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2001 bicycling trip

Great Ocean Road

Agelasto
2004-05-20 19:49:40

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The Great Ocean Road runs 285 kms along the southwest coast of the state of Victoria in Australia. It lies southwest of Melbourne, specifically from Torquay to Warrnambool. My trip includes this stretch along with the coastal sections southeast of Adelaide, where I begin the trip. Over 10 days I cover 1,139 kms.

In an Adelaide suburb I stay with a family whom I have connected with on the Internet, a resource that provides the addresses of people willing to host travelers. Although I have hosted cycle tourists in China, who found me on one of these servers, this is my first successful attempt at arranging homestay for myself. Most of my inquiries over the past 6 months have been dead ends. For your reference, information on host accommodation can be found on these URLs: http://www.travelhoo.com , http://www.stay4free.com , http://alumni.aitec.edu.au/HHB , http://www.eldertravelers.com, http://www.egroups.com/group/wsl_org-announce .

My host family is extremely hospitable and welcoming, which sets the tone of warmth and humanity I will experience in Australia. In all the countries I have visited the hospitality I find in Australia and New Zealand remains unmatched. The world over I've almost always found locals to be friendly, but the folks down under raise hospitality to the highest plateau.

On this first day of cycling, Saturday 8 September 2001, the weather is the worst I think I have as a rider ever encountered: wet, cold and windy. So windy in fact that I am tossed off the bike - or rather I am thrown to the ground with the bike on top. I hobble back on, but for the next few days I can hardly walk. Ironically, I feel no pain when I cycle. I slush across Adelaide Hills over Mt. Compass and on to Victor Harbor on this fairly miserable spring day.

As I am traveling in the off season, accommodation and meals are easy to arrange. Although I have my tent, I opt out for sleeping ...