here today, all day. And grey overcast day. A bit like England really!
Had lunch and worked through the afternoon at Sweet Pea Café, 13 Woodlark Street, Lismore. Great vegetable/fruit juices, gluten-free pies, and a cosy, friendly atmosphere. Both Roland and I were stunned by the wifi being the fastest speed we have ever come across in a shop. Anywhere in the world. And very, very friendly service. Wow -a world first for Lismore!
- Chance meeting with Christopher Ryan at the Sweet Pea café. A local guy from Lismore, he is about to do a One Planet MBA in Exeter, UK: -
- Also learned about an Australian invention for Solar paint – to replace tradional solar panels: see—m
- Interviewed by local ABC news, ZZZ and 2LM radio stations today about Bike the Earth. Am trying to get a podcast to post on the blog/website later.
Disappointing to hear Dr Cameron Hepburn from Oxford University on ABC TV here in Australia parrotting out the argument in favour of CCS - carbon capture and storage. Too late, and not proven. Should be ignored completely, and instead action should focus on 100% reductions as the Lismore Climate ACtion Group and the Ballarat Renewable Energy Action Group are working towards.
9000 dollars here to install a 1.5kw installation on their house. And the Govt gives a subsidy of 6000 dollars. YES. This is not a typo/mistake!
On 1.5kw installation, you will get 1500 dollars of power via the feed-in tariff, and get your money back in 2 years. meaning you get a
48% return. 32% after including investmen. And you can set costs against tax too.
North facing aspect needed in Oz. Up to 10kw poss.
Most generous system in Australiaia
Back to Bellingen tomorrow by train/bus, and then leaving by bicycle to continue our epic. Due back in Lismore on Wednesday 29th – Friday 1st October to give a symposium at Southern Cross University (tbc - please contact us), and to visit Thursday Plantation which produces organic tea tree oil so appreciated by consumers in the UK/EU and in the US.
Rod Quantock’s new play: “Bugger the Polar Bears” now showing in Melbourne. Also.
How many is a brazilian? said George Bush, having heard that there were zillions of dollars available for something, and then hearing that there was a brazilian next door.
Raining cats and dogs here today, all day. And grey overcast day. A bit like England really!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Day 61 - BELLINGEN.....(Kombu/Biodynamic/Dentist/Aborigine Language/Dark Mountain.)
hmm. I am going to have to recalculate the days soon... to differentiate between "day" and "riding day".
In Bellingen, we get our provisions from Kombu run by Kevin and Lowanna Doye who cycled from the UK to Australia a decade ago. Besides organic food (local and foreign), bicycle bottles, and a myriad of green stuff from seeds to shampoos, I came across mini flyers for Bio-dynamic farming that has long fascinated me.
Anotherday, I hope either Roland or I can interview some of the youth engaged with EYE on the planet.
Meanwhile the fact that I have had to see a dentist, here in Bellingen, at short notice (left molar tooth out) and have to see the dentist next week to look at another tooth, means we have an enforced stay, and are taking the opportunity to evaluate how effective have we been, what works across the board on all issues relating to the ride and how we work together, and what doesn't. And can we resolve these issues to improve how we work together?
Three hours after leaving the dentist's chair, Roland, Olivia and I attended a class studying snd speaking the Gurrimburr language from this area, and now back home I am inspired by Edward Hill from Transition Westcombe, sending me the following:
the Dark Mountain: http://www.dark-mountain.net
"The end of the world as we know it is not the end of the world full stop.
Deeper than oil, steel or bullets, a civilisation is built on stories: on the myths that shape it and the tales told of its origins and destiny. We have herded ourselves to the edge of a precipice with the stories we have told ourselves about who we are: the stories of ‘progress’, of the conquest of ‘nature’, of the centrality and supremacy of the human species.
It is time for new stories. The Dark Mountain Project intends to conjure into being new ways of seeing and writing about the world. We call this Uncivilisation.
Our aim is to bring together writers and artists, thinkers and doers, to assault the established citadels of literature and thought, and to begin to redraw the maps by which we navigate the places and times in which we find ourselves.
We believe that the roots of these crises lie in the stories we have been telling ourselves. We intend to challenge the stories which underpin our civilisation: the myth of progress, the myth of human centrality, and the myth of our separation from ‘nature’. These myths are more dangerous for the fact that we have forgotten they are myths.
We will reassert the role of story-telling as more than mere entertainment. It is through stories that we weave reality. The Dark Mountain Manifesto."
Yarri yarrang --
(or See you, as they say in the Gurrimburr Aborigine language)
Chris
In Bellingen, we get our provisions from Kombu run by Kevin and Lowanna Doye who cycled from the UK to Australia a decade ago. Besides organic food (local and foreign), bicycle bottles, and a myriad of green stuff from seeds to shampoos, I came across mini flyers for Bio-dynamic farming that has long fascinated me.
Anotherday, I hope either Roland or I can interview some of the youth engaged with EYE on the planet.
Meanwhile the fact that I have had to see a dentist, here in Bellingen, at short notice (left molar tooth out) and have to see the dentist next week to look at another tooth, means we have an enforced stay, and are taking the opportunity to evaluate how effective have we been, what works across the board on all issues relating to the ride and how we work together, and what doesn't. And can we resolve these issues to improve how we work together?
Three hours after leaving the dentist's chair, Roland, Olivia and I attended a class studying snd speaking the Gurrimburr language from this area, and now back home I am inspired by Edward Hill from Transition Westcombe, sending me the following:
the Dark Mountain: http://www.dark-mountain.net
"The end of the world as we know it is not the end of the world full stop.
Deeper than oil, steel or bullets, a civilisation is built on stories: on the myths that shape it and the tales told of its origins and destiny. We have herded ourselves to the edge of a precipice with the stories we have told ourselves about who we are: the stories of ‘progress’, of the conquest of ‘nature’, of the centrality and supremacy of the human species.
It is time for new stories. The Dark Mountain Project intends to conjure into being new ways of seeing and writing about the world. We call this Uncivilisation.
Our aim is to bring together writers and artists, thinkers and doers, to assault the established citadels of literature and thought, and to begin to redraw the maps by which we navigate the places and times in which we find ourselves.
We believe that the roots of these crises lie in the stories we have been telling ourselves. We intend to challenge the stories which underpin our civilisation: the myth of progress, the myth of human centrality, and the myth of our separation from ‘nature’. These myths are more dangerous for the fact that we have forgotten they are myths.
We will reassert the role of story-telling as more than mere entertainment. It is through stories that we weave reality. The Dark Mountain Manifesto."
Yarri yarrang --
(or See you, as they say in the Gurrimburr Aborigine language)
Chris
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Day 53 - Port Macquarie
In Praise of Caravan Parks
Sundowner Holiday Park
Port Macquarie, Australia
Wow! Australian caravan parks. Luxury hot showers. Clean. Well designed BBQ areas. Pools. Space. Top locations by the beach. . Well maintained. Ever so friendly. And really open to supporting Bike the Earth, with some of them offerings stays for free. Chris' first stay was in a caravan park, cycle/touring and camping whilst on his Duke of Edinburgh expedition in 1981 in Lime Regis, Dorset. It put him off caravan parks for life – until now.
Sundowner have cabins (share toilets), individual chalets, backpacker rooms, and a whole variety of different spaces making it quite unusual: a medium sized swimming pool, a beach nearby, a guest lounge and games room, a kids play area, a conference/wedding centre, and free wifi. And, we have to say, really really friendly staff, not just at the front desk, but also coming to our room to offer us additional alternative locked storage for our bikes.
The Tuncurry Holiday park over the river from Forster had a playful, colourful, trippy pool side area with mushroom and caterpillar fountains. And yet the park was quiet, friendly, and with warm energy. The bathroom was very very clean. And they supported Bike the Earth by letting us camp for free.
We stayed at Hawks Nest caravan park where Roland used to stay 35 years ago. It had changed. You could see how the trees had grown, and there had been renovations, but the basic configuration was still the same. Although the land is owned the Council, the park has new operators who were really open to learning about sustainability in terms of solar panels, water consumption etc.
Other parks we have stayed at:
Uminor caravan park (just north of Sydney)
- more on this later
Bundeena caravan park (just south of Sydney)
- more on this later.
Grassy Heads caravan park
- perhaps the most scenic place to camp I have ever been to (apart from camping on our own in the late 1970s next to hot alkaline pools close to Lake Bogoria in Kenya)
Chris and Roland
Sundowner Holiday Park
Port Macquarie, Australia
Wow! Australian caravan parks. Luxury hot showers. Clean. Well designed BBQ areas. Pools. Space. Top locations by the beach. . Well maintained. Ever so friendly. And really open to supporting Bike the Earth, with some of them offerings stays for free. Chris' first stay was in a caravan park, cycle/touring and camping whilst on his Duke of Edinburgh expedition in 1981 in Lime Regis, Dorset. It put him off caravan parks for life – until now.
Sundowner have cabins (share toilets), individual chalets, backpacker rooms, and a whole variety of different spaces making it quite unusual: a medium sized swimming pool, a beach nearby, a guest lounge and games room, a kids play area, a conference/wedding centre, and free wifi. And, we have to say, really really friendly staff, not just at the front desk, but also coming to our room to offer us additional alternative locked storage for our bikes.
The Tuncurry Holiday park over the river from Forster had a playful, colourful, trippy pool side area with mushroom and caterpillar fountains. And yet the park was quiet, friendly, and with warm energy. The bathroom was very very clean. And they supported Bike the Earth by letting us camp for free.
We stayed at Hawks Nest caravan park where Roland used to stay 35 years ago. It had changed. You could see how the trees had grown, and there had been renovations, but the basic configuration was still the same. Although the land is owned the Council, the park has new operators who were really open to learning about sustainability in terms of solar panels, water consumption etc.
Other parks we have stayed at:
Uminor caravan park (just north of Sydney)
Bundeena caravan park (just south of Sydney)
Grassy Heads caravan park
- perhaps the most scenic place to camp I have ever been to (apart from camping on our own in the late 1970s next to hot alkaline pools close to Lake Bogoria in Kenya)
Chris and Roland
Day 60: Bellingen. Building for the Future
Some of you have asked the question to me: why are photos and videos etc not up on the website yet?
Good question!
1. I am new to this, and it takes me time to learn the new programmes to upload/convert/ edit etc.
2. iphoto kept jamming everytime I tried to load stuff to the website or download to the MAC. In Canberra, on a 2nd visit to a MAC shop in the suburbs, I found out that iphoto had got corrupted. Troubleshooting in the shop … and then new software installed and it got working.
3. In Sydney Chris booked to for a master class at the Apple shop to learn about imovie/editing, only to find that the software on his MAC was outofdate compared to the class’s. Added to that the speed of his computer got slower and slower… a new harddrive of 500gb was installed in Newcastle.
4. To do a download I need uninterrupted power supply for several hours, and there is not enough room to do this in a small tent. So it has to be done when I have reached a stopping point, and can set time to do this (2-3 hours usually to download video material to the computer). Naturally as I get used to the procedure, we can aim to get all films on the website more quickly.
Sorry to all those waiting. Thank you for your patience.
Any suggestions? you know how to reach me!
Chris
Good question!
1. I am new to this, and it takes me time to learn the new programmes to upload/convert/ edit etc.
2. iphoto kept jamming everytime I tried to load stuff to the website or download to the MAC. In Canberra, on a 2nd visit to a MAC shop in the suburbs, I found out that iphoto had got corrupted. Troubleshooting in the shop … and then new software installed and it got working.
3. In Sydney Chris booked to for a master class at the Apple shop to learn about imovie/editing, only to find that the software on his MAC was outofdate compared to the class’s. Added to that the speed of his computer got slower and slower… a new harddrive of 500gb was installed in Newcastle.
4. To do a download I need uninterrupted power supply for several hours, and there is not enough room to do this in a small tent. So it has to be done when I have reached a stopping point, and can set time to do this (2-3 hours usually to download video material to the computer). Naturally as I get used to the procedure, we can aim to get all films on the website more quickly.
Sorry to all those waiting. Thank you for your patience.
Any suggestions? you know how to reach me!
Chris
Monday, September 13, 2010
Day 59 : Bundajen and Bellingen
Enjoyed frying eggs that were less than one hour old. Even the Chooks (Chickens) seemed content for us to take their eggs.
Drove Olivia’s car to Urunga to see dentist.3 week waiting list. Appointment with a recommended dentist on Thursday in Bellingen. Front left tooth fell out yesterday evening, and the two incisor valley side walls are beginning to hurt again, despite antibiotics. Root canal treatment from Kevin in Oxted may have failed, and half the toot has fallen out. Two other teeth throbbing… do I need other root canal treatments? Which meridians treat which teeth? There are many worse places to be marooned than Bellingen, me thinks.
Traffic rules are more tightly enforced here in Oz than in UK where you can drive up to 10% over the speed limit and get away with it (most of the time). Drove mindfully to Bundajen intentional community to see the property, houses and beach. It had been rescued from the tentacles of a sand mining company, and a Japanese property developer, and adjoins the national park coast/beach, with huge tall forests of wattle and gum.
Skinny dip in the sea. Still cold by Sri Lankan standards. Jumping in the waves. Walked back in the rain to the main hall and a vegge lunch. Met Michael, a freelance journalist from Melbourne.
Ponder, Peek, Paddle, Picnic, – NSW parks advert.
Off to stay with cousin Katharine for a night, half a km away.
Chris
Drove Olivia’s car to Urunga to see dentist.3 week waiting list. Appointment with a recommended dentist on Thursday in Bellingen. Front left tooth fell out yesterday evening, and the two incisor valley side walls are beginning to hurt again, despite antibiotics. Root canal treatment from Kevin in Oxted may have failed, and half the toot has fallen out. Two other teeth throbbing… do I need other root canal treatments? Which meridians treat which teeth? There are many worse places to be marooned than Bellingen, me thinks.
Traffic rules are more tightly enforced here in Oz than in UK where you can drive up to 10% over the speed limit and get away with it (most of the time). Drove mindfully to Bundajen intentional community to see the property, houses and beach. It had been rescued from the tentacles of a sand mining company, and a Japanese property developer, and adjoins the national park coast/beach, with huge tall forests of wattle and gum.
Skinny dip in the sea. Still cold by Sri Lankan standards. Jumping in the waves. Walked back in the rain to the main hall and a vegge lunch. Met Michael, a freelance journalist from Melbourne.
Ponder, Peek, Paddle, Picnic, – NSW parks advert.
Off to stay with cousin Katharine for a night, half a km away.
Chris
Day 58: (Monday) Bellingen
A day to prepare for our up and coming symposiums. We based ourselves @ Bellingen Environment Centre most of the day, working through how we will co lead our events together, for Broadwater and Currumbin Eco Village.
Also an opportunity for Roland and I to get clear on things between us, given his how he felt I had been being with me the last few days and weeks. He has been confronted fully: living with a self expressed gay man is confronting for a straight man, and confronting for a gay man.
Also an opportunity for Roland and I to get clear on things between us, given his how he felt I had been being with me the last few days and weeks. He has been confronted fully: living with a self expressed gay man is confronting for a straight man, and confronting for a gay man.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Day 55: Friday– GRASSY HEADS TO BELLINGEN
Distance: 61 km
Time: 4hours
Distance so far: 2108 km
Weather: Hot.
Terrain: Hilly
Awoke at 6,30am and went for a bathe on the deserted beach, in the breakers. High tide. Cold, but invigorating. Nobody else around. Unspoilt beauty, preserved in a national park now. Reminds me of my ancestor’s work, Philip Le Breton, a Whig councillor who, as Chairman of the Metropolitan Board of Works in the 1850s led the campaign to save Hampstead Heath for the nation.
Back to eastern Australia - Our tent packed away, and paniers packed, we left at 9am. 10km later, decided to make for Macksville for breakfast. Around the next garden a nursery with local bananas, local papaya and pineapples. Bliss. Their goat enjoyed the banana skin and peel we had left over.
Another 10km to Macksville, and to ShortOrder café. Recipient of numerous Sydney Morning Herald prizes, they gave us our meal with a 40% discount in support of Bike the Earth. Thank you!
A visit to the chemist to get antibiotics for Chris’ resurgent tooth aches, and then on the road to Uranga and Bellingen. A hot day. Definitely sub-tropical. Tall gum trees benefitting from the coastal rains.
I am slow with the trailer. Why rush? When I am thinking I am even slower. But when I have to get up the steepest hill, I do, without getting off. A groan.. and I make sure my legs turbo sets in.
Roland low. Maybe cos I am slow. Maybe cos right now I am paying for the whole expedition. We need more money to come in from sponsors and donors. He and I must send out the letter to all BTC facilitators here to ask for money.
Time: 4hours
Distance so far: 2108 km
Weather: Hot.
Terrain: Hilly
Awoke at 6,30am and went for a bathe on the deserted beach, in the breakers. High tide. Cold, but invigorating. Nobody else around. Unspoilt beauty, preserved in a national park now. Reminds me of my ancestor’s work, Philip Le Breton, a Whig councillor who, as Chairman of the Metropolitan Board of Works in the 1850s led the campaign to save Hampstead Heath for the nation.
Back to eastern Australia - Our tent packed away, and paniers packed, we left at 9am. 10km later, decided to make for Macksville for breakfast. Around the next garden a nursery with local bananas, local papaya and pineapples. Bliss. Their goat enjoyed the banana skin and peel we had left over.
Another 10km to Macksville, and to ShortOrder café. Recipient of numerous Sydney Morning Herald prizes, they gave us our meal with a 40% discount in support of Bike the Earth. Thank you!
A visit to the chemist to get antibiotics for Chris’ resurgent tooth aches, and then on the road to Uranga and Bellingen. A hot day. Definitely sub-tropical. Tall gum trees benefitting from the coastal rains.
I am slow with the trailer. Why rush? When I am thinking I am even slower. But when I have to get up the steepest hill, I do, without getting off. A groan.. and I make sure my legs turbo sets in.
Roland low. Maybe cos I am slow. Maybe cos right now I am paying for the whole expedition. We need more money to come in from sponsors and donors. He and I must send out the letter to all BTC facilitators here to ask for money.
Day 56- Saturday– Rest day in Bellingen.
Rest day.
In the cosy, green town of Bellingen which was set up in the 1960s by hippies who couldnt afford the land prices charged by the surfies on the coast. Surrounded by rolling, almost English farming country. At dusk - get to the Bellingen river, and watch the hordes of fruit bats flying in formation coastwards, darkening the sky, like a low level black milky way, lasting 15 minutes or so. Surreal.
Rest day. Yet we still end up working, connecting, inspiring, coaching, filming, documenting, learning of new people to meet, places to visit/ stay/help… still having a coffee and gluten free cake at the Bellingen Farmers Market (organic produce) can’t be too bad really. Gotta get our own social needs taken care of or else we wont be sustainable!
In the farmers market, bumped into my own cousin Katherine who I havent seen since 1989. She knew I was in town, but still it was a wonderful moment.
Drove towards the mountains with – Olivia Bernadini – (who is putting us up). After a degree at the LSE, she spent 2 years living up a tree in the UK anti-roads campaign in the 1990s (Twyford Down, Newbury, and somewhere in Wales). Now a yoga teacher and environmental education teacher. Swam in the crystal clear waters of a river pool in a sunny wooden glade, some 15 km from Bellingen, in what is known as the Promised Land. Afterwards ate solar-cooked vege made in a solar cooker.
Attended the community stakeholder meeting organised by Transition Bellingen for Bellingen Shire Council using "world café" stakeholder engagement tools to consult on what are the priorities for Bellingen over the next few years. Impressive that a council considers recruiting the Transition Town to carry out the work. The transition community refused to take money in recompense, not wanting to thwart their impartiality and independence.
In the cosy, green town of Bellingen which was set up in the 1960s by hippies who couldnt afford the land prices charged by the surfies on the coast. Surrounded by rolling, almost English farming country. At dusk - get to the Bellingen river, and watch the hordes of fruit bats flying in formation coastwards, darkening the sky, like a low level black milky way, lasting 15 minutes or so. Surreal.
Rest day. Yet we still end up working, connecting, inspiring, coaching, filming, documenting, learning of new people to meet, places to visit/ stay/help… still having a coffee and gluten free cake at the Bellingen Farmers Market (organic produce) can’t be too bad really. Gotta get our own social needs taken care of or else we wont be sustainable!
In the farmers market, bumped into my own cousin Katherine who I havent seen since 1989. She knew I was in town, but still it was a wonderful moment.
Drove towards the mountains with – Olivia Bernadini – (who is putting us up). After a degree at the LSE, she spent 2 years living up a tree in the UK anti-roads campaign in the 1990s (Twyford Down, Newbury, and somewhere in Wales). Now a yoga teacher and environmental education teacher. Swam in the crystal clear waters of a river pool in a sunny wooden glade, some 15 km from Bellingen, in what is known as the Promised Land. Afterwards ate solar-cooked vege made in a solar cooker.
Attended the community stakeholder meeting organised by Transition Bellingen for Bellingen Shire Council using "world café" stakeholder engagement tools to consult on what are the priorities for Bellingen over the next few years. Impressive that a council considers recruiting the Transition Town to carry out the work. The transition community refused to take money in recompense, not wanting to thwart their impartiality and independence.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Day 54 - Port MacQuarie to Grassy Heads
This was a long day! We left Port Macquarie about 11am after yoga, a swim, packing up, a great big breakfast at the Corner Restaurant (Thank you for supporting Bike the Earth by knocking a third off - home made baked beans - yumm). Chris meditating & me having a conversation with a 90 year old lady on a bench in the middle of town. It does seem to take us a long time to get out on the road but we also find that we often get some of our greatest connections with local people in the mornings.
The ride was out to Highway 1 (goes all around Australia for the non locals) which in this section is a mostly big two lane per side road for the much of it and luckily has a reasonable shoulder for us to ride along. What I can't get use to is the speed, size & frequency of the trucks. Cars flying past me at 100km (if they are keeping to the speed limit) less than 2m away is challenging enough but when the trucks barrel past with their huge trailers, wheels, engine, compression brakes & exhaust all roaring with the power of the engine & the friction of the different surfaces we are traveling on it really freaks me out at times. Especially after 4pm when the frequency at least doubles!
So this day was slow going. Chris was mulling over stuff in his mind and his motivation speed and spirit dropping radically. With his average speed while actually riding being about 18.5km / ph down from our record or 22km/ph. We got to Kempsey at 3 pm though which considering the 49 km we traveled means that we were stopped for a bit over 1 hour along the way. As we wanted to get to Grassy Head & had another 45km to go we chose to reconsider our plan. Motivating Chris we decided to give it a go and see how far we got with the intention of camping on the side of the road if needed.
We just got to the turn off at sunset after some nerve wracking near misses from some scary trucks, and I proposed that we strike camp. But this time Chris motivated me to carry on cycling up and down hills, even though it was about 14km to go, and soon very dark.
So off we rode into the night. Me with the good front light & Chris with the good back light (my batteries need charging) 10km later we get to the last turn before the road to the campsite. Looking up the road it was completely black but there was a pub just near the corner. Luckily we had decided to check with the campsite to see if there was any food there. There wasn't so we stopped for a meal and although I was concerned about having a beer with dinner we decided to have on anyway & I am sure that was the best tasting beer we've had! After dinner we went on to the site in the pitch black night. We got to the camp ground set up our tent & jumped inside to have a fantastic coaching call with our team member Tathra who is in Melbourne via skype. Finally the signal drop outs were coming to frequently we finished the call and were soon in rugged up in our sleeping bags in our new tent to sleep. the tent survived it's first down pour and kept us nice and dry but it was a noisy night with the roar of the surf and the rain waking us both at times. but i loved the sounds which reminded me of my years of camping and being by the sea for summer holidays.
Roland
The ride was out to Highway 1 (goes all around Australia for the non locals) which in this section is a mostly big two lane per side road for the much of it and luckily has a reasonable shoulder for us to ride along. What I can't get use to is the speed, size & frequency of the trucks. Cars flying past me at 100km (if they are keeping to the speed limit) less than 2m away is challenging enough but when the trucks barrel past with their huge trailers, wheels, engine, compression brakes & exhaust all roaring with the power of the engine & the friction of the different surfaces we are traveling on it really freaks me out at times. Especially after 4pm when the frequency at least doubles!
So this day was slow going. Chris was mulling over stuff in his mind and his motivation speed and spirit dropping radically. With his average speed while actually riding being about 18.5km / ph down from our record or 22km/ph. We got to Kempsey at 3 pm though which considering the 49 km we traveled means that we were stopped for a bit over 1 hour along the way. As we wanted to get to Grassy Head & had another 45km to go we chose to reconsider our plan. Motivating Chris we decided to give it a go and see how far we got with the intention of camping on the side of the road if needed.
We just got to the turn off at sunset after some nerve wracking near misses from some scary trucks, and I proposed that we strike camp. But this time Chris motivated me to carry on cycling up and down hills, even though it was about 14km to go, and soon very dark.
So off we rode into the night. Me with the good front light & Chris with the good back light (my batteries need charging) 10km later we get to the last turn before the road to the campsite. Looking up the road it was completely black but there was a pub just near the corner. Luckily we had decided to check with the campsite to see if there was any food there. There wasn't so we stopped for a meal and although I was concerned about having a beer with dinner we decided to have on anyway & I am sure that was the best tasting beer we've had! After dinner we went on to the site in the pitch black night. We got to the camp ground set up our tent & jumped inside to have a fantastic coaching call with our team member Tathra who is in Melbourne via skype. Finally the signal drop outs were coming to frequently we finished the call and were soon in rugged up in our sleeping bags in our new tent to sleep. the tent survived it's first down pour and kept us nice and dry but it was a noisy night with the roar of the surf and the rain waking us both at times. but i loved the sounds which reminded me of my years of camping and being by the sea for summer holidays.
Roland
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Day 52 - Taree to Port Macquarie
We reached Port Macquarie - 87km today, with an average speed of 21.4km (not bad with a trailer). Now preparing for a series of training events we have planned in the coming 2 weeks.
Distance so far: 1956km
Weather: Temperature: 32 degrees. Sunny and hot. Rapidly descending to 20 degrees, and 12 degrees at evening.
Terrain: Freeway – gentle inclines for first 40km. Then hilly, with narrow roads and less room for cyclists.
In Taree, the health food shop gave us 30 discount on nuts and raisins. Thank you!
43km from Taree, we entered the village of Kew. Cut off now by the new freeway, rather like Bulahdela will be within the year. The village is having to reinvent itself. At the Keward a redoubtable entrepreneur offered s some great coffee, sturdy wooden tables for sharing, and some gentle jazz. Worth trying it out.
Now in Port Macquarie. Checked into the Caravan Park to camp. But they offered us a backpackers room for free, with free wifi.
Room given for FREE. Free wifi. Neighbouring room for bikes. Linen etc.
GREAT location! Chris
I have to say that the staff at the Sundowner Holiday Park in Port Macquarie have been some of the most helpful, open, supportive and customer focused hospitality people we have met. All of them have gone out of their way to help us and make our stay a great experience! :-)
Also the ride to Port Mac was great. We covered a good distance and maintained a great speed. Its rewarding on days like this as it makes us feel like our fitness is improving.
We are both starting to get tans (amazing for me) on our exposed skin so we are starting to get the cyclist look of brown arms, legs, neck & faces above and below our bike shorts and Tshirts! Not really the best look when swimming but at least when we are in our cycle gear we're starting to look lean, tanned & fit cyclist!
The next few days could be rain (10mm was forecast yesterday for tomorrow!) so we may get a bit wet! As it has now warmed up a lot this hopefully will mean that we wont be too cold, although the temperature is set to drop as well. It was plenty warm enough for me this morning to do my yoga in a Tshirt & fisherman trousers & bare feet on the grass by the beach & go for a swim and body surf for a short while. way longer than the few dips we have had which was great. I am looking forward to when (like maybe tomorrow) when the water is warmer than the ambient temperature.
Looking forward to visiting Bellingen & connecting with the community there as we have a lot of contacts & know that it is a area active and empowered to be more sustainable just and healthy.
Roland
Distance so far: 1956km
Weather: Temperature: 32 degrees. Sunny and hot. Rapidly descending to 20 degrees, and 12 degrees at evening.
Terrain: Freeway – gentle inclines for first 40km. Then hilly, with narrow roads and less room for cyclists.
In Taree, the health food shop gave us 30 discount on nuts and raisins. Thank you!
43km from Taree, we entered the village of Kew. Cut off now by the new freeway, rather like Bulahdela will be within the year. The village is having to reinvent itself. At the Keward a redoubtable entrepreneur offered s some great coffee, sturdy wooden tables for sharing, and some gentle jazz. Worth trying it out.
Now in Port Macquarie. Checked into the Caravan Park to camp. But they offered us a backpackers room for free, with free wifi.
Room given for FREE. Free wifi. Neighbouring room for bikes. Linen etc.
GREAT location! Chris
I have to say that the staff at the Sundowner Holiday Park in Port Macquarie have been some of the most helpful, open, supportive and customer focused hospitality people we have met. All of them have gone out of their way to help us and make our stay a great experience! :-)
Also the ride to Port Mac was great. We covered a good distance and maintained a great speed. Its rewarding on days like this as it makes us feel like our fitness is improving.
We are both starting to get tans (amazing for me) on our exposed skin so we are starting to get the cyclist look of brown arms, legs, neck & faces above and below our bike shorts and Tshirts! Not really the best look when swimming but at least when we are in our cycle gear we're starting to look lean, tanned & fit cyclist!
The next few days could be rain (10mm was forecast yesterday for tomorrow!) so we may get a bit wet! As it has now warmed up a lot this hopefully will mean that we wont be too cold, although the temperature is set to drop as well. It was plenty warm enough for me this morning to do my yoga in a Tshirt & fisherman trousers & bare feet on the grass by the beach & go for a swim and body surf for a short while. way longer than the few dips we have had which was great. I am looking forward to when (like maybe tomorrow) when the water is warmer than the ambient temperature.
Looking forward to visiting Bellingen & connecting with the community there as we have a lot of contacts & know that it is a area active and empowered to be more sustainable just and healthy.
Roland
Monday, September 6, 2010
Day 51 - Forster to Taree
Distance: 39 km
Time: 1:50 hours
Distance so far: 1869km
Weather: Temperature: 20 degrees. Sunny.
Terrain: Hilly. 30km on a fast 2 lane road, 8 km on the hard shoulder of State Highway.
Awoke to do yoga by the creekside as the sun came up.
Met Kath Smith – local resident since 80s (moving from Gloucester, Aus) and majorly active in setting up Great Lakes Environment Association, which pushed the Government to institute high standards to preserve the delicate ecosystem here (http://www.thegovmonitor.com/civil_society_and_democratic_renewal/governance/australia-launches-great-lakes-water-quality-improvement-plan-27373.html), the local branch of RAR http://www.ruralaustraliansforrefugees.org.au/
Filmed Kathy, and went to Bourkes bike shop in Tuncarry/Taree who on the spot pumped up Chris' tyres. They were SOFT - @ 50psi instead of 95psi. No wonder he had been finding the hills hard work. Bourkes bike shop also replaced the speedometer which fell off the bike last night. We had used that one since Castlemaine.
Set off at about 12.30, and as we headed inland on the road to Taree, hugging the river, the gentle pastures going down to the waters edge reminded me of the beautiful, welcoming outdoor parks in Serbia, next to the Sava and Danube rivers. offering BBQ and spaces to relax, swim, and take in the shade of the large trees.
Roland's bike needed adjustment of its front sprocket, and then we were on our way again, into Taree. Staying at the Fotheringham's pub tonight, with a specially reduced price of $20 for two of us. And excellent steaks for $12 each. Tasty and just what two cyclists needed. With a dark beer.
Chris
Forster seemed like it may not be an opportunity for us to have a great connection to the sort of people / community we are wanting to meet until we met Kathleen Smith! Wow what an amazing woman! Inspiration, commitment, compassion, strength & integrity are just the start of the adjectives I would use to describe this amazing woman and it seems her family as well! The discussion and opportunity to film Kathleen was something that Chris and I were in complete sinc with as we knew that our start time was getting delayed but that it was worth every second and so we didn't eve need to check in with each other if we needed to head off.
The ride up to Taree was a short and a little hilly but it felt good to be on the road again. Chris and I seemed to clash a little over the way we ride together as i get nervous with the traffic and am less confident riding close together than he is. His help with me gears & then a break for lunch helped us to feel like a team again.
Taree was also a surprise. A great stay at Fotheringhams Pub with a new publican was great and helped by their support of 50% discount on the room and a amazingly cheap meal! A great connection with some local cyclists & hoping that they will support us and connect us to others within their community as well as their contacts in Taree as well as further north. Plus a friendly and supportive couple of bike shops but especially the team at Bourke's Bicycles who also recommend Gordon Street Cycles in Port Macquarie where I have needed to get my wheel trued after s spoke broke! All up a fantastic place for cyclist to visit.
Roland
Time: 1:50 hours
Distance so far: 1869km
Weather: Temperature: 20 degrees. Sunny.
Terrain: Hilly. 30km on a fast 2 lane road, 8 km on the hard shoulder of State Highway.
Awoke to do yoga by the creekside as the sun came up.
Met Kath Smith – local resident since 80s (moving from Gloucester, Aus) and majorly active in setting up Great Lakes Environment Association, which pushed the Government to institute high standards to preserve the delicate ecosystem here (http://www.thegovmonitor.com/civil_society_and_democratic_renewal/governance/australia-launches-great-lakes-water-quality-improvement-plan-27373.html), the local branch of RAR http://www.ruralaustraliansforrefugees.org.au/
Filmed Kathy, and went to Bourkes bike shop in Tuncarry/Taree who on the spot pumped up Chris' tyres. They were SOFT - @ 50psi instead of 95psi. No wonder he had been finding the hills hard work. Bourkes bike shop also replaced the speedometer which fell off the bike last night. We had used that one since Castlemaine.
Set off at about 12.30, and as we headed inland on the road to Taree, hugging the river, the gentle pastures going down to the waters edge reminded me of the beautiful, welcoming outdoor parks in Serbia, next to the Sava and Danube rivers. offering BBQ and spaces to relax, swim, and take in the shade of the large trees.
Roland's bike needed adjustment of its front sprocket, and then we were on our way again, into Taree. Staying at the Fotheringham's pub tonight, with a specially reduced price of $20 for two of us. And excellent steaks for $12 each. Tasty and just what two cyclists needed. With a dark beer.
Chris
Forster seemed like it may not be an opportunity for us to have a great connection to the sort of people / community we are wanting to meet until we met Kathleen Smith! Wow what an amazing woman! Inspiration, commitment, compassion, strength & integrity are just the start of the adjectives I would use to describe this amazing woman and it seems her family as well! The discussion and opportunity to film Kathleen was something that Chris and I were in complete sinc with as we knew that our start time was getting delayed but that it was worth every second and so we didn't eve need to check in with each other if we needed to head off.
The ride up to Taree was a short and a little hilly but it felt good to be on the road again. Chris and I seemed to clash a little over the way we ride together as i get nervous with the traffic and am less confident riding close together than he is. His help with me gears & then a break for lunch helped us to feel like a team again.
Taree was also a surprise. A great stay at Fotheringhams Pub with a new publican was great and helped by their support of 50% discount on the room and a amazingly cheap meal! A great connection with some local cyclists & hoping that they will support us and connect us to others within their community as well as their contacts in Taree as well as further north. Plus a friendly and supportive couple of bike shops but especially the team at Bourke's Bicycles who also recommend Gordon Street Cycles in Port Macquarie where I have needed to get my wheel trued after s spoke broke! All up a fantastic place for cyclist to visit.
Roland
Day 50: Sunday 5 September – BULADEHLA TO FORSTER/TUNCURRY
Day 50: Sunday 5 September – BULADEHLA TO FORSTER/TUNCURRY
Distance: 71km
Distance so far: 1832 km
Weather: hot in morning. Subtropical evening with salt haze, particularly through the Booti Booti national park.
Visited Alum Mountain at start of day, and spoke to the curator of the Bulahdela Museum about the bypass construction works through the forest and the slopes of the mountain. It is tragic to see the huge snake of the State Highway 1 poised to cut across the river and through the wild forest on this lovely mountain. Sadder because if oil is finishing, as UK and US Governments now admit, then the felling of trees revered by th Aborigine Worimi community, the damning of sacred streams, will have all been in vain.
Undoubtedly Bulahdela will suffer economically as passing traffic is curtailed, and the town may well become a sleepy backwater with much less business. Do the locals who supported the bypass really understand this? Opinion in the local community does appear split, from Bulahdela to Taree. Nonetheless it appeared evident from our
Roland I started midday on our long ride. Roland had redistributed more of the weight on my bicycle from the trailer to the paniers and it seemed to roll
more easily. We rode together up the two big hills, then cruised out to the verdant valley below, up another incline, and then weaved around the Myall Lakes. Stupendously beautiful.
Towards the end of the day, as the subtropical salty air breezed in, we had a straight run through the Booti Booti national park. We arrived in the town of Forster. Will it be the next Venice? with properties inundated by rising sea levels in future.
A caravan park has given us a free berth for our tent tonight.
Distance: 71km
Distance so far: 1832 km
Weather: hot in morning. Subtropical evening with salt haze, particularly through the Booti Booti national park.
Visited Alum Mountain at start of day, and spoke to the curator of the Bulahdela Museum about the bypass construction works through the forest and the slopes of the mountain. It is tragic to see the huge snake of the State Highway 1 poised to cut across the river and through the wild forest on this lovely mountain. Sadder because if oil is finishing, as UK and US Governments now admit, then the felling of trees revered by th Aborigine Worimi community, the damning of sacred streams, will have all been in vain.
Undoubtedly Bulahdela will suffer economically as passing traffic is curtailed, and the town may well become a sleepy backwater with much less business. Do the locals who supported the bypass really understand this? Opinion in the local community does appear split, from Bulahdela to Taree. Nonetheless it appeared evident from our
Roland I started midday on our long ride. Roland had redistributed more of the weight on my bicycle from the trailer to the paniers and it seemed to roll
more easily. We rode together up the two big hills, then cruised out to the verdant valley below, up another incline, and then weaved around the Myall Lakes. Stupendously beautiful.
Towards the end of the day, as the subtropical salty air breezed in, we had a straight run through the Booti Booti national park. We arrived in the town of Forster. Will it be the next Venice? with properties inundated by rising sea levels in future.
A caravan park has given us a free berth for our tent tonight.
View from the Climate Change march, Copenhagen - December 2009
Sunday, 13 December 2009
A Window on the World and a Window to the World
It was cold, phenomenally cold. But luckily no winter rain for which Copenhagen is famous. We set off from outside of the Parliament to walk the 5 miles to the outskirts of city, to the Bella centre where the climate change talks were taking place. There were so many people from all over the world on the march: it felt to be one of the most international displays I have ever witnessed, with terrific team spirit between marchers, standing up for humankind in a way I have never seen before, coming from all over world. I understand that in total we were over 100,000 people: the biggest climate march and rally in the world. The Police were on the sidelines too, but contrary to reports in the media, I only got smiles from them, and help when I took a wrong turning. I didn’t see or hear any violence at all. Just music from around the world – and I listened to the stories from the front line on climate change, a window on the world:
I marched with with a woman who had come over from Kiribati (pronounced Kiribas) in the south pacific- A woman representing civil society groups there – one of the countries already facing rising sea level, and due to be abandoned in a few decades, as the sea swamps the small farming plots, and makes farming impossible. I marched with activists from Indonesia, and then Malaysia; from East Africa – Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. I talked with a development worker from central Mali, from the town of Mopti, and later from a woman from the rural Bolivia. It was humbling to hear about the very real problems that people are facing there, but inspiring too to learn how quite a few of the people said that their fellow citizens back home would gain courage from learning that other nations were marching along side, and with them to resolve the problems.
Towards the end, I bumped into Chris Davies, Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament in the crowd. I was impressed that he had taken the initiative to leave the cosy secure conference venue, and head into the maelstrom of marchers to stand in solidarity and listen and learn.
As I marched with my distinctive “tick tick” Oxfam climate change campaign life belt, I carried a banner saying “There is no Planet B”. Four different TV stations came up to me during the day to ask why I was marching, and what I wanted to happen at the summit: Bangladesh, Malaysia, Germany and the USA (Democracy Now). I said some pretty tough things to the last TV station, about the need for the world to act together at its final hour, and for the need to stop the Americans letting the world down AGAIN (as they did in Kyoto). The cameraman then told me they were American – from Democracy Now. I left the March in high spirits, knowing I had been a window to the World too, with another message to take on Bike the Earth, as it sets off later in 2010.
Chris Le Breton, Earth Partners Foundation.
In Copenhagen to help Oxfam
A Window on the World and a Window to the World
It was cold, phenomenally cold. But luckily no winter rain for which Copenhagen is famous. We set off from outside of the Parliament to walk the 5 miles to the outskirts of city, to the Bella centre where the climate change talks were taking place. There were so many people from all over the world on the march: it felt to be one of the most international displays I have ever witnessed, with terrific team spirit between marchers, standing up for humankind in a way I have never seen before, coming from all over world. I understand that in total we were over 100,000 people: the biggest climate march and rally in the world. The Police were on the sidelines too, but contrary to reports in the media, I only got smiles from them, and help when I took a wrong turning. I didn’t see or hear any violence at all. Just music from around the world – and I listened to the stories from the front line on climate change, a window on the world:
I marched with with a woman who had come over from Kiribati (pronounced Kiribas) in the south pacific- A woman representing civil society groups there – one of the countries already facing rising sea level, and due to be abandoned in a few decades, as the sea swamps the small farming plots, and makes farming impossible. I marched with activists from Indonesia, and then Malaysia; from East Africa – Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. I talked with a development worker from central Mali, from the town of Mopti, and later from a woman from the rural Bolivia. It was humbling to hear about the very real problems that people are facing there, but inspiring too to learn how quite a few of the people said that their fellow citizens back home would gain courage from learning that other nations were marching along side, and with them to resolve the problems.
Towards the end, I bumped into Chris Davies, Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament in the crowd. I was impressed that he had taken the initiative to leave the cosy secure conference venue, and head into the maelstrom of marchers to stand in solidarity and listen and learn.
As I marched with my distinctive “tick tick” Oxfam climate change campaign life belt, I carried a banner saying “There is no Planet B”. Four different TV stations came up to me during the day to ask why I was marching, and what I wanted to happen at the summit: Bangladesh, Malaysia, Germany and the USA (Democracy Now). I said some pretty tough things to the last TV station, about the need for the world to act together at its final hour, and for the need to stop the Americans letting the world down AGAIN (as they did in Kyoto). The cameraman then told me they were American – from Democracy Now. I left the March in high spirits, knowing I had been a window to the World too, with another message to take on Bike the Earth, as it sets off later in 2010.
Chris Le Breton, Earth Partners Foundation.
In Copenhagen to help Oxfam
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Day 49 - Hawks Nest to Bulahdela
The new nylon palace held firm in the wind and rain over night.
Relayed to the managers of the Hawks Nest caravan park the success of the Solar Valley going Solar project we had learned about in Murchison, Victoria, so that they can connect and learn from that.
Enjoyed cycling on one of the most beautiful quiet forested roads I remember, in the Myall Lakes National Park hearing the waves crash on the beach a short distance over the dunes. A few very fast cars and SUVs (so many Australians do drive fast, and often without due consideration for road conditions). We both skinny dipped, although the sea had such a strong undertow, we quickly came out.
Cycled on past grassplants, over a hundred years old, to the Bombah Point ferry, operating every half an hour, along a metal cable. I drew attention to the opportunity of having a completely manual ferry, like across the Gambia river at Georgetown, in West Africa.
Slow going over a gravelly/muddy road from Bombah Point to Bulahdela, seeing the huge scar that is to be the Bulahdela bypass, carved across the land, and through the forest and through the sacred Aboriginal mountain Mt Alum. The locals are convinced it is unstoppable now.
Staying at the Plough Inn Hotel which has the grottiest common bathrooms I have ever seen in a pub: sharing the male cloakroom for the pub with the showers for the hotel. Yuck! Chris
Relayed to the managers of the Hawks Nest caravan park the success of the Solar Valley going Solar project we had learned about in Murchison, Victoria, so that they can connect and learn from that.
Enjoyed cycling on one of the most beautiful quiet forested roads I remember, in the Myall Lakes National Park hearing the waves crash on the beach a short distance over the dunes. A few very fast cars and SUVs (so many Australians do drive fast, and often without due consideration for road conditions). We both skinny dipped, although the sea had such a strong undertow, we quickly came out.
Cycled on past grassplants, over a hundred years old, to the Bombah Point ferry, operating every half an hour, along a metal cable. I drew attention to the opportunity of having a completely manual ferry, like across the Gambia river at Georgetown, in West Africa.
Slow going over a gravelly/muddy road from Bombah Point to Bulahdela, seeing the huge scar that is to be the Bulahdela bypass, carved across the land, and through the forest and through the sacred Aboriginal mountain Mt Alum. The locals are convinced it is unstoppable now.
Staying at the Plough Inn Hotel which has the grottiest common bathrooms I have ever seen in a pub: sharing the male cloakroom for the pub with the showers for the hotel. Yuck! Chris
Friday, September 3, 2010
Day 48 - Hawks Nest, New South Wales
Left Gordon and Olga's lovely apartment in Newcastle today, after 3 days, during which Roland and I had done some good work (including our first funding reques, to the Australian Be the Change facilitators). After the crossing over Newcastle harbour to Stockton, we soon hit the coastal road out. I was looking forward to a quiet road all the way to Nelson's Bay, but struggled to keep my spirits up with the huge volume of traffic, particularly from fast trucks. As usual, Roland sped ahead, and I came on behind, into the wind. Roland said the wind was from a different direction! He says it was initially! 53 km late, plus a ride in a ferry built in 1943 (with a sign saying inside: " No Spitting. £2 fine") we arrived at Tea Gardens. No tea here these days. First campsite we chose was closed down last week due to defective electricity wiring (we think). Just got the new tent up before it began to rain and blow. Chris
Its funny to be camping in a place that I was last at about 30 or more years ago. I remember some photos of me & my family that that I took on my new camera. 70's chopper style bicycles, hair cuts and clothes with awkward looking young lads who were my brothers having fun. It feels a little sad or "samishii" a japanese word meaning sort of home sick / nostalgic for a time that was and the innocence lost.
Its great that we have our new palais de nylon with its luxurious spacious interior, superior wind insulation, grand double doors facing east & west with protective mosquito nets & shit loads of storage! YEH!
Roland
Its funny to be camping in a place that I was last at about 30 or more years ago. I remember some photos of me & my family that that I took on my new camera. 70's chopper style bicycles, hair cuts and clothes with awkward looking young lads who were my brothers having fun. It feels a little sad or "samishii" a japanese word meaning sort of home sick / nostalgic for a time that was and the innocence lost.
Its great that we have our new palais de nylon with its luxurious spacious interior, superior wind insulation, grand double doors facing east & west with protective mosquito nets & shit loads of storage! YEH!
Roland
Day 3-4
Day 3: Geelong
Day 4: Wednesday 21 July – GEELONG TO BALLARAT
Distance: 94km
Distance so far: 229 km
Weather: misty start. Cold.
Terrain: Steadily uphill. Flat. Some inclines.
Successfully linked in a public meeting sustainable energy production in Australia within an international perspectives, specifically linking the potential to provide concentrated solar power and other renewables to Indonesia, East Timor and New Guinea, drawing on the example of DESERTEC in Europe.
Successfully linked the energy company’s need for public support in lobbying the Australian Government to get infrastructure to be built by Government with the 100% renewable energy campaign’s need for financial support to achieve their aims of 100% renewable energy.
Put forward the possibility of all the green energy companies, as a collective, putting their financial and business support behind the 100% renewable energy campaign.
We coached the BREAZE Organising team to encourage them to look more positively at their achievements and the achievable next steps towards their goals.
En route from Ballarat to Daylesford, Roland managed and dealt with some of the unfinished logistical complications, and emotional stuff, of packing up and leaving Melbourne.
Day 4: Wednesday 21 July – GEELONG TO BALLARAT
Distance: 94km
Distance so far: 229 km
Weather: misty start. Cold.
Terrain: Steadily uphill. Flat. Some inclines.
Successfully linked in a public meeting sustainable energy production in Australia within an international perspectives, specifically linking the potential to provide concentrated solar power and other renewables to Indonesia, East Timor and New Guinea, drawing on the example of DESERTEC in Europe.
Successfully linked the energy company’s need for public support in lobbying the Australian Government to get infrastructure to be built by Government with the 100% renewable energy campaign’s need for financial support to achieve their aims of 100% renewable energy.
Put forward the possibility of all the green energy companies, as a collective, putting their financial and business support behind the 100% renewable energy campaign.
We coached the BREAZE Organising team to encourage them to look more positively at their achievements and the achievable next steps towards their goals.
En route from Ballarat to Daylesford, Roland managed and dealt with some of the unfinished logistical complications, and emotional stuff, of packing up and leaving Melbourne.
Day 2
Day 2: Monday 19 July – SORRENTO TO GEELONG
Distance: 34 km
Distance so far: 135 km
Weather: chill in the air. Dry.
Terrain: Off road, using the former railway track
We stayed with the Creator and main coordinator of the Geelong Sustainability Group Monica Winston and her partner Phil. From nothing coordinated in Geelong, Monica has created a vibrant, active sustainability network. Phil, runs a business installing solar thermal heating for homes and businesses which created an ambient temperature of 22 degrees without any formal heater in the house, in the middle of winter, where the outside temperature ranged between 2 degrees and 15 degrees.
We joined a Community-based food security training programmed centred on permaculture, where we visited 2 homes to talk about design aspects to convert their gardens to more effective food production with the owners’ aims to be partially or fully self sufficient in terms of food production.
Did stuff with bikes. Purchased clothes from local bikeshop. Supplemented and enhanced our cycling equipment and personal clothing. 2 of the 3 items purchased needed to be returned because they were faulty/ didn’t fit.
Discounts, Support or Gifts received from:
Wine shop (supportive of Geelong Transition)
Distance: 34 km
Distance so far: 135 km
Weather: chill in the air. Dry.
Terrain: Off road, using the former railway track
We stayed with the Creator and main coordinator of the Geelong Sustainability Group Monica Winston and her partner Phil. From nothing coordinated in Geelong, Monica has created a vibrant, active sustainability network. Phil, runs a business installing solar thermal heating for homes and businesses which created an ambient temperature of 22 degrees without any formal heater in the house, in the middle of winter, where the outside temperature ranged between 2 degrees and 15 degrees.
We joined a Community-based food security training programmed centred on permaculture, where we visited 2 homes to talk about design aspects to convert their gardens to more effective food production with the owners’ aims to be partially or fully self sufficient in terms of food production.
Did stuff with bikes. Purchased clothes from local bikeshop. Supplemented and enhanced our cycling equipment and personal clothing. 2 of the 3 items purchased needed to be returned because they were faulty/ didn’t fit.
Discounts, Support or Gifts received from:
Wine shop (supportive of Geelong Transition)
Day 1
Day 1: Sunday 18 July - MELBOURNE TO SORRENTO
Distance: 101km
Weather: raining progressively harder all afternoon and evening
Terrain: Flat except for 1-2 hills for coastal path to climb up over.
First test of the bikes and the two=wheeled trailer. Survived a day in the rain. Didn’t do as well as we thought. Realised we needed to start earlier in the day.
Distance: 101km
Weather: raining progressively harder all afternoon and evening
Terrain: Flat except for 1-2 hills for coastal path to climb up over.
First test of the bikes and the two=wheeled trailer. Survived a day in the rain. Didn’t do as well as we thought. Realised we needed to start earlier in the day.
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